Chinese or Non Chinese Audio Interface - USB device - DAC with digital inputs, or analog inputs (ADC) routable to ASIO/WASAPI inputs? Any out there?

[so.music]

There's a chance that when you buy your first RME interface at some point - perhaps in a few years' time - you'll regret not having bought it sooner.

This.

The only interface I would ever recommend is a RME interface. Any RME interface - even a 20 year old one, if you have a PCIe/TB to firewire card/dongle to make it work. Its the kind of gear that once you set it up, you just forget about it. The peace of mind alone is worth the price.

I got my share of anger with interfaces going obsolete because the software stopped being updated. RME updates their old interfaces - I know studios still running their Fireface 800, released in 2004.

 

[OK1]

At this time, my initial priority changed somewhat, so I bought a TempoTec Sonata BHD dongle, which I'm satisfied with, since at this time, I am not recording any audio, only playback, and predominantly via IEMs or Over the Ear headphones. Have discovered that Windows WASAPI is (with caveats), bit perfect, so ASIO is no longer a critical requirement. Nevertheless the BHD dongle does have an ASIO driver, albeit not a very reliable one, so I use only WASAPI exclusive, for playback.

Definitely it would be wonderful some day, to own an RME PCIe/USB/ or Thunderbolt audio interface. Some day.. And I can pair this to whatever state of the art DAC, is a viable option, at that point in time, via SPDIF (coax or optical) or AES/EBU.

 

[Luchof26]

You can try a Topping E2X2 OTG. Its very cheap and everything on it sounds great.