[SLaRe]

Hi folks!
 
I'm about to buy a pair of monitor headphones (don't know yet what), a tube headphone amp and also a pci audio interface like M-Audio Audiophile 2496 or E-MU 1212m, which are know for they processing capabilities, and I don't if it's still mandatory to have a DAC connected between the audio interface and a tube amp for the monitor headphones.
 
What do you think? Is wasted money?
 
If it's not wasted money, what DAC should I buy for that config? Mainly is for monitoring music and relaxed hearing. I think the Maverick Audio TubeMagic D1 would be a good option.
 
Thanks.
 
Best regards!

 

[SLaRe]

no one knows?

 

[Victorious25]

I honestly don't know a whole lot about either of those cards specifically, but there are a variety of factors that contribute to an external DAC being better than an internal card. A major one simply being interference from other electronic components within a computer case that is removed/minimized with an external DAC, as well as a dedicated DAC has one purpose: being a DAC, while a soundcard will use it's limited space to do everything needed. As such, external DACs will often be much higher quality as they can be much more elaborate and extensive designs than an internal card would allow. From what I know most sound cards have a fairly rudimentary DAC design around a single DAC chip on the card.
Again, I'm no expert and don't no anything about the cards you specifically mentioned.
 
I have a Creative X-Fi Platinum card that I originally used with my Audio Technica ATH-AD700s and it certainly sounded fine, but when did my first upgrade to a Zero DAC/Amp combo I was very happy with the increase in quality I heard.

 

[SLaRe]

Thanks for the reply, but these are audio interfaces designed to music production/recording, that's why I suppose that the DAC shouldn't be as bad as the implemented in a X-Fi or Xonar.
 
BTW, what DAC do you have?
 
Hope someone could tell me.

 

[Lechango]

I dunno if I'm understanding you correctly, but you only need one or the other. If you get a USB Dac, it's going to completely bypass your sound card. Most would agree a USB DAC is the most cost effective option.

 

[khaos974]

If you are going to use an external DAC, either use the USB or the optical out (if you have one) of your computer, buying a soundcard is a waste of money.
I don't think that external is more cost effective, but m-audio gear has a good reputation.

 

[maverickronin]

There's no technical reason to get an external DAC.  They're aren't necessarily better quality than an internal one.  They are better isolated from the RFI and noise of the motherboard by virtue of being external, but any decent internal card (like the ones you listed) will be properly shielded.  Sound cards just have a bad reputation because the cheap integrated ones are, well, cheap.  It's like judging all headphones by ibuds.  The specs on a lot of creative and Asus sound cards are very good, and rival or beat many 'audiophile' external DACs.
 
A good reason to get one is convenience.  I have and external USB DAC (a Maverick actually) because it lets me easily switch between my speakers and headphones.  It also has several inputs and outputs, another convenience factor.  If you don't need it for that, then there's no real reason to go buy another one when what you've got will do just fine.

 

[ROBSCIX]

You can go either way, if you get a soudncard there is no reason to get an external DAC and if you get an external DAC there is no reason to get a soundcard.
 
There are a few around that use hybrid systems, such as a soundcard connected through S/Pdif to an external DAC/amplifier.
 
Not sure if that answers your question.
You just need to decide where you want the conversion to take place...internally or externally.

 

[Yikes]

It depends on how good you want to go.



An internal sound card, even the best studio oriented cards have one major flaw: they are installed in the dirtiest RF environment around (the inside of a pc). So getting the DAC out of the PC is generally a good idea.



How to do this also opens up some additional considerations. The current popular method is with a USB DAC, thereby avoiding the internal sound card entirely. Contrary to the latest marketing hyperbole USB (even Asynchronus) is a flawed digital audio transmission medium (never designed for audio transmission). SPDIF on the other hand is an older standard, but was specifically designed for Digital Audio Signal Transmission. So what to get? That depends, you pay the price an accept certain tradeoffs.



USB is easy and can be cheaper, and admittedly it is getting better (Slowly). Still the best USB isn't cheap.



SPDIF - using a card like the Lynx or M-Audio 192 isn't cheap, but gives you a galvonically isolated SPDIF output that is the best digital output from a computer. That has no problem outputting 24/192. And you still need a decent DAC



TOS - From a lesser sound card or even from the motherboard. IMO is still preferable to going USB. The USB fad is marketing BS. A high performance USB interface is what customers are clamoring for, and magically Asynchronus comes around answering everyones prayers. There's a reason the miraculous USB Asynchronus DACs don't include SPDIF inputs, they don't want anyone making the comparison.



Anyway... You choose your poison. No such thing as a perfect interface. It's all trade offs.



TOS from a cheaper card - I'd still recommend this over just about any USB DAC. That is going to a nice DAC

 

[khaos974]

Quote:

How to do this also opens up some additional considerations. The current popular method is with a USB DAC, thereby avoiding the internal sound card entirely. Contrary to the latest marketing hyperbole USB (even Asynchronus) is a flawed digital audio transmission medium (never designed for audio transmission). SPDIF on the other hand is an older standard, but was specifically designed for Digital Audio Signal Transmission. So what to get? That depends, you pay the price an accept certain tradeoffs.

If you say USB is bad, how do you know the PCI/PCI-E bus is good for transporting audio inside the PC. While not USB interfaces are currently on the market, Firewire interfaces are extremely common, are they also bad?

 

[SLaRe]

Thanks for your replies guys. I think I'll buy first the PCI interface (probably E-MU 1212M) and a tube amplifier and then, if I'm not satisfied, a DAC with toslink input.
 
Quote:

If you say USB is bad, how do you know the PCI/PCI-E bus is good for transporting audio inside the PC. While not USB interfaces are currently on the market, Firewire interfaces are extremely common, are they also bad?

 
I believe that he is speaking about the amount of data that can be transmitted through usb vs toslink and the quality of that transmission. Firewire is better than USB in the speed of transmission, specially Firewire 800.
 

 

[khaos974]

Even a 24/192 PCM audio output can't saturate the USB 1.0, nevermind the USB 2.0, the speed of the transmission has nothing to do with the quality or the faults of USB audio.