[clackman]

for best sound quality!

 

[jiiteepee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by clackman for best sound quality!

If you need lots of I/O's then I would recommend RME FireFace 800 (~1300€/1300$) - http://www.rme-audio.com/english/firewire/ff800.htm

"The RME Fireface 800 has been nominated for a 2005 Technical Excellence & Creativity Award in the category of Outstanding Technical Achievement, Digital Converter Technology".

jiitee

 

[clackman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jiiteepee If you need lots of I/O's then I would recommend RME FireFace 800 (~1300€/1300$) - http://www.rme-audio.com/english/firewire/ff800.htm "The RME Fireface 800 has been nominated for a 2005 Technical Excellence & Creativity Award in the category of Outstanding Technical Achievement, Digital Converter Technology". jiitee

And if I don't need a lot of I/O, just for best sound quality! Then ,which one?

 

[audeo]

Is the $300 limit no longer an issue?

If you're just looking for sound quality, and not multiple inputs and outputs, then you don't need the bandwidth of firewire. That said, firewire interfaces can have very good sound quality, since they're usually meant for recording, which demands a certain sound quality.

I've been searching for the very best in USB or FireWire sound quality for about a year, and what I've come across are two different routes, both of which end up in the 20-35k range, and it doesn't matter for CD audio whether the system is USB or FireWire based.

Since you're just interested in sound quality, you might be wise to look into the Wavelength equipment - or other USB DACs.

Otherwise, Metric Halo, Universal Audio, MOTU, and Tascam all make firewire interfaces that should have good sound quality, especially if they're hooked up to an external DAC and clock-synced, and/or re-clocked in the signal path.

 

[blessingx]

What audeo said about DACs.

BTW, why request for Firewire instead of USB?

 

[clackman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audeo Is the $300 limit no longer an issue? If you're just looking for sound quality, and not multiple inputs and outputs, then you don't need the bandwidth of firewire. That said, firewire interfaces can have very good sound quality, since they're usually meant for recording, which demands a certain sound quality. I've been searching for the very best in USB or FireWire sound quality for about a year, and what I've come across are two different routes, both of which end up in the 20-35k range, and it doesn't matter for CD audio whether the system is USB or FireWire based. Since you're just interested in sound quality, you might be wise to look into the Wavelength equipment - or other USB DACs. Otherwise, Metric Halo, Universal Audio, MOTU, and Tascam all make firewire interfaces that should have good sound quality, especially if they're hooked up to an external DAC and clock-synced, and/or re-clocked in the signal path.

what about M-audio's firewire cards?

 

[audeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by clackman what about M-audio's firewire cards?

The M-Audio will probably not sound as good as a more expensive recording solution. However, unless you're going to be recording multiple inputs, or syncing the soundcard to an external DAC's or other clock source, you don't need a FireWire card.

As far as USB and FireWire soundcards, neither will provide the best available sound quality. A USB DAC is what I will use in the immediate future, and when I build a very high end setup, it is likely what I will use. The other option I would use would be a FireWire sound card with clock syncing ability, transmitting over AES or Coax to an external DAC. I currently use optical output built in to my computer feeding a Benchmark DAC-1.

So if you want the best sound quality at a lower price point, I would start looking at the MicroDAC, or the BitHead, both from HeadRoom, if you already have an amp. If you don't you'll probably have to spend more.

You should listen as much as possible, and save up if your ears tell you it's worth it.

You need to start listening to the sound solutions with your own ears. There are no easy, and definitely no one-size fits all answers here. Order all the units you want, return the ones that don't meet expectations in original condition (after checking their return policy, contacting sales, etc.), and trust your own ears.

 

[clackman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audeo The M-Audio will probably not sound as good as a more expensive recording solution. However, unless you're going to be recording multiple inputs, or syncing the soundcard to an external DAC's or other clock source, you don't need a FireWire card. As far as USB and FireWire soundcards, neither will provide the best available sound quality. A USB DAC is what I will use in the immediate future, and when I build a very high end setup, it is likely what I will use. The other option I would use would be a FireWire sound card with clock syncing ability, transmitting over AES or Coax to an external DAC. I currently use optical output built in to my computer feeding a Benchmark DAC-1. So if you want the best sound quality at a lower price point, I would start looking at the MicroDAC, or the BitHead, both from HeadRoom, if you already have an amp. If you don't you'll probably have to spend more. You should listen as much as possible, and save up if your ears tell you it's worth it. You need to start listening to the sound solutions with your own ears. There are no easy, and definitely no one-size fits all answers here. Order all the units you want, return the ones that don't meet expectations in original condition (after checking their return policy, contacting sales, etc.), and trust your own ears.

what about firewire card+ dac1?

 

[jiiteepee]

Why bother buy two separate units?

If you already red the RME fireface 800 tech.specs you perhaps noticed next couple of lines there;

"Thanks to an internal flash memory, all settings including TotalMix are recalled during boot. After making all desired settings, the device works stand-alone even without computer as a submixer, A/D and D/A-converter, headphone mixer, format converter, instrument or microphone pre-amplifier, monitoring mixer and much more."

That's a nice feature I would say.

jiitee

 

[audeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by clackman what about firewire card+ dac1?

The DAC-1 doesn't clock, so you would just need stable optical or coaxial (coaxial being better, usually) output from the computer. Of course, the DAC-1 also has jitter reduction, which means that the differences in soundcard will be minimal, so long as the soundcard transmits unmodified signal. The Waveterminal does this for a very reasonable price, and is precisely what I would choose to get optical out to a DAC-1. I would also look into the Empirical Audio modified M-Audio Transit - the USB Offramp (frame only).

However, you should look very seriously at one-box solutions like the RME Hammerfall RPM (requires CardBus interface) or FireFace, or MOTU Traveller, or Digital Audio Denmark ADDA-2402, Tascam FW-1804, Universal Audio 2192, or the TwinDAC (for sale). On the lower end, there is the Tascam US-122, that I've never heard of until today, and is probably very similar to the offerings from M-Audio - meaning not as good as the other stuff listed above.

If you don't already have a headphone amp, you can further simplify buy going right from computer to headphone amp, options that I know about are the Grace m902, the HeadRoom Desktop Amp with DAC option (also available as a smaller, portable unit), the BitHead, or Total BitHead, or the (technically two-box, but really cute together so it shouldn't count) Micro Stack.

Read all those websites and you should gain a better understanding of where you're going with your system. You should also work through the archive here on Head-Fi to hear what other people have said about the various products.

 

[SV_huMMer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audeo The Waveterminal does this for a very reasonable price, and is precisely what I would choose to get optical out to a DAC-1.

Audeo, could you please tell a bit more what U think about Waveterminal?

Namely, it was on my list of external soundcards for music listening. I do have a headphone amp, but I am very unlikely to spend on an external DAC in the near future. So my question is would U24 be a good all-in-one solution to feed the analog line-out signal to my headphone amp?

 

[gloco]

Maybe you'll find something here: http://www.sonicsense.com/nterface.htm

 

[audeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SV_huMMer Audeo, could you please tell a bit more what U think about Waveterminal? Namely, it was on my list of external soundcards for music listening. I do have a headphone amp, but I am very unlikely to spend on an external DAC in the near future. So my question is would U24 be a good all-in-one solution to feed the analog line-out signal to my headphone amp?

Haven't heard it myself, some people have been happy with the analogue stage on it, fewer haven't. I'd recommend a listen. Also, it's $300. The MicroDAC is the same price.

 

[gerG]

ok, I am confused.

Clackman, you asked about "sound quality", and more than once. Playback or record?

You also use the term "sound card" a couple of times. What do you mean by that? The reason for my confusion here is that "card" and "firewire" are pretty much mutually exclusive.

Lets back up a bit. What is your source, and what are you trying to get to (dac, amp, headphones, speakers, cerebral wirenet, etc.).

I am not trying to be flippant. I have been trying to get an audio stream from HD to speakers, and I might be able to shed some light, at least on what won't work

gerG