View Full Version : Optical or USB
If you had a choice to run a long cable (5m) to a DAC would you choose Optical or USB?
Audio Al
09-04-2018, 11:01
Optical :)
Sherwood
09-04-2018, 11:02
Optical: both in terms of sound quality and convenience.
I use these and can recommend them. Also available in black https://www.amazon.co.uk/XO-Optical-TOSLINK-Digital-Audio-Ultra-White/dp/B00WA8Z0TQ/ref=sr_1_11?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1523271780&sr=1-11&keywords=5m+optical
Geoff
jandl100
09-04-2018, 11:03
Unless you are also using a decent USB to digital co-ax converter as well as the USB cable, optical.
Optical it is then -thanks chaps.
(Raises Head slightly above the parapets ;) )
A vote here for USB !!
Not Bandwidth limited in case you want to experiment with super-dooper Hi-Rez material in the future.
Plus I've never got on with Optical Sound-Quality wise. Very harsh and fatigue-ing whenever I have heard it. IMHO of course !
Jim.
wee tee cee
09-04-2018, 14:10
try and get a glass one-fisual do a couple at reasonable money.
If you have a galvanically isolated, asynchronous USB connection, then it'll spank optical. Otherwise, things can be more variable, so try both. FWIW 5 metres is within spec for USB 2.0 requirements.
Unless you are also using a decent USB to digital co-ax converter as well as the USB cable, optical.
...or if your DAC already has a well-sorted USB front-end, use USB.
If you have a galvanically isolated, asynchronous USB connection, then it'll spank optical. Otherwise, things can be more variable, so try both. FWIW 5 metres is within spec for USB 2.0 requirements.
The DAC I will be using will have fully galvanically isolated USB but reading more about it from the designer either USB or optical are fine and there is not much in it. Probably best try both and see which works best from MacBook laptop?
I was more concerned about using a 5 meter length and how this would affect a USB cables performance ?
The DAC I will be using will have fully galvanically isolated USB but reading more about it from the designer either USB or optical are fine and there is not much in it. Probably best try both and see which works best from MacBook laptop?
I was more concerned about using a 5 meter length and how this would affect a USB cables performance ?
No issues at all with a 5M length of USB cable. Lindy do properly specced ones for not much money. :)
I've always found USB much better than optical from my Mac Mini, not tried either over such a long run though.
In the absence of USB I also prefer coax to optical (even using Fisual glass cable, which tends to be raved about...)
I've always found USB much better than optical from my Mac Mini, not tried either over such a long run though.
In the absence of USB I also prefer coax to optical (even using Fisual glass cable, which tends to be raved about...)
What DAC / USB front end are you using?
What DAC / USB front end are you using?
Chord Qutest. I would like DAVE!:rolleyes::)
Firebottle
09-04-2018, 19:45
We'll have to do a bake off with my Bel Canto James, if nothing just for interest.
We'll have to do a bake off with my Bel Canto James, if nothing just for interest.
Haha yes indeed. The Qutest will,have to be evaluated fully before I part with the cash.
The Rogue
10-04-2018, 15:37
Surely optical, no?
Surely optical, no?
Its a bit of a fine line I think. Chords Qutest DAC is probably happy with either with only a marginal difference in sound but it does depend on the output from my MacBook Pro. Optical maybe be better?
Its a bit of a fine line I think. Chords Qutest DAC is probably happy with either with only a marginal difference in sound but it does depend on the output from my MacBook Pro. Optical maybe be better?
With optical, the incoming clock signal needs to be extracted from the datastream, of which things like cleaning up jitter is DAC dependent, and the amount of jitter coming in is source dependent. With USB, the DAC clocks the data, making jitter issues moot.
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