NuForce U192S
Jul 27, 2012 at 11:58 PM Post #3 of 15
What's your goal in purchasing a USB to SPDIF converter? If you need optical and you currently have an optical output on your sound card, you likely won't hear a difference getting that instead. Better off spending the money on a DAC if you're looking for a better source.
 
Aug 15, 2012 at 12:38 AM Post #6 of 15
Quote:
take a look at this italian forum
 

Hiface Two Vs Nuforce U192S


 
So, other than the photo of someone's girlfriend on the bottom of page 4, what conclusion did you draw from their ranting.  After Google-translating a bunch of it, it sounds like the usual audiophile nonsense (i.e. wondering if a different USB cable would change the sound, which one has a bigger soundstage and ... "wow, Peter Gabriel sounds like he's 10 meters beyond my speakers...").
 
One guy thinks it's awesome and another thinks the HiFace 2 is awesome and everyone agrees that the way more expensive Weiss sounds better.
 
I bought one of these, plugged in my iPad Classic w/ CCK into it, fed the optical out into my Icon HDP and plugged in my Grado RS2i cans.  I was able to stream 24/96 tracks via Homeshare on my MacBook Pro (Hilary Hahn's Bach violin concerto downloaded from HDTracks).  
 
Really, I started this because I curious to see if the iPad/CCK would power the NuForce U192S and correctly report the sample rate for Redbook and hi-res tracks - yes to both.
 
The sound was smooth as silk, super detailed but also very different from what I'm used to hearing - I need more time on this setup to get used to it and to see if I like it, long term.
 
Definitely worth the $99.00.
 
 
Aug 19, 2012 at 9:47 AM Post #8 of 15
UDAC-2 can also output SPDIF via 75ohm coax, and you can use it to drive IEMs too.


True, but the udac-2 can't be powered by the CCK solution and the -2 is limited to 24/96.

I have a uDac-2SE, and I use when traveling and working, but the HDP sounds significantly better and the addition of the u192s let's me play everything without resampling. Not that I have many 192kHz tracks :)

In theory, using the u192s mitigates jitter; I don't pretend to understand whether that's a real problem. My udac2-se uses asynchronous USB, as well, but the Icon HDP crushes it in SQ.

However, plugging in the u192s into the HDP changes the sound, as I noted above.
 
Mar 16, 2013 at 7:25 PM Post #9 of 15
Anybody else try this?
 
Hows does it compare to the V-link 192?
 
Is it XMOS?
 
It seems like it could be a good deal for $100.
 
Mar 16, 2013 at 9:23 PM Post #10 of 15
Quote:
Is it XMOS?

 
I'm pretty certain that it's not XMOS. This is the device information for Nuforce UDH-100 (I assume they use the same chip for U192S):

http://pastebin.com/i4wpQ35B
 
The Vendor ID belongs to MCS, but it seems that they sell their Product IDs, so my guess is that Nuforce developed their own chip or use some kind of OEM.

http://www.mcselec.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=92&category_id=20&option=com_phpshop&Itemid=41
 
 
I would like to know if anyone has tried the U192S on Linux? XMOS works out of the box. I fear that this device won't.
 
Mar 18, 2013 at 8:13 AM Post #11 of 15
I use the Creative Sound Blaster X-FI HD for  USB to S/PDIF.  I also get DAT to computer library by using the HD's S/PDIF to  USB function. In addition, the HD's DAC permits me to get vinyl into my computer library. The unit will pass or up-sample digital signals up to 24/96. I leave it set for 24/96 since some of my computer library is stored at 24/96. The other material in my iTunes library is stored at 16/44. These tunes are up-sampled to 24/96,  unless I manually adjust the HD to output 16/44. I have not found this necessary, as the up-sampled  tunes sound awesome. One thing I really like about the HD is being able to use it  to digitize vinyl . Using Roxio software I can digitize vinyl at 16/44. I also have some Creative software that permits me to digitize at 24/96, but it is not as intuitive as the Roxio software, so I usually digitize at 16/44. Either way, the digitized material sounds better than the vinyl, since I can edit out the not so quite grooves between selections. At any rate, I'm sure the Nuforce product is good at doing what it's designed to do. The V-Link also sounds reasonable. I went with the X-FI HD, since it can direct two way traffic. With my  new Toshiba laptop running  Windows 8 and the latest iTunes version, most everything in my computer's music library sounds indistinguishable from SACD.
 
Apr 22, 2014 at 1:05 AM Post #14 of 15
I'm using U192s connect it between my laptop T400 and Benchmark DAC1. Sound smooth and very detail, just everything I want hear from it. ASIO is also very useful...


So, the U192S improves the performance of the Benchmark Dac1?, this means that the Nuforce U192S is a better asynchronous converter than the one implemented in the Dac1, ... very interesting. Look at this, I use it with a Parasound zdac:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/655104/parasound-zdac-reviews/30#post_10300345
 

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