[msjjr]

I'm looking for the best, cost no object, sound card for a PC to give me the best quality digital output available. My PC is the main source for my listening to wav files from ripped CD's.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Calanctus]

Consider the Lynx Two sound card .

 

[MTRH]

digisoft: Pro Tools, Echo: Mona/Mia, Creamware: Pulsar/Scope/Luna etc.
what output do you need?
for most of these card you want to use the balanced XLR outs either directly to active monitors or a mixerboard.

 

[msjjr]

I'm interested in a pure digital out 16/44.1 to go to an upsampling DAC. Maybe I just need something really simple. I've been investigating the M-Audio Delta 2496. Apparently the digital output is a totally separate signal path from the D/A path.

 

[chrono]

Go with a M-Audio card.

I dont use digital outputs, cause I have the Delta 44, but the card is amazing. I couldnt ask for a better card. I highly recommend M-Audio.

 

[lan]

The Lynx2 is nice but you will be paying for more than digital output there. It doesn't make sense to pay like $1000 on a souncards just for digital output. I have the Audiophile 24/96 and it's a nice card. It has separate transciever chip for digital I/O. With the $$$ you save, it can go to an external DAC and/or jitter fixer.

 

[Pace]

If your amp (or where-ever the DAC is) has optical in, I'd consider the Terratec 6fire LT, which also delivers the signal bit-perfect through the digital-out. It is considerably cheaper than the M-Audio card atleast here in Finland.