[diablo9]

Hi, guys, I was asking this question here:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=134322

but after reading this post, I am even more confused....
I have been using computer for over 10 years and I thought I know pretty much... but it seems not...

What is the correct way of using Micro DAC if I have both USB and optical-out on my computer?

If I have Audigy, which is NOT bit-perfect, what is the way to get best sound from Micro DAC? I know it's from USB, but what software should I use to play the music? Foobar2K? And I have to config it using certain ASIO driver to pass "kmixer", (what is it anyway?)

If I have AV710, which IS bit-perfect, what's the way to get best sound? USB/optic? what about software?

I am totally confused. In my case, I don't mind paying another $100 for another soundcard, so if I am getting Micro DAC, which soundcard should I get for "bit-perfect" and what software should I use to play ".ape" files?


Thanks a lot!!!

 

[diablo9]

and if I am using USB port, not matter if my sound card is 1212m or junk on-board AC97 audio, they should sound all the same, right?
and how much should it be WORSE than a optical-out from 1212m?

 

[diablo9]

bump

 

[Firestarter]

i'm just relaying what i've learned from reading here, i don't own any of this equipment.

the headroom micro dac has both an usb and a s/pdif interface. when you use the usb interface, windows/mac os/linux recognizes the dac as a soundcard and will install/use drivers. now you'll be able to select the dac as a soundcard. this soundcard acts like any other card and it'll feed the signal to the s/pdif interface.

if you use a av710, you can use it to feed a s/pdif signal to the dac as well. but in both instances, you'll have to use kernel streaming or asio to get bit perfect output.

in case of the usb interface, you can simply select the kernel streaming plugin (either in foobar, winamp or other media players supporting it), and then you select the micro dac as sound card. as far as i know, that's all there is to bit perfect output with the micro dac using the usb interface.

if you want to achieve bit perfect output with the av710, you'll have to jump through another set of hoops, plus the additional annoyance of installing a pci card / drivers / software.

the sound quality will be the same in both cases as far as i know, but better than when you use the s/pdif output of your audigy.


so, if you're going to get the headroom micro dac, just plug it into one of your usb ports, select the kernel streaming plugin and don't worry about it

i don't know how the dac works if you also plug the s/pdif output of your audigy into it. the pictures suggest that you can simply choose between the usb and s/pdif interfaces, which would mean that switching between gaming and sonical bliss is as easy as flipping a switch

edit: to clarify, if you use the usb interface, it doesn't matter what soundcard you already have because the micro dac is a sound card

 

[diablo9]

Thank you SOOOOO MUCH man!!!
Yes I just want to know that if USB and SPDIF should sound exactly the same, that's what I need to know, and yes, as you mentioned.

But what's the difference between kernal streaming and ASIO? Do they make any difference coming to sound quality? Is one more distorted sound/worse sound quality or they should still sound exactly the same?

Thanks again!!!!


Quote:

Originally Posted by Firestarter i'm just relaying what i've learned from reading here, i don't own any of this equipment. the headroom micro dac has both an usb and a s/pdif interface. when you use the usb interface, windows/mac os/linux recognizes the dac as a soundcard and will install/use drivers. now you'll be able to select the dac as a soundcard. this soundcard acts like any other card and it'll feed the signal to the s/pdif interface. if you use a av710, you can use it to feed a s/pdif signal to the dac as well. but in both instances, you'll have to use kernel streaming or asio to get bit perfect output. in case of the usb interface, you can simply select the kernel streaming plugin (either in foobar, winamp or other media players supporting it), and then you select the micro dac as sound card. as far as i know, that's all there is to bit perfect output with the micro dac using the usb interface. if you want to achieve bit perfect output with the av710, you'll have to jump through another set of hoops, plus the additional annoyance of installing a pci card / drivers / software. the sound quality will be the same in both cases as far as i know, but better than when you use the s/pdif output of your audigy. so, if you're going to get the headroom micro dac, just plug it into one of your usb ports, select the kernel streaming plugin and don't worry about it i don't know how the dac works if you also plug the s/pdif output of your audigy into it. the pictures suggest that you can simply choose between the usb and s/pdif interfaces, which would mean that switching between gaming and sonical bliss is as easy as flipping a switch edit: to clarify, if you use the usb interface, it doesn't matter what soundcard you already have because the micro dac is a sound card

 

[Firestarter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by diablo9 Thank you SOOOOO MUCH man!!! Yes I just want to know that if USB and SPDIF should sound exactly the same, that's what I need to know, and yes, as you mentioned. But what's the difference between kernal streaming and ASIO? Do they make any difference coming to sound quality? Is one more distorted sound/worse sound quality or they should still sound exactly the same? Thanks again!!!!

again i have no experience with this, only relaying what i've read here

the only reason to use kernel streaming or asio is to bypass the k-mixer that windows uses to mix the different sound streams (like your music, a game, windows notification sounds) together. in theory, if you can achieve bit perfect output (like the s/pdif out on the av710 or the usb interface on the micro dac), it shouldn't matter whether your using asio or kernel streaming. some claim that asio sounds better. but as it's supposed to be bit perfect anyway, i think that's just a load of placebo bull****

using asio on a card that doesn't support it is just more trouble and it'll probably use more resources on your computer, so don't bother with it. asio is meant for professional studio low latency mixing anyway.

Post edited by moderator - watch the language, please

 

[diablo9]

I see, so that means the following 2 config should sound pratically the same:

1: foobar2k, 1212m with ASIO driver, optical-out, Micro DAC

2: foobar2k, Micro DAC USB "soundcard" with kernal streaming (does it support kernal streaming?), USB, Micro DAC

which also means I can save some money, very happy!!

 

[ken36]

Firestarter is exactly correct. Use the USB. Good little DAC.

 

[jar]

I just tried using kernel streaming in foobar to my usb connected microDAC, and it doesn't play. Is there some sort of driver I need to install? DAC works fine with wave out or direct sound.

 

[sanne]

try using ASIO......use ASIO4ALL and see if that works?

 

[Mr.Sneis]

I also cannot get my Micro DAC to output Kernel Streaming, so far using ASIO is a pain too seeing as how I must used 32-bit fixed output or 16 bit padded to 24 to actually get sound from foobar!

 

[diablo9]

o? if it doesn't support kernel streaming, which method you guys usually use?
I guess at least have to use DirectSound2.0. Is that gonna hurt sound quality, or it's again exactly the same quality?

Thanks!!!

 

[Mr.Sneis]

Well, ASIO and Kernel Streaming output bit-perfect signal and direct sound does not, you should at least be able to use ASIO which seems to be just as good as Kernel Streaming but more often than not harder to configure and maybe a little less reliable.

 

[diablo9]

so ASIO and Kernel streaming should sound practicaclly the same right? good thing I will have 0404 soon, which natively support...

 

[sedminusn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by diablo9 so ASIO and Kernel streaming should sound practicaclly the same right? good thing I will have 0404 soon, which natively support...

Yes, they should. You might also want to take a look at this thread in which one of the posters says the sound difference using ASIO on the MicroDAC is minimal to non-existent:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=133909

I was assuming he was comparing it to Directsound.

Also, why use the 0404 when you have the MicroDAC? I understand that the MicroDAC sounds quite nice...

Edit: nevermind, you're probably planning on using the 0404 for SPDIF out.