[Rakooon]

It may seem weird questions but even by reading i didn't manage to figure it out.

(still new to these things !

)
If im planning to get a great DAC , is there an advantage at getting better computer hardware like sound card , optical or better USB ? Or is it just for those whom using the computer alone as source ? (Inner question : Is the DAC becoming THE source when plug ?)I wanna focus my investment at the right place !
Same thing for digital audio, when a DAC is plug, does the audio format change anything ?
THX !

 

[oogabooga]

IMHO, there is little difference in what comes before the DAC, and little difference between optical vs USB. There are technical arguments behind why one is better than the other (and vice-versa), but in my opinion they are TINY details - when I used an E-MU 0404 USB I could not discern a difference between optical and USB. If your current sound card supports optical, great, if not, I would spend the money on a good DAC first (optical sound cards are cheap anyway - look at the Turtle Beach Micro).

Optical has one advantage worth mentioning - it doesn't conduct electricity and therefore separates your components grounds. If you hear a "hum" via USB and optical is an option, try it out. However, I didn't hear this hum with the E-MU 0404.

When you are using a DAC, I believe it becomes the "source", while your computer becomes a "transport". Some DAC's have a built-in amp (like the Pico or Apogee Mini-DAC), while others (like the gamma-1 DIY DAC) require a separate amp to properly drive headphones.

As for your second question, certain DAC will "oversample" while others will not. I cannot truly explain this, so I won't try!