# USB DAC reccomendations



## Jachin99

I am getting ready to install a tablet in my car using timur's 2013 rom, and I want to use a dac in between the tablet and my Arc audio PS8 because the factory usb audio out, as everybody knows, sounds pretty crappy. I'm looking for USB DAC recommendations. The only DACs that won't work with the rom are the ones based on the TAS2010B chipset, like the Audioquest dragonfly that I have right now. Here is the gear i'm running right now: MTX amps, Arc audio PS8, Dayton midbass, fountek midrange and highs.

What would everyone recommend with my goal being SQ.


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## subterFUSE

Have you looked into the Pure i20? A lot of people here use that to get an optical output from their iDevices.

Personally, I have the HRT iStreamer 12V. It works fairly well.


There may be some other options, but I'm not familiar with them at this time.


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## Jachin99

Those look like they are worth looking into, but I have a nexus tablet, not an IPAD. I looked up HRT DACs for android on amazon, and found their Music streamer 2, but its four years old. I'm guessing that the technology in these things has probably come a little further since then. Does anyone have any experience with this DAC? or should I look for something current? thanks.


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## Burksdb

The Behringer Uca202 is what i run in my car. Usb to the nexus and fiber my Bit ten d sounds great

Amazon.com: Behringer UCA202 Audio Interface: Musical Instruments


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## 4thseason

Here You go... HiFimeDIY Sabre U2 Asynchronous USB DAC

Async and you can run it optical to your PS8


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## naiku

4thseason said:


> Here You go... HiFimeDIY Sabre U2 Asynchronous USB DAC
> 
> Async and you can run it optical to your PS8


This is what I have, been running it for around a year now and its working perfectly. Sits in the glovebox plugged into my USB hub.


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## Ericd05

JDS Labs - Standalone ODAC


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## NealfromNZ

plus 2 for the sabre dac. Fantastic sound from such a modest priced DAC. Got the async version and use the analog output. Importantly you get no clicks or pops on power up / down or codec change.


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## Jachin99

The JDS labs isn't compatible with Timur's 2013. I could only get it to work with USB audio recorder pro, for anyone interested. I'm ordering the HIFIme asynchronous dac and trying it out.


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## DLO13

Friend of mine has this. He loves it. 
We used it on a factory radio using the aux out in a Jetta wagon - it sounded so much better it was CRAZYYYYYY.

Feels incredibly well built.

FiiO

http://www.amazon.com/FIIO-E17-Alpen-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1404332430&sr=1-1&keywords=ALPEN-E17


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## Ultimateherts

The dac in the PS8 is probably more than good enough. Just run optical from the PC to the PS8


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## crackinhedz

Burksdb said:


> The Behringer Uca202 is what i run in my car. Usb to the nexus and fiber my Bit ten d sounds great
> 
> Amazon.com: Behringer UCA202 Audio Interface: Musical Instruments


^ Best solution.


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## Victor_inox

Just a little teaser, I dunno if it works with Timur`s version of android but it does well with standard 4.2.2


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## FSUnoles

has anyone tried any of these with the L build. Google enabled USB audio now


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## GlasSman

naiku said:


> This is what I have, been running it for around a year now and its working perfectly. Sits in the glovebox plugged into my USB hub.


Whats the deal with that one? Do you use one of the 3.5 mm to optical jacks?

Or do you have to order the unit with an optical out?


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## 4thseason

It is both already

Optical or line out

B~


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## GlasSman

4thseason said:


> It is both already
> 
> Optical or line out
> 
> B~


Ok so it's a dual purpose jack.

I never payed attention to these until I developed an interests in headphone audio gear.

Sweetness....I know what I'll be using. I was thinking of going with the Behringer UCA202 but asychronous is the way to go.


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## Jachin99

Ultimateherts said:


> The dac in the PS8 is probably more than good enough. Just run optical from the PC to the PS8


I needed something that converted the tablet audio/power out to optical, hence the DAC. The DAC itself woks fine when connected to a power source such as a lapttop, but when the HIFImeDIY dac is powered by a cigarette lighter, and the tablet is not connected, i get a bunch of popping and hissing coming through my speakers, which is really annoying. While its actually connected it works fine.


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## lunapark

ok Perhaps someone on here can help me out. I have read through the threads here, but what I cannot seem to figure out is how everyone is controlling their volume. If you use a PC as a source, and you convert your signal to digital from USB to feed the PS8, how in the world are you controlling your volume. The PS8 does not have any kind of volume control and according to ARC they will not be available for some time.

Here is the other challenge. All of the DAC's that everyone is suggesting only produces 2 volts maximum for output. The PS8, according to Fred at ARC, does not put out a full 8 volts, unless it receives 8 volts. So having all of that great equipment is useless without the benefit of the full voltage out at volume. 

It would seem and I am welcome to the possibility that I am just absolutely missing something here, but if your going to spend the money and buy the nice equipment the old adage your system is only as good as its weakest link would seem to apply. 

I want to use a tablet, in order to have access to multiple hard drives with music stored at 44.1 Mhz or better. That means multiple USB ports and software JRiver. Best software for playing back media through computer. 

But when you come out of the PC to the DAC, no more volume control meaning you need volume on the DAC if you are using the PS8. I have the PS8 and now I am wishing I had just purchased a 6to8 or Bitone, at least those are products with volume control.

Can anyone here offer suggestions?


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## ZeblodS

I would personally go with a USB audio to SPDIF converter, such as U2S from HA-INFO, and then plug a real DSP behind it.


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## subterFUSE

lunapark said:


> ok Perhaps someone on here can help me out. I have read through the threads here, but what I cannot seem to figure out is how everyone is controlling their volume. If you use a PC as a source, and you convert your signal to digital from USB to feed the PS8, how in the world are you controlling your volume. The PS8 does not have any kind of volume control and according to ARC they will not be available for some time.


This is only partly true.

The PS8 does not have a volume controller, that is accurate. However, you might not need one depending on the type of digital signal. Some optical sources have the volume level coded into the signal. (For example, the MoBridge DA1 preamp) For those kinds of sources a master volume control on the DSP is not required. So the question is whether you can find a digital source with variable volume?

I have been researching the PS8 for some time, and one of the ideas I came up with to add a volume controller was to use the AudioControl Matrix Plus.
It is a 6 channel line driver with an optional wired-remote volume. You could wire the Matrix in-line between the PS8 and your amps, and it will give you the high voltage you seek and a way to control volume.




> Here is the other challenge. All of the DAC's that everyone is suggesting only produces 2 volts maximum for output. The PS8, according to Fred at ARC, does not put out a full 8 volts, unless it receives 8 volts. So having all of that great equipment is useless without the benefit of the full voltage out at volume.


AudioControl Matrix Plus could give you higher voltage for your amps. See above.


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## BowDown

I used the windows volume control with the USB to Spdif converter. Works great. 

Sent from my Z30 using Tapatalk


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## BowDown

Or in the case of android the tablet volume works as a system volume. 

Sent from my Z30 using Tapatalk


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## Jachin99

lunapark said:


> ok Perhaps someone on here can help me out. I have read through the threads here, but what I cannot seem to figure out is how everyone is controlling their volume. If you use a PC as a source, and you convert your signal to digital from USB to feed the PS8, how in the world are you controlling your volume. The PS8 does not have any kind of volume control and according to ARC they will not be available for some time.
> 
> Here is the other challenge. All of the DAC's that everyone is suggesting only produces 2 volts maximum for output. The PS8, according to Fred at ARC, does not put out a full 8 volts, unless it receives 8 volts. So having all of that great equipment is useless without the benefit of the full voltage out at volume.
> 
> It would seem and I am welcome to the possibility that I am just absolutely missing something here, but if your going to spend the money and buy the nice equipment the old adage your system is only as good as its weakest link would seem to apply.
> 
> I want to use a tablet, in order to have access to multiple hard drives with music stored at 44.1 Mhz or better. That means multiple USB ports and software JRiver. Best software for playing back media through computer.
> 
> But when you come out of the PC to the DAC, no more volume control meaning you need volume on the DAC if you are using the PS8. I have the PS8 and now I am wishing I had just purchased a 6to8 or Bitone, at least those are products with volume control.
> 
> Can anyone here offer suggestions?


Volume control on mine is just achieved through widgets. I also have timurs kernel so i get something like thirty steps of volume. I have separate widgets for notifications and media.


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## lunapark

subterFUSE said:


> This is only partly true.
> 
> The PS8 does not have a volume controller, that is accurate. However, you might not need one depending on the type of digital signal. Some optical sources have the volume level coded into the signal. (For example, the MoBridge DA1 preamp) For those kinds of sources a master volume control on the DSP is not required. So the question is whether you can find a digital source with variable volume?
> 
> I have been researching the PS8 for some time, and one of the ideas I came up with to add a volume controller was to use the AudioControl Matrix Plus.
> It is a 6 channel line driver with an optional wired-remote volume. You could wire the Matrix in-line between the PS8 and your amps, and it will give you the high voltage you seek and a way to control volume.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AudioControl Matrix Plus could give you higher voltage for your amps. See above.


I like that concept and have had the thought, but my history with Audio control and noise have not been favorable. I think they make really good products I just wish the noise issue would not creep up from time to time. 

Sir, I guess you are never to old to learn and let me be the first to say it, I have never heard of such a thing. "A digital signal with volume control built in" I will start the search immediately. 

With that being said, much like everything else would there not have to be some kind of compatible piece on the receiving end? For example, Let's say I have a device that accepts toslink. Not the best connection, lots of digital chatter, but for sake of conversation, the protocol for Toslink is specific. So now lets say I take the DA1, that has volume incoded into the digital signal. The digital signal being sent from the DA1, I would think would be completely different and foreign to what the Toslink is expecting to receive. Its not like we have a set of component cables and were converting to HDMI as the component cables have no audio. Am I making sense here. 

Could you be a tiny bit more specific for me to help me out to understand? I certainly do not want to go out and buy a bunch of pieces to figure it out.

Thanks


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## subterFUSE

lunapark said:


> I like that concept and have had the thought, but my history with Audio control and noise have not been favorable. I think they make really good products I just wish the noise issue would not creep up from time to time.
> 
> Sir, I guess you are never to old to learn and let me be the first to say it, I have never heard of such a thing. "A digital signal with volume control built in" I will start the search immediately.
> 
> With that being said, much like everything else would there not have to be some kind of compatible piece on the receiving end? For example, Let's say I have a device that accepts toslink. Not the best connection, lots of digital chatter, but for sake of conversation, the protocol for Toslink is specific. So now lets say I take the DA1, that has volume incoded into the digital signal. The digital signal being sent from the DA1, I would think would be completely different and foreign to what the Toslink is expecting to receive. Its not like we have a set of component cables and were converting to HDMI as the component cables have no audio. Am I making sense here.
> 
> Could you be a tiny bit more specific for me to help me out to understand? I certainly do not want to go out and buy a bunch of pieces to figure it out.
> 
> Thanks



Well, the MoBridge DA1 is a very specific piece of gear that is used to convert a car's MOST-Bus fiber optic signal into a TOSlink optical. So it would not help you in your case because you are seeking something to work with a tablet. I was just giving an example of digital equipment that offers a TOSlink output with a variable volume that's actually encoded into the digital signal.

I'm not sure what to say about Audio Control products and noise issues. Audio Control was one of the go-to brands for competition equalizers for many years. They make good stuff. Noise issues are usually caused by installer error. For example, I am still running an Audison BitOne processor which I've had in 2 cars since 2009. Never an ounce of noise from that thing, despite many people on these forums decrying them as faulty.


I do understand your reservations about buying a bunch of gear. My suggestion of the Matrix Plus has not been tested, to my knowledge. It's just an idea I came up with after researching the PS8 for a while and trying to think of a volume control hack. I purchased a used PS8 a couple of months ago and I've been planning to install it in my car, but haven't gotten around to it yet.


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## graceparker

USB audio to SPDIF converter is better option i think


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## t3sn4f2

It's not that the digital output has volume control encoded into it, it's that the digital output is attinuated in the digital domain before being prepared to be sent out. Think of it like the volume slider in itunes. It works in the digital domain before being sent to the soundcard or whatever. The mobridge device works a little differently though. It lets the headunit be "itunes", but also letting it do fade/tone/bal/etc. then it just converts the most optical out to spdif.


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