[estim8d]

Audiophile cpu source users,

I need a different rig, besides my recording Digidesign 001 system.

Thanks for your suggestions,

[de]

 

[mikechai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by estim8d Audiophile cpu source users, I need a different rig, besides my recording Digidesign 001 system. Thanks for your suggestions, [de]

1. LynxTWO
2. ESI MaXiO EX8000

 

[uzziah]

one that's not sitting inside a computer

 

[ixeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uzziah one that's not sitting inside a computer

quite sure there's no external soundcard - usb or firewire that comes close to one thats plugged in..least that i'm aware of.

care to name one of the best soundcards thats not sitting inside a computer that money can buy?

 

[roadtonowhere08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ixeo quite sure there's no external soundcard - usb or firewire that comes close to one thats plugged in..least that i'm aware of. care to name one of the best soundcards thats not sitting inside a computer that money can buy?

I think he means an external DAC, like the DAC1 for example.

 

[cosmopragma]

Most probably there's no internal soundcard that can rival a good external DAC.At least I've found none, FWIW.

 

[uzziah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadtonowhere08 I think he means an external DAC, like the DAC1 for example.

exact-a-mundo

sorry for the rough humor

the thing is; if you want a really good soundcard, it's going to be a pc card anyway (i.e. no laptop). so, there's no "portability" problem, as a pc isn't portable anyway

getting a sound card with digital out and an external dac seperates your source from your transport (hard drive/sound card digital out), and thus helps with rf interference etc. if you have the money, don't hesitate with an external dac

anyway, i assume this might be a "what if" thread, rather than one with an exact purpose in mind; yes?

 

[mikechai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmopragma Most probably there's no internal soundcard that can rival a good external DAC.At least I've found none, FWIW.

LynxTWO, for example.

 

[ixeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uzziah the thing is; if you want a really good soundcard, it's going to be a pc card anyway (i.e. no laptop). so, there's no "portability" problem, as a pc isn't portable anyway

an SFF system + lcd is portable in my book. you should check out SFF systems

Quote:

Originally Posted by uzziah getting a sound card with digital out and an external dac seperates your source from your transport (hard drive/sound card digital out), and thus helps with rf interference etc. if you have the money, don't hesitate with an external dac

possibly, but depending on situations, the rf intererences might be negligible. i certainly don't see any rf interferences when i was using my PC with an internal soundcard..dont know about others

Quote:

Originally Posted by uzziah anyway, i assume this might be a "what if" thread, rather than one with an exact purpose in mind; yes?

might not want to assume so much, you earlier post was misleading, he was asking about soundcards, not DACs. if you wanted to suggest a DAC you should be more uh, detailed? your post implied that any external (soundcard) would be better.. if you were talking about DACs then you should have specified it.

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmopragma Most probably there's no internal soundcard that can rival a good external DAC.At least I've found none, FWIW.

There are some issues with both approaches, internal vs. external.

It's true that most(all) internal soundcards cannot possibly have the extreme engineering that a good separate DAC can have simply b/c of power supply issues and space restrictions.

But I strongly believe the reason hard-drive solutions sound more natural is the lack of S/PDIF (or worse toslink) interface to external DAC. It's very expensive to get S/PDIF right, and I find most to sound unacceptable.

So the shortfall of internal soundcards may not be as bad as downsides of external DAC using S/PDIF or toslink. A USB external DAC that's done right would be nice, but I don't see many. Possibly the Wavelength Audio Cosecant or the TwinDAC, but they cost $$$

Pehaps I will know more once I get my Lynx Two card and compare it with USB interface/external DAC. Hopefully this will be in next month or so...