[Neobenedict]

You probably won't be able to tell any difference.
However, USB requires drivers that sometimes don't work, so coax or spdif might be a better choice if you have those headers on your motherboard.

 

[Whitigir]

As far as I can tell, the S/PDIF coax input on just about any DAC is preferred by the manufacturer over the USB input. USB is an electrically flawed interface for audio as it brings too much electrical baggage along with it. I have yet to listen to a DAC where the S/PDIF coax input didn't sound better than the USB input.

It isn’t easy to hear these differences. I just did hear the differences and I am tired of it. It wreak havoc on my hobby and turned this upside down. In a positive note, I hear more true quality audio. I’m order to hear these differences, you need

1/ extremely revealing equipments. I have stax 009, KG T2, with all silver wiring and Nos Tubes
2/ high-end DAC that is honest (no DSP). I observed this between R2R7 and LKS004 and the R2R7 without any jumper is dead honest
3/ good Flac files or higher

The differences ? Hisses, noises, glares, sibilants, or even deformed soundstage presentations. These are all errors by the usb side.

USB is a universal Data transfer meanings, and so it carries a lot of trash with it, which then require a good external power to feed the processing board at the end of the chain (DAC). Then it really is all depending on this modules to reclock, and filter out the trash, and applying DSP to polish up the sound quality. I have seen people doing all kind of things, such as getting an isolator afterward, a Fi-Fo clocking circuitry, Regen...etc...etc...

You know what ? You can certainly DSP and processing away the errored bits and data, but that means you are losing music details. These lost details could mean a lot to your music, such as different timbres, extensions, energies, soundstage presentations, and or background noises.

So what about DDC ? Well, the same thing, because it process and filter out too much, you lose out details.

When people get serious enough about these interfaces, they do search’s and post up online too. I do see that SPDIF/Coax/I2S are the preferred audio interface. It raises a question that when do we have a transport that only does dedicated jobs about these audio processing and go straight up into SPDIF/Coax/I2S without being converted. So far, there is Cayin Idap-6 and Aune S5. Neither one that I have heard yet. But I do know for sure is that Coax sounds much better than USB, and the differences could be day/night or may not be as it depends on how much the manufacturer want to trick the end users by DSP or software level

 

[castleofargh]

so the best way to notice the superiority of a digital protocol is to use as many old gear designs as possible? you suggest tube amp, NOS tubes, R2R DAC and an allergy toward DSP. with that approach of course I would also assume that for you, USB is too modern, that non analog packet delivery is witchcraft and reclocking the end of the world. ^_^

I expect many people to have less disgust for technological advancement. IMO all designs have pros and cons, USB covers many different things and had various changes over the years, various streaming protocols, usb powered DAC or not, all types of async and speed. even custom drivers on many occasions(and some do suck). treating them all as if it's one bad apple, it just seems like a drastic and unfair oversimplification. and that's not even looking at the significance of the designer's work. just because most USB input use the same 2 or 3 components, doesn't mean that a DAC designer can't work out his own salsa and achieve crazy good fidelity. although I'm guessing we don't have the same concept of what fidelity means. and of course several big names have aging engineers who have decades of experience with coax and close to none with USB. that certainly must have impacted many designs where they added some default USB components because of demand but don't know and don't care for it while they design the DAC for coax. but if there is a doubt, a few measurements in a loop can show at least the most significant flaws and help decide what to use.

if anything, having tube amps that measure ok, and R2R DACs without too much aliasing and non linearity, should be evidence enough that the engineers making a product can even use sub par designs and still achieve impressive quality when they put their mind to it. why would it be different for USB?
if your system clearly measures better or simply feels nicer with a given input, I'd obviously say to use that. but oversimplifying and deciding that SPDIF is the bomb and USB is bad, maybe it makes your life simple but it's false IMO(as are most oversimplifications).

 

[goodvibes]

I like the most modern equipment and much prefer SPdif to usb, or even the best optimized firewire or Ethernet solutions. Of course apples to apples isn't always easy. When we speak of format wars, we need to compare the best available from each which can be trying and costly without the right connections. After that, it can vary quite a bit. I use a $550 bnc coax cable and it smokes the Belden 1694 I have. Can't say why and I'm well aware that it shouldn't and that's part of the problem in discussions like this. Not getting all your ducks in a row or obstinately not using or even trying the best links for a chain because you 'know' it shouldn't matter. I always assume it's likely that we don't know more than we do know.

 

[GrendizerX]

I will start off by saying that I have very low understanding of audio setups in computers.

I'm going to make this simple cause I read this thread and whats recommended, I simply cannot do which is connecting optical to my pre-built laptop.

I have a ps4 with a old Triton ax720 original model which the headset broke and I only have that decoder box. I bought the AD700X as recommended in this forums for gaming. I play Fortnite on my laptop and Cod on my PS4 plus other shooting/FPS games. All I want is to be able to hear things clearly from every direction and positional distance. My front audio and back audio sound exactly the same and many of the times I get so confused or directional action. I have no software or anything connected to my laptop/headphones, just the 3.5 direct connection to my laptop.

What is recommended as a solution for both my laptop gaming and PS4?

 

[music_man]

AES3! Unless you are using $3,500+ 1 per meter coax cable HAHA. I am being serious but I understand not everyone has this option.

 

[gregorio]

I like the most modern equipment and much prefer SPdif to usb ...

If you have modern equipment that is well designed, there will not be an audible difference. In theory, with a modern well designed DAC, even a relatively cheap one, USB should be superior to spdif but in practise this technical superiority would be well below audibility.

G

 

[goodvibes]

Would be nice if true.