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Does performance of a external DAC rely on the quality of the sound card?

post #1 of 5
7/8/11 at 3:29pm
Thread Starter 

To help you understand:

 

Say there are two computers with the same DACs (let's say Fiio E7) connected to them.

However Computer A is equipped with a much higher-end sound card than that of Computer B.

 

Will Computer A produce better quality sound than B or is it that sound cards have no effect on the sound quality when there are external DACs?

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post #2 of 5
7/8/11 at 3:41pm

Absolutely. When using an external DAC you are bypassing the onboard D-A conversion of the sound card, but the quality of the digital output still matters, for much of the same reasons that a $50 CD player will sound worse than a $5,000 CD transport, with both connected to the same external DAC using the same digital cable.

 

That said, I think the best sound card is none at all. Even the professional grade RME and Lynx cards have jittery digital outputs which must be sent through terrible quality break-out cables. You can have a custom RME or Lynx multi-pin to XLR cable made, but IMO the better way to go is USB into an asynchronous converter - take your pick.

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post #3 of 5
7/8/11 at 3:45pm

Delete


Edited by labrat - 9/16/11 at 3:36am
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post #4 of 5
7/8/11 at 3:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by labrat View Post

No.

The USB output, or any other digital output straight from the main board, will not be affected by the sound card installed.

But if you use a digital output from an installed sound card, of course this can be a link that will influence the sound output!

 


Oh yeah, I missed the Fiio E7 part, that's a USB DAC. Sound card doesn't matter in that case because it isn't being used.

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post #5 of 5
7/8/11 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 

I see. So it does matter.

Thank you both for the clarification :)

 

EDIT: LOL nvm what i said. So it doesn't matter for USB DACs. Good.

Thanks :)


Edited by jakeddong - 7/8/11 at 4:05pm
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