How much of a realistic improvment from soundcard to Dac/Amp?

[Hybrys]

Quote:

 
This made my day..."those who know don't speak, and those who speak don't know"

 
Realtek RMAA: http://www.mediafire.com/file/tuy3myzu1my/%5BMME%5D%20Realtek%20ALC888.zip
 
a proper external DAC on a DPS: http://www.firestone.idv.tw/rmaa/spitfire.htm

So, AS USUAL, things are completely out of context.  My ALC272 actually scored pretty well on the RMAA.  Not as well as the Spitfire, but, not bad enough to call it 'terrible'.
 
Along with this, there are a few other glaring differences/irregularities.  The Spitfire is tested at 24/48, which is quite odd.  What source fed the Spitfire?  What input is the Spitfire looping to?  (The ALC888 is probably looped to itself, not a professional ADC card/device)  What power supply did each use?  And, finally, realizing that the Realtek is 'free', and the Spitfire is very not ($270 + $120 for the dedicated PSU), nor is it the device in question.
 
Along with all of THESE points, RMAA tests don't tell you how a device sounds, they just tell you how it preforms.  There was no significant frequency response differences on my ALC272, and I hear no noise when I'm using it, so wouldn't that mean that most of those numbers are insignificant?
 
Also, you're a pompous idiot.

 

[Kawai_man]

External DAC's are extremely overated most of them suck or are just not worth the price for the small improvements they make,  it seems that the best way to get good sound  from an external dac is to get one that uses async protocol over USB or get a firewire dac which I believe are all async, I just got an e-mu 0404 usb which I'm hoping will sound better than my 600 dollar dac I had. Other than those a good PCI soundcard will probably give you the best results, I remember reading a thread at another forum from a guy who was pissed off because his e-mu 0404 pci card sounded better than his 1000$ Benchmark dac-1.
 
here are the dac's I know of that are async over usb,
 
musiland monitor 02
E-mu 0404 usb
tascam 144
All HRT music streamers, except for the one they sell for 100
Wavelength dac's

 

[maverickronin]

It's not really fair to compare a free-with-purchase onboard soundcard to something else you spent a few hundred dollars on.  A decent internal soundcard or external DAC give better results because of lower noise, either because its outside the computer itself or is just better shielded.
 
I'd bet the cheapest X-Fi you could find will score pretty close to that spitfire.  Not that it would work at all with linux, or 1/2 the time with windows.  I perfer the plug and go USB type.  No drivers to worry about.
 
Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
 
It's also possible that you soundcard is mangling the resampling on your optical out.  You might want to check that out.

 

[leeperry]

well, an external DAC on a discrete linear regulated PSU will always sound better than on a SMPS, let alone an ATX PSU shared w/ the other computer parts...they will make the shared ground VERY dirty, and this will bleed into the audio ground

 
many ppl believe that opamps color the sound more than DAC chips ever will: http://forum.rightmark.org/topic.cgi?id=4:504-3

 Everybody -in different locations, at different times, without knowing from each other- told the same story, that they found the differences between opamps more important than the differences in dac chips.

 
the 0404USB runs 5532 opamps on a wallwart, and through USB it will share its audio ground w/ the dirty computer ground where all the components flush(especially the graphic card, ground loop anyone?

).
 
USB power is very dirty, and hardly any USB DAC offers a galvanic isolation from the dirty computer ground....despite what USB DAC sellers will tell you haha: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/476907/usb-power
 
you need a good PSU, galvanic isolation from the computer and good opamps: this will KILL any internal soundcard on the spot.

 

[Zoltan99]

I am using Linux, I chose Optical out, what else could be going wrong?

 

[leeperry]

if you have the FUN w/ the OPA2134 DAC LPF, it's time you put a better part...2134 is really worthless. A friend of mine owns a FUN and loooves the LT1028 and LT1363 in there. another friend of mine is using AD797BR:

 

[Zoltan99]

I appreciate the recommendations, but I'm not really up to a wild goose chase.   What I have is what I have.

 

[maverickronin]

Does anyone have any RMAA tests comparing the same external DAC on usb and battery or NASA grade power supply?  The important part is how the noise effects the output, not just whether it exists or not.

 

[leeperry]

What I have is what I have.

But what you have you don't like, so a solution you must seek

 

[ford2]

 
Quote:

I appreciate the recommendations, but I'm not really up to a wild goose chase.   What I have is what I have.

Return it and plug your phones back into your SC,both you and your wallet will be a lot happier.

 

[Zoltan99]

Well yes, I need a solution, but I don't want it to be spending more money. 

 

[Hybrys]

It's really not expensive to replace an opamp.  Just have to find the right one, then it's $5-10 for a decent replacement.  You might even be able to find someone in the DIY forums who can spot you one, because of the bad experience.  Or sell you one for cheaper.

 

[Zoltan99]

What will the opamp do?

 

[Hybrys]

Quote:

What will the opamp do?

Flavor the sound in a different way, technically.  If you're not impressed as is, you can ask the DIYers which they'd prefer in that setup, and they might be able to help you find something that will impress you more.  It's the problem with budget equipment, everything is usually low end, including the opamp, but atleast that's replaceable.
 
The opamps Leeperry suggested might be decent to check out first.

 

[Zoltan99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverickronin /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
It's also possible that you soundcard is mangling the resampling on your optical out.  You might want to check that out.

How can I check that out in Linux?