Best audio card with digital output

[MikeSp]

Previously, I have either used the audio that is onboard the motherboard or used a modest audio card for playing Web files and music through the computer's speaker system.

With a media server that will feed from an audio device of some sort via digital interconnect to my pre-pro that keeps everything in the digital domain until the DACs, I would appreciate recommendations as to the best audio device and I use the term "device" since I already assume from doing some reading that it cannot be a sound card inside the computer due to the digital noise present.

Recording is not a concern at all -- just the capability to send high bit-rate lossless audio files to my MX150 pre is my goal when I build a media server.

Thoughts/opinions appreciated

Thanks,

MikeSp

 

[caper26]

So what you are after is an "external sound card". I just finished some research on this topic last week. Here is what I came up with in order of cost:

• Turtle Beach Micro II USB Analog & Digital Audio Adapter
• Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1

Here are some "wireless" options:

• SqueezeBox touch
• Sonos Home Music System (multi-room)

No HDMI out on the laptop?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

What type of pc you have - desktop or laptop?
If desktop is what you have - since MX150 supports lossless codecs, the only way to enable these - you MUST use hdmi.
Best way to have HDMI with support for lossless codecs believe it or not it's not sound card at all
It's actually a video card:
If you have no need for gaming your Best bang for your buck will be this card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102877&cm_re=5450-_-14-102-877-_-Product

If you have laptop - the options mentioned by caper26 would good, but you won't have lossless HD codecs since these not supported over coax or optical cable... Also do you happen to have HDMI port on your laptop?

 

[caper26]

If desktop is what you have - since MX150 supports lossless codecs, the only way to enable these - you MUST use hdmi.

You mean HD lossless right? I mean, FLAC is lossless but you don't need HDMI...or am I out to lunch?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

You mean HD lossless right? I mean, FLAC is lossless but you don't need HDMI...or am I out to lunch?

Yes, you are right I meant HD Lossless. Flac gets translated to regular stereo LPCM - aka WAV - i.e. No compression = Lossless

 

[highfigh]

Yes, you are right I meant HD Lossless. Flac gets translated to regular stereo LPCM - aka WAV - i.e. No compression = Lossless

What about just a straight audio card, for using a PC as a music server?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

What about just a straight audio card, for using a PC as a music server?

For pure music (stereo) I'd pick the excellent value Behringer UCA202 for around $30 on Amazon. Can't beat that.
You could spend $1000 on better dac, but you know how much improvement you going to get for that... not much

 

[caper26]

For pure music (stereo) I'd pick the excellent value Behringer UCA202 for around $30 on Amazon. Can't beat that.
You could spend $1000 on better dac, but you know how much improvement you going to get for that... not much

damn...I already ordered a The Micro II USB sound card from Turtle beach. Would have preferred the name Behringer instead. Oh well...

 

[digicidal]

damn...I already ordered a The Micro II USB sound card from Turtle beach. Would have preferred the name Behringer instead. Oh well...

That should work just as well - after all you're using the DAC in the AVR anyway. I can't see what resolution it handles (TurtleBeach doesn't say anywhere in the manual or on the site) - but it's guaranteed to at least handle 16/44-48... so unless you have a large library of 24/96 flac's it would be fine regardless. I'm not sure why it would have any limitations because it's just converting one digital output to another (USB->TOSLINK) but ya never know.

 

[caper26]

well I got it yesterday. The dongle works with a 3.5mm plugged into it, but not toslink for some reason. Yes I selected correct input and set the sound source to "Digital coax/tos" as well as auto. The dongle can take 3.5 mm or you can put an adapter into the same hole to use toslink. I will try another cable, or I can try another source if I get a chance today with the same cable to troubleshoot. On another note, while playback of music, the sound chops out briefly from time to time....not acceptable. I will also test and see if its this piece of equipment or not.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

well I got it yesterday. The dongle works with a 3.5mm plugged into it, but not toslink for some reason. Yes I selected correct input and set the sound source to "Digital coax/tos" as well as auto. The dongle can take 3.5 mm or you can put an adapter into the same hole to use toslink. I will try another cable, or I can try another source if I get a chance today with the same cable to troubleshoot. On another note, while playback of music, the sound chops out briefly from time to time....not acceptable. I will also test and see if its this piece of equipment or not.

Did you installed it's driver? I briefly remember what you must install driver to get digital out to work... Or I could be wrong

 

[caper26]

no I didn't. It supposed to work out of the box...didn't come with a driver, but there is one at turtle beach I think. I can see the 'red light' coming out of it...receiver is just not detecting anything.

 

[caper26]

Driver installed. Still nothing. With the 3.5mm jack plugged in, changing it from "2 speaker" to "SPDIF" does nothing...I still get music on both selections. When I plug in digital cable, I get nothing.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

hmm, the TB web site says:

The Micro II needs this driver only for Dolby Digital output, for analog connections no driver is needed.

http://www.turtlebeach.com/support/index.php?View=files&CategoryID=424

Also checkout feedback on newegg for this product - frequently very useful tips can be found there:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829118107

Pros: I'm using the Audio Advantage on an old HTPC to pass through AC3/Dolby Digital 5.1 via SPDIF to my receiver. It works fine after doing the below software tweak in AC3Filter.

Cons: No audio input.

Other Thoughts: In order to get AC3/Dolby Digital 5.1 to pass through SPDIF it was necessary to adjust the following settings in AC3Filter Config Menu: Change Output to "3/2+SW 5.1 Channels" and check "Use SPDIF" box.

 

[caper26]

yep, thats the driver I installed. There are 3 options in the control panel menu:

• 2 speakers
• headphone
• SPDIF

If I plug the 3.5mm jack into the dongle, I can select '2 speaker' OR 'SPDIF' and it works (avr picks up analog obviously). Wonder why when I tell it to output spdif that the 3.5mm cable works?
Optical cable connected results in no sound, but it does light up red. I am using foobar to play music. Again, avr is set to AUTO, but I do change it to Coax/Optical to be sure...ugh, this is annoying
.
As an aside, it seems playing FLAC files in foobar causes it to 'freeze' quite often. testing it now and mp3s are playing fine without the hiccup.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Dont know much about foobar,
try mpc-hc and ac3filter

 

[caper26]

will try it. still have to troubleshoot the optical problem...foobar is definately having problems playing flac files over network. will investigate that later in another forum. cheers. will report back on the spdif issue in a bit. got some more painting to do... ugh

 

[caper26]

well the toslink cable I have definitely works...hooked up to PS2 and worked right away on the same input on the avr I have been trying...so now I know its not a cable or receiver problem. From the reviews I read on newegg, everyone else got it to work for music by just plugging it in, and the driver is only for DD 5.1 and such. bloody hell this is annoying...

 

[MikeSp]

no DACs desired for media server output

Most quality audio devices from desktop computers output analog into an AVR -- my goal is to achieve the highest possible audio quality while playing WAV or FLAC files and feeding them either directly into my pre-pro which handles everything in the digital domain until it reaches its own DACs before sending the signals to the amplifiers -- trying to avoid all of the D/A then A/D and then D/A conversions.

Lack of digital noise from the motherboard and jitter are concerns if I just connect the motherboard's SPDIF outputs or coax/Toslink outputs from a PCI-E audio card. Thus, I am trying to avoid the outboard DACs so that the only conversion to analog is in the pre-pro's quality DACs just before the signal is sent to the amplifiers, yet I want very much to achieve or surpass the quality of Redbook CDs and SACDs.

Using a quality CD/SACD transport and quality dedicated DAC into an analog preamp can surpass the quality of a Redbook CD -- that is the quality I am seeking and am not sure it is possible while staying in the digital domain until the final DACs.

Thanks,

MikeSp

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Most quality audio devices from desktop computers output analog into an AVR -- my goal is to achieve the highest possible audio quality while playing WAV or FLAC files and feeding them either directly into my pre-pro which handles everything in the digital domain until it reaches its own DACs before sending the signals to the amplifiers -- trying to avoid all of the D/A then A/D and then D/A conversions.

Lack of digital noise from the motherboard and jitter are concerns if I just connect the motherboard's SPDIF outputs or coax/Toslink outputs from a PCI-E audio card. Thus, I am trying to avoid the outboard DACs so that the only conversion to analog is in the pre-pro's quality DACs just before the signal is sent to the amplifiers, yet I want very much to achieve or surpass the quality of Redbook CDs and SACDs.

Using a quality CD/SACD transport and quality dedicated DAC into an analog preamp can surpass the quality of a Redbook CD -- that is the quality I am seeking and am not sure it is possible while staying in the digital domain until the final DACs.

Thanks,

MikeSp

Mike, thx for joining us, but please read the previous replies from me and others.
For music also you don't need to go hmdi and you already were offered few good solutions.
It's still not clear to me are using desktop pc or it's a laptop.

p.s: Please disregard my recent convo with caper26 - it's specific to his turtle beach sound adapter.