usb to spdif conversion

[goodsguys]

Hi. And thanks for reading this post.

My dac's usb input has stopped working but the optical and coaxial are still fine.

Looking inside there is a small circuit board on the back of the usb input which has a burn mark on it. Seems as though this has gone bad, so am wondering if i should buy an external usb to spdif converter and come in through the coaxial input instead.

Am wondering, within a dac, does the usb signal get converted to spdif, then fed to the coaxial input,
in other words the dac does not use the usb signal directly
but converts it into spdif, then uses that.

Hope that makes sense.

Many thanks in advance. John.

[StanleyB]

Which DAC is it first of all?

[goodsguys]

Hi Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

I have the zero dac.

I wasn't totally honest in my last post.

Honest truth is i wanted to try out a usb to spdif converter Have heard a lot of good stuff that they improve sound quality rather than using the dac's usb input but the wife keeps nagging saying i've got too much hi-fi stuff as it is and i should get rid of some.

But with the usb input burnt out now i have got an excuse

What do you think i should do.

1. Have the usb input repaired (@ $40 per hour + Parts + Vat )

2. Can pick up the M2Tech HiFace One version 2 for $50 (Used ) RRP: $180

Which do you think will give the best sound quality.

Many thanks in advance. John.

[StanleyB]

Have heard a lot of good stuff that they improve sound quality rather than using the dac's usb input but the wife keeps nagging saying i've got too much hi-fi stuff as it is and i should get rid of some.

But with the usb input burnt out now i have got an excuse

What do you think i should do.
There are quite a few members on AoS who got rid of the wife and kept the hi-fi stuff. But I am not suggesting that you should follow their example. The M2Tech would be a cheaper option in the short run.

[purite audio]

You are more than welcome to try an M2Tech HiFace 2, just send me your address,
Keith.

[Ammonite Audio]

I am hugely impressed with this relatively cheap USB to S/PDIF converter http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gustard-U10-Native-32bit-384k-USB-Spdif-Converter-0-1ppm-TCXO-XMOS-Inside-/251360328672?pt=US_CD_Players_Recorders&hash=item3a863e3be0 . Vintage Audio Lab provide really good service and I recommend them without hesitation. This converter does rather humiliate my previous M2Tech HiFace Evo converter in every respect. It also has ASIO support, which seems to be a Good Thing, to my ears.

[purite audio]

I am hugely impressed with this relatively cheap USB to S/PDIF converter http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gustard-U10-Native-32bit-384k-USB-Spdif-Converter-0-1ppm-TCXO-XMOS-Inside-/251360328672?pt=US_CD_Players_Recorders&hash=item3a863e3be0 . Vintage Audio Lab provide really good service and I recommend them without hesitation. This converter does rather humiliate my previous M2Tech HiFace Evo converter in every respect. It also has ASIO support, which seems to be a Good Thing, to my ears.
I have never heard any converter at any price better the M2Tech EVO, are you sure you had it set up correctly?
Keith.

[Ammonite Audio]

I have never heard any converter at any price better the M2Tech EVO, are you sure you had it set up correctly?
Keith.

I think the (well-documented) issue is the excessively high output of the M2Tech Evo, which clearly upset my Bushmaster DAC and, to a slightly lesser extent, the Lyngdorf digital amplifier. No such problems with the new converter.

[purite audio]

The M2Tech EVO has completely 'normal' output voltages, see the specs pre of the manual
http://www.m2tech.biz/public/pdf/hiFace%20Evo%20user%20manual%201-0.pdf

Dac issue perhaps!
Keith.

[StanleyB]

The specs don't mention the TOSLINK output voltage. But customers have mentioned that it is too high for a range of DACs.
I was actually quite surprised to read in the spec sheet that it only goes up to 96KHz with TOSLINK. So playing 192KHz via TOSLINK on the EVO is not going to work. The coax output would then be the one to use.

[Ammonite Audio]

The M2Tech EVO has completely 'normal' output voltages, see the specs pre of the manual
http://www.m2tech.biz/public/pdf/hiFace%20Evo%20user%20manual%201-0.pdf

Dac issue perhaps!
Keith.

Whatever, although that's not what Computer Audiophile state. I know that I'd rather pay £100 for this Taiwanese device than many times that for the Evo, and still have to fork out extra for a PSU. On top of that, I can use the new converter with a SOtM PCIe USB card in the PC, which does make quite a difference (HiFace 1 devices are incompatible).

[StanleyB]

The M2Tech EVO has completely 'normal' output voltages, see the specs pre of the manual
http://www.m2tech.biz/public/pdf/hiFace%20Evo%20user%20manual%201-0.pdf

Dac issue perhaps!
Keith.
I think Hugo mentioned that he tried TOSLINK. But the EVO specs says that it only goes up to 96KHz with TOSLINK. So you can't blame my Bushmaster for not being able to play 192KHz if the EVO can't produce a 192KHz signal at the TOSLINK output.

[Yomanze]

I am hugely impressed with this relatively cheap USB to S/PDIF converter http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gustard-U10-Native-32bit-384k-USB-Spdif-Converter-0-1ppm-TCXO-XMOS-Inside-/251360328672?pt=US_CD_Players_Recorders&hash=item3a863e3be0 . Vintage Audio Lab provide really good service and I recommend them without hesitation. This converter does rather humiliate my previous M2Tech HiFace Evo converter in every respect. It also has ASIO support, which seems to be a Good Thing, to my ears.

Interesting, looks like a very serious design.

[goodsguys]

Hi Thanks for the replies.

I am going to pick up the hiface today, its only 50 notes, so probably can resell it if worse comes to worst.

I am afraid it is not the evo but version 2 of the original, so probably will not be as good.

Will post up the results in a day or two after i have finished evaluating.

A friend of mine has a chinese cheapo version from ebay so will also do a comparison of the two.

Many thanks for the replies. John.

[StanleyB]

I am afraid it is not the evo but version 2 of the original, so probably will not be as good.
On an Italian forum where I hang around sometimes they rate the version 2 above the original. For $50 it's a nobrainer. You would make an instant profit of at least 100% if you put that on ebay.

[sq225917]

The Evo outputs standard spdif voltage, it was the original Hiface that could swamp some inputs with its high level.