[bode]

I have just purchased a lovely little Amptastic digital amp with single RCA inputs for a source.

If I want to use the computer as a source, do I need a USB DAC?

Or is the digital amp good enough to create a great sound from a crappy soundcard with analogue out? There seems to be a lot of back and forth digital/ analogue conversions if I bought a DAC, so I'm a little confused.

I don't understand why none of these older digital amp had digital inputs back in their heyday?

 

[castleofargh]

this is an amplifier, the digital talk about it refers to how it's designed, but has no relation to taking in a digital signal and converting it like a DAC would. I get how that can be a little misleading.
so you need an analogue signal getting into the amplifier no matter what. if your soundcard offers something like a line out(around 2Vrms and in the area of 100ohm), you can use that. if it only provides an already amplified signal and low impedance like a headphone output, you can still use that so long as you care to adjust the signal to avoid clipping your amp but it may not mot measure as well(depends on the gears, really). many audiophiles will frown at the idea of having double amping in your signal path, but in practice things don't have to turn out poorly. it will depend on the quality of your soundcard. if you have no idea how good or bad things are, you can always get yourself a cheap little USB DAC, most will do the job just fine.
obviously you'll find people how hate soundcards and have decided that they were evil because of one or 2 bad experiences, and you'll also find people who have very nice soundcards that sound and measure just great, and those won't understand the hatred toward integrated stuff. the reality is that good and bad gears exist in all forms. where the electronic is located(in a computer or inside another box) doesn't have to be the final decider between good and bad.

 

[bode]

Thanks for the clarification. Since there are no shortage of USB DACs, I'll go down that route and bypass the basic sound card. I'm just trying to build two systems with multiple sources needing inputs and navigating all the options!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I have just purchased a lovely little Amptastic digital amp with single RCA inputs for a source.
---
I don't understand why none of these older digital amp had digital inputs back in their heyday?

If it's a "digital capable amplifier" then it should have an input for the digital signal to go in and a Digital to Analogue Converter so its amp stage can have an analogue signal to amplify.

If it only has RCA inputs then that's not a digital amplifier. You're conflating Class D with digital, which it isn't. And technically a "digital amplifier" isn't just an amplifier with a DAC built into the same chassis - the closest to that are new topology amps that basically skip much of the analogue circuit and just have the DAC chip outputting direct into the amp output stage, with the volume controlled in the digital stage. Not the most versatile since omitting the analogue preamp removes preamp output to another amp but you get less coloration from fewer analogue circuits in the signal path. These have to upsample digital 16bit though so even at minimum volume it won't dip below 16bits, so don't expect these to be really cheap any time soon since making sure the upsampling doesn't add its own obvious coloration or noise isn't that easy.

Assuming Class D means "digital" is like assuming Class A means "analogue," and I don't want to start guessing what people will guess "Class A/B" or "Class H" means.

If I want to use the computer as a source, do I need a USB DAC?

Or is the digital amp good enough to create a great sound from a crappy soundcard with analogue out? There seems to be a lot of back and forth digital/ analogue conversions if I bought a DAC, so I'm a little confused.

That depends on the soundcard and motherboard. As long as it has a dedicated line out for FL/FR speakers it should be fine for the most part. Added benefits for a dedicated DAC isn't that huge unless you can hear computer noise through those (which can still happen if you use USB).

 

[castleofargh]

If it's a "digital capable amplifier" then it should have an input for the digital signal to go in and a Digital to Analogue Converter so its amp stage can have an analogue signal to amplify.

If it only has RCA inputs then that's not a digital amplifier. You're conflating Class D with digital, which it isn't. And technically a "digital amplifier" isn't just an amplifier with a DAC built into the same chassis - the closest to that are new topology amps that basically skip much of the analogue circuit and just have the DAC chip outputting direct into the amp output stage, with the volume controlled in the digital stage. Not the most versatile since omitting the analogue preamp removes preamp output to another amp but you get less coloration from fewer analogue circuits in the signal path. These have to upsample digital 16bit though so even at minimum volume it won't dip below 16bits, so don't expect these to be really cheap any time soon since making sure the upsampling doesn't add its own obvious coloration or noise isn't that easy.

Assuming Class D means "digital" is like assuming Class A means "analogue," and I don't want to start guessing what people will guess "Class A/B" or "Class H" means.





That depends on the soundcard and motherboard. As long as it has a dedicated line out for FL/FR speakers it should be fine for the most part. Added benefits for a dedicated DAC isn't that huge unless you can hear computer noise through those (which can still happen if you use USB).

the marketing of the brand mentions digital a lot for what I assume to be a class D design. TBH even after reading the all thing, I still think it's confusing.

 

[bode]

the marketing of the brand mentions digital a lot for what I assume to be a class D design. TBH even after reading the all thing, I still think it's confusing.

Sure take a look at Denon's marketing blurb, "full digital amplifier design...the problem with analogue amplifiers..."


https://www.denon.co.uk/uk/product/hifi/denondesignseries/pma30

 

[ProtegeManiac]

the marketing of the brand mentions digital a lot for what I assume to be a class D design. TBH even after reading the all thing, I still think it's confusing.

They're deliberately confusing people because "digital" sounds "oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh high tech, dude!" On the opposite end of that spectrum you have people who think TTs and records are like Valyrian steel or Greek fire. Or Ninhonto at a time when you're fighting Curtis Helldivers and F6F Hellcats.

Sure take a look at Denon's marketing blurb, "full digital amplifier design...the problem with analogue amplifiers..."

https://www.denon.co.uk/uk/product/hifi/denondesignseries/pma30

It's marketing BS. The closest to an actual digital amp are the more recent designs that still just have a DAC skipping a lot of the usual circuits and then feeds the DAC's analogue output direct into an analogue output amplification stage.