[Dominat0r]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dikiz /img/forum/go_quote.gif So if I connect a USB DAC to a PC without sound card,... what will happen?

you will have windows sound through your DAC.

I use a mini USB DAC (Go Vibe) which is the PCM2702 from burr-brown.

I can select which sound card doesnt what in vista. I use the on board sound for windows sounds...the DAC is only used for music via Foobar and ASIO4ALL.

 

[Navyblue]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nocturnal310 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Most Soundcards are DAC's but no DAC is a soundcard. thats my conclusion.

If you want to get legal, all sound card contains a DAC.

Sound card = DSP + DAC + amplifier

Thus "Most Soundcards are DAC's" is incorrect. And I don't understand why you specify "most" as well.

 

[Dominat0r]

its more like most soundcards have a cheaper version DAC =)

 

[Navyblue]

Well, you get what you paid for, at least mostly.

 

[Nocturnal310]

Ya..most soundcards have poor DAC i heard from some head-fi member

 

[CSMR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by episteme /img/forum/go_quote.gif From what I understand, a complete PC setups consists of a PC (durr), a DAC and an amplifier. However, I have an Asus Xonar soundcard. Does this mean I can forgo the DAC?

All sound cards (except one or two which you will not get by accident) contain DACs. In order to get analog out from a computer there must be a dac at some point.

 

[Navyblue]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nocturnal310 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ya..most soundcards have poor DAC i heard from some head-fi member

When a sound card sounds bad, it isn't that easy to blame the DAC right away, there are other things at work, such as the analogue output stage and radio interference. The X-Fi mod that you were asked about in some other thread is exactly that.

Some sound card in fact uses the same DAC as found in many standalone DAC and CDP.