[dandi]

so if I plug the Turtle Beach Micro into the USB of my laptop and run a Toslink cable from it to the Entech that will do it? Do I then need an amp or can I plug headphones directly into the DAC(sorry this is all new to me).What are realistic SQ improvements?

 

[c0mfortably_numb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dept_of_Alchemy /img/forum/go_quote.gif To clearify, the Entech has both Toslink and Coax Digital in

Oops, thats what I ment

 

[c0mfortably_numb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dandi /img/forum/go_quote.gif so if I plug the Turtle Beach Micro into the USB of my laptop and run a Toslink cable from it to the Entech that will do it? Do I then need an amp or can I plug headphones directly into the DAC(sorry this is all new to me).What are realistic SQ improvements?

Yes you would need a headpone amp, the DAC has RCA outputs. No headphone output.

I'm not sure about your soundcard and compatibility, does it support ASIO?

 

[drizek]

I dont have any optical devices. How can I check to see if the optical out on my AV710 is working?

If I look at the end of the connector will I see tiny laser beams?

And is the 0202 the same as the 0404 emu just without the integrated amp?

 

[c0mfortably_numb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drizek /img/forum/go_quote.gif I dont have any optical devices. How can I check to see if the optical out on my AV710 is working? If I look at the end of the connector will I see tiny laser beams?

I hate to guestimate as I have never used the AV710, but with my PCI EMU0404 when I was hooking up my Toslink the connector had a red glowing light

.

 

[rincewind]

Quote:

0404 USB is closer to $200.00 and people that have HD650 says the internal amp of 0404 USB powers them fine.

Sure, it'll 'do the job', I just know I wouldn't be running demanding headphones on such a cheap and multi-purpose device. If you get a chance to hear HD650 on a really high end up, you'd know what I meant - they need to be man-handled.

 

[drizek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by c0mfortably_numb /img/forum/go_quote.gif I hate to guestimate as I have never used the AV710, but with my PCI EMU0404 when I was hooking up my Toslink the connector had a red glowing light .

OK, so my AV710 does light up red. Im fairly sure the card is defective though so is there any test to see if sound comes out of it?

On windows, installing hte driver crashed the computer, and the line out only gave the right channel and the surround out didnt play anything at all. On linux using hte line out it only gives me the right channel but works well with the surround out. The only problem was that certain apps would crash when trying to play sound with it and my media center app played sound too quickly, so everyone sounded like chipmunks. I had not replaced the asound.state file, but seeing as how the line out was defective in hardware I saw no reason to do so. Generally speaking, is the optical on different circuitry than the rest of the card and should it be safe? Im just afraid to invest money in an optical amp and then find out I have no optical source for it, forcing me to buy a new AV710(in which case I would rather just build an Alien)

 

[c0mfortably_numb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drizek /img/forum/go_quote.gif OK, so my AV710 does light up red. Im fairly sure the card is defective though so is there any test to see if sound comes out of it? On windows, installing hte driver crashed the computer, and the line out only gave the right channel and the surround out didnt play anything. at all On linux using hte line out it only gives me the right channel but works well with the surround out. The only problem was that certain apps would crash when trying to play sound with it and my media center app played sound too quickly, so everyone sounded like chipmunks. I had not replaced the asound.state file, but seeing as how the line out was defective in hardware I saw no reason to do so. Generally speaking, is the optical on different circuitry than the rest of the card and should it be safe? Im just afraid to invest money in an optical amp and then find out I have no optical source for it, forcing me to buy a new AV710(in which case I would rather just build an Alien)

If I was you, I would start a new thread in the PC as source area, and see what the AV710 crowd recommends. I remember a while back reading something about flashing the firmware on those cards to handle a better driver. Maybe that will fix the issue? Best of luck

 

[Ingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rincewind /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sure, it'll 'do the job', I just know I wouldn't be running demanding headphones on such a cheap and multi-purpose device. If you get a chance to hear HD650 on a really high end up, you'd know what I meant - they need to be man-handled.

*Edit* - I was confused

Of course the HD-650s are going to sound better out of an uber-amp, but they're probably going to sound 90% as good out of something like the 0404USB. It's a quality DAC and a quality discreet headphone amplifier.

Going the Entech route you still have to get a good amp to pair it with. It would probably take something like a PPA, Dynalo (G-Lite), or a MF X-Cans V3 make a significant improvement over the 0404USBs amp.

 

[drizek]

An AV710/TBM to Entech 203.2 to SOHA will cost a bit less than a 404.

Will it sound better though? Worse? Or just different?

 

[Catwoman]

I was wondering how these USB Dacs mentioned above compare to the FUBAR USB DAC from Firestone.
I have one connected to a Darvoice amp and my MS2 ....and it sounds very good! The only thing is, that I have no other DAC to compare it to.

 

[a shovel]

The Entech outperforms most (commercial unmodified) dacs under 1000 dollars. All for a mere ~50USD from ebay.

 

[happyangryhappy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by a shovel /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Entech outperforms most (commercial unmodified) dacs under 1000 dollars. All for a mere ~50USD from ebay.

I mean no offence, but what dacs under $1000 have you compared it to?

I think the entechs are great for there price, but there are many comparable dacs in the under $200 range.

 

[a shovel]

not a very wide selection but: the 205.2(returned), dac-ah(stock, brief listen), zhalou 2.5CS4398(stock), m-audio a192 soundcard, lucid da9624(owned for years), microdac(brief listen), stello da100(returned), and benchmark dac1(brief listen). I guess the presonus central station may be much better but I'v not auditioned one yet

This is all subjectively my taste of course.

the zhalou comes close but then there are so many modifications for it to make it better yet the price will go up so much more.

edit
OK the entech dac seems to be hard to buy nowadays

 

[otakukage]

Fubar USB DAC