Exogal Comet or Mytek Brookly DAC with Nucleus over USB

I’m new to Roon and looking into using Roon Nucleus straight to a DAC like the Exogal Comet or Mytek Brooklyn DAC over USB. It seems some people are doing this while others recommend using a USB filtering device or an Ethernet to USB bridge to keep out the noise from over USB.
Tips anyone? Thanks!

A direct USB connection is simple and easy to do. You can do that and my guess is you’ll have no problem with quality. It is simple and easy. Two boxes, done. The next most efficient way is the streaming version of your DAC, so the Brooklyn+. So extra Ethernet cabling and maybe a switch but still essentially two boxes. Personally I went from USB direct through various options including USB cleansing and DDC’s and I ended up at a streaming DAC, back to two boxes.

They are recommending snakeoil. USB from the Nucleus straight to the DAC is perfectly fine. Any “electrical noise” is down at the -100db (or lower) range and inaudible. The “reclockers” are an even bigger scam, espcially for USB, which is async.

Splitting the Core from the endpoint over the network has different advantages. Multi-room support, for one. And getting a potentially physically noisy (e.g., fans) out of your listening room. But the Nucleus is fanless, and while a few people have complained about coil whine, should basically be physically silent.

Thanks for the answers so far. I don’t need multiroom so it looks like it will be a 2 box bliss :smile:
And what is the recommendation for the USB cable: decent is good enough and more than that is snake oil again?
Also I have seen some older posts indicating some issues with drivers running over USB especially with upscaling. Anything to be aware?

Any USB cable made to USB specifications is more than sufficient. Don’t throw money away on snakeoil.

The only time cables are an issue is if the DAC itself is poorly designed. And even cheap, budget DACs these days generally exceed the minimums.

For clarity - the Brooklyn+ DAC is simply a newer version of the Brooklyn DAC - it’s still only a DAC.

The streaming version is the “Brooklyn Bridge” which incorporates the Brooklyn+ DAC.

Thanks for the correction. In my defence it was early! :sleeping:

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Thanks guys for the tips. I’m demoing the Exogal Comet and Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ next WE so will be happy to report back on that experience.

If you get the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge you can connect the Nucleus to the DAC via Ethernet

What is better for sound quality? Connect a DAC via USB or Ethernet? Some people say Ethernet brings its own network noise because of unnecessary traffic and USB is cleaner and simpler if the USB is well implemented.

Neither.

See discussion above. Ethernet just lets you have the Core in a different room, which is useful for multi-zone or if your Core is on a machine with fans that emit mechanical noise.

I got a chance to demo a few DACs and the Exogal Comet sounded best to me. I will probably use a Innuos Zenith as a Roon core rather than the nucleus. Thanks for all the tips.