[Sherwood]

Hey gurus,

I'm moving to Turkey for a year, and I need to pack a little lighter than i can at home. I've decided to run my millett hybrid and my HD 580s off my laptop, but the headphone out is (of course) atrocious. What's the cheapest and smallest I can get good 2-channel output from a laptop? I don't need specific drivers, inputs, or anything like that. A line out and a clean signal is really all I'm looking for.

Whatchou guys got here?

 

[uraflit]

total bithead ~$150

 

[Redo]

USB Dac!

 

[Sherwood]

I don't think the bithead is the right route as I'm already very satisfied with my amp and don't need another. A USB DAC sounds good, but which one? I've heard a lot about the alien DAC, is it any good? Anyone commonly make them with RCA outs?

 

[mADmAN]

Fubar II USB DAC...sounds good and pretty small....

or the Silverstone EB01...i think its slightly bigger than the Fubar but slightly cheaper as well.

 

[c0mfortably_numb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think the bithead is the right route as I'm already very satisfied with my amp and don't need another. A USB DAC sounds good, but which one? I've heard a lot about the alien DAC, is it any good? Anyone commonly make them with RCA outs?

MASanto is making them, see this thread. As for RCA, just use a mini to RCA cable.

 

[Sherwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by c0mfortably_numb /img/forum/go_quote.gif MASanto is making them, see this thread. As for RCA, just use a mini to RCA cable.

Fella sure looks pretty fly, and I mean that in the best way. How do these alien dacs stand up to similarly priced PCMCIA solutions like the Echo indigo and the Audigy?

 

[1nf1n1ty]

Ya...try looking up some of the USB DAC...you can always use an MP3 Player as a source...and use your laptop to just transfer...or you can also find an old CD player...so thats an alternative...

 

[leng jai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by c0mfortably_numb /img/forum/go_quote.gif MASanto is making them, see this thread. As for RCA, just use a mini to RCA cable.

How does this usb DAC compare to the X-Fi?

 

[Sherwood]

Yeah, I've considered using one of my two ipods. Would I get better sound quality out of a line out or an alien DAC?

CD player is out of the question. Too big to bring on a plane, and cd's are tough to store and source. I'm living in student housing, so I'm not really flush for room. Portability is the key here.