Unaltered data stream to USB DAC

amit11

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Hi Friends,

Is there any way to know if a USB DAC is receiving the data stream unaltered?

I am asking this in context of my schiit usb dac, receiving data from

a) Ipad via camera connector kit
b) Android phone via app "USB Audio Player Pro". [note, I have made the setting 'bit perfect' as ON, so that the app does not do any kind of alteration]
c) via laptop having windows 10.

Music is sounding different in all cases. (a) and (b) are close and (c) is quite different. Seems in case of C windows is doing some changes before sending to DAC. (a) and (b) sound thinner compared to (c), which has lots of low-end/mid-bass. (b) sounds a little thinner compared to (a)
 
If you want bit perfect on Windows, use WASAPI or ASIO4ALL drivers. The built-in Windows sound driver WILL not give bit perfect output.
 
Is WSAPI driver available normally to install?
And does the player matter ? e.g. playing via windows media player, or from youtube from browser, iTunes etc? I mean would it automatically put in bitperfect mode?
 
In my experience, what I have noticed that noises from different sources is what changes the sound. I have noticed that running it from iPad/iPhone sounds more clean that running from a laptop.

That is probably the reason why when I used Schiit Eitr, everything sounded same because Eitr does not take power from source.
 
At this time I have a setup based on Dante and trust me that those all who are using USB for their DACs, you do not realize what these source are capable of. WIth this setup, everything is pristine clean and spooky most of the times. This also proves that nobody (neither laptop nor iOS devices) alter USB data it is just that USB noise is the real culprit.
 
Is WSAPI driver available normally to install?
And does the player matter ? e.g. playing via windows media player, or from youtube from browser, iTunes etc? I mean would it automatically put in bitperfect mode?

If you correctly installed Schiit's DAC driver on your computer, it would contain a WASAPI driver (and perhaps an ASIO driver as well).

For example, let's assume you're playing from foobar. In the Preference window of foobar you'll be able to choose WASAPI as the driver. Just for info, the built-in Windows audio drivers will also show up as choices in the drop down menu.
 
In my experience, what I have noticed that noises from different sources is what changes the sound. I have noticed that running it from iPad/iPhone sounds more clean that running from a laptop.

That is probably the reason why when I used Schiit Eitr, everything sounded same because Eitr does not take power from source.

I have schiit multibit modi. Do you think the Eitr would be helpful here?
If yes, does it mean that the DAC's USB input is not the best in itself?
 
Hmmmm... trying to understand.. does the chip inside the convertor give its signature sound to the coax output?

In a separate thread.. there is a mention of one such convertor (signstek brand) and one person who has used it is saying it just acts as a pass thru and no change in sound.

Sent from Note5
 
I read many people like jriver / foobar for music via usb from computer. Is it bcos jriver alters the stream in a pleasant way, or is it bcos its the only software that passes original unaltered stream?

Sent from Note5
 
Hmmmm... trying to understand.. does the chip inside the convertor give its signature sound to the coax output?

In a separate thread.. there is a mention of one such convertor (signstek brand) and one person who has used it is saying it just acts as a pass thru and no change in sound.

Sent from Note5

Ideally, it should not but based on the readings that I have done and my experiences, it is power supply and quality of clock inside are what make these sound differently.
 
Via software i could see the usb packets going to DAC. The packets are actually called "Isochronous" instead of plain asynchronous. The OUT and IN packets did not show any error status. Total of 200 out and 200 in packets per second. However i have no way of actually knowing if packets was received or not on the DAC. Also do not know if the data was altered or not. For that i need to deep dive / have knowledge of the packet structure and its data aswell as the actual samples contained in the source.

Screenshot of packets info attched..

ec4d6de7a102ca2d191e8ad9386e68c6.jpg
 
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