[jvs]

What would be the cheapest PC soundcard with bit-perfect electrical(!) s/pdif through any application? I use iTunes and do not want to use applications like Foobar or Winamp, so no ASIO or Kernel Streaming solutions.

 

[lini]

Market prices vary, so stating your location might be a good idea for a price related question...

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini

 

[jvs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lini Market prices vary, so stating your location might be a good idea for a price related question...

Netherlands, mainland Europe would be OK. Thanks.

 

[Breepee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvs Netherlands, mainland Europe would be OK. Thanks.

That would be the Hercules Fortissimo 4. Have one too and it's a very fine card.

 

[jvs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Breepee That would be the Hercules Fortissimo 4. Have one too and it's a very fine card.

Unfortunately it only has optical SPDIF, no coax. But thanks anyway.

 

[Breepee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvs Unfortunately it only has optical SPDIF, no coax. But thanks anyway.

Oops.... sorry! I think an M-Audio (of around €70) has it.

 

[slwiser]

May not be exactly the cheapest my close is the Juli@.

 

[bitpoh]

If it is a lot easier and cheaper to find a card with spdif out, maybe you can use it together with a converter like this
http://siig.com/product.asp?query=Toslink&pid=567

 

[Rescue Toaster]

The Echo Audio MIA MIDI has a special emulated wave driver they call PureWave that most programs can use (not via DirectSound though, just waveout) to bypass the kernel mixer. It goes up to 24/96. Of course it supports ASIO and works with kernel streaming stuff as well. I'm not sure how much support there is for passing DTS & DD surround streams via software DVD players if that's what you're interested in though. But for music anything that can play via a normal wave device should be able to use purewave. I use it for windows media player and VLC player and such.

It seems like it's around £131.24 w/ VAT. Not sure how VAT works if you're in the EU but outside the UK.

 

[pingalep]

what about this?
http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

 

[sgrossklass]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pingalep what about this? http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

This is based upon a Sonix SN11112F, for which it says here:
Quote:

Sonix SN11112 is an USB audio controller. It supports 32KHz (which needs driver or application software support), 44.1KHz or 48KHz sampling rate in digital recording; 48KHz sampling in analog recording; and 48KHz in digital/analog audio playback.

It would seem that everything would have to be resampled to 48 kHz for playback, i.e. the thing is not bit perfect. Another option coming to mind would be some CMedia card (those can at least grab a bit-perfect stream from the input if the ADC is muted), but these are notorious for high jitter levels and thus wouldn't be a good choice for digital output.