External soundcard / DAC; USB to optical

[panteragstk]

Good point we don't know the playback software, if he has it.

Here is the manual for his board. Last update for that board was 2007.

Here is the info on that obsolete codec it says it supports.

We also don't know the OS he is running.

What I have found out is that in the audio and AV world you pretty much are forced o Windows 10. Flash is going the way of the dodo and I don't even have it on my devices now.

I will say that Windows 10 is a superb OS. It has really expanded the possible in my opinion.

My HTPC originally had Windows 7, but the 10 upgrade was huge.

My new DAW running 10 is amazing.

So in our arena it is getting like HDMI, there is an increasing forcing of Windows 10.

The latest version of Firefox with Windows 10 now supports streaming in FLAC.

Agreed.

I also looked at the video card and actually have one my self that was used for a very old HTPC. It supports bitstreaming everything he's trying to play. I never tried SACD with it so maybe not that one, but there are plenty of decoders for SACD. Foobar2000 being one of the most well known.

 

[poseidon_gmb]

'course I have a software, lol. I am using Foobar2000 under Win7 which I tried before under win10. Same result. either it is a config problem, a driver one or simply an alien one I want to bypass it with an external USB "something". Which I tend to believe it will provide better quality and less hassle.
On the other hand, a quad core Q9600, with 8gb DDR2 and a SSD, at my level of expertise in It's I think should be able to meet the minimum requirements for whatever external soundcard or DAC.
Again thanks to you all for your time and I apologise for my English, not being my native language...

 

[panteragstk]

'course I have a software, lol. I am using Foobar2000 under Win7 which I tried before under win10. Same result. either it is a config problem, a driver one or simply an alien one I want to bypass it with an external USB "something". Which I tend to believe it will provide better quality and less hassle.
On the other hand, a quad core Q9600, with 8gb DDR2 and a SSD, at my level of expertise in It's I think should be able to meet the minimum requirements for whatever external soundcard or DAC.
Again thanks to you all for your time and I apologise for my English, not being my native language...

You've got all the parts you need. You just need to get it set up.

Go to the taskbar and at the bottom right right click the speaker icon and choose "playback devices"

A list will come up and you can choose "properties". Once the properties box opens click the "supported formats" box. The second box will give you everything that your device supports and at what sample rates. The device has to be plugged in for this to work. Start with your optical output.

 

[poseidon_gmb]

As supported formats I get only 2.0 and 2.1 at various sample rates.
But...
As I said before I don't want to make to properly work the mobo but simply need a reccomandation for a decent USB DAC or external soundcard, so let's forget a minute about the mobo and it's issues.

 

[TLS Guy]

As supported formats I get only 2.0 and 2.1 at various sample rates.
But...
As I said before I don't want to make to properly work the mobo but simply need a reccomandation for a decent USB DAC or external soundcard, so let's forget a minute about the mobo and it's issues.

If that is so, then an external DAC will make no difference and be a waste of money.

 

[poseidon_gmb]

If that is so, then an external DAC will make no difference and be a waste of money.

Sorry mate, i don't really understand you point.
So if i disable the on-board sound card that i have now and get an external one or a DAC, either capable of 5.1, i still won't have the 5.1 via optical to the receiver?!

 

[TLS Guy]

Sorry mate, i don't really understand you point.
So if i disable the on-board sound card that i have now and get an external one or a DAC, either capable of 5.1, i still won't have the 5.1 via optical to the receiver?!

Well it depends if the stream is mixed down before it gets to the sound card. What is your current sound card? If that supports Dolby 5.1 and you can't send a 5.1 PCM to your receiver from your current board, then an external one won't either.

I should point out that a DAC is not what you need. A DAC is a digital to analog converter. You don't send an analog stream via an optical cable. You need to send a 5.1 PCM or bitstream down your optical cable to your receiver

 

[panteragstk]

Sorry mate, i don't really understand you point.
So if i disable the on-board sound card that i have now and get an external one or a DAC, either capable of 5.1, i still won't have the 5.1 via optical to the receiver?!

Are you not able to use HDMI from your video card?

 

[PENG]

hello,
with the following premises:
-I listen mostly lossless files, CD's, DVD's and some SACD's sourcing from a PC via optical cable to a Denon receiver, then to a 5.1 Heco setup (2 tower front, 1 center, 2 shelf surround speakers, and an old Boston Acoustics sub).

-I changed the motherboard of the PC and now i can't get a multi channel signal to the receiver (really do not know why), but only stereo, even if i play a DVD with Dolby surround sound.

-I'd like to eliminate the internal sound card hypothesis and get an external one, or an USB DAC, or simply an USB to optical converter and in the same time get the best quality sound possible at a decent price, ain't that eager to sell a kidney for a gadget, lol ...

What might be the best solution in your more view?
I got my eyes on the Behringer UCA202 and the M Audio Super DAC II, will they do the job decently? Are there any better options?

Thanks a lot!

PS. Does it even exists an USB to HDMI solution?!

Not exactly sure what you want to achieve but I can tell you the following:

- optical and coax won't do multi-channel SACD/DSD contents.
- HDMI will do, but depending on the AVR you may have to output in PCM from your sound card.
- External multi-channel DAC is not that common, Oppo's universal player can do the job though.

 

[bikdav]

Not exactly sure what you want to achieve but I can tell you the following:

- optical and coax won't do multi-channel SACD/DSD contents.
- HDMI will do, but depending on the AVR you may have to output in PCM from your sound card.
- External multi-channel DAC is not that common, Oppo's universal player can do the job though.

I don't know if this is helpful, but I ran into a somewhat similar problem with a desktop "tower". What I ended up trying is using a USB to HDMI converter at the tower [USB male to HDMI female]. They are somewhat expensive. I then took an HDMI cable and connected it between that HDMI converter and the HDMI in of a Yamaha receiver. Most dolby digital and dts material that I tried playing from downloads worked great.

 

[PENG]

I don't know if this is helpful, but I ran into a somewhat similar problem with a desktop "tower". What I ended up trying is using a USB to HDMI converter at the tower [USB male to HDMI female]. They are somewhat expensive. I then took an HDMI cable and connected it between that HDMI converter and the HDMI in of a Yamaha receiver. Most dolby digital and dts material that I tried playing from downloads worked great.

Yeah but I am not sure if that's what he's after, as it's been mentioned already that HDMI would work, that includes using converters.

 

[poseidon_gmb]

The HDMI adapter might be a solution, the only doubt I have is about the sound processing. Who will do it? If I disable the integratd sound card will I be able to send some kind of a signal through USB? How?

As I understood that I haven't been too explicit in what do I need to achieve, I apologise for that. All I need is to bypass the sound processing by the mobo, doing it externally, being able to do Dolby 5.1 and feed an AVR via optical cable.
Doing some research I understood after all that there isn't any DAC on the market that would process multichannel therefore an USB soundcard might do the trick.
So... is there any sound card close to "audiophile grade" on the market which you, with more knowledge than I might suggest?
Thanks again to you all

 

[slipperybidness]

The HDMI adapter might be a solution, the only doubt I have is about the sound processing. Who will do it? If I disable the integratd sound card will I be able to send some kind of a signal through USB? How?

As I understood that I haven't been too explicit in what do I need to achieve, I apologise for that. All I need is to bypass the sound processing by the mobo, doing it externally, being able to do Dolby 5.1 and feed an AVR via optical cable.
Doing some research I understood after all that there isn't any DAC on the market that would process multichannel therefore an USB soundcard might do the trick.
So... is there any sound card close to "audiophile grade" on the market which you, with more knowledge than I might suggest?
Thanks again to you all

M audio has some good sound cards.
Asus has some good sound cards.

Nobody here is convinced that any of this will solve your problem.

You don't seem to want to take the advice that has been given here. You seem dead-set that "you need a USB soundcard" for one reason or another.

So, get a USB sound card, try it out, and then report back if it solves your problem or not.

 

[panteragstk]

The HDMI adapter might be a solution, the only doubt I have is about the sound processing. Who will do it? If I disable the integratd sound card will I be able to send some kind of a signal through USB? How?

As I understood that I haven't been too explicit in what do I need to achieve, I apologise for that. All I need is to bypass the sound processing by the mobo, doing it externally, being able to do Dolby 5.1 and feed an AVR via optical cable.
Doing some research I understood after all that there isn't any DAC on the market that would process multichannel therefore an USB soundcard might do the trick.
So... is there any sound card close to "audiophile grade" on the market which you, with more knowledge than I might suggest?
Thanks again to you all

I've asked a few times, but never got an answer. Why can you not use HDMI out from your video card? It will transport everything optical will and more.

 

[PENG]

The HDMI adapter might be a solution, the only doubt I have is about the sound processing. Who will do it? If I disable the integratd sound card will I be able to send some kind of a signal through USB? How?

As usual, if you output in PCM, your PC is doing the decoding. If you output the signal in "bitstream", then your AVR or AVP will have t

As I understood that I haven't been too explicit in what do I need to achieve, I apologise for that. All I need is to bypass the sound processing by the mobo, doing it externally, being able to do Dolby 5.1 and feed an AVR via optical cable.

What is a mobo, you meant your PC's motherboard? For Dolby 5.1, you should be able to bitstream via optical or coax if your sound card has such capabilities.

Doing some research I understood after all that there isn't any DAC on the market that would process multichannel therefore an USB soundcard might do the trick.
So... is there any sound card close to "audiophile grade" on the market which you, with more knowledge than I might suggest?
Thanks again to you all

That is not true, there aren't too many but they are there. For example:

https://www.minidsp.com/products/usb-audio-interface/u-dac8
https://www.exasound.com/e38/e38DACOverview.aspx

For sound cards, there are all sorts of them that can do 7.1.

https://www.asus.com/Sound-Cards/Xonar_HDAV13_Deluxe/specifications/