Maximising sound quality from USB

[CageyH]

As a computer audio newbie, I am wondering how best to maximise the sound quality from my HP Proliant N36L (no sound outputs) to my Caiman SEG DAC.
Thanks to Stryder5 (Gary) I have a decent USB cable, which is connected directly to my DAC.

Would I be better off getting an internal sound card (needs to be low profile to fit the PC) or a USB device before the DAC?

[Stratmangler]

Install piCorePlayer onto a RasPi, point it at your NAS, and you're up and running.
Install a digital output HAT and hook up to your DAC.

[CageyH]

Something like this: https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/allo/...k-p-12714.html

[Stratmangler]

That's the kind of thing

[CageyH]

I was thinking of this as an alternative - https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/appar...e-p-11412.html

[DSJR]

I use one of these, which may still be available somewhere? - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fanmusic-FM.../dp/B00IS4I5W0

Vanilla 75 ohm Van Damme coax from this to DAC and it's great for me - and I use the PC in the workroom for music source a lot these days when I can't use the main rig downstairs...

[Bourneendboy]

Kevin, you should have taken my Digione Player as well

[Stratmangler]

I was thinking of this as an alternative - https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/appar...e-p-11412.html

Why?
Do you have a shitload of DSD files?
USB is only a default interface if you have DSD, because they do not transfer over S/PDIF.
Everything else is quite happily transferred over S/PDIF.

USB is not a great audio interface.
The possibility of ground plane noise and interference transfer is immense, and the device you've linked to is powered over USB, which is a poor starting point.

[Gazjam]

Why?
Do you have a shitload of DSD files?
USB is only a default interface if you have DSD, because they do not transfer over S/PDIF.
Everything else is quite happily transferred over S/PDIF.

USB is not a great audio interface.
The possibility of ground plane noise and interference transfer is immense, and the device you've linked to is powered over USB, which is a poor starting point.

Been around the doors a couple of times and have to agree with Chris, USB would probably not be my first choice.
You really need to "fix" it before it sounds good as a digital connection, very sensitive to hash on the 5V mains line and prone to timing errors.

Most effective quick fix I remember was converting it to SPDIF at source, best sounding way to do this was using a Musical Fidelity V-Link 192 converter.

By the way You don't need USB to listen to DSD (sorry Chris ) as it can be done over PCM based connections like SPDIF, AES if the dac or software uses the DoP protocol to package DSD inside PCM.

http://dsd-guide.com/dop-open-standard#.W0Lvybgo8uU

[CageyH]

Maybe....