[xxmastaxx]

Oh sorry not being a pro in grammar. Maybe you can tutor me?
 
Quote:

By the way... Why pay for expensive soundcard rather then DAC?
 
Why not learn english first?

 

[Dalamar]

Gear variance isn't from dacs and amps (aside from noise level, vanishingly low distortion levels, and frequency responses which can be equalized), it's from your endpoint, which at this point will always be the weak link no matter what you pay.

 

[TheOtus]

Quote:

Oh sorry not being a pro in grammar. Maybe you can tutor me?
 

 

I probably should, than you might actually become a better typer. xD

 

[xxmastaxx]

Ok. Help me teacher!
 
Quote:

I probably should, than you might actually become a better typer. xD

 

[Bobsama]

Quote:

I probably should, than you might actually become a better typer. xD

Don't you mean "typist"?

 

[ROBSCIX]

A soundcard has a DAC but also has more hardware such as input sections, various format supports, surround support, Can amplifiers on some..etc
It is really just a matter of what you want in your system and if you have a portable system.
Some people use soundcards, some use DAC and some around here use combinations of both.
It really just depends on what you are after and what your needs are.

 

[xxmastaxx]

Oh, I see. Thanks
Pretty much answered my question.
 
Quote:

A soundcard has a DAC but also has more hardware such as input sections, various format supports, surround support, Can amplifiers on some..etc
It is really just a matter of what you want in your system and if you have a portable system.
Some people use soundcards, some use DAC and some around here use combinations of both.
It really just depends on what you are after and what your needs are.

 

[bepson]

Quote:

Why do people buy expensive soundcards then use DAC?

 
As far as I understand, the best soundcard DAC on the market is not as good as the best (and probably other good) standalone DACs.
Not to mention lesser quality soundards, some of which are still expensive, which many people have.

 

[oqvist]

No but if we stick to say 300$ they keep up very well and gives you a headphone output to boot
 
But yes much more features, processing power. Versatility not many DACS give you options for surround sound too. Then you need to get big and bulky home theater receivers.

 

[GreyArea]

Also, bear in mind that by having a separate DAC, the unit is external so,
on the plus side, it's easier to mod and you don't have to scrobble around the back of your PC when you want to change the input/output
on the neg side, portability issues, bulk, more wires & cables
 
I'd guess that most people that use a DAC as an alternative to their soundcard, also have a soundcard, it just doesn't deliver sound quality equal to the DAC.
I don't know anyone who has no soundcard at all and just uses a DAC through USB.
 
lastly, I think I'm right in saying that DACs were originally sold to convert the digital signal of a dedicated source component like a CD player with optical out. However, now many DACs have USB input so can be used to give a better quality output for your PC's digital music library.
 
 

 

[Professor00179]

Well I think that many people buy expensive sound cards because they have those additional features such as Dolby Headphone in Xonar ST/STX. It is very useful in gaming and some people can't play without it once they get used to 3D sound in games. DACs usually offer only stereo sound as it is designed purely for music. Another thing that sound cards have and DACs do not is EAX, though this technology is becoming less important in gaming as the time passes and I would say that in the actual state not many users really care about EAX support.
 
Another thing is that although 'audiophile-grade' sound cards have very good sound for the price there are limitations that you can not go around e.g. power supply. As many people noticed by upgrading their AMPs with separate power supplies - this has a great effect on the sound quality. While the power supply of the card connected to the motherboard is very limited so is the sound quality. In DAC and separate AMPs hover, you can add high quality power supplies for further improvement.
 
Some people also like the fact that DAC is an external unit. You do not have to worry about how it is connected to the motherboard (e.g. Bravura sound card has only PCI-express connection) simply connect it by the USB or other type of connection. DACs are also very good for laptops since not many allow you to change their internal components.

 

[nullstring]

 
My 2 cents:
 
Soundcard vs DAC.
 
DAC > Soundcard

1. Soundcards are overpriced for the quality of sound you receive. ie. an $80 DAC is most definitely going to sound better than an $80 sound card.
2. Soundcards are exposed to internal noise and dirty power.
3. Soundcards often have driver problems. DACs are typically "driverless" and this non-sense is avoided.
4. DACs are design with audio quality in mind. (SoundCards only pretend to be)
5. Many features that soundcards have can be implemented in software. (Though, might not work as well)
6. Many features that soundcards have aren't necessarily useful. (Gimmicky)
7. Can be DIY and easier to mod.

 
DAC < Soundcard

1. Soundcards are an all in one solution. Multi-Channel DAC, ADC, pre-amp, DSP, Decoders
2. Internal, compact, etc.
3. Contain many features that can't be (or aren't) implemented in software or the software implementation is troublesome or just doesn't work as well.
4. Designed with versatility in mind.

 
In the end, it's probably beneficial to have both a DAC and a soundcard.
DAC for serious listening, and sound card for everything else.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Soundcards can be an all-in-one solution for some people, but I think a DAC gives you a lot more flexibility.  It's easier to build a stereo system out of separate components rather than running everything through a computer.  I prefer to put a preamp at the center of my system - it lets me control two headphone amps, four different sources and a power amp for my speakers.

 

[nullstring]

Quote:

Soundcards can be an all-in-one solution for some people, but I think a DAC gives you a lot more flexibility.  It's easier to build a stereo system out of separate components rather than running everything through a computer.  I prefer to put a preamp at the center of my system - it lets me control two headphone amps, four different sources and a power amp for my speakers.

Slightly off topic.. but.. What kind of preamp do you use?
 
I finally have a real job and I am contemplating the setup of my first real system.
I want to build a preamp with a bunch of TCJ switches and a TCJ attenuator. http://glass-ware.stores.yahoo.net/atandsise.html
 
However, I am not sure if I want an active(buffer/gain 1) or passive preamp, and I would be very interested to hear your opinion on this.
 
 
Thanks,
nullstring

 

[Professor00179]

Well DACs tend to have better sound quality for the money since Chinese DACs become more and more reliable and cheap. Still there are some very good sound cards with high sound quality. One of the problems I have noticed on head-fi is that many of head-fiers own e.g. cheap [in terms of quality] x-fi sound cards. I would say that in general (when going to details I could write a book actually) majority of Creative Labs sound cards are just not so good. To be more specific - I have seen quite a few head-fiers having x-fi fatal1ty sound card and I really think that any stand-alone DAC over $100 would have had WAY better sound quality than this sound card. However, when comparing to Xonar ST/STX the differences could not be as big. Actually Xonar STX almost as good Styleaudio Carat Topaz DAC and differences can be heard only when using very high-end headphones such as HD800 (though both sources are just not good enough for HD800). I think this tells quite alot about the sound quality of SOME sound cards. The major problem is that the sound card market seems to be a little bit more complicated (different drivers, different software features, problems with specific systems etc) and many people actually did not hear the better quality sound cards.
 
As for the drivers and software - yes, in some cases (particularly Creative sound cards) the manufacturer's support is very limited and this is a problem as sound cards - unlike DACs - are kind of software-dependent. There are serious problems with getting right drivers for the right operation systems and make everything work as it should, but only in case when you limit yourself to the 'original' drivers provided by manufacturers. Since Creative cards have very poor support many people started to design their 'own' drivers and software that is way better than the support provided by manufacturers. Those drivers work with no problem at all are very easy to install so the actual problem with support does not exist as long as you do not limit yourself to the 'original' drivers.