new to high quality audio and need an external DAC

hey guys,

like the title says, i am new to high quality audio. I have been building custom computers fro years, and am planning a new build and i will be going all out. i plan to use the RIVE, so i will have native SPDIF (i think that's the right one) out. since i will be using 4 GPU cards, and don't want interference, i would like an external DAC... this will reside inside of the case, but i will build an EMI resistant shroud to go around it so that should handle interference problems if i understand correctly... i do game, but i tend to listen to music wile i play, not the game sounds (probably y I'm so bad at FPSs :p)... music quality is mainly what i am going for, but surround capability would be nice since i would like the option later on... probably 95% of the time i will be using headphones (idk if this is relevant)... if i didn't include any information that is needed for recommendations, just let me know... you guys can also check out my build log in the link below if you are interested

thanks in advance

http://www.overclock.net/t/1154541/full-warranty-case-mod-planning-and-questions

bumpity bump for no replys?

Quote:

Originally Posted by NumLock 

Budget?

 

I use and internal X-Fi card that is then connected via optical to an external DAC. Works great for gaming and music.

unfortunately i dont want to stress the chipset that badly with an internal card

Quote:

Originally Posted by NamelessPFG 

A cheap X-Fi card to use as a DSP for CMSS-3D Headphone and EAX while gaming, and letting its S/PDIF output feed a DAC to do the dirty work would be a tempting solution, except this guy plans on listening to music while gaming instead of using positional audio cues to get a situational awareness advantage.

 

Then there's the additional problem of four graphics cards for this build. If they don't have thin waterblocks on them, then there won't be a slot free for any other sort of expansion card to begin with because of the HSFs. Fortunately, he says that he's going with water-cooling, but tolerances will certainly be very tight regardless.

 

Anyway, just how all-out will you go? $300-500 is generally regarded as the minimum where an external audiophile DAC begins to become viable over internal sound cards. On the cheaper end of the scale, people seem to like the DacMagic and used PS Audio Digital Link models; if you've got money to burn, there's the Benchmark DAC1 at roughly US$1,000 and up, which also has an integrated dynamic/ortho headphone amplifier.

lol... sry... all out from a computer enthusiast point of view... so between $300-500... if more is necessary, i can definitely get a bigger budget, just means a longer wait :(... but still nothing over 1k... fortunately the blocks will likely be single space as they almost all have been in the past from the place i plan to get them from (EK)... i actual wouldn't care about having an internal card, but i dont want to stress the chipset that much (as I'm already debating a RAID card as well)... and though i dont use positional audio, i do like a prity good sound stage as i do music edit classical and acoustic music and love things like john denver that sound amazing with a good sound stage

Quote:

Originally Posted by NamelessPFG 

 

$300-500 to start with...just so we're clear, this is only for a DAC, no headphones or speakers or anything in addition to that, right?

that's right... probably 1k for headphones and DAC... i dint know much about headphones, but i do know that i want over ear (definitely not on ear) and great highs and mids and a decent base (more concerned with quick recovery then mushy sound as far as base is concerned)... i would love great base as well if its possible, but I'm not sure those go together

bump :)