Just got my first rpi, couldn’t resist buying an RPI3. Want to use it as a “usb feed” for my usb-dac. Got volumio up and running real fast (great job guys!), but when listening for a longer period I occasionally heard clicks. When using airplay it got worse. So I spent a lot of time trying to find out I could create a usb-out from the gpio. The idea was to use i2c/i2s and feed that to my dac over usb. BTW: has someone done this? Can it solve the apparently flawed usb/ethernet implementation op the rpi?
Finally I connected over wifi. Guess what: no clicks. Airplay works flawless as well. Am I correct to assume that wifi is NOT implemented on usb (as is wired ethernet)? If it is implemented on USB: where did my clicks go? (I’m running Volumio on a RPI3 with onboard wifi).
Wifi on the raspberry pi 3 doesn’t run over the USB bus.
Gpio to usb doesn’t sound like a good idea to me…
Looking at the specs of the RPI3 (raspberrypi.org/magpi/raspb … enchmarks/) it seems indeed that it uses a seperate chip for the wifi and bluetooth.
This would free the USB port when using wifi over LAN. Also the increased performance can help on handling all the USB interrupt in a more timely manner.
All these things support your statement that using wifi on the RPI3 improves the ability to use the USB port for feeding a DAC 
Did you try hi-res audio files as well? Which types?
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Thnx for your reply! My idea is create an as clean as possible usb-signal. Do you have any idea how that can be achieved? Or does the rpi3 a “good” job already?
@MobeyDuck also confirmed the RPI3 doesn’t use wifi over usb, but uses a separate chip for wifi and bluetooth. It definitely helps, no more clicking 
I tried 192/24; 96/24 and 96/32, mostly AIFF and sometimes FLAC. Unfortunately my DAC is being repaired, I’m using my old ARCAM rDAC now. It sounds promising but my old setup (Audirvana on a dedicated MacMini with my Wadia 121 DAC) sounds better.
What other DAC are you hoping to use after repairs? Maybe something to find out if/how it matters is the USB chip used by the DAC? Did you compare the ARCAM with the Pi to the MacMini with the same ARCAM? Interesting to hear if there is a noticable difference beween the Pi and the Mac. And if so, why?