[mackman]

At the moment I've got my Ultra Micro DAC fed by both the USB input and the optical input from my sound card and both signals are 44.1kHz 16-bit. With all the various PC-side volumes at 100% it's significantly louder from the optical input vs. the USB input. Obviously I'm suspicious of the PC configuration, but I was wondering if there was any known/expected differences between the USB and optical inputs on the Ultra Micro DAC.

Thanks, Ryan

 

[kboe]

Hey Ryan,
I do not know about the optical output of a computer, but I did once hook up a CD player to my micro DAC through the optical cable and had to turn up the volume more than I was when I used the USB through my laptop. Your situation is with two outputs from the same source where as mine was two separate sources so I doubt my experience is related. I thought I had some sort of insight but I guess not now that I think of it. Sorry. I just hope it has not degraded your sound quality and purity.
Kevin

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

First pass guess is that they should be the same. Unfortunately our engineer is on vacation so I don't have a second pass guess.

Sadly, I don't think we have a computer that has USB and digital outs. I have to say I'm every suspicious of your computer settings.

I suggest you ask this question in the computer audio forum area here at Head-Fi.

 

[mackman]

Hi Tyll,

Thanks for the reply. Turns out you were right on, it was the PC configuration. I found a thirty party set of drivers for my sound card promising bit perfect output and now the volume levels match as best I can tell.

-Ryan