Aloha from Maui,
I mostly use my MacBook —> Supra USB —> RUR —> Curious Link —> DSJ setup with Roon and HQPlayer. I prefer this arrangement to the Bridge II.
I’ve read a lot about the Lush USB cable. Is there any point in spending the nearly $300 to replace the Supra with a Lush given its all going to end up going through the Curious Link anyway?
Thanks
Shunyata will soon release a Sigma USB. $2000 for one of those. Sometimes you get what you pay for, even with cables.
For that type of money you can get an USB to I2S converter which would bypass the noisy Xmos chip.
Cables make a difference and some are garbage. Digital cables have one job = transfer data as flawlessly as possible. This can be measured.
Agree with cxp - for a few hundred bucks the I2S converter will provide a significant improvement. I never had much luck with the USB connection on the DS, tried a curious usb and regen combo and others. Not sure the problem was related to how much I spent on the USB cable. It’s possible but I found that a $5 toslink cable was better then any usb cable I tried - go figure.
Out of curiosity, what are the alternatives to the Matrix or the SuperDigital? Thx
If you mean the Sonore ultraDigital - there’s also the Singxer SU-1. Good chance any of these would be a better sounding option than USB via a computer.
Haha, yes, UltraDigital. Somehow got Super Dave mixed in there…
Do these I2S converters provide isolation from my MacBook like the Mirco & Ultra Rendu?
I do like USB though, better than Bridge II…
@dancingsea
Yes there is galvanic isolation and reclocking with Crystek 575 I believe.
Benefit of Singxer SU-1 is included power supply,
Benefit of Ultradigital is external power supply allows to to upgrade to a better supply. I highly recommend Sbooster Mk2 but this runs $350. However I tried the cheap Ifi 9v powering my Ultradigital and it still smoked my Ultrarendu powered by the Sbooster Mk2.
BTW I currently have the regen Curious link USB connecting my Ultrarendu and Ultradigital (stacked).
Thanks for this feedback 
Do I understand correctly that your Ultradigital with thi ifi power supply, by themselves, smoked the uR with Sbooster - by themselves?
Does that mean one really doesn’t need the uR and the line, just the I2S converter?
And how are they altogether compared with to them separately?
Benefit of the Matrix is you don’t need a PS - sounds good without. A lot better with Uptone LPS1.2. LPS 1.2 is a little more than Sbooster but may be a bit better. Tried an Sbooster with a Brooklyn DAC and didn’t like it much. Any of these choices will be a big improvement over Computer\USB,
Uggh. You guys are making me question my ears 
I have an AQ Diamond usb into a wyred recovery. I have compared a cd via toslink from a Denon 5900 to a ripped flac file via usb. I seem to like the flac better via my usb setup. It could be for a variety of reasons.
If I were to get a matrix and use the IIS into the DS - would you include the recovery before the matrix? Also -are you guaranteeing sound quality improvement? :).
Did you try Mk2 Sbooster or just version 1 ?
v1 never tried v2
Don’t sweat it if you’re happy with what you have stay with it. If you get an itch to try something different most of these items have a 30 day trial period. Do some research and decide if it’s something want to look into.
The Mk2 is a big improvement. Mk1 sounds dull and a little congested in comparison.
I am still waiting on my Ultra Mk2 add on. The noise baiter is very intriguing. Low noise going in is one thing, but being able to draw it out is another.
What is your USB source ?
Yes, the RUR would go before the Matrix… and what intrigues me about the Lush USB is that its supposed to be better than the AQ Diamond… at half the price…
I use an older laptop running win 10 w jriver. It is an i3 chip I believe. I have a powered usb hub hooked to the laptop w external hard drives Laptop is dedicated for music.