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In Reply to: Need help choosing a sound card posted by Yoav on October 29, 2004 at 23:13:23:
The optimum solution is not a sound card, it is a USB->S/PDIF interface and an outboard DAC.If you want a good sounding PCI card, get the E-MU 1212M. It has potential ground-loop problems from the analog outs though. The digital out is not isolated, but can be isolated with the right mods.
Follow Ups:
i'm using an m-audio audiophile as a digital out from my laptop (along with its surprisingly decent headphone amp with some grados) into my bidat and anagram dac.....for ACID work, this setup does everything i need.
How important is the quality of the device that converts the USB signal into an SPDIF signal?For example, as a temporary solution to get a digital signal out of my laptop, Im using the $40 Creative Sound Blaster mp3 box that has optical outs. Im thinking about getting a cheap $15 optical to SPDIF COAX converter from RatShack so my ART DI/O can be the DAC. Through this chain, will the outboard DAC automatically take over the DA conversion, or is additional computer configuration involved?
Sorry, I know very little about how this all works. Its still gelling..
"How important is the quality of the device that converts the USB signal into an SPDIF signal?"Very important I have found. Older generation units that did this sounded really bad. The Transit works well for PC's and the Edirol adapter seems to work well for Imac's. These things can create their own jitter, and they do. This is why I modded mine.
Audioengr,I have to go out for the weekend right now, but I appreciate your suggestions. I will be able to ask further questions in the near future, and I appreciate your contributions to this board.
Dear audioengr,Thanks for the reply.
Please allow me to ask you this though:
1. As far as I remember, S/PDIF cannot carry high-resolution multichannel data. I am talking 6 channels at 192/24. Is there another way to use an outboard DAC, so that I still have high-resolution capabilities?2. My current sound card (LynxTWO) costs over $1,000. Is the E-MU 1212M actually better even though it costs only a fifth? I find that hard to believe, but I may be wrong.
1. As far as I remember, S/PDIF cannot carry high-resolution multichannel data. I am talking 6 channels at 192/24. Is there another way to use an outboard DAC, so that I still have high-resolution capabilities?If you have an outboard DAC that will resolve multichannel 24/196 then firewire or Ethernet would do it. Not aware of any solutions available, but I have not looked either.
2. My current sound card (LynxTWO) costs over $1,000. Is the E-MU 1212M actually better even though it costs only a fifth? I find that hard to believe, but I may be wrong.
If the Lynx analog outs are DC-coupled, then it has the potential to beat the 1212M. Folks have compared the 1212M to the Hammerfall 2496 and the 1212M usually wins even though it is half the price I believe. Both are good candidates for modding and I do them both.
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