[KoKoKrunch]

But with all the rubbish going on in the motherboard, won't the interference be quite bad?

Maybe I'll try searching for an old sound card to test it

 

[taso89]

Onboard sound will always be worse than a discrete sound card.

The proximity of the sound components of a motherboard to the CPU, etc. causes a great deal of noise. A seperate sound card or a USB device such as the Turtle Beach Advantage Micro will give you little, if any, noise. I have NEVER had noise from a seperate sound card.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKoKrunch /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry to hijack the thread, but will changing to a dedicated sound card improve the digital output from the computer?

Its certainly possible.
Depending on the implementation of the current digital output, and the quality of the new dedicated sound card.

 

[KoKoKrunch]

Can I ask how does the sound card alter the signal??? I mean, because I have a Zhaolu D3, and I need the sound card for the optical output, does it matter what quality my sound card is of??? What does the sound card actually do the the digital signal?

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKoKrunch /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can I ask how does the sound card alter the signal???

The audio signal run through components/traces on the sound card. And since you mention optical it also convert the electrical audio signal into an optical one.

The components involved in this process may impact the end result.

 

[zx10guy]

Something which hasn't been discussed is if the "coax" cable used is indeed a good coax cable with proper shielding. Also, coax cable used for digital transfer must be 75 Ohms from end to end as spelled out by the S/PDIF specs; this includes the connectors.