2. digital
  3. 146559-46

Need to under stand Asynchronous USB

So I just got a Marantz ND 8006 Network CD player. Im using it as a network player and CD transport  and I output digital to my NAD M51 DAC. I’m using my IPad to stream TIDAL and that works tip top. However, it’s the USB inputs that concern me. I have a choice of a front connection and a rear USB DAC connection. 

Couple questions:

1. The USB DAC input is for a Mac or PC hook up, but is there any other way to use an input like this?  Does it have to come from a computer or can a USB hard drive work with an input like this?
2. More importantly the front USB input is NOT asynchronous.  I think they make a reclocker I can put in between the USB and the unit. My question is do they make a USB hard drive with a built in reclocker with a good amount of hard drive space?

this is all new to me, so any help would be appreciated. 
last_lemming
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
1) You can use a USB flash drive, iPod or other portable player.
2) Asynchronus is what you want. The DAC being fed by the input reclocks the data and this is the ideal.
last_lemming OP
628 posts
 
Item 2) you mention, does that mean my DAC does the reclocking and I don’t need an external reclocker?
motokokusanagi
189 posts
 
I have the M51. The USB - the type B - input is async from XMOS. The DAC uses its own clocks. However, it’s been widely agreed from reviews and users (and I concur, also) USB is not the best input for it rather than AES. I tried various USB decrappifiers from iFi and linear power supplies, as well as various coaxes but they didn’t swing that judgment.

I use a Yellowtec PUC2 Lite which is a USB-AES converter and that’s the best sound I get from the M51. Sound is muscular and detailed.

It seems to take a great deal of extraneous gear for USB to perform optimally (reclockers, isolators, power supplies, e.g. SOTM or Uptone kind of thing), by which point you could have gotten a better DAC period!

The other USB - type A - input you’re talking about implies using a USB flash drive for local playback. That’s not what the other USB jack is for - rather it’s for updating the firmware (1.39 is best for the M51 rev1!)

If you want to use a computer and/or network storage as a front-end, then you might want to look at a streamer (e.g. Bluesound, Auralic) with any kind of digital output. It can be USB, optical, coax, even HDMI, or AES, but as I said, the M51 likes AES the best. Or indeed track down a Yellowtec PUC2 lite + USB streamer.
last_lemming OP
628 posts
 
Moto. I’m feeding the DAC info through the Marantz.

I guess im still a little confused. I’m runner no a standard thumb drive into the Marantz witch then sends it via coax digital out to the coax in of the DAC (nad m51).

Do I still need a reclocker or something?
More to discover