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Confused about using DAC with soundcard

post #1 of 3
2/11/11 at 3:48pm
Thread Starter 

I'm looking to get either a sub $150 DAC, such as nuforce's udac-2, or a USB soundcard. What I'm confused about is how a DAC interacts with signal coming from my terrible onboard sound. With a USB soundcard, my onboard would be disabled and only the soundcard would do the work. Creative has their X-FI HD for $70 due to their valentines sale.

 

Will the audio quality through a DAC be lowered because it is first processed by my onboard sound?

 

Would it be redundant to  use a DAC along with an actual soundcard?

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post #2 of 3
2/11/11 at 4:57pm

Using an outboard sound card IE: DAC, your internal sound card will be bypassed completely. One on the most typical ways to use a DAC is to feed the DAC with a USB cable from one of the rear ports on your PC to the DAC, then the DAC output to your powered speakers or amp ETC. I would most certainly get an outboard DAC before an internal sound card of any kind.

 

IMHO The Nuforce uDAC-2 is a good unit for the price and I would suggest it over the X-FI HD.

 

Brian

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post #3 of 3
2/11/11 at 7:19pm
Thread Starter 

thanks for clearing some stuff up. 

 

I'm also checking out http://www.emu.com/products/product.asp?category=610&subcategory=611&product=20347 which is geared towards DJs, but seems like it could fit my needs. Mic input is somewhat important for me.

 

Any way to know what the DAC quality would be like compared to something like the uDAC2?

 

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