[kwkarth]

Thanks Jack!

 

[tlniec]

That makes sense.  So there actually is a logical reason why audio can be sensitive to USB cable anomalies that don't bother data.  The transmission protocol is different, and allows dropped packets to simply be "ignored/forgotten."  In other words, transmitting a FLAC file from one PC to another via USB will give you a bit-perfect copy 7 days a week (and twice on Sunday).  But playing that same FLAC on a PC, outputting a digital audio stream through USB to a DAC, does not guarantee such success [though in practice, it only has issues in corner cases, such as extremely poor/out-of-spec cables]. 

 

[estreeter]

Here we go again.
 
I am a big fan of asynch USB - it is the technology underneath my MSII and that sounds very good to my ears. I have read a mountain of technical background from people like Gordon Rankin and Dan Lavry, and I still dont see a clear 'winner' - so much of it comes down to implementation.

 

[Jack C]

Quote:

Here we go again.
 
I am a big fan of asynch USB - it is the technology underneath my MSII and that sounds very good to my ears. I have read a mountain of technical background from people like Gordon Rankin and Dan Lavry, and I still dont see a clear 'winner' - so much of it comes down to implementation.

Asynchronous USB definitely has advantages over common synchronous implementation. However it still does not solve the error correction issue and thus is susceptible to dropouts and whatnot when the transmission contains errors. 
 
So why not implement error correction? I think that would result in latency in the audio stream, something that may or may not be objectionable depending on who is using it and for what purpose, but I would say that those of us willing to put up with additional amounts of latency in the name of reduced dropouts would be in the minority. 
 
Besides, just get a decent well made USB cable and the dropouts should be a very rare occurrence. 
 
Jack

 

[EYEdROP]

Well I got my FCA202 a couple days ago. The first thing I noticed is more detail (vs. onboard card). Everything seems less digital and less distorted, especially in the highs. The bass has better texture and tonality, the soundstage improved. The music is easier to listen to and hear the details. I not sure if this dac is neutral, but it made a big improvement, mainly in the low level details. It didnt really change the sound frequency response wise. Basically Im hearing things I knew were there, but never really noticed or heard clearly before, if that makes sense.
 
Thanks for everyone that helped. I chose to use 100% Radioshack cables and adaptors. They provide good service for my system.
 
The end. 

 

[grokit]

I'm glad it worked out for you, EYEdROP. It's hard to go wrong with firewire, as long as you have an up-to-date driver.