Klipsch Pro media 2.1 Died Need Replacements

[Justinus]

Audioengine sells the sub separately, $349!

S8 Powered Subwoofer — Audioengine

S8 Powered Subwoofer | Excellent performance for music, movies, and games. A perfect bass extension for Audioengine powered speakers or as an upgrade to any music system.

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There are better subwoofers in that price range, which is the fantastic benefit to having speakers with a sub out instead of an integrated set where they only work together. Interchangeable parts is always better and more forward looking.

 

[CP5670]

I can also switch to the USB output but I feel like optical sounds just a bit more open, maybe it's not a big difference but I think I can tell somewhat of a difference. I'm only using the z370e's internal sound card anyway and this is the first time I tried using the optical out on it.

I think in either case it's a digital connection, so it uses the amp's onboard DAC which is not that great. The x-fi DAC is better but it has a stupid limitation where you can't connect both the line and headphone outputs at once, even though it has both.

 

[Justinus]

I think in either case it's a digital connection, so it uses the amp's onboard DAC which is not that great. The x-fi DAC is better but it has a stupid limitation where you can't connect both the line and headphone outputs at once, even though it has both.

I am unsure the exact topology of the SMSL AD18 but it claims to be a fully digital decoding amplifier, which usually means it sends the digital signal directly to the digital amplifiers power DAC stage. These have to convert any analog inputs to digital before feeding them to the amp, which means using an external dac is performing an unnecessary digital-anaglog-digital conversion that is totally bypassed using digital inputs.

There is no way to "bypass" the amplifiers power DAC stage in these implementations.

 

[CP5670]

Hmm, that would be awkward. These amps have both USB and line inputs and I figured the latter bypassed the internal DAC, but if they are actually converting that back to digital then it's pointless.

 

[Justinus]

Hmm, that would be awkward. These amps have both USB and line inputs and I figured the latter bypassed the internal DAC, but if they are actually converting that back to digital then it's pointless.

They continue to include analog inputs because boomers.

They have superior sound quality to class D amps that accept analog input, being all digital. There is no "internal dac", the digital PWM amp itself uses the digital signal to drive the PWM. The signal path is entirely digital (unless you use an analog input).

Whether the sound quality is as good or better than a high end DAC + Class A or A/B amp is another discussion altogether.

 

[aigomorla]

This is my wannabe Audiophile stuff.


but its dedicated to headphones.

Speakers always i connect via optical.

 

[Dranoche]

This is my wannabe Audiophile stuff.
View attachment 47688

but its dedicated to headphones.

Speakers always i connect via optical.

I assume optical to prevent noise from your PC coming through? I switched to optical for that reason. The original issue with USB seems hit or miss between different PCs and DACs. Everybody who has that issue solves it with optical but nobody has ever confirmed what exactly was the source of the issue to start with. The noise is coming from the GPU but is it the USB ports, the USB cable, the DAC, the amp/preamp, or the speakers letting it through?

 

[aigomorla]

assume optical to prevent noise from your PC coming through?

yea... along with the dedicated DAC.

Noticed as i was pushing vol higher, i would hear that whine.
This is even with the PC on its own circuit.

My board has a dedicated DAC USB port.
You get nice stuff with Enthusiast Tier boards.

 

[CP5670]

I plug both of my amps into a different outlet than the PC. It helps a lot to reduce the noise, enough that I don't notice it anymore. Optical to reduce noise seems like a good idea, and would be a plus of the AD18 over the SA300.

 

[Dranoche]

I plug both of my amps into a different outlet than the PC. It helps a lot to reduce the noise, enough that I don't notice it anymore. Optical to reduce noise seems like a good idea, and would be a plus of the AD18 over the SA300.

I was running an extension cable all the way to another room for my subwoofer for a while to help with what I assume was some kind of ground loop. Finally bought an isolation transformer for all my desktop audio gear. It was expensive but worth it in the end. DAC, headphone amp, monitors and subwoofer all plugged in to the transformer. No more funny noises, and the noise floor on the monitors dropped slightly.