Outboard USB DAC

[speakerman1]

I found one wonder if it is worth the price.

Xonar Essence One http://www.asus.com/Multimedia/Audio_Ca ... /#overview

Changeable op-amps. So you can try different ones to get the sound you like. Like rolling tubes.

Larry

 

[jbeckva]

That's essentially the same thing as what I have, but my Xonar is internal. Quite a few hundred cheaper since I don't need the power supply and whatnot. But yup.. even at the price of the internal going 2 to 4 times the norm, it's well worth it.

 

[speakerman1]

I'll be saving for awhile to get this one. Does yours have the oversampling also. I have been reading alot about it.

Larry

 

[jbeckva]

Hmm, now that one's new. Strange tho - it doesn't seem to have any analog inputs?

 

[speakerman1]

Why would it? It is a digital analog converter. DAC

Larry

 

[jbeckva]

Ahh, so the one I got can do more than that one for less.. hmmmmmmm...

Nice DAC tho...

 

[speakerman1]

It isn't a sound card. It does one thing. What I have read it does it pretty good.

Larry

 

[jbeckva]

Sure, but for 200 or so bucks less and having the ability to record as well as play, I'll pass on it... heheh I can swap 'em op amps too, you know? The Xonar card I have has the same basic circuitry, just with the addition of a A/D stage and no power supply (but... unlike many other internal cards the Xonar takes it's power supply directly from the power supply and not the motherboard). Bet it sounds pretty darn good tho, but still.. you're not getting much more if you get it versus having an empty slot in your PC.

 

[speakerman1]

Are you still running the AA DAC? That is all this is except the 8X oversampling and the USB port. I want a DAC that does one thing. That is what I want it for. I like a component that does one thing. Wish I had a dedicated transport and not a CDP.

Larry

 

[jbeckva]

Not really using the AA anymore. The output of the Xonar itself is rated at 124DB SNR with .0003 THD, 10hz to 90khz (so my dog says ). I can (and have) driven it directly into the amp without a preamp, and it's dead quiet that way.

Sounds better than that EMU ya got Larry - and that EMU as you know isn't a slouch when it comes to good sounding music coming out of it.

 

[speakerman1]

I'm getting hiss out of it. That is why I started looking for a USB DAC. That is all I want.

Larry

 

[jbeckva]

I'm getting hiss out of it. That is why I started looking for a USB DAC. That is all I want.

Larry

Toin the freekin' vol pots all the way down and make sure you don't flip that "monitor" button on...

hisss my butt... lol... for someone who likes tapes... tsk tsk tsk...

 

[speakerman1]

I do not here hiss on my tapes. All the pots are down but the output pot. It is halfway. I just checked everything you said. Shouldn't be getting hiss from the USB cable.

Larry

 

[jbeckva]

Are you hooking up headphones to the headphone out or the preamp to the main outs via the back?

 

[speakerman1]

No headphones.

Larry

 

[speakerman1]

The cable from my computer is it a Toslink? I got an email from this place.

http://www.mycablemart.com/store/cart.p ... ail&p=3120

Larry

 

[stuwee]

IIRC, my old SAE D102 CDP did 8x oversampling waaaay back in the 1980's, I have to find my OM to confirm, they were one of the first to incorporate that in their stuff back then. They slapped a big sticker on the box that said so, wish I still had it.