SQ among USB, Bridge 1 and bridge 2 of DS

Audio Components DACs
1

l have a DS and a Mac, currently music source is from an external hard disk connecting to Mac via USB, thinking to buy WD thunderbolts HDD to reduce load of USB port but wondering if SQ would be better if I use my spare bridge 1 or get a new bridge 2. Would like to hear more if anyone tried those three. Thanks!

2

Tried PC over USB, CD transport over USB, Toslink and RCA and Bridge 2 and Bridge is clearly better sounding. It seemed to me that in order to get near that SQ with PC/USB, you need time to experiment and money for good USB cable and Jitter killer.

3

I found the same thing in my system–PC/USB required quite a lot of tweaking to approach the quality of the Bridge. B2 is definitely better than B1, also.

4

Below setup, Brodge 1 will still sound better than USB? I know if for MKII, bridge 1 will certainly over USB, not sure about it with DS

Mac > USB > DS

Mac > Ethenet > Bridge 1

5

I preferred Bridge 1 to a stock 2011 Mac Mini over USB (also USB drive for the music) for sound quality but if you go that route you don’t get gapless play (so I ended up mostly using Foobar2000 on a PC with B1 as it did gapless). B2 is definitely worth the upgrade. Don’t have any Thunderbolt drives to compare. As others have noted, there are a lot of variables so your results may not be the same.

6

I recalled Bridge 1 can only use Ethernet cable to Mac, isn’t it?

7
johnney said I recalled Brodge 1 can only use Ethernet cable to Mac, isn't it?
Or via Ethernet to your router assuming that a) the router and DAC are in close proximity and b) that your Mac can speak wirelessly to your router. This is how I use the Bridge with my PC and find that this yields the highest sound quality of all the different ways to connect to the DAC (coax from the Oppo 105D and USB from PC to DAC being the other two).
8
Joe Appierto said
johnney said I recalled Brodge 1 can only use Ethernet cable to Mac, isn't it?

Or via Ethernet to your router assuming that a) the router and DAC are in close proximity and b) that your Mac can speak wirelessly to your router. This is how I use the Bridge with my PC and find that this yields the highest sound quality of all the different ways to connect to the DAC (coax from the Oppo 105D and USB from PC to DAC being the other two).


Possible to use crossover Ethernet cable connecting DS to Mac directly?

9

Hmm…never thought of that but I don’t see why not. Possibly some other members of this forum could chime in with first hand experience using the Mac>Ethernet>DS DAC signal path.

10

SQ of BII is a lot better than BI