[HeadLover]

Hi
I am thinking of it, using USB, will it reduce FPS on games at my PC ?
I mean, using DAC1 PRE with a USB, vs using it with the COAX out of a sound card, what will be better as for performance? and what will be better as for SQ ?

Also, how is the Asus new card (essence) as for performance ?

 

[LostOne.TR]

I'd say it depends on the CPU usage it would take up for each method, at the same time your comp could be good enough so that the difference is negligible.

 

[obobskivich]

most comparisons between X-Fi and onboard sound can show upwards of 10 FPS difference, never the difference between unplayable and playable, but quite a large jump if you ask me

if gaming is your primary concern, a soundcard with capable hardware processing, such as the X-Fi or some of the Xonar boards is the top pick

USB streaming audio does incur some overhead, it doesn't make things unusable, but it can make configuration of sound in games a bit more complicated, and a bit of performance may be lost

quality wise, if you're going coax or TOS out into the DAC1 (as I assume you already own this?), the DAC1 itself will do a LOT to determine final quality, and the soundcard + DAC1 solution is likely to give you the highest overall quality and gaming experience, the USB solution might increase your "total music quality" a few % (we're talking like 1% or less), but you'll lose on the gaming side, which means you really need to ask yourself, how important is gaming

 

[HeadLover]

oh I see
But, will using COAX out of a sound card, isn't the same as
USB when it come to performance ?
I mean, COAX pass the sound card DSP totally, so will there be some more performance ?

 

[obobskivich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadLover /img/forum/go_quote.gif oh I see But, will using COAX out of a sound card, isn't the same as USB when it come to performance ? I mean, COAX pass the sound card DSP totally, so will there be some more performance ?

wrong.

S/PDIF bypasses the onboard D/A converter, and nothing else, so you're using the onboard DSP and onboard digital-digital transmitter (the I2S to S/PDIF)

USB on the other hand acts as a host interface for a USB -> S/PDIF converter, which then plugs S/PDIF into a D/A stage, and then you get an analog line

 

[HeadLover]

amm, but from what I understand more more and more brands turn to USB like Benchmark DAC1 and so on, they claim it bring better SQ.
So, ins't using my DAC1 PRE with the USB be better?

 

[obobskivich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadLover /img/forum/go_quote.gif amm, but from what I understand more more and more brands turn to USB like Benchmark DAC1 and so on, they claim it bring better SQ. So, ins't using my DAC1 PRE with the USB be better?

look, if you don't like the answer, stop asking the question and ultimately wasting time trolling about

why wouldn't they claim it brings better SQ? when you add $300 US to the price of your equipment for adding less than $2 of components, how would you justify it?

 

[HeadLover]

LOL
I am really not trolling!
I just try and understand things here, and I want more than "here and there", I want more proven justification of things and so on.
I want to know what is better and when and why

 

[obobskivich]

better is subjective as hell, and you're asking for detailed research when you apparently don't have broken hands and can just as easily google things yourself to learn

the honest truth is, with gaming, the best bet you'll have is a gaming soundcard feeding digital into your DAC1, because you'll have the jitter control and quality of the DAC1 (which I think is a wasted $1k, but whatever) and the DSP processing of the gaming card

for pure subjective audio quality, yeah the USB solution might benefit you a bit, however you didn't ask for pure subjective audio quality, you asked for gaming

and oh, isn't this verbatim what I said in post #3?

oh it is indeed:

Quote:

Originally Posted by obobskivich most comparisons between X-Fi and onboard sound can show upwards of 10 FPS difference, never the difference between unplayable and playable, but quite a large jump if you ask me if gaming is your primary concern, a soundcard with capable hardware processing, such as the X-Fi or some of the Xonar boards is the top pick USB streaming audio does incur some overhead, it doesn't make things unusable, but it can make configuration of sound in games a bit more complicated, and a bit of performance may be lost quality wise, if you're going coax or TOS out into the DAC1 (as I assume you already own this?), the DAC1 itself will do a LOT to determine final quality, and the soundcard + DAC1 solution is likely to give you the highest overall quality and gaming experience, the USB solution might increase your "total music quality" a few % (we're talking like 1% or less), but you'll lose on the gaming side, which means you really need to ask yourself, how important is gaming

 

[HeadLover]

Ok Thank you!