[trinket3]

hi, im totally new on all this and frankly i couldnt understand much of the info written in the primer. i have this question: on a laptop wouldnt you need a good USB soundcard to get good SQ? And if so, to improve on that SQ you need a DAC?

Thanks for any help, really appreciated. sorry for the annoyance

edit: in the primer i found this photo: L.jpg

which helps, but then on a laptop wouldnt it be best to buy a usb soundcard AND a DAC for best possible sound, though there is a DAC inside the soundcard; EMU 0404

 

[Fallensky]

I'm not trying to hyjack, my question is actually quite relavent.

If a DAC supports high resolution (24 bit) audio through SPDIF but the soundcard being used as a transport doesn't, how will this affect my sound quality?

 

[hifidk]

I think that image just shows you that DAC function of sound card is bypassed to the actual DAC component. In your case with laptop, I think you are safe to get a DAC or DAC/AMP combo without any additional usb soundcard (which is essentially DAC I think).

 

[Currawong]

DAC stands for Digital to Analogue Converter. It can be on a sound card, it can be in an external box, it can be in a CD player, it can be in a headphone amp or hi-fi amp.

Though it's not always true, generally a separate DAC, in its own box, not in a box with another device or on a PCI card with limited space and power, tends to be of higher quality, as it would be a dedicated device for digital to analogue conversion, not compromised because it has to share power supplies and possibly circuits with other devices.

CD digital is 16/44.1 by the way. Unless you're buying music from places such as Linn Records, anything higher (such as 24/96) is irrelevant.

 

[xbtss]

Sound card itself is a DAC no matter internal or external.
However many peoples don't like the DAC part of their sound card so they connect a decent external DAC to their sound card using SPDIF, in this case the sound card becomes a digital signal transporter only and the ext. DAC will handle all the signal conversion and then pass analog signal to an amp. That's what you see in your image.

 

[olblueyez]

Your laptop probably has SPDIF out through the headphone jack using a mini-toslink cable or adapter. that way you can buy a Dac and not worry about having a sound card or using USB which is a lesser way of doing things with a few exceptions.

 

[xbtss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif Your laptop probably has SPDIF out through the headphone jack using a mini-toslink cable or adapter. that way you can buy a Dac and not worry about having a sound card or using USB which is a lesser way of doing things with a few exceptions.

Good point, but many on-board integrated sound cards have very noticeable background static noise when using SPDIF, in this case USB is suggested.

 

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbtss /img/forum/go_quote.gif Good point, but many on-board integrated sound cards have very noticeable background static noise when using SPDIF, in this case USB is suggested.

Im not sure where you got this piece of mis-information but an optical cable has no electronic connection to the dac like a usb cable would. Waaaaaay off base on this one.

 

[Bobsama]

Quite true. The shielding on optical cables is for the purpose of handling.

Anyways--what are some good DAC/amps? I'm in the market for an optical DAC with my Abit IP35-E (v1.0b) system. I'm assuming that power comes from USB instead of a wall-wart of through a power brick? IIRC the USB standard is +5V@500mA. Is 2.5W enough for a headphone amp, as well as powering a DAC?

 

[olblueyez]

Have a price range?

 

[xbtss]

ahh, you are right about the theory.

Seems I got a somehow defective Gigabyte motherboard coz when I connect the optical out with my DAC there is BG noise same as when connecting my headphones to the analog out. But when I connect my DAC using USB, the BG noise is gone...

 

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbtss /img/forum/go_quote.gif ahh, you are right about the theory. Seems I got a somehow defective Gigabyte motherboard coz when I connect the optical out with my DAC there is BG noise same as when connecting my headphones to the analog out. But when I connect my DAC using USB, the BG noise is gone...

I know on-board sound isnt always ideal but for an optical connection it should be fine. Have you tried lowering the sampling rate of your SPDIF output, if it is too high for your dac then that could cause what you describe. I hope you get it working.

 

[xbtss]

Thanks man. I tried but no luck. Just couldn't figure out why...
Anyway, just ordered an EMU 0404 few days ago so I don't think I will bother looking at the on-board sound card anymore.

 

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbtss /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks man. I tried but no luck. Just couldn't figure out why... Anyway, just ordered an EMU 0404 few days ago so I don't think I will bother looking at the on-board sound card anymore.

That will do the trick!

 

[FallenAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trinket3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif hi, im totally new on all this and frankly i couldnt understand much of the info written in the primer. i have this question: on a laptop wouldnt you need a good USB soundcard to get good SQ? And if so, to improve on that SQ you need a DAC? Thanks for any help, really appreciated. sorry for the annoyance edit: in the primer i found this photo: L.jpg which helps, but then on a laptop wouldnt it be best to buy a usb soundcard AND a DAC for best possible sound, though there is a DAC inside the soundcard; EMU 0404

Go with USB or S/PDIF, does not matter which, quality depends on implementation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fallensky /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not trying to hyjack, my question is actually quite relavent. If a DAC supports high resolution (24 bit) audio through SPDIF but the soundcard being used as a transport doesn't, how will this affect my sound quality?

Simple - if your soundcard does not support 24-bit resolution, you can't play 24-bit files.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobsama /img/forum/go_quote.gif Quite true. The shielding on optical cables is for the purpose of handling. Anyways--what are some good DAC/amps? I'm in the market for an optical DAC with my Abit IP35-E (v1.0b) system. I'm assuming that power comes from USB instead of a wall-wart of through a power brick? IIRC the USB standard is +5V@500mA. Is 2.5W enough for a headphone amp, as well as powering a DAC?

Shielding on optical cables is pointless, it's not an electrical connection so shield does not do anything, aside form physically protecting the cable, but unless you try to chew through it, rubber or any poly-based coating will work just as well.

No comment on power, or DAC/Amp choices.