[OneSec]

I'm currently using a desktop for multi-tasking including music server. I have tons of issue getting my USB DAC to work for my onboard USB port, until I replaced my PSU, and replaced a ferrite core USB cable (all other cheap and expensive USB cable refuse to work) and some other tweaking.
 
Even now I feel that USB DAC full potential has yet to be realized. One of the advice from people was to have USB extension card on PCI slot for dedicated connection.
 
What do you think?
 
Also please let me know should you have any other advice.
 
Thank you.

 

[kn19h7]

If you really care that much about digital audio signal transport, I think you can look on some PCI-E professional audio interfaces like those from Lynx, RME etc.

 

[mich41]

Onboard USB2. These are parts of southbridges shipped in millions of motherboards and as such are the most battle-tested USB controllers in existence.

 

[OneSec]

Quote:

If you really care that much about digital audio signal transport, I think you can look on some PCI-E professional audio interfaces like those from Lynx, RME etc.

Thanks for the recommendation I lave look into Lynx and RME there are infact professional grade. Thanks for the recommendation. I have invest quick heavily on my current USB DAC, so I would like to see if I can improve the connection between my PC and USB DAC for this moment
 
Thank you.

 

[bowei006]

It depends.
 
Southbridge control of USB and the USB chipset itself. Some are really good and well intergrated such as a nice high end Intel chipset but some are not very good.
 
For most cases, onboard USB 2.0 is what I would go for, but if the expansion card is very good then maybe that. But in the end, for THE EASIEST, cheapest, and most efficent one.
 
USB 2.0 onboard.
 
USB3.0 just wastes a plug when you could use it for others.

 

[cel4145]

Even now I feel that USB DAC full potential has yet to be realized.

Is it cutting in and out on you? What's the reason to think it's not working at potential?

 

[OneSec]

While all those cables I tested works on data transfer, some of them are giving wired problems when connected to USB DAC. I use the same USB 2.0 onboard ports for all these testing and this makes me wonder if a PCI extension will solve my problems.

Plus there are sonic differences to my ears on different cables. So far I only manage to get a ferrite core USB cable to work, but they sound worse than other cable which has dropout or other issues...

 

[Roseval]

I must admit it is a bit unclear to me what your problems are.
Some of them sound like you are having dropouts.
If this is the case run a DPC latency checker like http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon
 
Internally all USB ports are connected to hubs.
It is possible that the DAC is sharing a hub with another demanding device.
Open the device manager and check if this is the case
 

In the example above the DAC uses the same hub as the Bluetooth
 
If all hubs are busy, a PCI to USB might help.
You now have another hub straight on the PCI not shared by any other device.
If the system is high on latency this won’t help as no hub can control what is happening upstream.

 

[cel4145]

While all those cables I tested works on data transfer, some of them are giving wired problems when connected to USB DAC. I use the same USB 2.0 onboard ports for all these testing and this makes me wonder if a PCI extension will solve my problems.

I have found that some cheaper USB cables have trouble powering USB devices. Or, I can get my phone charging, but the data transfer won't work. And then longer cables don't work with my portable USB drive. So you might look toward cables being the major issue here if Roseval's advice in the previous post doesn't work.

 

[OneSec]

Quote:

I must admit it is a bit unclear to me what your problems are.
Some of them sound like you are having dropouts.
If this is the case run a DPC latency checker like http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon
 
Internally all USB ports are connected to hubs.
It is possible that the DAC is sharing a hub with another demanding device.
Open the device manager and check if this is the case
 
In the example above the DAC uses the same hub as the Bluetooth
 
If all hubs are busy, a PCI to USB might help.
You now have another hub straight on the PCI not shared by any other device.
If the system is high on latency this won’t help as no hub can control what is happening upstream.

 
Thanks for these advice. Great minds thinks alike! Those advice has been applied, right now some USB cable has issue where foobar stops playing after 10-20 seconds, or I feel like the sound of the working USB cable is not as good as other problematic USB cables.

• I have disabled virtual memory so pagefaults would not be a factor.
• USB hub level it is dedicated, which I verified on on device manager, and sort device by connection. The USB input device is part of the USB DAC(SVB-202D). I disabled the USB input device and USB DAC no longer works.
• From the USB Bus level I even moved my music files to SATA drives, and currently there are only 2 unavoidable device connecting through a different USB hub - which is my mouse and keyboard.

 

 

[OneSec]

Quote:

I have found that some cheaper USB cables have trouble powering USB devices. Or, I can get my phone charging, but the data transfer won't work. And then longer cables don't work with my portable USB drive. So you might look toward cables being the major issue here if Roseval's advice in the previous post doesn't work.

Í have tired 3-4 cables so far, and I still yet to find Mrs Right USB cable That includs a Pangea USB cable (this is the worst one), where the device is not even recognized. I can buy another 20 usb cables but...
 
Quote:

It depends.
 
Southbridge control of USB and the USB chipset itself. Some are really good and well intergrated such as a nice high end Intel chipset but some are not very good.
 
For most cases, onboard USB 2.0 is what I would go for, but if the expansion card is very good then maybe that. But in the end, for THE EASIEST, cheapest, and most efficent one.
 
USB 2.0 onboard.
 
USB3.0 just wastes a plug when you could use it for others.

 
Thanks bowei - I'm using a Asus motherboard with intel chipset, I think this might be the issue here, since the currently board was a desperate act finding a replace when my previous montherboard went out - I was on socket 375 and DDR2 SDRAM configuration. I dont have any choice in the market, as DD2 motherboard was kinda obsolete, which I had to go for the currently motherboard supporting socket 375 + DD3. There isn't much selection falling under this category, and most manufacture would produce such product for cost effective / backward compatibility purpose, than performance / stability.

 

[OneSec]

Appreciate further advice on this.

 

[bowei006]

If your onboard USB works, use that.
 
Do you hear noise, distortion, clipping? Yes? Go buy the expansion.
 
No? Then don't worry about it. USB is digital.
 
I was and most are talking in a more elitist enthusiast sense of absolute perfection but for most equipment that will be run, this is fine.