SHP53
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Do they have the same purpose?
Difference between Sound card and DAC?
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PurpleAngel
Headphoneus Supremus
Quote:
Sound cards come with a DAC chip inside them
Sound cards also come with an audio processor, which is not a DAC.
DAC (Digital to Analog Converter)
Modern audio is stored and processed in a digital (zero & ones) form, but most be changed to an analog (wave) signal before it gets to the amplifier/headphone jack.
A "DAC" device itself not a "sound card".
But a DAC device can come with an amplifier & headphone jack.
Sound cards come with a DAC chip inside them
Sound cards also come with an audio processor, which is not a DAC.
DAC (Digital to Analog Converter)
Modern audio is stored and processed in a digital (zero & ones) form, but most be changed to an analog (wave) signal before it gets to the amplifier/headphone jack.
A "DAC" device itself not a "sound card".
But a DAC device can come with an amplifier & headphone jack.
SHP53
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Ok Thank you. So an audio processor serves the same purpose as an amplifier, correct?
PurpleAngel
Headphoneus Supremus
Quote:
Audio processer is digital (call it pre-DAC signal). the amplifier is analog (wave signal)
The audio processor deals with game effects and movie surround sound and music effects, after it done it's processing, the digital audio signal is sent to the DAC, after the signal leaves the DAC in an analog form, the signal can go to an amplifier.
Audio processer is digital (call it pre-DAC signal). the amplifier is analog (wave signal)
The audio processor deals with game effects and movie surround sound and music effects, after it done it's processing, the digital audio signal is sent to the DAC, after the signal leaves the DAC in an analog form, the signal can go to an amplifier.
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PurpleAngel's posts may be unnecessarily confusing.
A sound card contains a DAC, but a DAC is not necessarily a sound card. Traditionally, "DAC" refers to a micro-chip that converts digital signals to analog. Only recently has it been common to use the term to refer to an entire physical product that has digital inputs and analog outputs. The micro-chip concept is more accurate though and DACs should be thought of that way, not as physical products.
Modern sound cards have 3 important parts: a DAC (Digital to Analog), an ADC (Analog to Digital), and a DSP (digital signal processor).
The chain of events in a computer start in software, where an audio signal is digitally created (or stored) in a binary format (common formats include WAV, MP3, FLAC, etc). The audio signal is then passed over to a sound card, where it goes through the DSP first for any effects to be applied (if applicable, as all DSP settings can be turned off in software) and then it goes to the DAC, after which it's sent, in analog form, to a pair of speakers or headphones.
Sound cards don't have "amplifiers" in the conventional sense. The native output for sound cards is referred to as "line level" which is amplified outside of the computer, usually by the speakers that are plugged in. (Though there are exceptions, as speakers are available in active and passive versions - passive speakers don't have internal amplification.) Some sound cards have headphone jacks, in which case they do have small "amps" to drive headphones directly.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/sound-card.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_card
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_signal_processing
A sound card contains a DAC, but a DAC is not necessarily a sound card. Traditionally, "DAC" refers to a micro-chip that converts digital signals to analog. Only recently has it been common to use the term to refer to an entire physical product that has digital inputs and analog outputs. The micro-chip concept is more accurate though and DACs should be thought of that way, not as physical products.
Modern sound cards have 3 important parts: a DAC (Digital to Analog), an ADC (Analog to Digital), and a DSP (digital signal processor).
The chain of events in a computer start in software, where an audio signal is digitally created (or stored) in a binary format (common formats include WAV, MP3, FLAC, etc). The audio signal is then passed over to a sound card, where it goes through the DSP first for any effects to be applied (if applicable, as all DSP settings can be turned off in software) and then it goes to the DAC, after which it's sent, in analog form, to a pair of speakers or headphones.
Sound cards don't have "amplifiers" in the conventional sense. The native output for sound cards is referred to as "line level" which is amplified outside of the computer, usually by the speakers that are plugged in. (Though there are exceptions, as speakers are available in active and passive versions - passive speakers don't have internal amplification.) Some sound cards have headphone jacks, in which case they do have small "amps" to drive headphones directly.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/sound-card.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_card
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_signal_processing
SHP53
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Thanks, that made it a whole lot more clearer for me! Just for clarification: A sound card should just be bought if gaming will be used and an external DAC for audiophile listening?
PurpleAngel
Headphoneus Supremus
Quote:
Sound cards are also good for movies as some sound cards come with Dolby Surround sound, sound cards usually have a microphone input.
Some sound cards are fairly decent for music listening.
You can daisy chain an external DAC (& amp) to a sound card's digital output for some great audio quality gaming and movie watching (and music listening).
Sound cards are also good for movies as some sound cards come with Dolby Surround sound, sound cards usually have a microphone input.
Some sound cards are fairly decent for music listening.
You can daisy chain an external DAC (& amp) to a sound card's digital output for some great audio quality gaming and movie watching (and music listening).
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