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Connectivity: USB DAC vs. network connection (wifi or ethernet)

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Dolby2020

New Member
Apologies if this was addressed elsewhere on this forum. I'm setting an office/kitchen 2.0 system and haven't been able to find good answers on this. I'm considering picking up a new (or used) receiver, and not clear on whether I need a network receiver or a simple USB DAC (the one I'm looking at is the Dragonfly Black 1.5). Assuming comparable receivers, would the sound quality between a system using a DAC to connect to a laptop produce comparable sound quality as a network-connected receiver? The obvious advantage of a USB DAC is the easy setup and constant connection.

Although I'd probably go the vintage route, a possibility I'm considering (which may help for this comparison) is two Yamaha receivers I'm considering, the R-S202 (analogue) and the R-N303 (network). Both have pretty much the same amps. So in this case, would the R-S202 connected by a Dragonfly DAC sound comparable with a R-N303 connected through a network?

My primary sources are Spotify, YouTube/browser content.
 
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ldatlof said:
The R-N303 has a DAC built in to it. Why not start with that and see how you like it?
Click to expand...

It's a consideration, but before moving forward I'm interested in knowing whether I need a network receiver. From an amp standpoint, you can often get a better athlete on the used/vintage market. If a network receiver isn't offering discernibly better sound quality than I'd get from connecting a USB DAC, the analogue avenue opens up many more options.
 
It's more thank I'd like to spend but if there's a night and day difference in sound quality I'd spend $250, although I'd probably look at a used or open box 303.
 
Dolby2020 said:
Apologies if this was addressed elsewhere on this forum. I'm setting an office/kitchen 2.0 system and haven't been able to find good answers on this. I'm considering picking up a new (or used) receiver, and not clear on whether I need a network receiver or a simple USB DAC (the one I'm looking at is the Dragonfly Black 1.5). Assuming comparable receivers, would the sound quality between a system using a DAC to connect to a laptop produce comparable sound quality as a network-connected receiver? The obvious advantage of a USB DAC is the easy setup and constant connection.

Although I'd probably go the vintage route, a possibility I'm considering (which may help for this comparison) is two Yamaha receivers I'm considering, the R-S202 (analogue) and the R-N303 (network). Both have pretty much the same amps. So in this case, would the R-S202 connected by a Dragonfly DAC sound comparable with a R-N303 connected through a network?

My primary sources are Spotify, YouTube/browser content.
Click to expand...

What's your plan how to play YouTube/browser content? Laptop next to the receiver?
 
Dolby2020 said:
and not clear on whether I need a network receiver or a simple USB DAC
Click to expand...

A network receiver provides two (sometimes three) functions in one box:
  1. support for a media streaming protocol, converting the protocol stream into a PCM stream
  2. a DAC to convert the PCM stream to analogue
  3. an amplifier (sometimes, sometimes not, depending on what the manuf considers a 'receiver' to be...)
A USB DAC only provides the second part. You will need an amp, and a PCM source.

What do you intend to use to handle the media streaming protocol? A small computing device (e.g. RPi) running a digital media renderer app to handle the streaming protocol, outputting to USB?

Or do you intend to drive the USB with a PCM stream direct from a PC?

If you intend to use a media streaming protocol, what is going to provide your media server (DMS), and control clients (DMC)?
 
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cpt_paranoia said:
A network receiver provides tow (sometimes three) functions in one box:
  1. support for a media streaming protocol, converting the protocol stream into a PCM stream
  2. a DAC to convert the PCM stream to analogue
  3. an amplifier (sometimes, sometimes not, depending on what the manuf considers a 'receiver' to be...)
A USB DAC only provides the second part. You will need an amp, and a PCM source.

What do you intend to use to handle the media streaming protocol? A small computing device (e.g. RPi) running a digital media renderer app to handle the streaming protocol, outputting to USB?

Or do you intend to drive the USB with a PCM stream direct from a PC?

If you intend to use a media streaming protocol, what is going to provide your media server (DMS), and control clients (DMC)?
Click to expand...


I would be streaming from my laptop via Ethernet connection, and connecting a USB DAC via RCA from my laptop to analogue receiver.
 
I doubt there will be a night and day difference at these prices considering you have to buy a used receiver and a DAC. I would probably go with the N-303.
 
Dolby2020 said:
My primary sources are Spotify, YouTube/browser content.
Click to expand...

I missed this.

Is the quality of those sources really worth anything more than the audio output of your MacBook?

If they are lossy compression formats, I'd suggest that will dominate over any quality issues in the headphone output.
 
Dolby2020 said:
I would be streaming from my laptop via Ethernet connection, and connecting a USB DAC via RCA from my laptop
Click to expand...

If you are connecting directly from laptop to converter, then I'd suggest ('asynchronous') USB; ethernet seems an unnecessary complication.

A network player (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) is useful if you want a significant physical separation between controller and renderer (I.e. the ability to stream to any networked renderer, from any controller, from anywhere within the local network). If you see yourself wanting to do this in future, then you might be swayed to the network receiver.
 
orsen said:
then you wont need a dac and opens a whole world of used recievers
Click to expand...

That would be my first option (being cheap, and an audio pragmatist), but it would seem that the OP does not consider the headphone audio output to be of sufficient quality, hence the need for an external DAC.
 
cpt_paranoia said:
That would be my first option (being cheap, and an audio pragmatist), but it would seem that the OP does not consider the headphone audio output to be of sufficient quality, hence the need for an external DAC.
Click to expand...
I will follow up on this with Apple, the link gvi provided says that the audio output is a "Combined optical digital output/headphone out (user-selectable analog audio line in)."

 
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