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Ditch your USB cable for Toslink? Might surprise you!

I recently embarked on experiments with an updated USB cable between an Aurender N100h and a Qutest dac. (cables were Pangea, Curious and DH Labs) Bottom line, it  most definitely revealed improvements but also exposed some flaws. So I looked into other tweaks to improve the chain...reclockers, decrapifiers and the likes. All these devices designed to fix inherent issues with USB. So I had the "duhhhh" moment and thought instead of fixing it....replace it.

I went out on a limb and got Aurender's UT100, a device which converts the USB output to Toslink (best option as the N100h only has usb out). I connect a modest Audioquest Cinnamon cable to it and I've been testing and burning in this new device and the input on the dac for several days now, Redbook all the way up to 24/192. And I must say I'm impressed, really impressed. I'll summarize my experience by saying it's just as detailed, but with a more relaxed presentation, no digital "grunge". This is the first time I've even considered trying the incisive filters on the Qutest.

I think Toslink is looked down on as a digital interface, but I'm seeing some big advantages to it now.

  1.  You gain 100% isolation, it totally "air gaps" your dac from every form of interference. I've personally experienced some Bermuda Triangle kinda weird issues with USB and there have been lots of posts lately regarding this. Fiber puts an end to that....period!
  2. The price of admission is downright cheap, most streamers and dacs already have the connections and I don't think you have to pay a lot for a quality fiber cable.
  3. On some dacs it's generally accepted that the SP/DIF connections sound better than their USB counterparts. I've also read that disconnecting the USB cable from a dac, turns off it's internal clock and associated circuitry, thus less noise internally.....?? I have no clue but what I am warming up to is the idea that I want to stay away from USB. I've had great results with coax too, going back to my Theta and Sony ES days, but Toslink is cheap, allows long cables if needed and does truly isolate the dac. 

I'd encourage everyone to just try it, perhaps your equipment will respond favorably  like mine did. I'd love to hear other's experiences, especially Node3 owners. I'm planning on getting one for my office rig.

 Tim

 

treynolds155
koestner
625 posts
 

If one was to try one out, does this fall into the 1.5 meter minimum like SPDIF cables?

antigrunge2
1,331 posts
 

@Koestner,

there are divergent views on that one: I keep my USBconnction as short as possible. John Senson at Uptone sells a one piece USB fixed circuit board connection. The SP/Dif minimum limit is to avoid reflections in the cable. Best I know this does not equally apply to USB.

treynolds155 OP
180 posts
 

@koestner 

I talked to DH Labs and they said as far as USB cables go it doesn't matter, they recommend keeping them short as possible. 

I've got a .5M Wireworld Supernova 7 Toslink coming in tomorrow to try out. I just like the idea of the stranded borosilicate glass vs the plastic. 

You're welcome to try my 1M Audioquest Cinnamon, just pay shipping.

sns
3,003 posts
 

To say that any one digital connection is superior to another is foolishness. USB quality depends on both server/streamer and dac implementation of it, don't need decrapifiers if implemented correctly in both. If usb implementation in these devices provides galvanic isolation, optimized clocking and isolated power supply you have first rate usb. Only then can you compare to optimized various other schemes and have valid results.

 

As I mentioned previously, it would be nice to have more streamer dac choices, if designer had great expertise in both rendering and digital analog conversion we could avoid non-optimized and/or mismatched streaming components.

 

USB gets bad name because very few have heard real optimized usb. While there are a decent number of dacs with, extremely few servers have, vast majority connect directly to motherboard, terrible implementation. Berkely understands this, so they avoid altogether, Innuos Phoenix admits as much for the Innuos servers. Only servers with usb galvanic isolation from motherboard, high end clocking and lps are optimized usb out servers. How many out there, virtually none apart from atx  motherboard machines and a few top top flight from the likes of Wadax, Taiko. Why do you suppose so many use streamers and various usb decrapifiers?

 

The usb decrapifiers are only band aids, one must get first rate streamer along with dac optimized for usb to really hear usb potential.

 

 

treynolds155 OP
180 posts
 

@sns  I've been very clear that I don't think Toslink is or should be the end all digital connection. What I am asserting is:

  1. Optical has at least the potential of avoiding 100% EMI/RFI, ground loops, magnetic and any other forms of interference. No matter how careful we try to be, take a look behind your rack and see if any problems could exist.
  2. Toslink MAY surprise you with its sound quality. Again, I always assumed it to be subpar. I was pleasantly surprised.
  3. Your system may or may not benefit and will most certainly be system dependent. The fiber transceivers and SP/DIF clocking implementation would certainly have to be up to snuff.

By your points, all but a select few products have nailed USB down to perfection, so wouldn't it be foolish not to try a different connection means? Especially if you have or are thinking of trying the band aids as you so accurately put it.

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