Quality soundcard with coax s/pdif?

[imported_LoKe]

I'm looking for a new soundcard (as the one I'm using is integrated) and can't find decide what to grab. I have to do my shopping at NCIX exclusively. I need a card with coaxial s/pdif out. That's all. The rest of the ins/outs don't matter at all.

So, for around $100, what would be the best sound card for me?

Receiver: Yamaha HTR-5830
Speakers: Paradigm 7s/3SE's/CC170

Halp?

 

[Shawn]

What motherboard do you have? Some have a connector on the board and all you need is something like this.

That would be your cheapest option.

edit: NCIX link

 

[imported_LoKe]

I've got a Gigabyte 965P-S3, which has onboard coaxial s/pdif, but I'm looking to get a new card, if it'll even provide a noticeable difference. I'd like to spend around $100 for this, but if the digital connection on a $100 card is going to be the same as the onboard on my motherboard, then I guess there's no point.

 

[Shawn]

I have the same motherboard and use the onboard optical. It sounds perfect. If you are using digital it doesn't matter. All of the sound processing will be done by your receiver.

 

[krotchy]

HT Omega Striker 7.1

Has working Vista Drivers, Optical and Coax SPDIF and 7.1 analog out.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...01&Tpk=omega%2bstriker

Im using one in my HTPC. I opted for 7.1 Analog to my receiver (Onkyo 705) over the digital ones since I could use the computer to better control what each speaker played when messing with music/movies and whatnot.

 

[potato28]

This is a little over your price range, but will do what you want and much more.

 

[Auric]

What card doesn't have S/PDIF?

The Live! Value from last millennium did. It did not, however, include a jack so a bracket was required to use coaxial. As a side benefit, doing so can also add optical for greater flexibility, interconnect-wise. The same goes for the Audigy and X-Fi series. An advantage to such later DSP cards is being able to do real-time software encoding (redocneXk) to AC3 for 6ch output from any source via S/PDIF. Even without that, the effects available for matrixed 2ch are fantastico. I certainly would not recommend spending more than their $50 on specialized analog I/O cards when those features shan't be used. However, if you simply want strict 2ch PCM sans effects along with DD/DTS then just stick with the onboard.

 

[Tiamat]

Loke, onboard soln with digital out is going to be good enough. No point in throwing money at digital from a pc unless you wanna jump all the way to the 1200$ Benchmark DAC-1 USB.

 

[Modelworks]

http://www.ncix.com/products/i...&manufacture=AuzenTech

Great card and will allow you to send non digital stuff out in dolby digital 5.1 .
Really solid card, like it alot.

 

[imported_LoKe]

So no real gain over onboard anywhere near my price range? Damn.

How about non-PC hardware? Is there anything around $200-400 that would improve sound quality?

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: LoKe
So no real gain over onboard anywhere near my price range? Damn.

How about non-PC hardware? Is there anything around $200-400 that would improve sound quality?

It's digital....provided you aren't clipping the signal(which actually happens quite often) the signal will pretty much be the same between different cards.

You could look into Kernal streaming or ASIO(which I use). However, I really doubt most people would notice a difference.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: LoKe
So no real gain over onboard anywhere near my price range? Damn.

How about non-PC hardware? Is there anything around $200-400 that would improve sound quality?

I don't remember, do you have a subwoofer? That would make a big difference.

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: LoKe
So no real gain over onboard anywhere near my price range? Damn.

How about non-PC hardware? Is there anything around $200-400 that would improve sound quality?

not in my opinion. 2-4hundred would be better spent in gear (like HD source, subwoofer) since the potential quality issues with digital are just not big enough through onboard (unless you know for a fact that your onboard sound solution is terrible, which i doubt).

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
I don't remember, do you have a subwoofer? That would make a big difference.

Of course! It's a Cerwin-Vega.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

What is it you don't like about the audio?

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
What is it you don't like about the audio?

There isn't anything particular I don't like about it, I just can't help but feel like there could be "more".

 

[Tiamat]

you are most likely missing the most of your sound from your subwoofer. I don't know which Cerwin-Vega! you have, but it most likely doesn't have the bass extension of say, an SVS PB-10... I could be wrong on the cervin-vega! as I do not have much experience with it...

* of course, you are most likely missing the most of your sound from your room reflections, but I wont get into that unless you want to.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: TiamatI don't know which Cerwin-Vega! you have, but it most likely doesn't have the bass extension of say, an SVS PB-10...

It's the AVS-Sub8.

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: TiamatI don't know which Cerwin-Vega! you have, but it most likely doesn't have the bass extension of say, an SVS PB-10...

It's the AVS-Sub8.

I couldnt get much out of google, but for example, here is the svs pb-10 . What kind of room/dimensions is your ht in?

 

[montypythizzle]

I did notice a difference between on-board optical out and AV710 optical out, still using the receiver as the DAC, HMMMMM.