Should I use a Sound Card or Reciever DAC?

[Jivatmanx]

Well, I'm setting up a stereo speaker system to listen to music to, and I'm going to get some loudspeakers that are under $1000, likely Mordaunt-Shorts or Monitor Audio RS6. I'm going to connect it to my computer, which already has an integrated analog and digital output. I have $350 to spend on a reciever, and I'm wondering, should I get a sound card and use the analog output on the card, or buy a slightly more expensive reciever and use my integrated digital into the reciever? Whatever I do, It has to be less than $350, so I'd love reccomendations. Thanks

 

[sokrman14]

If your computer is going to be your only source for sound, meaning no DVD/CD player, then I would say get a great sound card. But if you will be using your CD a lot for music, I would say get a better receiver. What receiver(s) are you looking at? Likely at $375, getting a better receiver ($500), wont have any better DAC's, just more Watts per Channel and other features like video upconversion. I have actually been doing this as well, I already had my receiver, but got a free Sound Blaster X-Fi platinum sound card, I use the digital optical out, and you can still make adjustments within the sound card to enhance sound. I would say use the digital out, and get a sound card if it is your main source of music.

 

[Jivatmanx]

Hmm... I'm not too knowledgable about audio, but, if the output is digital, doesnt that mean that the card doesnt do any processing of the signal, so would'nt a more expensive card be the same as integrated for digital?

My idea was that maybe the DAC on a sound card would be better than the DAC on the reciever, in which case I would output analog from the card into the reciever.

If the main advantage of more expensive recievers up to $500 is just power, I think I should just get a soundcard and use the analog on it, because I don't listen to music very loud, but I care about sound quality

As for CD's and DVD's I have a CD/DVD drive on my computer.

 

[sokrman14]

I agree with what you are saying 100% about using the digital cable being processed by the receiver. But the soundcard undergoes D/A, adjusts audio, then A/D (most likely), and sends the signal out to the receiver. My idea of the process could be wrong, but I am simply stating the way it works for my system. You can make adjustments to the audio through the sound card, just as you can make adjustments to audio in a standalone CD player before its processed by the receiver.

I suggest purchasing the cheaper receiver and purchasing the sound card, try it out, if you dont like it, return it and go the other way around. The sound card just gives you lots of added features to adjust the sound just how you like it. Full EQ, etc, etc.

 

[Jivatmanx]

I do like EQ, and a big advantage of using a computer as a source is that you have nearly endless options for audio effects, just depending on the software you're using. EQ is done by the software and CPU, not card, I think.

If you just use the digital output, I think that you could buy a really cheap sound card, as Is'nt all digital the same?

The reason for a more expensive one would be to have a better DAC, to imput analog into the Reciever.

I might get a 80 or so dollar E-MU card

Hmm, it would be cool if more recievers have USB input.

Aren't computer's great?

 

[sokrman14]

I think that is a good choice going with the sound card. Sorry for the misunderstanding, when I said card, I was meaning software.