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

preston8452

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Hello guys,

So after some struggles between spending time in optimizing my PC audio functionalities and adopting a dedicated music streamer, I opted for the second one.
I purchased the Munich M1T by Silent Angel, given it's good reviews in UK and Germany and Switzerland, I thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot, but frankly speaking, the mainly reason was because the price fits my wallet more hahahah...

Anyways, so there are several digital outputs on its back panel, AES/EBU; I2S(HDMI), Coaxial, USB Audio, hell hahah, I have literally no idea which one is better or which can provide a special feature or something, I mean it does show that the USB Audio supports up to up to PCM 768KHz and DSD 11.2M (DSD256), but does that the higher the sampling rate, the better the sound quality? I just can't make sure...

And if the USB Audio can provide the " best " digital sound quality, then why added other ports? Ain't that just costing more on the manufacturing end?
Hope you guys can give some insights on this, or share some of your experiences, because this is the first time I saw an AES/EBU port on a audio streamer...

Best,
 
There is something called compatibility.

Manufacturers cannot be sure of what connectors are available downstream on amplifiers or pre-amplifiers. More important, they cannot force you to use a particular connector when you are used to or like a different connector.

So, internally the board is designed to transport the highest possible sampling rates. Then you add as many connectors as possible. Connectors by themselves don't cost much. Just a few dollars at best. Then you leave it to the connectors and their associated circuits to give you the best possible music through the connection you like to use.

As an user, depending upon what connections are available on your amplifier, you experiment with each and every connector and choose the one that sounds best to you.

Do higher sampling rates mean better music? That is a loooong digital story. I am writing about that in another thread. Keep you eyes open.

There is no magic in this.

Cheers
 
Hello guys,

So after some struggles between spending time in optimizing my PC audio functionalities and adopting a dedicated music streamer, I opted for the second one.
I purchased the Munich M1T by Silent Angel, given it's good reviews in UK and Germany and Switzerland, I thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot, but frankly speaking, the mainly reason was because the price fits my wallet more hahahah...

Anyways, so there are several digital outputs on its back panel, AES/EBU; I2S(HDMI), Coaxial, USB Audio, hell hahah, I have literally no idea which one is better or which can provide a special feature or something, I mean it does show that the USB Audio supports up to up to PCM 768KHz and DSD 11.2M (DSD256), but does that the higher the sampling rate, the better the sound quality? I just can't make sure...

And if the USB Audio can provide the " best " digital sound quality, then why added other ports? Ain't that just costing more on the manufacturing end?
Hope you guys can give some insights on this, or share some of your experiences, because this is the first time I saw an AES/EBU port on a audio streamer...

Best,


USB Audio in this case can provide higher sampling rates than other inputs. Which digital output would be better suited would depend on the downstream DAC you will use , some DACs have very well implemented USB inputs whereas for majority of the DACs I2S/AES/COAX sound much better hence the reason for providing all the digital outputs possible.

Since your streamer already has the above outputs , assuming you have a DAC which supports USB/COAX/Optical you can experiment and experience this yourself :)
 
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