Soundcard vs external DAC

[el-Capitan]

Hello gents,

My new motherboard features a Realtek 882 chip. I was not able get any reviews, but I expect that chip to fare worse than my current 889 - and that already sounds bland on my Sennheiser 280 Pros.

I have recently stumbled upon discussions where people use an external DAC connected via USB or Optical. Example

If I am considering the above DAC (or similar), I could get a decent soundcard for the same price. Even though Creative's Vista driver debacle made me swear to never buy one of their setups again.

Do you guys have any opinions/ experiences/ recommendations to share? Or are my headphones to meek to tell a difference?

I will use this primarily for gaming.

 

[sdifox]

can always get an usb dac+headphone amp combo device.

 

[el-Capitan]

can always get an usb dac+headphone amp combo device.

Which, I understand, my above example is. I am wondering whether that is a better bet than getting a, e.g., Asus Xonar. (Either can be had for $80-90)

 

[sdifox]

Which, I understand, my above example is. I am wondering whether that is a better bet than getting a, e.g., Asus Xonar.

Depends on the actual chip in the USB DAC. And Xonar has driver issues too.


I don't think you'll hear much difference with the 280Pro though.

 

[BrightCandle]

ON head-fi they have some links to blind tests that show that audiophile's can not tell the difference between an external DAC and the usual DAC found in a decent sound card. So really its a choice of form factor and features and not really of quality.

The headphones are going to make the biggest difference in quality, then depending on the headphones the amp and finally the DAC. A 280 is not going to be limited by any of the devices you are listing.

 

[uclabachelor]

Hello gents,

My new motherboard features a Realtek 882 chip. I was not able get any reviews, but I expect that chip to fare worse than my current 889 - and that already sounds bland on my Sennheiser 280 Pros.

I have recently stumbled upon discussions where people use an external DAC connected via USB or Optical. Example

If I am considering the above DAC (or similar), I could get a decent soundcard for the same price. Even though Creative's Vista driver debacle made me swear to never buy one of their setups again.

Do you guys have any opinions/ experiences/ recommendations to share? Or are my headphones to meek to tell a difference?

I will use this primarily for gaming.

My setup is:

Logicform NV1 USB Preamp
Yamaha HS8 Studio Monitors

Ran me about $750 for that setup but it's the most amazing audio setup I've heard and own for under $1000. I've heard sound systems that cost upwards of $2000 alone just for speakers and the Yamaha with the NV1 USB DAC sounds the same, if not better than pricey setups.

The only thing that's missing from my setup is a nice subwoofer.

By "sound better", I mean that the audio coming from my PC or macbook, whether it's music, games, or watching Netflix, is so crisp and clear that I can hear every little detail. It also has very good stereo separation, so audio coming out through the speaker sounds like a live performance.

Prior to this setup, I was using standard 5.1 Logictech computer speakers and I thought that sounded good.

Of course it is up to you on how much you want to spend on an audio system. Mine costs $750 because the speakers alone were $600 and the NV1 DAC was $150.

 

[EvilYoda]

You still have the possibility of dealing with drivers issues with the Xonar, as others have said...plenty of affordable (and sometimes even portable) DAC options out there. Audioquest Dragonfly, hifimediy.com's got a bunch under $100 that have good reviews (I bought one to play around with), etc.

Then again, if you want to try "rolling" your own chips with the Xonar and don't experience any driver issues, they offer a fantastic value. And you can always mod them too.

 

[mindbomb]

they are both pretty good options. I have xonars, I don't have driver issues; I actually like how simple the xonar control panel is.