Why is USB audio so often preferred over AES/EBU or S/PDIF?

[MCH]

Give.you.a.medal.too.

The PinkPanther Herder's answer:

The ages old problem in the diy world was precisely how to interface formats like HDMI or eARC with DAC ICs that for the most part only take i2s. There is when these i2s boards come handy.

 

[LesterHiggins]

Some mistruths floating around in this thread, so I think I need to quote this 14 year old post from NwAvGuy. Seeing as how he built a reference quality USB DAC using the modern electronic equivalent of sticks, mud, and coconut shells, I would say USB audio is a solved issue, and the plethora of isolaters and other USB "enhancing" equipment is, outside of some specific cases, about as beneficial as cryogenic cable treatments.

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nwavguy.blogspot.com

That post clearly details the great effort put into the achievement, including "split digital and analog power supplies each with their own filtering and regulator," and that the ESS chip's charge pump was also a factor in achieving the 111dB dynamic range. Your takeaway is only part of the point; yes it says that "a bunch of this audiophile crap is worse than useless," but goes on to say "except for the stuff that works, and that stuff is totally necessary."

 

[nelamvr6]

If async USB is already the technically cleaner solution, why the huge ecosystem of USB cards, isolators, regenerators, reclockers, special endpoints, special cables, linear supplies, filters, and all the rest? That seems less like a settled superior interface and more like a very tweakable anxiety platform.

Simple, charlatans want you to spend your money on "solutions" for problems that don't exist. Just because these markets exist does NOT mean that USB acutally has defficiencies that require addressing. It doesn't.

 

[phofman]

Simple, charlatans want you to spend your money on "solutions" for problems that don't exist. Just because these markets exist does NOT mean that USB acutally has defficiencies that require addressing. It doesn't.

Well, I would probably exclude real USB isolators (not the audiophile filters offered by some charlatan companies, of course ), they are important for breaking a ground loop if ground-loop currents are audible.

 

[nelamvr6]

Well, I would probably exclude real USB isolators (not the audiophile filters offered by some charlatan companies, of course ), they are important for breaking a ground loop if ground-loop currents are audible.

Clearly if there is an actual problem with your system it's possible there may be issues with USB. But the assertion by audiophools that USB is inherently noisy is demonstrably false.

 

[phofman]

Yes, I would not even call the ground loop currents an issue with USB as they merge into the analog signal on any connection where the analog return path ends up shared with the ground-loop currents.