HELP needed chosing a soundcard!!!!!

[crazyeyes]

Ok here is my situation i am building a new computer and i want to hook it up to my stereo in my room but i am not sure if i should go with a good sound card or a nice cd player. My system consists of a B&K Reference 10 preamp, Nikko power amp, Polk LSi9 speakers, and a Pok PSW 650 sub. The CD player i am thinking about is the NAD C542. Is there a sound card out there that i could get that would sound just as good as that cd player or better? I am really confused as of what to do as i want to get great sound. But i don't want to sacrafice quality for the convenience of a computer. If i have to get a cd player to get great sound quality i will. But i though it would be nice to see if there is a sound card out there that rivals these expensive cd players as far as sound quality. Any suggestions would be great.

 

[Asmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyeyes Ok here is my situation i am building a new computer and i want to hook it up to my stereo in my room but i am not sure if i should go with a good sound card or a nice cd player. My system consists of a B&K Reference 10 preamp, Nikko power amp, Polk LSi9 speakers, and a Pok PSW 650 sub. The CD player i am thinking about is the NAD C542. Is there a sound card out there that i could get that would sound just as good as that cd player or better? I am really confused as of what to do as i want to get great sound. But i don't want to sacrafice quality for the convenience of a computer. If i have to get a cd player to get great sound quality i will. But i though it would be nice to see if there is a sound card out there that rivals these expensive cd players as far as sound quality. Any suggestions would be great.

I prefer the 1212m to the NAD c542, so yes, you can, but its not as simple as plugging in a soundcard, your computer has to have quality components, such as motherboard and power supply, and you want quiet fans etc also.

 

[crazyeyes]

well my computer isn't going to be cheap. Here are the specs of what i am thinking of building. DFI Lanparty nF4 SLI-DR, Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego, 1GB of DDR400 OCZ Platinum Rev.2, 6600GT, 160GB SATA HDD, Audiophile Sound Card(not sure which one yet), and a dvd burner, oh and a 520 watt OCZ Modstream. So i think my computer is well suited for a good sound card.

 

[breadnbutter]

Sounds real nice.

Maybe you can get a cheap 6800 GT instead of the 6600, now that the 7800 is out? I recently saw a 6800 which was only 50 € more expensive than a 6600 (and almost doubles the performance).
I got a 6600 GT a couple of month ago and found the fan to be incredibly loud. So you might consider getting a Zalman VGA cooler. In my case the temperature dropped almost 10°C while the noise was gone at the same time.

Have you thought about the number of PCI slots you need? I ask because in my case I need 2+1 (1 for Audigy2, 1 or 2 for EMU 1212m), with another PCI slot being potentially blocked by the graphics card cooler. Therefore I got the non-SLI MSI Platinum board, which has 4 PCI slots. In my opinion SLI only makes sense if you need total hardcore performance right _now_. Instead of adding a second card later on it is probably better to upgrade to a next generation card (e.g. the coming 7600). And if you really want an insane setup now get the 7800 GT (or even the Ultra in a good month).

One more thing: If you only get a 6600 GT now, why not buy a cheaper processor (e.g. a 3000+, which often overclocks to 4000+) and upgrade to a X2 soon?

 

[crazyeyes]

well i may and i only need one pci slot for my sound card and that is it the mobo i am getting has built on lan and everything and all i am adding is one music sound card. Don't do much gaming i am just a power user that is why i opted for the better processor cause i used a 3000+ and multitasking sucked. I may also go for an intel HT chip cause i love them i had one and find nothing to be as good for multitasking. Yeah i know the dual cores but i don't have the money right now.

 

[crazyeyes]

any other suggestions or thoughts on sound cards vs cdp and which one to get.

 

[Asmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyeyes well my computer isn't going to be cheap. Here are the specs of what i am thinking of building. DFI Lanparty nF4 SLI-DR, Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego, 1GB of DDR400 OCZ Platinum Rev.2, 6600GT, 160GB SATA HDD, Audiophile Sound Card(not sure which one yet), and a dvd burner, oh and a 520 watt OCZ Modstream. So i think my computer is well suited for a good sound card.

Sounds like a good system, I would consider a seasonic or the ultra quiet antec power supplies, OCZ is popular with gaming enthusiasts, but nothing special really. Make sure you dont' use stock case and cpu / video card fans, otherwise all is for nothing. Look at zalman fans to replace everything.

As for CPU, take your pick, if your not doing heavy gaming, I would opt for the Intel myself.

Overall, you have a good system coming down the road, throw a nice soundcard in there, get some good interconnects and your ready to go. Again, if you do some searching here, you will find people who prefer some high end soundcards to many CDPs, including the NAD c542.

 

[crazyeyes]

why does quietness matter? Does it travel throught the sound card or something or is it just that most people just don't want to hear it over there music?
Also any other CDP's that can be reccomended also how is the M-Audio AP192?

 

[ReDVsion]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyeyes also how is the M-Audio AP192?

Badass. I love it. Sounds much better than the 0404 IMO.

 

[Alu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyeyes why does quietness matter? Does it travel throught the sound card or something or is it just that most people just don't want to hear it over there music? Also any other CDP's that can be reccomended also how is the M-Audio AP192?

Quietness matters a lot, at least for me. I mean the annoying noise of the PC does distract you if you really listen to music a lot. Listening to your favourite albums in a quiet room is a completely different thing, very enjoyable.

You should consider thinking about the noise a bit.

 

[Asmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyeyes why does quietness matter? Does it travel throught the sound card or something or is it just that most people just don't want to hear it over there music? Also any other CDP's that can be reccomended also how is the M-Audio AP192?

Noisefloor makes a huge difference, no point in buying a good soundcard or CDP if you can't hear the music over the hum of your computer fans. Having a quiet room is essential.

How much do you want to spend? There are lots of great CDPs and soundcards, external DACs etc to choose from, what is your budget?

 

[crazyeyes]

Hey well if i were looking at CDP's i was looking to spend $500 or less but i don't have a computer right now i use my dads and it has been fine for what i need for internet purposes. I was only building a desktop to use as a source if it would sound better well not only as a source but to use for my basic computer needs but i figured if i was building a desktop i would use it as a source. So i would have a limit of around $1200 for my computer. So I would probably use $200 or less on a sound card. Hope this helps.

 

[crazyeyes]

any other suggestions?

 

[crazyeyes]

I am thinking of getting a 12" iBook now and going with a Total Bithead USB DAC to my stereo in my room and eventually to an sr71 and HD600 or HD650. What do you guys think of this setup. Do you think there is any better USB DAC's for under $300?