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Quick Question

post #1 of 13
11/20/09 at 12:25am
Thread Starter 
Well as some of you know due to the mass amount of questions I've been making lately, I've got an Auzentech HTHD sound card, and am picking up an amp and POSSIBLY a DAC to accompany it.

I'm set on the HeadRoom Micro line of products at this point. I've got just a couple questions.

1. If I were to only buy the amp, how would I hook it up to the sound card? Would I just use a mini to mini interconnect and go from the headphone out of the HTHD to the line in of the amp, or is there a different way to hook it up?

If I use a mini to mini from headphone out to line in, wouldn't the built in amp from the HTHD headphone out cause some effect on the sound? If so, would you consider this a positive or negative thing? Listening with D5000s.

2. Some people have said that they would NEVER use a sound card analog output, as there is too much noise in the PC to interfere with it. Would the HR Micro DAC make THAT much of a difference to the quality, or is the built in DAC on the HTHD alright and the PC noise itself won't make much of a difference?

I'm already $150 over budget on my rig before I buy any amp or DAC, so I'm hoping the amp alone will be fine, but if no external DAC is going to make music sound like crap I'll spring for one...
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post #2 of 13
11/20/09 at 12:29am
1) Audio breakout cable
2) Those who have said so have likely never actually bothered to find out things for themselves.

Side note, good choice on headphones and Jeremy's pads, I love mine too.
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post #3 of 13
11/20/09 at 12:32am
Thread Starter 
Haha yeah, I'm loving the headphones so far, really fun to listen to, yet they still have great detail.

So I should be fine without an external DAC? And what exactly do you mean by an audio breakout cable (audio noob here)?
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post #4 of 13
11/20/09 at 12:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Necrolic View Post
Well as some of you know due to the mass amount of questions I've been making lately, I've got an Auzentech HTHD sound card, and am picking up an amp and POSSIBLY a DAC to accompany it.

I'm set on the HeadRoom Micro line of products at this point. I've got just a couple questions.

1. If I were to only buy the amp, how would I hook it up to the sound card? Would I just use a mini to mini interconnect and go from the headphone out of the HTHD to the line in of the amp, or is there a different way to hook it up?

If I use a mini to mini from headphone out to line in, wouldn't the built in amp from the HTHD headphone out cause some effect on the sound? If so, would you consider this a positive or negative thing? Listening with D5000s.
You would connect the amp to the line out of the card not the amplified headphones output. You can but it is not a very good idea...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Necrolic View Post
2. Some people have said that they would NEVER use a sound card analog output, as there is too much noise in the PC to interfere with it. Would the HR Micro DAC make THAT much of a difference to the quality, or is the built in DAC on the HTHD alright and the PC noise itself won't make much of a difference?
I have heard many internal soundcards with cleaner outputs then many external units. There is quality internal and external gear as it depends on the quality of the design. Not all internal gear is bad and not all external gear is good. EMI/RFI is not quite the problem that some make it out to be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Necrolic View Post
I'm already $150 over budget on my rig before I buy any amp or DAC, so I'm hoping the amp alone will be fine, but if no external DAC is going to make music sound like crap I'll spring for one...
Try it out and use your ears to decide. You can always get something better in audio but your pay more and more money....
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post #5 of 13
11/20/09 at 12:45am
Thread Starter 
Rob, the HTHD doesn't exactly have a straight up line out, just the headphone out.

Wait, is the audio breakout cable the Analog I/O cable that came with the HTHD? And in that case is the line out located on that? If so which plug would it be?
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post #6 of 13
11/20/09 at 12:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Necrolic View Post
Rob, the HTHD doesn't exactly have a straight up line out, just the headphone out.

Wait, is the audio breakout cable the Analog I/O cable that came with the HTHD? And in that case is the line out located on that? If so which plug would it be?
The card also has a front channel output/ Line output.
You can actually call each stereo pair a line out.

Yes, you get an audio breakout cable with the connections for the analog I/O.

On the breakout cable you have:

Outputs
Front Line output-> Green
Center/Subwoofer output->Orange
Rear output-> Black
Side Ouput->Grey

Inputs
Line Input -> Blue
Mic Input -> Pink

Hope that Helps
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post #7 of 13
11/20/09 at 1:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
The card also has a front channel output/ Line output.
Wait the card itself has one? Or you're referring to the one on the I/O cable?

And if I hook it up to the breakout cable I want to use the Front jack?

EDIT: The Auzentech site says the following in regards to the headphone out.

"Also, can be used, when configuring a Stereo system (not using the Analog I/O cable) as a Front Line Output."

I'm assuming that means WITHOUT another amp attached.
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post #8 of 13
11/20/09 at 1:36am
The card has the amplified out (headphones) and the cable has the front line output.
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post #9 of 13
11/20/09 at 2:10am
Thread Starter 
Alright, so to sum up the thread, external DAC isn't necessary, and attach the HR Micro amp to my sound card with a mini to mini interconnect using the Analog I/O cable's Front plug?
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post #10 of 13
11/20/09 at 4:23pm
It would be stating the obvious, but make sure you actually wire up your computer's front outputs to the Auzentech card and not the onboard.
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post #11 of 13
11/20/09 at 4:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Necrolic View Post
Alright, so to sum up the thread, external DAC isn't necessary, and attach the HR Micro amp to my sound card with a mini to mini interconnect using the Analog I/O cable's Front plug?
Yes, that is about it. You can get an external DAC if you want but at this point you have in your card. Just grab an amplifier and conenct it up to the line out on the analog cable. That about covers it..
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post #12 of 13
11/20/09 at 6:15pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by FallenAngel View Post
It would be stating the obvious, but make sure you actually wire up your computer's front outputs to the Auzentech card and not the onboard.
Haha, I meant the line out on the analog I/O cable that has FRONT written on it.

And thanks for all the help guys. I just have one last question.

Seeing as the line out is meant for a FRONT channel speaker in a multichannel setup, will it change the signal being sent out at all, or will it just detect that it's not being used in a multichannel setup and send out a standard headphone/2.0 channel signal?
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post #13 of 13
11/20/09 at 7:14pm
No problem.

Enjoy your new card.
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