awesome thanks again for your help!

awesome thanks, that really clears it up , thanks a lot for the help! one last question is there going to be any big advantage between then one you suggested :  ...

and this will give a better sound when connected for live play? (via usb dac). cause i dont really have much use for headphones. am more worried about the audio out for when I play live.

so let me make sure i have this right... it goes laptop ---> USB--->USB DAC ----> MIXER ----> SPEAKERS ? so  I will no longer be using the same audio-out as the headphones for playback? Ill be using USB? and this is better?

what about this one? http://www.ebay.com/itm/MUSE-HiFi-PCM2704-USB-to-S-PDIF-Converter-DAC-Sound-Card-Black-Silver-/261184542392?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item3ccfcfd6b8

thanks for the replies. is there one that is better then the other? I ask cause price starts so cheap...to so high. any other thing u can suggest to get a better sound for live play?

oh i dont care about headphones, i connect my lap to a mixer and well from there speakers. am trying to push a better sound out of my lap for live shows. my balance? for a DAC? maybe 50$ ish sound-cards I have not even looked in to

I have a very short amount of time to decide on rather to buy a DAC or a sound card for my laptop. am trying to imporve the quality of the playback track that my band plays to (I do voice/keys friend plays guitar/keys) and the back track is drums/effects. bass....more of a EBM industrial sound...

hey buddy you still around ? If you had to pick between a sound card or DAC which do you find more important??

anyone?

sorry for the bumps but i need help with this!

anyone> ? am also thinking about getting a little USB mixer that i can connect the clubs/bars mixer? or should I just stick with a DAC? or would a sound card serve me better?

well I have a headphone out, where i connect it to speakers/mixer . or headphones of course, as far as the type of computer? Its a Acer, Aspire V3-551G-x419   if that helps? so you think Am already getting the best sound I can push out?

thanks for the reply, but am just using my laptop/ connecting it to a mixer (depending on that place I play) . but am really using just the laptop/speakers sometimes mixer. so anything would be an upgrade haha

bump..anyone?