I discovered the problem. The Spdif out does not send an analog signal when set to dolby digital live. I set it to PCM then turned on the DAC and it all worked. Thanks

Correct me if i am wrong but is this the Sample rate? The max it goes on the DAC is 96KHz and even though it is set to that on the Xonar, I am still having no sound.

I thought Itunes 9 could play flac?

Ah yes i forgot to mention that. I did select the spdif out on the Xonar audio centre to no success.

Hello, in the other primary essence thread it mentions that the STX is connectable to DAC/AMPs. I was able to connect my card to an amp with success however connecting it with an optical cable(toslink) to my DAC was not working. Is there a way to make this setup compatible and have it run...

I guess your right. 2 DAC's isnt possible, I mean if you think about it it converts digital into analogue and if converted to an analog signal it cant be sent through another digital to analog converter as it is already analog. I feel like a fool ahaha.

Ah yes, but would the combination of the two be an improvement in overall sound quality, or would just running it through one be better? I was going to use the optical out on the sound card to connect the DAC.

Hi. I am currently an owner of a paradisea 3 DAC and a EF-1 Hybrid amplifier. I was wanting to buy a sound card (Xonar essence STX) and was wondering, will I see much improvement in sound quality. Infact would the normal DAC provide superior quality? I was not sure whether to post this under the...

Well i purchased the EF-1 and a paradisea 3 after scraping all the funds together. the ef-1 will be arriving tomorrow i hope and i am yet to pay for the paradisea. Ill experiment with this setup for a while before deciding whether i need to invest more money in a better amp.

Nice, Im sure I had a similar one I used for the PS3. Thanks very much for that information, and i know i have that kind of usb cable from my scanner.

Ok now im in a little bit of a dilemma. I just about have all the funds for the paradisea 3+ but can anybody confirm whether it comes with a power cable or usb cable? I think I will need both and thats an extra $90US

Ah wow you guys have talked me into it, paradisea it is. Ill sell a hunk of crap i don't need anymore like my gps .

I was considering ordering the constantine and i read a post about it not having a great usb input and sound being greatly affected by this. Hmm, this is difficult. I will look around a little bit more but atm i am even considering saving for a paradisea but i won't have that kind of money for...

The paradisea got great reviews but it is quite a bit out of my price range. My question now is can i go wrong with a Constantine? It appears to be good aswell and fits perfectly in the price range.

Well I wil be sure to check both of them out and I'll get whatever I think fits what I need. The help on this site is just fantastic so thanks.