Rega DAC USB input.

[DSJR]

Not at all, but purely the NECESSITY to "suspend disbelief" where domestic playback is concerned. We don't have the musicians to see recording a take through a window, and we're not at the mixing desk either. All we can do is to listen to the final mastered product as presented to us by the mastering engineer and try to use gear that reproduces it as accurately as reasonably possible, but in a way that helps us to enjoy the music.

[Martinh]

Thanks chaps,

The USB does sound quite a bit different to the spdif - USB is winning at the moment.

@Tim, thanks for that. I'm using Windows 7 64 bit.

My setup is a bit complicated , since I use JRiver and spotify together.

JRiver exclusively uses the Rega USB and spotify & windows uses the PC's built-in sound card/optical out. Therefore, the windows default is the built in sound card/optical out and JRiver is configured to use the Rega USB exclusively.

When the PC boots up, both JRiver and Spotify auto start. I then control each one with it's own app on my iPad. The PC is headless (i.e. no display or keyboard).

I need to play around with it a bit, but I'm 90% sure that if JRiver can't find the Rega USB on boot up, it defaults back to the onboard sound/optical out.

Maybe I could use JRiver and Spotify both using the Rega USB and not use the JRiver exclusive mode? Would the sound quality drop?

I hope this makes sense

[Tim]

I'm doing the same thing here Martin, but only JRiver starts at boot. If I want to use Spotify I just shut-down JRiver and open Spotify, both use the Rega as the default player. As I only use Spotify around 10% of the time, its no hassle to shut-down JRiver from my tablet and fire up Spotify. As soon as JRiver lets go of the DAC, Spotify defaults to it, works perfectly for me

I tend to listen to Spotify at work mostly on headphones for discovering new music, I don't normally use Spotify for general playback.

I have never tried to boot and start both applications at the same time, as I assumed there would be a conflict, which you have confirmed.

[Alex_UK]

The only times I have had problems is with Spotify/Jriver running at the same time - as long as only one is running it is fine.