recomended sound card with digital s/pdif

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thevelourfog

[H]ard|Gawd
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Apr 6, 2005
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as the title says, i need a pci card with a digital s/pdif output, not the rca connector. I don't really care about other features, but I'd prefer not to have a front panel and extra junk.

will be used with klipsch 5.1 ultras and dd-5.1 preamp.
 
DAC is a Digital to Analog Converter right? I am using a Klipsch ProMedia DD-5.1 currently with RCA to my DFI lanparty ultra-d, but the quality kind of sucks (may be my crap cable). I'd like something a bit better that uses a digital s/pdif connector.

Also the speed benefit in games and such would be nice too from a dedicated audio processor..
 
If mainly games, A2ZS.

If not, and want a cheap card that sounds better than the A2ZS, but at a 10ish % loss of FPS in games, Chaintech AV-710 (though only 2 channels).

If you want even more, the M-Audio Revolution 5.1 or Audiophile 24/96.

But if 80%+ for games, get the ZS
 
thevelourfog said:
DAC is a Digital to Analog Converter right? I am using a Klipsch ProMedia DD-5.1 currently with RCA to my DFI lanparty ultra-d, but the quality kind of sucks (may be my crap cable).
Click to expand...

It's not the crap cable it's the crap decoder that sucks. ;)
 
This cable i'm using is from the eighties and well used. The sound quality now is loaded with static at higher volumes. With the digital link it's pretty clean (with my old nforce2 soundstorm at least). This decoder sucks too, but it was a way to get digital for cheap, so I can't compain too much.
 
maybe I should have made this more clear, I'm want an optical output on the card, any of those available without a front panel? Speed boost in games is a plus.
 
You won't be able to get surround on a digital connection w/o a DD encoding card. Read the FAQ.

The only modern solution that can do the real-time DD encoding is the HDA Mystique PCI card.. It's the only game in town.
 
Don't forget the Turtle Beach Montego.

Who knows, it might actually be the beginning of them manufacturing good quality cards again.
 
I'm looking into the HDA Mystique. I have a turthle beach Santa Cruz I think it is in an older system, it's still a pretty nice card.
 
thevelourfog said:
as the title says, i need a pci card with a digital s/pdif output, not the rca connector.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by that? S/PDIF can travel over either TOSLINK (optical) or COAX (rca). Both have benefits and disadvantages. Primarily Toslink is not vulnerable to outside interference, a RCA can go longer and doesn't usually need a special cable.

I usually use RCA, but most digital stuff nowadays is moving towards optical so it gets harder and harder to use RCA.

Your cable may simply be too old. S/PDIF is spec'ed as 75 ohms for a RCA and although alot of DACs can accomidate a lower impedence cable, but your 20 year old cable might exceed that impedence at frequency and might be causing the problem. Although if you try to measure your cable with a ohmmeter/multimeter you will/should get something like less than 1 ohm because thats at DC and not AC like a musical signal is. If you get something like 2 or 3 ohms than your cable is probably shot :(

I have a Philips soundcard with RCA S/PDIF out, it works great but as said it only outputs a 2ch signal on real time stuff.
 
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