HRT Music Streamer+

[sidvee]

Guys - any opinion on this USB Dac? I am tempted to get this to introduce a computer into my listening room for internet radio, and there are good reviews of the unit. I can get it for $200 new. I dont want to buy an expensive unit because I already have 2 fairly expensive dacs and the proposed Cd player I am planning also has a coaxial input but I dont have any that can support USB i/p's.
Cheers
Sid

 

[unleash_me]

Since you already have good DACs to boot, why not consider something like the M2Tech hiFace? After few futile attempts to procure a used Bel Canto USB Link 24/96 USB-S/PDIF converter, I'm inclined towards getting the hiFace.

 

[sidvee]

Thanks Unleash - As I understand this device will provide an interface from USB to Coax. and allow connection to a DAC - am I right? What about this asyncronous stuff I am hearing about which supposedly makes computer music better? Excuse my lack of knowledge but I am woefully ignorant about the happenings of computer based audio and am trying to catch up with gen y:lol:. BTW what does this unit cost?
Cheers
Sid

 

[sidvee]

I stand corrrected - Did little more research and realize that the M2tech is a USB DAC by itself - so obviously my next question - how would it compare to the HRT+ then as the HRT + is also a USB DAC? And what other units of roughly similar price should I consider?
Also what if I use this:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHUCA202
or this
http://www.hagtech.com/hagusb.html
and hook up the optical or coaxial output to my DAC.
Cheers
Sid

 

[thevortex]

Sidvee - did you consider designs from Peter Daniel, Scott Nixon etc.? From all accounts these are fine examples of USB (and Coaxial) input DACs of the non oversampling variety.

I am presently enjoying a Doede Douma DDDac kit (fitted with a tube output stage) and it has been working wonders in my pretty short time with it.

 

[reignofchaos]

Thanks Unleash - As I understand this device will provide an interface from USB to Coax. and allow connection to a DAC - am I right? What about this asyncronous stuff I am hearing about which supposedly makes computer music better? Excuse my lack of knowledge but I am woefully ignorant about the happenings of computer based audio and am trying to catch up with gen y:lol:. BTW what does this unit cost?
Cheers
Sid

The M2Tech is a USB->SPDIF converter with its own drivers that work in async mode. If you already have good dacs, this is the best way of testing things out. The biggest difference between this and the rest of the converters is that it can natively handle 44.1 and 48kHz without sample rate conversion as it has crystals for both. Its one of the very few devices that can do 192kHz/24bit over USB. I have one of these sitting with me and I find it to be better than a dozen other USB devices that I've used so far. Overall I still prefer the EMU PCI card though. YMMV.

The hagtech and behringer are rubbish as they are based on PCM2702 implementations for USB->SPDIF conversion. They are synchronous and hence depend on the host cpu to provide the correct clock. This never works properly in practice.

 

[cooltoad]

Vortex, is Douma dac a NOS dac. will be interested in that if it is within my budget.

Sidvee - did you consider designs from Peter Daniel, Scott Nixon etc.? From all accounts these are fine examples of USB (and Coaxial) input DACs of the non oversampling variety.

I am presently enjoying a Doede Douma DDDac kit (fitted with a tube output stage) and it has been working wonders in my pretty short time with it.

 

[magma]

i think Bala got this built from viren of lyrita
Bala where can we get these kits/have them assmebled etc
costs?

 

[esanthosh]

@cooltoad,

It is NOS.

@magma,

The parts can be procured from here. There are pre-configured kits available - here - and we can ask DD to build and send a completed kit. But then it might cost a bit more, I guess.

 

[magma]

questions moved to PM so that this thread is not diverted

 

[sidvee]

The M2Tech is a USB->SPDIF converter with its own drivers that work in async mode. If you already have good dacs, this is the best way of testing things out. The biggest difference between this and the rest of the converters is that it can natively handle 44.1 and 48kHz without sample rate conversion as it has crystals for both. Its one of the very few devices that can do 192kHz/24bit over USB. I have one of these sitting with me and I find it to be better than a dozen other USB devices that I've used so far. Overall I still prefer the EMU PCI card though. YMMV.

The hagtech and behringer are rubbish as they are based on PCM2702 implementations for USB->SPDIF conversion. They are synchronous and hence depend on the host cpu to provide the correct clock. This never works properly in practice.

Thanks ROC so if I get the m2tech then I can use a dig. coaxial cable and connect it to my existing Dacs right? Also how easy or hard is it to configure the m2 unit? Does the computer automatically recognize this as a USB device?
Cheers
Sid

 

[anm]

I guess you need to install the drivers that would be included on a cd with the package.

 

[sidvee]

I guess you need to install the drivers that would be included on a cd with the package.

So then it is truly plug & play and I do not have to mess with the computer settings to get it working.
Cheers

 

[reignofchaos]

Thanks ROC so if I get the m2tech then I can use a dig. coaxial cable and connect it to my existing Dacs right? Also how easy or hard is it to configure the m2 unit? Does the computer automatically recognize this as a USB device?
Cheers
Sid

Yup - use your favorite digital cable and you are good to go. It needs drivers that you must download from the m2tech site. Otherwise it won't work.

Its available in two versions - normal RCA and BNC. The latter is around 15 euro more.

 

[anm]

@sidvee - it should be very simple to use.

@roc - do you need to install asio4all etc as well?

 

[thevortex]

So then it is truly plug & play and I do not have to mess with the computer settings to get it working.
Cheers

If its a USB DAC you are talking about, then it will be plug and play if you are using at least Windows XP SP2. No drivers to install absolutely.

 

[reignofchaos]

If its a USB DAC you are talking about, then it will be plug and play if you are using at least Windows XP SP2. No drivers to install absolutely.

The device we are talking about here does not work with winxp drivers. For getting asyc usb and 24/192 you need proprietory drivers.

 

[anm]

@roc - do you need to install asio4all, or any other s/w as well for win xp?

 

[thevortex]

The device we are talking about here does not work with winxp drivers. For getting asyc usb and 24/192 you need proprietory drivers.

Hmm...my USB DAC did not require any installation of drivers. Was it perhaps because it did not cater to the 192 khz bitrate?

 

[reignofchaos]

Probably because its not async. If it uses a burr brown chip it won't need a driver.

you may install asio4all if you want but its unnecessary if you use the kernel streaming plugin of foobar.