Hi,
Although i have an advanced home theater setup with separates and listen regularly to SACDs i have to admit i am a total newb
when it comes to USB2 24/192 DACs.
My current office setup: X-Meridian 7.1>Parasound Zamp v.3> Canton M 30 DC 3-ways is getting long-in-the-tooth (read boring) after 10
years of service.
What i have in mind:
Panamax 5100>Dell 370 win7 USB2 (first USB2 Dell) >DacMagic Plus with linear generic 12v 2A PSU>Monoprice XLR to RCA>Zamp v.3>DYI Belden 10AWG
with spades > Proac Tablette 50 bookshelves
The Monoprices are sure to raise eyebrows, in fact i got them for pennies a while back, got unterminated M1000i XLRs i may be terminating them with Neutrik
male RCAs for the Zamp end.
I will be listening to winamp and octoshape stations mostly muzak
I like the fact that i will be able to control everything from the Dacmagic Plus, although i got used to just hitting the Griffin Powermate controller
when a phone call comes through with my current setup. Obviously and luckily for me (Dell 370 2007 model is compliant) ASIO will be the way
to go, Winamp has an ASIO plugin.
http://www.asus.com/Multimedia/Audio_Cards/Xonar_Essence_One/
Lastly, how does it compare to the Asus Xonar Essence One? I had the PCI (PCI-E had poor reviews) version and returned it, was unmoved on the system listed above.
As for the confusion with USB2, here is Cambridge's own "Guide to Perfect USB Audio":
http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/assets/documents/Audiophiles_guide_to_bit_perfect_USB_Audio_October_2011.pdf