[GreenMidgetYoda]

Please forgive my ignorance, I am a complete noob in the audio department and still have much to learn.

I currently have an x-fi xtreme audio connected to Sony studio speakers as well as a razer carcharias headset. The sound card is pretty crap, it only eliminates some emi from the onboard sound. Would it be better for me to just buy an asus xonar stx for my speakers and headset or to get a uDac? If I get a uDac, will it be an improvement over the x-fi? Will I be able to connect both headphones and speakers to the udac (speakers through rca wires)?

I'm leaning towards the uDac since it is $110 Canadian at the macgroup.ca and the asus xonar stc is $210 cdn.

Or am I going about this the complete wrong way? I don't want to spend more than ~$200 Canadian.

I will be buying proper cans in a few weeks, looking at sennehiser 555 or Grade SR125i, and will buy new speakers (looking at audioengine A2, m-audio av40s or Swans).

 

[Hybrys]

Odd, the second time I'm going to post this in a row.

http://ncix.com/products/?sku=39737&...Bundle%20Deals

The uDAC wouldn't do speakers very well, I'd imagine. It's made to be a DAC, Digital Transport, or portable DAC/Amp.

Edit: It says 'On Backorder', but, they should get new STX cards in a week's time, and you can lock down that pretty good price right now.

 

[GreenMidgetYoda]

So going the xonar stx route will provide me better audio quality for the speakers and headphones over the uDac? I listen 80% of the time over headphones and maybe 20% on speakers. The quality of the headphones is more important to me. I mostly listen to Rap and R&B, with a teeny bit of rock (Beatles, Eagles, and Jimi Hendrex), are the hd555 suitable cans for this type of music?

 

[transient orca]

Unless your speakers is is self powered or really tiny, you will need an amplifier for them for best effect.

 

[J.Pocalypse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenMidgetYoda /img/forum/go_quote.gif If I get a uDac, will it be an improvement over the x-fi? Will I be able to connect both headphones and speakers to the udac (speakers through rca wires)?

Improvement? I believe so. I had the X-Fi for a day or so.. it was alright. The uDAC is superior, IMO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hybrys /img/forum/go_quote.gif The uDAC wouldn't do speakers very well, I'd imagine. It's made to be a DAC, Digital Transport, or portable DAC/Amp.

Why wouldn't it do speakers good? Truth is, you'd need an external amp between the uDAC and speakers, unless you got some powered speakers like the A2 the OP mentioned while connecting them via coaxial/RCA. Portable DAC/Amp? No. It needs to be connected to a computer (for the USB power) to do anything but be a paper weight.

 

[GreenMidgetYoda]

Well my current speakers are powered by a receiver...and can be connected through RCA wires. but I will be getting better speakers soon, A2 or AV40s (The speakers I have are decent, but after 16 years of use, I think they need to be retried). The uDac is appealing to me since its 100$ cheaper than an asus xonar stx. I think I will just buy the uDac, it should be fine with A2s or M-Audio AV40s and cans such as the Grado sr80i or 125i? I was going to go Senn HD555 but the reviews I see seem to favour the Grados for Price/performance.

 

[WRT54G]

If you don't mind, could you post your impressions on how the uDAC and SR-80s or SR-125s sound together when you get them? I'm looking at getting the same pair soon.

 

[GreenMidgetYoda]

Sure, I'll try my best to describe my impressions but do take note that I am still learning about audiophile grade sound! Also the more I read, the more I feel like getting the Grado sr225i...

I'll be ordering the uDac and grado cans (whichever I choose 125i or 225i now) from amazon.com to my sisters place in U.S since its cheaper than buying in Canada. I'll get them in June at the earliest depending when she visits.

 

[omniloathe]

Nuforce uDAC | HeadPhones | Fulcrum Audio

They sell for $99, $10 cheaper than macgroup. I think their shipping for gta is $7, which is also cheaper than macgroup

 

[falis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WRT54G /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you don't mind, could you post your impressions on how the uDAC and SR-80s or SR-125s sound together when you get them? I'm looking at getting the same pair soon.

My daughter sure likes the combo (SR-80), though I'm not sure how sophisticated she is regarding sound quality. The uDAC has no problem driving her active speaker setup either.

- Ed

 

[GreenMidgetYoda]

Just to confirm, would I get better audio quality using an asus xonar stx or using a NuForce uDac with Grado SR125i/SR225i headphones?

 

[anetode]

The Xonar STX. Unless you require an easily-portable solution, there's no need to settle for the uDAC. You're lucky in that Grados are pretty easy to drive, so you should get good performance out of either unit. However the STX will have a lower noise floor, in case you listen LOUD.

 

[GreenMidgetYoda]

Don't need anything portable, this is for my main desktop rig. The reason as to why I was considering the uDac was the price. Is the Xonar STX the best thing at the $200 Canadian mark, is it worth the $100 over the uDac? Is there an alternative amp/dac that will deliver better performance for the headphones ?

Or let me just summarize my entire dillema. I have a maximum budget of ~$400 (can go a bit higher if worth it) for headphones and soundcard/amp/dac. I am considering the Grado SR125i and SR225i for the headphones (leaning towards the SR225i). What would be the best soundcard, amp/dac to get in this case?

I can purchase from Canada and U.S.A.

 

[anetode]

Most self-enclosed amp/dacs in the under 200$ price range are very similar under the hood (PCM2707 or equivalent + opamp). For fuss-free music playback, they suffice. The STX is more of a tweaker's card and offers more flexible output options; which may come in useful for connecting both headphones & speakers.

The Grado budget headphones are a great buy. From the SR80 to the SR225 there's not much of a difference sound-wise.

 

[129207]

Psst, take a look overhere.

Almost any <$200 DAC will give you about the same results. The differences when powering mid-tier headphones and active speakers will be minimal. Your SQ will, in this case, depend more on your choice of headphones/speakers.

I am very happy with my uDAC but recognise it's limitations. It's a cheap DAC, it doesn't sound perfect. If you're planning on gaming on your desktop computer you could invest in a good audiocard. These cards mostly offer good 3d-soundstage effects and support stuff like EAX which increases your gaming experience.

So, for allround use (incl. games) i'd say get an audiocard like the Creative X-FI, Asus Xonar or Auzentech X-Fi/Prelude. Pick one by reading the reviews. For purely music I'd get a cheaper DAC like the uDAC, Hotaudio Extasy, Aune DAC, HUD-MX1 or a secondhand mid-tier DAC like, for example, the Keces 151 (my favourite), Headroom Micro, Ibasso D10/Linearossa W3 or Pico.