2. pc-audio
  3. 1181850381

would usb sound better than a sound card

I am experamenting with pc audio and like what i hear.i am using windows vista and a sound card with coaxial out.i am using a deqx dac-it sounds very good.i was wondering if i can get better sound using a usb dac.and it seems a lot of audiophiles are making this harder than it should.i mean using foobar with this sampling rate,and doing this and that.it seems like it is too complacated.can i please get a simple version of what sounds best.thank you.
128x128gotsouldr
jeffreybowman2k
216 posts
 
HDD to USB dac is vastly superior to using a sound card -- especially a PC sound card (even with Vista). Try a Wavelength USB dac (i have and love the cosecant) and you won't look back.
arni
313 posts
 
Gee, if obtaining good sound would have a simple version, wouldn't life be easy!! Jeffrey is right, but there are less expensive options out there, such as Scott Nixon USB Tube DAC.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
The simplest USB DAC, and a great value is the Benchmark DAC-1 USB. If you want to use your own DAC, then the Off-Ramp Turbo 2 does the same thing.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacturer
dancetracks
7 posts
 
I use a laptop and USB Turtlebeach Amigo to send toslink to an external PS Audio DAC III. Sounded good, but something wasn't quite right.

I changed to ASIO4ALL and added the asio plugin to winamp and it sounded much better.

Then, I stopped being lazy and plug in the USB cable straight to DAC. WOW! Things just keep getting better.

I have not had a chance to compare against CD as a transport but I have a feeling the PC will come close, but not better (I am using high bit-rate MP3 files). A future project will be using EAC to WAV to USB DAC and compare against a cheap CD transport.

-Henry
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