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TOSLINK vs USB for DAC
- Thread starter GT98
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That's what I was thinking. I have an onboard sound card and an Asus Soundcard to try from plus USB, So I'll see what sounds the best between them and USB hookup
The Dac internals should be able to eliminate any type of cross-talk or interference. While I agree with you both in saying that Digital out via Toslink is clean...Last Time I checked, U need a USB cable to install drivers and communicate with PC/Os device, unless you are just using a headphone amp, but then you would be asking about a magni...not a modi
https://schiit.com/drivers
Last edited:
omegatotal
Gawd
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sounds like you have power or ground issues with your motherboard or something connecting to it., I have never experienced that on anything I own unless it was failing or failed.
He's going to use the modi dac as his soundcard from what I gather in his post. he needs to use USB and drivers are needed albeit windows native versus the ones on the Shiit website
He doesn't NEED to use USB and if he doesn't use USB, he doesn't need drivers. Toslink doesn't need drivers. I would know, I actually use optical connections to my dacs (gustard x20, modi 2 uber, smsl m8).
And yes maybe I do have power issues (household, not computer/device) but that doesn't change the fact that USB noise issues are fairly common (see all the gadgets made by many companies to address the issue). If the OP has these issues then optical would be the answer to his question. If he does not have USB noise issues, then USB would arguably be the better option.
westrock2000
[H]F Junkie
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USB2 -> Sound Blaster X-fi HD USB was fine.
USB2 -> Sound Blaster X-fi HD USB -> Bottlehead Crack via RCA introduced a static type noise.
USB3 works perfectly no matter how I listen.
I thought the Crack had a loose solder joint, but output from the iPhone to the Crack was fine. I always used a powered USB-hub so I thought it should correct any USB issues. Only device with any detectable issues on the hub was the DAC, everything else worked fine. However, if USB power never had any issues, then Schiit would not be selling the Wyrd - http://schiit.com/products/wyrd. I was considering getting this, until I discovered switching to USB 3 solved my issue.
I may be mistaken, but I always thought grounding issues would lead to hum and not static. In any case, if there are issues with noise, using the optical connection may solve them.
Just as an update, it works fine with either TOSLINK or USB. I am disappointed with the Modi a little bit...the selector button is loose or as their tech support says free floating...and it makes a rattling noise if you shake it. Not the best of build quality IMO
How do you connect to your PC with the Toslink? Via the motherboard?
I'm currently using USB with it
I used my soundcard...and my onboard sound has a TOSlink option also.
OFaceSIG
2[H]4U
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I don't see how a USB connection can induce noise on a USB DAC. To me this sounds something is wrong with your DAC. USB only carries digital info, no analog audio. Even if there is electrical noise coming from your port your DAC should be isolating it from the analog audio output. If it isn't, then your DAC is defeating the purpose of having an external DAC which is supposed to seperate itself from the electrical noise of your motherboard.
I agree. In addition, USB is reliable connection and if there is an error (may be incurred by noise), it detects the error and re-transmit the data. So the data which DAC receives must be the same from the sender. I am thinking to buy either Modi2 or Modi2 Uber and found some people complaining this issue. Indeed, it seems that there are real people who have some static noise issues and they keep repeating that their problems are solved with Modi2 Uber or optics. I guess USB sometimes can't provide enough power to Modi2 or it experiences high transmit errors under uncertain reasons. If I meet more people with the static noise issues, I also will go with Modi2 Uber.
USB Audio (Isochronous mode, i.e. what you're using with a USBA 2.0 Async connection) does not do data-retransmission.
The power lines on a USB port from a typical PC are often very noisy and that noise can get injected into the circuits of the DAC. VERY few DACs, especially entry level stuff, has any kind of isolation - and if you want full galvanic isolation you're either using an isolator or a higher-end DAC. If your DAC is USB powered then there is no way it is isolated and, at best, it has a reasonable onboard voltage regulation - still unlikely it has much in the way of specific noise filtering however. It's easier to just use TOSLINK if you have the option.
For completeness, the "digital data" on the USB data lines is a modulated analog voltage.
For USB 3.0 there is so much crap emitted, even as RF (so no physical connection needed) that it can clobber 2.4Ghz wireless networks that are place too close (Intel have had this issue).
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I can't stand the idea of optical because that may involve dealing with additional audio software. Like, I kind of not want to install Realtek crap if I don't have to.
I can certainly understand that.
However, on Windows you're going to need a driver, at least, regardless of whether you use Toslink or USB-Audio 2.0 connections since Microsoft still doesn't support USB-Audio 2.0 out of the box. If Windows vendors are still bundling tons of crap in their driver packages that's a different story. But on OS X and (usually) Linux this is all handled without additional software installations.