On a whim, I bought an M-Audio Audiophile USB external USB audio device today. It sounds very good with EAC ripped cds, though it is still not quite as good as the Meridian 500. I have replaced the long run of spidf coax with USB and have a 1m coax spidf (aq vdm-3) going from the audiophile usb to the 518 and it sounds much better. I think the difference now is the shorter spidf coax cable vs. the aes/ebu. I'm still curious about the slimdevices squeezebox2, which I may get and move this one to the office for headphone use.
Posted by Mike at May 23, 2005 12:57 AM