[jp11801]

I have a mac mini and have just completed purchase of a Kora Hermes dac. Having lived with the convenience of computer audio I can't go back to cds.
In order to use the Kora Hermes I need a USB to SPDIF convertor I have thought about the

HagUSB cheap but effective some say it is not as detailed as the others but it costs just $129

Trends USB this unit looks great and is about $160 shipped

Empirical Audio Freeway it is supposed to be the best but at $650 it should be.

All these boxes basically do the same thing just take the usb data and convert it to spdif. Does anyone have a background that could explain why a better unit makes a difference or has anyone here tried different units and heard a difference?

Thanks

 

[Nirmalanow]

I have had great results with the Trends, even when using the onboard DAC which sounds much better than it should at this price. It also has a lot of flexibility with several different outputs, and you can run more than one output at a time.

I find the sound quality is fine also when it is powered by the USB, which can simplify things over using the battery. You can also pick up a 5v external AC to DC power supply.

 

[breakfastchef]

Don't know the details of the USB to SPDIF process, but I understand the Behringer UCA202 at $30 is a good deal as recommended by forum member HiFlight.

 

[Screamager]

I ordered the HAG USB last week, hopefully when I get back from my business trip in Oslo, in a couple of days, it will be waiting for me at home and I can give you an opinion. However I have nothing to really compare it with.

The empirical audio systems looked very attractive, as they could output 24bit signals, which other converters cannot do without specific drivers (which will mostly not work in linux), but the price, as you said, is very steep.

I went a bit ahead of myself with the HAG purchase, as I have not yet purchased a DAC (looking at the Yulong and the Keces), but that happens sometimes.

 

[morphsci]

I can certainly vouch for the Trends. It sounded very good converting the USB output from my workstation to feed a Stello DP200 (Straight 16/44.1). Unfortunately you just missed the one I had for sale.

Never compared it to any of the others as I felt no need to search farther after listening to it for a while.

 

[VeipaCray]

I'm wondering the same thing as my setup will be similar. Does the device really matter if it's just taking a digital feed via USB and converting it to spdif? Wouldn't the next device (DAC) be doing the actual conversion?

I've been looking at that $30 Behringer UCA202 and the M-Audio Transport $80. The Behringer is a 16 bit DAC and the M-Audio is a 24 bit DAC, but neither of these devices will be used as a DAC...only to convert from USB to spdif. So do the DAC bits of these devices actually matter?

EDIT> I should add that both of these devices use the Mac Core Audio driver and require no extra software to be installed.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VeipaCray /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm wondering the same thing as my setup will be similar. Does the device really matter if it's just taking a digital feed via USB and converting it to spdif? Wouldn't the next device (DAC) be doing the actual conversion?

Some USB devices won't accept signals with a bit-depth and sample rate higher than 16-bit/48 kHz, which means that if you have files at higher rates, they will either be downconverted or not playable. If you're playing CD-quality audio, this won't matter, unless the transport is not capable of 16-bit/44.1 kHz bit-perfect audio, in which case 44.1 kHz will likely be poorly upsampled to 48 kHz. If you have high-resolution files, it will matter.

 

[1117]

I've only used a Trends Audio. I see no need to try anything else.

 

[joefosho315]

How about considering an Apple Airport Express? That way you can wirelessly send USB --> SPDIF, and it should be bit perfect.

 

[skeptic]

Can any of you comment on how much of a load the Trends puts on your CPU? I game in addition to listening to FLAC's, and my past experience with USB audio has been that system lag is increased and frames lost. I have been reluctant to move away from my X-Fi for this reason.

Do any of you use this component for both gaming and critical listening? Thanks.

 

[mshan]

Are all digital outputs of the Trends UD-10 simultaneously active?

I currently own a Hagtech USB (XLR version) and was wondering if others could elaborate on sonic differences bewteen this and Trends?

 

[Scrith]

I've used an Empirical Audio Off-Ramp 2 Turbo w/ Superclock 4 (whew, what a product name) and it was pretty good with a Lavry DA10 and Benchmark DAC1. I then acquired a DAC1 USB and it sounded better based on some informal blind tests. My advice? Get a used DAC1 USB (if you can find one on Audiogon) and you won't think about another DAC for a long, long time. And when the day comes to sell it, the Benchmark is the easiest DAC to sell on Audiogon that I've owned (and I've sold 4-5 DACs on Audiogon and followed the listings fairly closely over the years).

 

[1117]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mshan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are all digital outputs of the Trends UD-10 simultaneously active?

I believe that is the case. I had my Trends with two connections in output:

1) BNC to RCA
2) optical to optical

Both are Bluejeanscable brand, same size (3 feet). They were hooked up to my external DAC, which has both type of inputs and a button to select which input is active (Monarchy M24). To my ears, both sounded the same. This proves two things: the outputs are both equally faithful, and at least those two outputs are active at the same time.

 

[Nirmalanow]

I have used the Trends with both the Coaxial out and headphone/ line out active at the same time.

I am amazed at the sound I am getting from the built in DAC inside the Trends feeding my Lisa III amp and Ety ER4s. However I do have a nice Signal Cable Silver interconnect with an Extra Heavy Z-cable Zsleeve on it, and also a Dakiom stabilizer on the output, so who knows what is all making it work so well. The sound is warm and detailed, and I am very satisfied with the Trends as my DAC, not just as a converter feeding another DAC. I recently sold my Monica II DAC which I used with a Burson Audio Buffer, and I am not missing them.

 

[jp11801]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrith /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've used an Empirical Audio Off-Ramp 2 Turbo w/ Superclock 4 (whew, what a product name) and it was pretty good with a Lavry DA10 and Benchmark DAC1. I then acquired a DAC1 USB and it sounded better based on some informal blind tests. My advice? Get a used DAC1 USB (if you can find one on Audiogon) and you won't think about another DAC for a long, long time. And when the day comes to sell it, the Benchmark is the easiest DAC to sell on Audiogon that I've owned (and I've sold 4-5 DACs on Audiogon and followed the listings fairly closely over the years).

If I liked benchmark's sound I'd go for the benchmark but my tasted run to more life in the mids.