Connecting sound card and speakers digitally: Is it worth it?

[SUOrangeman]

Given great analog performance of Live!, Santa Cruz, Acoustic Edge, and Promedias, does connecting sound cards and speakers digitally really offer you anything more? Would you pass on Promedias because they don't currently take digital in? After all, I'm not aware of any card that will only have digital outputs and speakers with only digital inputs. And there has to be a D/A conversion somewhere.

I'm only talking on the level of ***computer audio*** (leave your home audio system out of it ... for now ).

-SUO, wondering out loud

 

[TravisBickle]

I don't know what you mean. There are USB speakers, which is working digitally.

 

[luv2chill]

I assume you're talking about the SB Live Digital Out --> Creative Cambridge Soundworks DTT3500 or DTT2500 (etc.) speakers with the digital-DIN input?

Well I like it... you get zero noise, and because it's a different connector, it freed up the analog outputs for other stuff (I used headphones and an audio transmitter to beam music to my living room). Now I have the live drive w/ headphone out so my analog inputs aren't being used right now. But I've also moved my DTT3500s to my TV for use with DVDs. I'm looking to buy a set of simple 2.1 or 4.1 for my computer, and they'll most likely be analog.

So it doesn't make a huge difference, but if you do use digital you'll have zero static, plus you can attach other speakers to your analog outs.

l2c

 

[cvlegion]

Okay, I will lay this out; with the digital out you can send a dolby digital and/or DTS stream through it to a decoder. That is the main benefit I think. As far a systems go, I cannot recommend the Cambridge systems. I would go for the Boston Acoustics, go to their site (they are professional audio makers, which adds to their credibility). The 4800 is recommended by a lot of people in this forum above the Klipsch Promedia's as being better and cheaper. Other people are suggesting the Videologic systems.

 

[CalebTG]

Noise is the biggest issue for me.

I hook my PC up to my home stereo. With analog, it get a noticable buzz at normal listening levels.

With Coaxial Digital, I notice the buzz at a loud volume.

With an Optical Digital, I can only hear a slight buzz when I have my stereo maxed in volume, and no sound being sent, and when sound is being made, the buzz it completely unnoticable.

If your an audiophile, you'll notice a difference
That, and AC3 passthrough, Dolby Digital, and DTS passthrough to a decoder is useful to some.

 

[Erasmus-X]

Hmmmm, Cambridge Soundworks used to make high-end speakers, but ever since their acquisition by Creative Labs, they have been primarily producing multimedia speakers.

 

[SUOrangeman]

Well, I hear what most of you are saying. True audiophiles might notice the difference between the same sound card-speaker combo when connected via analong means versus digital (S/PDIF) means.

At the same time, would a true audiophile be using more "gamer-like" cards such as Live!, Vortex2, Santa Cruz, or the Acoustic Edge. Seems like Terratec and others would be more of their domain.

-SUO