Inexpensive USB DAC that rocks ???

TechLarry

TechLarry

RIP [H] Brother - June 1, 2022
Joined
Aug 9, 2005
Messages
30,481
I've had enough with soundblaster, and the on board Realtek doesn't do it for me.

I'm looking for a sub $100 DAC that makes great music. I've got nearly $1000 in audio attached to this machine, and I want it fed appropriately.

It needs to provide at least 3.5mm output and be able to control the volume from the computer.

It would be nice if the software had a level booster as well. I'm running a passive mixer that doesn't quite output 100% levels.

And no BS under Windows 10 :)
 
Update: I plugged in the usb on the Line6 Amplifi TT and, by golly, it's got what sounds like a pretty damn nice DAC in it :)

Have no idea who makes the DAC. The Device manager says:

USB\VID_0E41&PID_5064&REV_0200
USB\VID_0E41&PID_5064


Which don't mean shit to me.
 
You know, it's funny. I have the same issues as you. I have the newest Creative sound card but because the driver issues I have are terrible not even including the fact Creative updates their sound drivers ONCE a year if you're lucky. So I pulled the card. The on-board solution works fine but I don't think the quality is there.

Anyways, I've literally been looking at usb dacs for a week everyday for hours. Most are cheap Chinese made that I just couldn't get into. There are many that are super expensive. I've spent at least 15 - 20 hours doing research.

I finally settled on the Asus Xonar U7 usb / dac with 7.1 support and a ton of connection options it's also a head-phone amp that supports up to 600 ohm. The reviews and technical tests passed with flying colors. I use high-end studio monitors, KRK and the KRK sub. I already get pretty damn good sound but I hope this usb / dac adds at least some additional quality to the mix.

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Xonar-U7-Sound-Card/dp/B00E7QA9E0
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
I'm using a similar setup but with the M-Audio 12" Subwoofer and M-Audio M3-6 Monitors.

I'll take a look at the ASUS. I may still go the external route for more flexibility.

But the L6 is doing pretty good :)
 
$1k in audio? That's it? My last pair of headphones were more than that :p.

A decent DAC would be the Schiit Modi2. It sounds pretty dang decent - hits far above its price suggests. The Magni 2 amp with it is a nice,small foot print pairing if you need a headphone amp. Since you're running active monitors, though, I'm betting you can skip the amp.

Edit: I just looked up those monitors / sub. The Schiit will be a good match for them - they would actually be the weak link in that setup.
 
Eulogy said:
$1k in audio? That's it? My last pair of headphones were more than that :p.

A decent DAC would be the Schiit Modi2. It sounds pretty dang decent - hits far above its price suggests. The Magni 2 amp with it is a nice,small foot print pairing if you need a headphone amp. Since you're running active monitors, though, I'm betting you can skip the amp.

Edit: I just looked up those monitors / sub. The Schiit will be a good match for them - they would actually be the weak link in that setup.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... A 560 watt weak link as a computer audio system. Oh, the first world problems we must bear LOL
 
TechLarry said:
Hmmm... A 560 watt weak link as a computer audio system. Oh, the first world problems we must bear LOL
Click to expand...

The amount of watts are meaningless. I have a 2500 watt amp for the bass and I would never use it for the main speakers. A 10 watt amplifier can sound way better than a 10 kilowatt one.

Of course you won't be hosting a party with 10 watt :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top