Sound cards?

[tcsenter]

If you opt for the back USB ports with PCI bracket, I would recommend the TWO port not the four. I have both types and the longer or more bulky plastic piece of the four port is more likely to bump into or conflict with other components on the mobo that may reside directly in front of the open slot you are trying to install it to. Not as much clearance. e.g.



But they are cheap enough, get one of each!

 

[BoomerD]

I have plenty of USB ports unused...just not 2.0. I think I'm good there.

 

[BoomerD]

here's the conundrum...2 unused PCI-E slots...




The top-most slot is too close to the GPU...I think it will block airflow into the video card...the bottom-most slot is blocked by the PSU shield/cover.

It looks like, IF I decide to go with a sound card, I'll have to move my AIO cooler from the top of the case to the front. Not exactly ideal...but it will work. That will let me raise the motherboard a bit...SHOULD be enough to fit a sound card in the bottom-most slot.

For now, I'm going to plod along. I ordered a longer USC cable...should be here tomorrow.

 

[biostud]

I'm happy with my SB AE-7.

I use it both for music and gaming with my Sennheiser 880 headphones using the "hub" that came with the sound card and toslink for my external DAC in my hifi setup.

 

[BoomerD]

It might be my imagination...but connecting PC to DAC/Amp with a USB-C to B cable, it seems like I lost about 10-20% of the volume to my headphones as compared to the Toslink or USB-A to B..

 

[tcsenter]

It might be my imagination...but connecting PC to DAC/Amp with a USB-C to B cable, it seems like I lost about 10-20% of the volume to my headphones as compared to the Toslink or USB-A to B..

You get this sorted out satisfactorily? I remember reading a FAQ somewhere about DAC volume control. Don't you hate when that happens, you remember the 'gist' of something but cannot remember where you saw it?

Anyway, the gist of it was, some DACs have their own level or gain control and others do not. For those that do, the default is usually to use the level encoding that is passed to them from the driver or output device. To get at the DAC's own volume level control (if supported), you need to install a vendor-specific driver and reconfigure the device settings.