Now some of the new folks here may have missed one of the greatest addons to USB. I still run a USB chain in my office system.
This is the use of a GB LAN ethernet ISO audio USB extender made by ICRON and rebranded as well by Startech. This unit made a huge improvement in USB SQ and is what lead me to AOIP.
http://www.icron.com/products/icron-brand/usb-extenders/lan/usb-2-0-ranger-2304ge-lan/
Here is my current USB chain:
Just the data chain:
[COLOR=000000]PC>PPA V2 USB card (TeraDak X1 - Nichicon HW caps)>LH Labs 2G Split USB cable>Startech LEX>BJC CAT6 UTP 550Mhz>Startech REX (with one Jitterbug - Breeze 24VDC LPS+DC iPurifer)>LH Labs 2G split USB cable (data only leg)>W4S Recovery(TeraDak LPS DC-30W+Cerious Graphene PC+ DC iPurifier)>Curious 200mm USB Link>iPur 2>F-1>Audio Sen Silver Statement SPDIF 1.5M RCA>APL DAC[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Here is the current rankings and ratings:[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]ere would be my current ratings and rankings (the numbers are just a relative number - they are not percentages). The Breeze Audio (Talema) DU-U8 = 100[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Obviously these are my subjective ratings YMMV - and yes I have owned (had a loaner) all these for an extended period of time:[/COLOR]
REDNET 3/Cerious Graphene/Mutec 3+ USB (SPDIF)/Antelope OCX (RN wClock) 270
[COLOR=000000]REDNET 3/Cerious/Mutec 3+ USB/Audience au24 se digital cable 250[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]REDNET 3/Cerious/Mutec 3+ USB (SPDIF reclocker)/AS Sliver Statement dig cable 240[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]REDNET 3/Cerious Power Cord 220[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Singxer F-1 DC30W/Cerious/Recovery/DCiPur/ iPur2/Startech GB LAN Iso USB 170[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Mutec 3+ Smart Clock USB/Cerious Power Cord 155[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Singxer F-1 DC30W/Cerious/Recovery/DCiPur/ iPur2 145[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]PUC2 Lite TeraDak DC30W/Cerious/Regen 135[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Singxer F-1 DC30W/Cerious 135[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]DXIO Silver/TeraDak DC-30W/Cerious 130[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Singxer X-1 DC30W/Cerious/Recovery/DCiPur/iPur2 125[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]PUC2 Lite - USB power 110[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Singxer F-1 Stock feed 110[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Breeze/Cerious Graph/WBT RCA Nexgen 109[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Breeze DU-U8 with Cerious Graphene 108[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Breeze DU-U8 (Talema version) 100[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Breeze DU-U8 (BingZi version) 95[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Hydra Z with LPS 92[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Melodious MX-U8 (upgraded caps) 85[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Melodious MX-U8 (stock) 81[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Gustard U12 (upgraded caps) 76[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Gustard U12 stock 72[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]iDAC DAC2 (used as a DDC) 65[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Musiland USB3.0 US Dragon 65[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]M2Tech EVO with LPS 60[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Audiophileo 2 USB Power 50[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]M2Tech Hiface 40[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Note the two major leaps - one by adding the ICRON/Startech GB LAN Iso Audio USB Extender into the chain. Then the bigger leap away from USB completely to the REDNET3 Dante AES67 AOIP. The Mutec 3+ did not help as an ext Word Clock to the RD3 - but after the RD3 as a SPDIF reclocker - excellent.[/COLOR]