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Creative Titanium HD's DAC vs External DAC

Dec 4, 2011 at 3:31 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 19
itchyblood

itchyblood

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Hello Head-Fi,
 
I am a complete noob when it comes to high fidelity and its components.  Looking for help and advice.
 
I am planning on making a purchase on the HD650 and Fiio e9.
 
I game 30%, music 50%, movies 20% on my computer.  My entire music collection covers about almost every genre.  Rock, Hip-hip, and classical are the mains.
 
All music comprises of FLAC played through Foobar + ASIO.  I currently have the Creative Titanium HD which implements the Burr-Brown PCM1794 DAC. 
 
Would my planned combo of the Ti HD + 650 + e9 be sufficent or should I work towards something else?
 
Thank you.
 
 
 
 
 
Dec 4, 2011 at 6:26 PM Post #2 of 19
The advice I've heard is to stick with the Titanium HD (or other high-end sound cards) unless you're prepared to drop $500 or more on a DAC. Even then, make sure you feed it with S/PDIF so that you can at least use the Titanium HD's X-Fi DSP in games.
 
As for amps, I'm not too well informed there (especially since I don't pay a lot of attention to dynamics that need dedicated headphone amps to sound proper), but the E9 seems like a good way to get started.
 
Dec 4, 2011 at 8:52 PM Post #3 of 19
Yea not to mention it has a option to change it default op-amps but you need a Torx T5 size screw driver to get inside it to swap out its op-amps. As it uses machine socket Dip-8's. The op-amp socket that is used for just the headphones is the one directly behind the 6.3mm in the front. Tho you Polly wouldn't as it voids your warranty for the Fiio E9.
 
Also you may need to use High Gain for those HD650's which the switch for is on the rear of the Fiio E9.
 
Dec 4, 2011 at 11:51 PM Post #5 of 19
Thanks, guys!  Okay, I will keep the sound card and start off with the e9 + HD650 and later on, as funds allow, experiment with new and different amps.
 
What a great community head-fi is, no?
 
Thank you again for the great and sound! advice!
 
Dec 4, 2011 at 11:55 PM Post #6 of 19
Sure, the X-FI HD has pretty good specs and components so a good amplifier would be a good point to sink some cash into.  Good amp and DAC will let you hear everything the card is capable of.
 
Dec 15, 2011 at 2:20 PM Post #7 of 19
What is the best way to connect my sound card to a fiio e9?  3.5 to 3.5? or use the RCA?  I really have no clue.
 
Dec 15, 2011 at 2:26 PM Post #8 of 19
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021815&p_id=5598&seq=1&format=2  this cable is what you need to plug the X-Fi HD PCI-e into the Fiio e9. The RCA end goes into the RCA on the sound card, the 3.5 end goes into the Fiio E9 line in.
 
Dec 15, 2011 at 2:34 PM Post #9 of 19
 Will this cable transfer any xfi effects as well and genclaymore, where did yo purchase your opamps?
 
Thank you very much.
 
Dec 15, 2011 at 2:43 PM Post #10 of 19
Yes all the settings you use will be transfer. Certain ones from ebay tho some times people sell fake ones on ebay, But you can buy them thru burr brown, linear and national. Check your pm.
 
Dec 15, 2011 at 4:50 PM Post #11 of 19
I should point out that such a cable is already included with the Titanium HD, but it's not a very long or thick one.
 
As for opamps...at least with National Semiconductor, you can order free samples (so long as you aren't using a Gmail address), up to 5 of a given part. They may take a while to arrive, but free is free. I haven't experimented with replacing anything with LME49860NAs yet, though, since I like the card as it already sounds.
 
Dec 28, 2011 at 10:49 PM Post #12 of 19
Okay.  Christmas bonus came and tagging along were questions about upgrades.
 
Would the Schiit Bitfrost be an upgrade over the Ti HD?  If so, how would this be connected to the Ti HD? and is there a difference with regards to different cables?
 
Dec 28, 2011 at 11:37 PM Post #13 of 19
Subscribing to this thread because I'm kind of a noob on the subject as well.
 
I have the same sound card on my PC, and I also have a pair of M-Audio Bx5a's. However, I hate adjusting the volume through the computer and it is too inconvenient to adjust the volume on the monitor speakers by reaching around behind it each time. I was hoping for some sort of desktop interface to make life easier and am assuming the Fiio E9 should work in this situation? From my limited understanding, you would hook up the sound card --> E9 --> Bx5a speaker and the quality from the sound card won't be lost?
 
Dec 29, 2011 at 12:17 AM Post #14 of 19
Learning as I go.  sound card>e9>speakers will keep the sound quality.  Assuming the speakers are on par with it (I have no idea on anything speakers).
 
Dec 29, 2011 at 12:28 AM Post #15 of 19
The Fiio E9 can function as a preamp from what I've read; basically any such device that can work as a pre-amp will work here. You'll feed that signal into your active monitors, and set their volume level at some pre-determined point (I'd start at 12 o'clock, knowing nothing about them). 
 
To connect an outboard DAC, you just go from the S/PDIF output to the S/PDIF input on the DAC. You'll use an optical or coaxial (RCA type) connector; quality should not matter one bit. Keep the length reasonably short (under say, 30 feet).
 
 
 
 
 
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