[badlydrawn]

Hiya
its been a while since i last posted, been just lurking around lately. anyhow, it seems the right moment for an upgrade and i have been reading a lot of the threads to do with usb-sound cards and dacs and so forth, but the more i read, the more confused i get, so i hope some of you here (who seem to know so much more) can help me out here - also appologies for any repeats.

I got this set up
Source:
Ipod 10gig (2nd gen)
Linn Classik (CD-tuner amp)
IBM T40p

Output:
Linn Katans
BT-531 (just ordered from all the great reviews its gotten here)
Sony CD750

the ipod and thinkpad is connected to the Classik, but i am thinking of getting a usb sound card and/or a DAC to put in between the digital source with the amp.
There seems to be loads of possibilities, Headroom's BitHead (though i read it has not been out yet), various CreativeLabs (which everyone seems to be avoiding like the pest, though there are loads of reviews which are good on the net), various M-audio USB soluction and also a few others like the Echo PCMCI cards.
this is for usb solution, the DACs i know even less about, theres the Art DI/O, and some highend DACs which cost loads, and i dont know if they are worth it...
I think i am looking for something with good sound quality (though not audiphile, cos i dont have the finances for that), to improve on what i have already, and also leaves some place for upgrades. I hope i make sense.

thanks in advance for ur reply.

 

[Wodgy]

The M-Audio Sonica is the sweet spot here. I've owned three USB DACs (Xitel Hi-Fi Link, Stereo-Link 1200, and the Sonica), and the Sonica definitely sounded best of the three. For the price you can't beat it. Although the Bithead has not yet been released, the chip it uses (PCM2902) has worse specs (signal to noise, harmonic distortion) than the Sonica, so it may not be worth the large difference in cost unless you want an integrated headphone amp. The Sonica definitely needs to be hooked up to your Classik or to a headphone amp -- it isn't powerful enough to drive any headphones by itself.

 

[badlydrawn]

thanks for the suggestion - the sonica is nice, small and a not too expensive solution - does it have asio drivers*, and can it be used for all windows audio tasks, from movies to gaming, and lastly, is it usb 1 or 2, and does it matter? i am new to usb soundcards. and are there any advantages with the more expensive solutions, such as the audiophile usb?

*i read that aiso drivers are better as it by-passes generic windows device interface, is that noticably better?

i know, a lot of questions : ) ur reply is much appriciated.

 

[Wodgy]

If you're looking for ASIO drivers, consider the M-Audio Transit. It's based on the same general circuit board as the Sonica, but has a line in and comes with ASIO drivers. It costs around $90.

As long as you use the 1.2.05 drivers with the Sonica, you'll get bit-perfect output, so ASIO will make no difference in quality (the 1.2.20 drivers on XP are a different story -- they do resampling). However, if you're doing music production or mixing, ASIO drivers tend to have lower latency and are still a good idea.

Both are USB 1.1 devices. You can use them anywhere in Windows, but there's no audio acceleration or 3D processing for gaming, if you're into that. It'll still work though.

Some say the Audiophile USB has better sound quality, though no one has yet posted a direct comparison-type review. The Audiophile USB does have a better power supply, which may help improve the sound quality. Also, the Audiophile USB can drive headphones directly (not as well as a dedicated headphone amp, obviously, but some have given it good reviews). The Sonica definitely can't drive headphones directly -- it just doesn't have the power.