Audiophile Sunday Tip #26: The best digital connection

[Fiftyfifty]

Optical, coaxial, AES/EBU, USB: each has its strengths and trade-offs, and not every DAC or system responds the same way. Resolution on paper is one thing; musical coherence, timing, and ease of listening are another.
My takeaway has been simple: don’t go by specs or popular opinion alone. Try different connections in your own system, even if only for a day, and see which one feels right.
Curious to hear what others here have found in their setups.
A quick note on I²S:
I haven’t included I²S here because it’s far less standardised. Pin-outs, implementations, and compatibility vary widely between brands, and results are often system-specific.

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Cheers!

 

[DS123]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

In my humble opinion, most modern dacs ( within the last few years ) when fed by the USB output of a decent streamer might sound best via USB, because of the advances made in USB input boards by XMOS and Amanerro, with superior clocking and galvanic isolation. Not to mention, this is also the shortest and closest signal path from the I2S convertor of the USB board to the Dac chip.

Where the USB output of the streamer is not upto scratch, then I2S might sound better. Again depending on the quality of the I2S conversion of the DDC, and its internal power supplies and clocking. And also the DAC, needs to have the option of switching-off its PLL ( Phase loop lock ), where it discards its internal clock and use the superior clock of the DDC, for maximum benefit. As can be seen, the USB to I2S conversion of the DDC, has to be superior to the internal conversion and clocks of the DAC.

However, for slightly older dacs, when paired with a decent streamer, then Spdif especially Aes-Ebu might sound best.

As can be seen, too many variables. And I might be completely wrong. So best to try and see.