[blessingx]

Using an older Mac Dual G4, and considering upgrading the sound for use with my Grado RS-80's. I have the Apple built-in (not a PCI) soundcard. I currently have an Xitel Hi-Fi Link (basically AN1 with cord) for outputting to my old Pioneer receiver. The Xitel outputs line-level so it's unusable for headphones by itself. The card has only a headphone jack and no line-level output. So currently it's the card for headphones, Xitel for receiver/speakers.

If I'm considering picking up a headphone amp, should I buy a better soundcard (Revolution, etc.) or use the Xitel USB, sidestepping the card and going straight to the amp for the best sound? Or even more basically, which produces a cleaner signal- great soundcard or USB output?

 

[Wodgy]

You won't be satisfied with the Xitel Hi-Fi Link/headphone amplifier combo. The Hi-Fi Link has a pretty serious bass rolloff around 40-45 Hz. I'd go for a good internal soundcard or an alternative USB device like the Sonica. You'll need a headphone amp with both.

 

[chelentano]

I use Xitel USB

 

[blessingx]

Quote:

Originally posted by Wodgy You won't be satisfied with the Xitel Hi-Fi Link/headphone amplifier combo. The Hi-Fi Link has a pretty serious bass rolloff around 40-45 Hz. I'd go for a good internal soundcard or an alternative USB device like the Sonica. You'll need a headphone amp with both.

In the above case, which would be better- great card or better USB device?

 

[dd3mon]

Revolution on sale for $65 after rebate at CompUsa.com - no brainer if you ask me.

Strengths: sound quality; significant improvement from Audigy IMO

Weaknesses: gaming performance; significant impairment in this area compared to Audigy

Works for some, won't for others.

That pretty much sums it up. According to the reviews it sounds 95% of "the big boys" (multi hundred dollar pro-audio cards) - but costs a fraction of the price.

-dd3mon

 

[blessingx]

Quote:

Originally posted by dd3mon Revolution on sale for $65 after rebate at CompUsa.com - no brainer if you ask me. Strengths: sound quality; significant improvement from Audigy IMO Weaknesses: gaming performance; significant impairment in this area compared to Audigy Works for some, won't for others. That pretty much sums it up. According to the reviews it sounds 95% of "the big boys" (multi hundred dollar pro-audio cards) - but costs a fraction of the price. -dd3mon

Thanks for your response (and the others), but is it a no-brainer? There's a great deal I don't understand and that may be coming out here. But this gets to the heart, I guess, of what my question is. Even as good as the M-Audio is compared to the Creative, is it better than skipping the card processing (obviously the OS does some) and going straight to the amp? Soundcards are compared to soundcards, but I haven't seen anything comparing how clean and accurate the signal is between a soundcard and a direct out. Assuming I don't want bass boost, 3D enhancement, and any similar effects, what advantage does a soundcard (and any soundcard software) give? What's lost by the processing overhead?

 

[aeberbach]

blessingx, what do you mean? If you use a USB output device there is still processing going on, digitally to send the information to the USB device and then DAC in the device itself to give you line level output. You need to compare the soundcard and the USB device side by side before you can decide which is better. I use the xitel digital USB device so in my case the DAC is in my receiver but there is always one in the chain somewhere.

 

[blessingx]

Quote:

Originally posted by aeberbach blessingx, what do you mean? If you use a USB output device there is still processing going on, digitally to send the information to the USB device and then DAC in the device itself to give you line level output. You need to compare the soundcard and the USB device side by side before you can decide which is better. I use the xitel digital USB device so in my case the DAC is in my receiver but there is always one in the chain somewhere.

I'm sorry I didn't word that very well and I'm sure there are things here I'm missing. I know the audio program, the OS, the DAC bridge all do processing (as will obviously the amp and the headphones). But isn't the USB out (to external DAC to RCA cable) designed for simplicity and doing less processing than the audiocard? I may just be buying the marketing hype, but it seems there's a major design difference here. Soundcards seem to be much more than a simple DAC. Guess to a large extent I'm assuming so because of the number of chips, the software included, and claims of the manufactures (direct support for specific music systems/codex's, etc.). Some of this may be the extras (headphone and most likely others output, etc.).

As you can see I'm still confused. Are these USB devices just a quick fix for really lousy soundcards and as such beaten by better ones, or it is a design difference that actually makes them better in some cases?

Thanks again for everyones feedback and for helping this very confused guy.

 

[chelentano]

Regarding Poll:
There will be always more sound card users since every computer comes with soundcard. Every good computer comes with good sound card. But USB device is add-on and sometimes expensive add-on. Becides 95% of people don't even know it exists.

 

[Orpheus]

there are also firewire "sound cards."

 

[JKohn]

Ric,

There isn't any inherent processing going on with a soundcard over the USB device if you do it right. That means using an audio playback program that supports either ASIO or kernel streaming, both of which bypass the Windows KMixer. In that case you're sending the unadulterated sound straight to the card's dac's, just like you would be with the USB device.

And really, the USB devices are still soundcards, they're just external and use the USB bus instead of the PCI bus. Otherwise they're pretty much the same, they both still have drivers, etc.

 

[Xecter]

yup... the joys of Foobars kernal streaming |337ness

 

[dd3mon]

kernel streaming + no dsps at all (even volume control) + no resampling or dithering == cleanest output I've heard from a computer by far.

-dd3mon