prelude or DAC?

[badbadtz560]

currently using the audigy2 zs.. i'm thinking about getting some high end speakers .. like usher s-520s

Think it's better to wait for the auzentech prelude or just get a good DAC? I'm also thinking about keeping my promedia 4.1s .. maybe even hookin it up so that i have a 6.1 or whatever system.

I was recommended to get a NAD 325bee integrated amp.. but that was for the home theatre setup...... anybody know if i'll still need it if i hook it up to the computer?

If I need any special cables, plz recommend me some good ones - i'm assuming they can destroy the sound quality if i buy bad ones?

 

[Toby M]

Im interested in this too. I've been researching this the last few days and have come up with this:

The audigy2's apparently resample everything to 48khz then back to whatever its supposed to be outputting at, which I think includes its digital output. There's supposedly no way to avoid this in software or anything. So if you get a dac you'd want to either go USB (thus avoiding the soundcard altogether) or buy a new soundcard. I think I'm leaning towards USB dac, just seems like it'll be much easier to set up.

I've also read that expensive coax/optical cabling doesnt make nearly as much difference as the cabling from dac to amp etc. Supposedly most decently made cables should be fine.

Again this is jsut stuff I've gained from researching the last few days, I don't ahve experience with this stuff so I refuse to be held accountable