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Outboard USB/SPDIF Conversion: Why Can It Yield Higher Sound Quality?

The DAC in my system I have owned for a number of years, and its an excellent component for Redbook CD's. A few years ago I moved all my software to a Mac Mini, and ended up buying a Singxer SU-1 USB/SPDIF converter to make everything work. I also installed a PS Audio LANRover onto the outfeed of the MAC, and it also made a positive contribution.

So this year I think the DAC is getting long in the tooth and perhaps there is an upgrade to be had here. I buy a $6000 MSRP DAC with USB input. I decide to remove the Singxer and break it in. I listen for a few weeks and am underwhelmed by the sound. I decide to pull the LANRover out to get a base line evaluation, and it sounds worse. The LANRover is still a positive contribution. So things are not working out well.

I remember a couple of years back that there was a contingent on HEAD HIFI that felt outboard USB conversion was superior to what is on board to most DACs. So to explore this idea I decided to hook up the Singxer again. Well even on an unused input the sound quality took a significant step forward. I always felt this was a work around at best, and that having a meter of digital cable in place was a limiting factor. However the results in this case show different.

So does anyone have any thoughts or experiences on why this works out this way? Have you traveled this path, or do you have examples of on board USB input being an improvement? I wonder if its the DAC itself, however this is a current generation machine, and at a $6K MSRP I would like to think that the USB input circuit would be of excellent quality. So I am trying to figure this out.

Cheers
Mister Pig

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Topic - Outboard USB/SPDIF Conversion: Why Can It Yield Higher Sound Quality? - Mister Pig 08:10:47 04/14/19 (128)
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