You could use a PCM2902 which requires no drivers. It outputs SPDIF, which then would go to a receiver chip just like the coax or TOSLink would to decode the SPDIR audio stream into the data and clock lines.
As stated above it won't do 24/192, or any of those other useless formats. I say useless because 99.999% of all music out there is in 16/44.1. I would love to take the higher bit depths and sample rates seriously, but they continue to be a fringe format. And no, upsampling your redbook audio does not make it 24/192.
I didn't bother with a USB interface for my latest DAC because my non-direct interface is an airport express. It would be super easy to put together a little daughterboard with a little power supply, crystal, the PSM2902 and a USB jack that outputs to one of the spare inputs on the CS8416 input though.
Take a look at the TI chips, and the pcm2902 in particular. That will get you from USB to serial digital data without opening visual studio. Then I'd strongly recommend taking a look at these chips: CS8416, CS8421, and CS4398.
The DAC can be substituted for a suitable TI part as well, but that becomes a religious war.
Sheldon
As stated above it won't do 24/192, or any of those other useless formats. I say useless because 99.999% of all music out there is in 16/44.1. I would love to take the higher bit depths and sample rates seriously, but they continue to be a fringe format. And no, upsampling your redbook audio does not make it 24/192.
I didn't bother with a USB interface for my latest DAC because my non-direct interface is an airport express. It would be super easy to put together a little daughterboard with a little power supply, crystal, the PSM2902 and a USB jack that outputs to one of the spare inputs on the CS8416 input though.
Take a look at the TI chips, and the pcm2902 in particular. That will get you from USB to serial digital data without opening visual studio. Then I'd strongly recommend taking a look at these chips: CS8416, CS8421, and CS4398.
The DAC can be substituted for a suitable TI part as well, but that becomes a religious war.
Sheldon