Digital Audio Output Differences? Is USB Audio Really The Top-notch?

I use digital coax from my Node2 streamer and Toslink from my Audiolab cd transport to my MHDT Orchid DAC. I did a lot of research and asked a lot of questions to both my MHDT dealer and Silnote Audio (interconnnects) and came to the conclusion that as long as the DAC supports the same bit rate quality on each of the port types it should only come down to the quality of your cable. I made sure to get Wire World’s highest grade Supernova 7 Toslink cable (Silnote chose not to produce a Toslink line) since Toslink made me the most nervous for various reasons (neither the streamer or the cd transport support USB), including the bending of the fiber optic cable (I prefer the shortest cable length they offer in this application) with the highest quality glass (not plastic), etc. Toslink will pop out of the port much easier than the other connectors, but one just has to be extra careful not to bump it and make sure it is seated properly each time I’m moving components around a bit. Done right, I think I would be happy with any of the connection options.

One feature that distinguishes the better USB implementations in a DAC is that the 5V power is supplied internally by the DAC and not by the power line in the USB cable. Among other things it makes the selection of a USB cable easier, and allows it to perform better, since there can be no 5V interference with the digital lines.

I have never liked the usb connection, nor coax. I prefer aes and have gravitated to dual aes - yet a further improvement. And different cables provide different quality of course.

My first few DACs clearly had a worse implementation of USB than the other inputs.  It wasn’t until my current DAC, which I’ve had for about 4 years now, that I felt all inputs, including usb, were equivalent.

   The OP seems to assume that usb is universally regarded as the best sounding input.  Besides my personal experience, simply being a member here and reading the comments through the years has led me to believe otherwise.

  Usb is the most ubiquitous output.  Every computer has one as do multiple consumer electronics that one may wish to plug into a DAC.  Therefore DAC manufacturers have to add the add the input.  The need for reclocking makes it more difficult to work with, but they have been at it for a few decades now.  Some manufacturers may actually prefer to work with usb.  More power to them

USB is a new comer… when PCs joined in the audio arena. Typically DACs had no USB input. At first DACs did not support them… it is packeted info… not just a digital bit stream.

So, audio equipment popped up that only supported USB, then the USB input was added to higher quality equipment. Which is better is completely dependent on your DAC / source combination. Sometimes it seems that which ever is the higher quality DAC or source), but that doesn’t always work. I have a top quality streamer and DAC and it is really hard to tell the difference. I give the nod to AES.