2. pc-audio
  3. 175419-123815

Usb or Optical

Have a custom built computer has latest greatest Realtek Audio 1220 vb or whatever its called.  I have a Little Dot Mark ii tube amp and i just bought a SMSL D300 dac.  Should i go optical from computer to desktop dac ? or usb from computer to usb on back of destop dac ?????  im not trying to get dsd or any crazy hi res 24/192 is fine.  Whats going to give me the best sound ?

 

thanks for all input is welcome.

128x128audiomike33
audiomike33's avatar
audiomike33 OP
117 posts
 

In fact I think the smsl d300 is going to be any sound card you can put in your computer.

audiomike33's avatar
audiomike33 OP
117 posts
 

Weird thing is I got my smsl d300 hooked up through USB and I'm playing Amazon music I can't get above 24/48 when I check on the song I'm playing it does 24/96 but it says my device is only capable of 2448 that ain't right can't figure out what's going on even when I go somewhere to play a higher rate flac file the screen on the DAC never goes above 48.

auxinput
2,920 posts
 

Maybe the motherboard is limited to 24/48 on the optical?  No idea.  Have you checked the Sound configuration in Control Panel to see if 96.0 kHz is checked in the "Supported Formats" tab?

audiomike33's avatar
audiomike33 OP
117 posts
 

Well I'm using the USB on my computer not the optical so that shouldn't be a limiting factor what's coming out of the computer right it's just straight out of the computer bypassing the dac on the motherboard.

 

Going to try to figure it out I'm going to try opticals if there's any difference .

majorc
76 posts
 
fwiw I purchased the xonar essence STX - was using it's analog outputs - it only lasted @ 2 years before it died... wish it did not because i would have liked to have tried its coax output
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