[groovin]

Hello!

I currently have 2 x KRK 8 INCH monitors hooked up to a Creative XFI 5.1 USB sound card. (https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-x-fi-surround-5-1-pro)

The speakers are connected to the USB sound-card using RCA to 2 x TRS cables.

I'm looking to buy something "better" and use balanced outputs.

I was thinking of Audient ID4 MK2 - https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id4/overview/

I was also looking for a DAC - https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-dac/ but the balanced output is 4.4mm and it is very hard to find a cable from 4.4mm to 2 x XLR. Also I try to avoid adapters...

Now, for the questions...

1 - Will there be any improve in sound quality?

2 - Will the maximum volume be higher?


Note that I mostly listen to Youtube / Spotify music.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Mightygrey]

Note that I mostly listen to Youtube / Spotify music.

It's probably not worth worrying about to be honest.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

1 - Will there be any improve in sound quality?

Maybe. But whether you can easily or even hear it is another matter.

2 - Will the maximum volume be higher?

Depends on which one has a higher preamp output voltage. And even then there's the question of noise - having a very high output voltage doesn't mean you'll use that much if it starts piling on noise.

---

A better way to ponder between a DAC-HPamp-Preamp unit and a pro audio interface is: do you need to drive headphones? Because the headphone amp circuit is the only one that has a clear advantage to audiophile DAC-HPamp-Preamps vs most (if not all) audio interface units. If you're just using it as a DAC and preamp controlling a studio monitor you might as well get an audio interface.

 

[groovin]

A better way to ponder between a DAC-HPamp-Preamp unit and a pro audio interface is: do you need to drive headphones? Because the headphone amp circuit is the only one that has a clear advantage to audiophile DAC-HPamp-Preamps vs most (if not all) audio interface units. If you're just using it as a DAC and preamp controlling a studio monitor you might as well get an audio interface.

First of all, thanks for the info.

What am I looking for is to "upgrade" my current USB sound card to a DAC or audio interface.

I find it hard to believe (I'm no expert) that a 50 USD USB Sound Card sound the "same" as a 175 USD audio interface, which is probably intended for more professional use (not pricy but still might be better than my current one).

Most of all I want balanced connection for my monitors (2xKRK G4 8iNCH).

When I upgraded from the internal sound card to this external one (XFI 5.1), it was night and day difference in sound quality. It's clearly audible

Do you think, based on what I've stated above, that this might be an "upgrade" ?

From Creative XFI 5.1 Pro to Audient ID4 MK2.

 

[tomb]

First of all, thanks for the info.

What am I looking for is to "upgrade" my current USB sound card to a DAC or audio interface.

I find it hard to believe (I'm no expert) that a 50 USD USB Sound Card sound the "same" as a 175 USD audio interface, which is probably intended for more professional use (not pricy but still might be better than my current one).

Most of all I want balanced connection for my monitors (2xKRK G4 8iNCH).

When I upgraded from the internal sound card to this external one (XFI 5.1), it was night and day difference in sound quality. It's clearly audible

Do you think, based on what I've stated above, that this might be an "upgrade" ?

From Creative XFI 5.1 Pro to Audient ID4 MK2.

What's missing in this equation is an amp. It seems your KRK speakers are amplifier-included. If that's the case, then no - there's no guarantee your sound will be louder.

As for quality, you look for two things in comparing an internal PC sound card with a DAC:
1. Is it out of the PC/laptop computer case?
2. Does it have a separate power supply?

Those two issues are the things that negatively affect internal sound cards (sometimes significantly for the worse). What you seem to be suggesting is doing #1, but not #2. Again, it's hard to predict. It depends on your own PC's performance against releasing interference in the power supply and other circuitry that may contaminate the sound card. As for USB-power on the new one you're looking at - it will always suffer compared to a DAC with a really good separate power supply (or internal to the DAC). USB is contaminated with the same issues that are present inside the PC: it's fed from the PC's power supply, which may or may not be clean, it's also limited in both voltage and current and will never overcome those limitations completely, no matter how well the USB-powered DAC is designed and built.

Again, whether you will notice the difference depends on all of those factors mentioned above - including what MightyGrey pointed out in his post: the sources with which you are listening (not so high in quality to begin with).

 

[Roseval]

very hard to find a cable from 4.4mm to 2 x XLR.

No surprise, the 4.4 is a 2x2 headphone out, just like you connect speakers to a poweramp with 2x2 wires. It is single ended.
XLR is a 3 wire per channel connection (balanced).
Bit more detail: https://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/HW/Headphone/Connect.htm

If you need balanced out (line level) have a look at pro-interface like Audient, Motu, Focusrite, RME, etc.

 

[silent-circuit]

No surprise, the 4.4 is a 2x2 headphone out, just like you connect speakers to a poweramp with 2x2 wires. It is single ended.
XLR is a 3 wire per channel connection (balanced).
Bit more detail: https://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/HW/Headphone/Connect.htm

If you need balanced out (line level) have a look at pro-interface like Audient, Motu, Focusrite, RME, etc.

...4.4mm pentacon is balanced...

 

[Roseval]

...4.4mm pentacon is balanced...

It isn't.
It is TRRS+G
So 2 x 2 wires for the 2 drivers. This allows for the use of a balanced amp (needs separate grounds) but the connection itself is single ended.

A balanced LINE connection like the OP mentioned, is a 3 wire (hot, gold, ground) with a differential amp at the receiver to remove common noise.
You won't find that in a headphone.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

First of all, thanks for the info.

What am I looking for is to "upgrade" my current USB sound card to a DAC or audio interface.

I find it hard to believe (I'm no expert) that a 50 USD USB Sound Card sound the "same" as a 175 USD audio interface, which is probably intended for more professional use (not pricy but still might be better than my current one).

Most of all I want balanced connection for my monitors (2xKRK G4 8iNCH).

It depends.

The differences might be small enough and downstream equipment may not be sensitive enough. And then it's entirely possible that I can hear the difference, but it is not necessarily true for everybody.

In your specific gear context, if I was going to use all that, then I would definitely go for an audio interface. As in my previous reply though...it depends on what I'm using it for. In this context you're comparing the audio interface to a cheap device that is highly likely to have some noise, not to mention not having RCA let alone XLR or 6.35mm TRS for each channel. But if as I understood your situation initially, it was about a good DAC-HPamp-Preamp unit vs an interface, that depends on whether I'm using headphones. If not the interface is fine;otherwise, I wouldn't trust the headphone amp circuits on those, with many powered off USB, have high output impedance or not state it like they don't care about that, same bit with either low power or they won't state the power output at different impedance loads, etc.

Heck if I don't need a headphone amp I wouldn't even blow $175 on the interface. I'd get the cheapest possible unit with balanced output. Or heck if I'm using a KRK which has SE RCA inputs I'd get a Scarlet Solo.

When I upgraded from the internal sound card to this external one (XFI 5.1), it was night and day difference in sound quality. It's clearly audible

Do you think, based on what I've stated above, that this might be an "upgrade" ?

From Creative XFI 5.1 Pro to Audient ID4 MK2.

Hard to say given there's diminishing returns ie the higher up you go the gap in performance gets narrower given the money you spend. It may matter more for when the price gap is going to a good amplification circuit and/or more inputs and outputs, but in this case even if you don't need the 5.1 capability of the Creative, if you also don't need the good mic preamp on the interface, it won't necessarily mean the parts you do use would be drastically better.

 

[groovin]

If you need balanced out (line level) have a look at pro-interface like Audient, Motu, Focusrite, RME, etc.

Hi! As I said in the first post, I was thinking about Audient ID4 MK2 (it was released this year I believe)

https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id4/overview/

I'm interested in the Balanced connection (i currently have my active KRK speakers connected to my XFI 5.1 with RCA to TRS cables).

With this interface I can connect with TRS > TRS cables.

Note that I will be using this mostly for sound playback, not sound recording.

Is this a a "step-up" from Creative XFI 5.1 Prob ?

(based on Balanced connection + better DAC from Audient?)

 

[groovin]

In your specific gear context, if I was going to use all that, then I would definitely go for an audio interface. As in my previous reply though...it depends on what I'm using it for. In this context you're comparing the audio interface to a cheap device that is highly likely to have some noise, not to mention not having RCA let alone XLR or 6.35mm TRS for each channel. But if as I understood your situation initially, it was about a good DAC-HPamp-Preamp unit vs an interface, that depends on whether I'm using headphones. If not the interface is fine;otherwise, I wouldn't trust the headphone amp circuits on those, with many powered off USB, have high output impedance or not state it like they don't care about that, same bit with either low power or they won't state the power output at different impedance loads, etc.

Heck if I don't need a headphone amp I wouldn't even blow $175 on the interface. I'd get the cheapest possible unit with balanced output. Or heck if I'm using a KRK which has SE RCA inputs I'd get a Scarlet Solo.

Hi!

My current USB sound card (XFI Pro 5.1) has RCA outputs (left / right). I have RCA to TRS cables to connect my active KRK monitors, but in the first post I mentioned that I would like to have balanced connection + maybe better quality DAC.

I will maybe also use headphones, but I want interface or DAC mostly for music playback through the speakers.

Heck if I don't need a headphone amp I wouldn't even blow $175 on the interface. I'd get the cheapest possible unit with balanced output. Or heck if I'm using a KRK which has SE RCA inputs I'd get a Scarlet Solo.

I was thinking of Audient ID4 MK2 - this model was released this year and I've seen some nice reviews. Also it seems to have balanced TRS outputs.

https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id4/overview

So, using balanced connections + slightly better DAC, shouldn't "improve" playback quality / sound a little bit?
Thanks

 

[silent-circuit]

Doubt you'll hear a difference, unless you're hearing interference now. Then switching to balanced may help.

 

[groovin]

Doubt you'll hear a difference, unless you're hearing interference now. Then switching to balanced may help.

Hello!
So yesterday I just installed the new Audient ID4 MK2.

I basically changed from the XFI Surround 5.1, from using RCA to TS cables to Audient ID4 MK2 using Balanced TRS cables.

Result:

At first I thought it was placebo... but it's not

The difference in sound quality, even in YouTube / Spotify is clearly audible.

The highs are a little bit "crisper", and even at lower volumes I can hear some details in the songs that probably I wouldn't hear with the old 5.1 USB sound card.

Also, the volume seems to go a little big higher than the previous. At this point is getting too much loud.

One thing I noticed, is that whenever I change something in the equalizer, even 1 DB you can clearly hear the change.

Conclusion: There is definetely an improvement going from an external general purpose sound-card: Creative XFI Surround 5.1 Pro to an Audio Interface: Audient ID4 MK2.