[skeptic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordonFreeman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Installing the card it easy, spending money on it just to learn it doesn't sound as good as some of the external solutions is a hassle and a complete waste of money, its pretty simple, if its for music then an external Dac is the better solution. Also dont assume for one second that I have not heard some of your recommendations. Impressive to some people may not be very impressive to others.

Gordon - I generally agree with you regarding the superiority of external DAC's, but I think we should qualify the above statement to acknowledge the potential value of internal sound cards as digital transports.

You and I actually both posted in a thread a couple of weeks ago which discussed, inter alia, how the Microdac benefits from a spdif transport, as opposed to simply using its usb input. See page 4 of: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/usi...67/index4.html

I don't have the link handy, but I've read the same of the Constantine DAC (which would presumably also apply to the Paradisea) in a thread initiated by UpStateGuy.

This is not to say that there aren't some USB dacs that outperform spdif equivalents. However this evidently isn't true of all (or even many?) of them. HeadphoneAddict even comments in the aforementioned thread: "I have never heard a USB DAC match an optical DAC yet." On this basis, I think we should still recognize the value of a decent internal card when used as a digital transport

 

[GordonFreeman]

I guess I was kinda fuzzy about my point. I was saying external is the way to go as apposed to using an internal card, reguardless of how you set it up. Most computers have a coax output and keeping this in mind I just cand see how adding another internal card is a good recomendation, unless optical is a must have. I think that money would be better spent on the actual DAC instead of another internal transport or source.

 

[skeptic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordonFreeman /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess I was kinda fuzzy about my point. I was saying external is the way to go as apposed to using an internal card, reguardless of how you set it up. Most computers have a coax output and keeping this in mind I just cand see how adding another internal card is a good recomendation, unless optical is a must have. I think that money would be better spent on the actual DAC instead of another internal transport or source.

Ah - fair enough then. I agree, if there is already an on-board digital out, there's no sense in adding another - unless we're talking about gamers trying to milk a few extra frames per second out of an X-fi or some equivalent.

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[GordonFreeman]

I just didnt want the OP to be lead down that (get a new sound card) path because really wont get you far. Difference in SQ between onboard and an add in card is minicule compared to the difference between an add in card and an external Dac.

 

[[S]uds]

So, I'm a bit confused. Do you think I would get better SQ if I were to run my Zero via Optical to, say, Creative X-Fi Platinum rather than running to to my On Board Sound(which I am doing now with my Evga 680i)?

Edit: I am referring to my Zero DAC/Amp BTW.

 

[davidloh]

I was wondering what you guys think of this set up. I'm using my Dell XPS M1210's built in s/pdif output via the 7pin DIN breakout box to a DIY DAC.

It uses a Toshiba RX178B mated to Cirrus Logic's CS4397 24bit 192KHz chip, that decodes redbook and HDCD discs. Components come from Elna, Dale, Wima.. fully discrete and shielded power supplies.

Gonna mate it to a Bada PH-1 hybrid amp..

 

[skeptic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uds /img/forum/go_quote.gif So, I'm a bit confused. Do you think I would get better SQ if I were to run my Zero via Optical to, say, Creative X-Fi Platinum rather than running to to my On Board Sound(which I am doing now with my Evga 680i)? Edit: I am referring to my Zero DAC/Amp BTW.

If you're gaming, there is an obvious benefit to using a card like the X-fi because it is designed to reduce the load on your CPU. But as far as pure 2 channel sq goes, Gordon is correct, and there is certainly no guarantee that your sq would improve by adding a card to serve as a transport.

There are a wide number of factors within your computer that might impact sound quality including but not limited to, the design of your motherboard and any imperfections in the signal path, the quality of the on-board digital transport and clock, your pci slots/bus, drivers for the on-board sound vs. the x-fi, etc.

From the stand point of jitter, and assuming that both the X-fi and your on-board transport are capable of passing a bit perfect stream of data via ASIO or kernal streaming, I would tend to believe that the clocking of that data would be superior on the X-fi, relative to whatever freebie clock is natively bundled with on board sound. But this is really just speculation on my part. Moreover, even if it is objectively better, it may not be a substantial enough improvement to be audible via your setup or my own.