[coho66]

i'm in the market for a new soundcard for my pc...partly because i'm an avid audio enthusiast and naturally have "upgraditis", but also because the onboard ac97 C-Media 8768 seems to now only output sound out of one channel

all i want is something to get bit-perfect analog sound off the pc into my mohr...i am leaning slightly towards usb or something other than the pci bus in case the pc industry ever decides to actually change it...but i'm not deadset against pci either

i was 99% set on an 0404 usb but it has a lot of ins & outs & features i'll never use...that and seeing so many threads lately about dac's has me wondering if there's another unit out there that would do the same job quality/performance wise...for less? I have 0 experience with dac's so...

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by coho66 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i was 99% set on an 0404 usb but it has a lot of ins & outs & features i'll never use...that and seeing so many threads lately about dac's has me wondering if there's another unit out there that would do the same job quality/performance wise...for less?

How about the 0404 PCI or 1212M (which takes one PCI slot and an additional slot for the analog board)? The 0404 PCI has the same AKM AK4396 DAC as the 0404 USB, and the 1212M has the Cirrus CS4398 DAC. Both are top-of-the-line DACs from their respective manufacturers with the edge for studio pedigree going to the CS4398; it's what is used in the current top ProTools hardware.

Realistically, PCI should be around for a while longer. Motherboards with enough PCI-Express slots to replace PCI aren't even being made yet.

Also, "bit-perfect" generally applies to digital output, since it's the kind where bits matter, but I imagine you're looking for a card that doesn't automatically resample like the AC97 codec.

 

[sonick]

Chaintech AV710 with its Wolfson DAC? Or were you looking for something higher end?

 

[Dept_of_Alchemy]

Do a search for the Chaintech AV710 and see if that's all you need.

 

[coho66]

OOOPS-moderator feel free to move thread into computers-as-source forum

thanks for all the responses thus far...much appreciated

-the 1212pci would be nice, but i have a SFF case with only one free pci slot and my ol clawhammer gets pretty hot in there, even with a nexus 92mm & thermalright XP-90...i find removing the small i/o shield from that pci slot leaves a nice vent for the fan to draw air into the case from...so i'd like to keep that open if possible...this is partly what made me think about going external usb...but alas unfortunately it's seeming that when taking cost into consideration, a 0404pci might be the best choice

-the chaintech might foot the bill....although i have no idea how the wolfson compares to the likes of cirrus or akm...it'd be mated to a pre 04 mohr with sa and a pair of 600's, 650's, or 880's

-on a side note the onboard sound does have optical/toslink out......if this creates an interesting alternative

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by coho66 /img/forum/go_quote.gif -the chaintech might foot the bill....although i have no idea how the wolfson compares to the likes of cirrus or akm...it'd be mated to a pre 04 mohr with sa and a pair of 600's, 650's, or 880's

No comparison... Go with the 0404 PCI or better or you'll end up wanting to upgrade, especially with those headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by coho66 -on a side note the onboard sound does have optical/toslink out......if this creates an interesting alternative

For the price of the 0404 PCI, there aren't many interesting DACs. Also, you may want to consider that digital output from a motherboard is not often good. It's usually tacked on as part of a codec specification and can transmit a jitter-filled signal to whatever DAC you choose.