[acs236]

What's my best bet for a soundcard with coaxial output? And by that, I mean that it's all I care about. The dacs can be mediocre for all I care, I just want the best digital out connection I can get. If there's a budget solution, great, but I'll take any recommendations.

 

[mjb]

The Lynx and RME cards are commonly held to be the best PCI solutions. Squeezebox and Airport Express the best WiFi solutions. Off ramp (and related products) and HagUSB the best USB solutions. But as with everything, these things are open to debate (as you'll find if you visit any threads on the subject)

Again, this is if you must use coax (as oppossed to optical, with which you'll have a lot more options)

When I was visiting the problem of computer-as-transport, I ultimately settled on the Airport Express, mainly because of the Stereophile review/measurements of the digital out. Of course, I don't mind using ALAC and iTunes. If I wanted something a bit more sophisticated or hated iTunes, I'd have gotten a Squeezebox. Wifi-based transports seem to be the best computer audio transport solution, in my opinion. But again, as with anything, your needs/preferences may be very different.

mjb

 

[slwiser]

If you are talking about digital coaxial signal then the Juli@'s digital out is equal to the LynxTWO card which is considered the best overall card that you can get short of mult-thousand dollar deals. This is what I am using out of my computer into my Lavry DA10. I got this card for $129 from www.DJDeals.com .

Here is a link to a review for this information:

http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/...lia/index.html

24 bit 44 kHz, S/PDIF
all tests comparison
Test file 24/44
LynxTwo S/PDIF loopback ESI Juli@ -> LynxTwo ESI Juli@ S/PDIF loopback
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: +0.00, -0.00 +0.00, -0.00 +0.00, -0.00 +0.00, -0.00
Noise level, dB (A): -147.7 -144.4 -144.5 -144.5
Dynamic range, dB (A): 133.4 133.2 133.2 133.2
THD, %: 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
IMD, %: 0.0002 0.0002 0.0002 0.0002
Stereo crosstalk, dB: -149.7 -146.3 -145.1 -145.0

[size=medium]In digital output tests Juli@ is equal to LynxTwo.[/size]

 

[lator]

E-MU 1212m has a separate digital card with coax output. Cost me about 160€.

 

[madman2003]

Audiotrack makes envy24 based cards that have coxial digital outputs. The Prodigy 7.1LT is one. M-audio also carries envy24 based cards with coaxial out. I doubt a rme or emu card is going to bring more as far as bit perfect digital output is concerned.

 

[morose-]

I asked this elsewhere, but did not get a response. So I'll inquire here: is coaxial the best output for a computer? Is it superior? And how does it relate to such terms as S/PDIF? What is S/PDIF?

 

[audioengr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by acs236 What's my best bet for a soundcard with coaxial output? And by that, I mean that it's all I care about. The dacs can be mediocre for all I care, I just want the best digital out connection I can get. If there's a budget solution, great, but I'll take any recommendations.

The best you can get will not be a "sound card", but an outboard converter of some type (USB or WIFI) with it's own power supply, preferably battery.

 

[Cyrilix]

My M-Audio Revolution 5.1 does that very well. It's currently outputting via RCA digital coaxial to the Zhaolu (as can be seen in sig).

 

[Sisyphos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by morose- I asked this elsewhere, but did not get a response. So I'll inquire here: is coaxial the best output for a computer? Is it superior? And how does it relate to such terms as S/PDIF? What is S/PDIF?

S/PDIF is the abbreviation for Sony/Philips Digital Interface. It relates to the optical TOSLINK as well as to the electronical coaxial connection.

The question If TOSLINK or Coax is better has been discussed over and over again and there doesn't seem to be a consensus.
Anyway, many prefer Coax just because it's the mechanically more solid connection.

 

[Sisyphos]

I forgot to mention that the optical TOSLINK connection might be the better solution in computer audio just because you won't have to deal with problems like ground noise that may occur with all electronical connections from the computer such as Coax or especially USB.

 

[daba]

From my EMU-0404, I have both a coaxial and optical cable connected to my Benchmark DAC1. As you may know, I can also flip a switch in front of the DAC1 to toggle between optical and coaxial. I personally cannot hear a difference at all!

 

[audioengr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sisyphos I forgot to mention that the optical TOSLINK connection might be the better solution in computer audio just because you won't have to deal with problems like ground noise that may occur with all electronical connections from the computer such as Coax or especially USB.

A pulse transformer in the coax S/PDIF interface solves this problem easily. The jitter created by converting electrical-optical-electrical has been documented and proven. It is worse than a well-implemented coax interface. If you cannot hear the difference, then you have more problems in your system that need addressing.

 

[Scrith]

How about just showing some graphs that compare the jitter of, say, an M-Audio Transit vs. that of a modded M-Audio Transit with coax output? Why must the actual improvement (which should be measurable) be veiled with a statement like "If you cannot hear the difference, then you have more problems in your system that need addressing." ?

 

[slwiser]

Not a bad suggestion to get some definitive data...on these new devices.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrith How about just showing some graphs that compare the jitter of, say, an M-Audio Transit vs. that of a modded M-Audio Transit with coax output? Why must the actual improvement (which should be measurable) be veiled with a statement like "If you cannot hear the difference, then you have more problems in your system that need addressing." ?