Audiophile USB to PCM

i am also planning on creating a decent PC-based music server for my stereo. now, which way to go? via Stereo-Link Model 1300 USB DAC, or Slim Devices Squeezebox, or should i get the music to my amp through Apogee Mini-DAC (most expensive of the options i mentioned).
which would be best sounding, anyone made comparisons? I don't have a standalone DAC in my system.

How about a SPDIF with a Monarchy DIP? I would like to use a DAC soI just need good SPDIF output.

Has anyone else spent time listening to the U24 as a D/A converter? I have taken USB out of my laptop into the U24 and then ran left and right RCA's out of the U24 into my preamp. This little box has no right sounding as good as it does given how much it cost.

yep. it's qite good :) the only caveat for me is the level, quite quiet in comparison to my cd (the same goes for logitech music anywhere as well btw...)

"How is transit stock? Pretty good quality?"

It's only mediocre as all stock equipment is.

"Why is the mod necessary and how do we do it?"

The mod makes it sound good. Add modded Superclock3 and change the circuit to S/PDIF output, improve power delivery/power supply. Not for amateurs.

Also, can you explain how to upsample in foobar or itune?

Foobar upsamplers are excellent, particularly SRC, also know as "Secret Rabbit Code". I bundle this with my converters since I have a license to distribute it. You save the .dll file in the "Components" folder of Foobar2000. This is all explained on my website.

Do they do it automatically, or do we have to do something?

You have to select resampler in the DSP functions of Foobar2000. They when you play anything, it upsamples to 24/96 or 24/88 (you select) as it streams.

Steve N.