External USB dac pondering

Discussion in 'Soundcards, Speakers HiFI & File formats' started by tsunami231, May 10, 2022.

  1. tsunami231

    tsunami231 Ancient Guru

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    So I am thinking of getting usb dac would give me better audio and i wont have to really worry about audio spec for next mother board and it may or may not solve my audio connections. it would atles solve my problem of have PC audio to speakers i about to pick up and still use my headphone with have to swap audio out on pc. in theory

    Current wiring setup is as followed.
    3.5mm from pc to Wireless headphone base
    Optical from UHDTV to wireless base

    IF i want to us my AV unit with my pc have to use optical out and I have switch audio out on windows ( which prefer not to have to do window dont even correctly switch output to hdmi when it switched UHDTV to it half the time)

    PS5 dont have optical out so i would have pass threw audio from TV to dac or use optical out on my UHDTV just to get that audio to AV unit

    but my work usage will be most for pc. I kind just want to avoid switch window audio out period.


    been looking at
    https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-x4
    https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-x3
    https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-gc7

    GC7 look most intresting one if i go with that.

    In Theory I "could" PC to DAC via usb, 3.5mm to front speakers that would be powered. connect DAC Heaphone out 3.5mm to my wireless headphone base, the dac has option to swith from speakers to Heaphone out from what i read?.

    so i could just use 3.5mm splitter on wireless headphone base and have access to PC and TV audio with out it sound over lapping cause GC7 can cut the sound to heaphone out from dac side. all though if i contune to use heaphones solo for pc this might be issue cause my tv is on at same time i would be using pc that would be using sound.

    This would free up optical out on TV that current being sent wireless headphone base cause it support optical in. to send DD/DTS sound from HDMI in on TV to a unit? it also support bluetooth input?

    I not tied to creative labs would like to support 5.1 out if and when i have do pc gaming using 5.1 and optical out to av unit which rare any other recommendations?
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2022
  2. Sabbath

    Sabbath Maha Guru

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    Hi tsunami231,

    If I ware to buy a new DAC, yes I would get a Sound Blaster GC7 but I have a SBX G6 that's all I need. look at this first
     
  3. Chastity

    Chastity Ancient Guru

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    I upgraded from a G6 to a SMSL M300 MKII + Redscape/Dolby Access/DTS Sound Abound

    No more consumer PC sound solutions for me. The audio quality difference is VERY NOTEWORTHY, plus improvement over SBX.

    If I was also running a set of speakers, I would use the preouts from my headphone amp to speaker amp, and use the headphone amp as a preamp/volume control.
     
  4. Clouseau

    Clouseau Ancient Guru

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    would have to second the SMSL M300 MKII. Have it paired with a Jotunheim 2 amp for my headphones. Love the sound.
     

  5. tsunami231

    tsunami231 Ancient Guru

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    I looked at G6 but fact that "optical" is coxial needing optical to coxial cable kind kills it for me

    I will have look at this
     
  6. Chastity

    Chastity Ancient Guru

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    Mind the M300 is only a DAC, you will need an amp as well. I have mine paired with a Schiit Asgard 3. This amp has an option for an internal DAC card, and there is a couple to select from.
     
  7. tsunami231

    tsunami231 Ancient Guru

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    that SMSL M300 MKII seem out my price range it has remote that could be nice though

    I do plain to connect these speakers soon as get around to buying them and these headphones ( that i been using for years)

    GC7 still seem the best idea
    I can that to PC via usb, use line out for speakers headphone out for headphones use mobile and 3.5mm on my tv and have my headphones connected to both PC and TV and i just switch from speaker out only or headphone out only, and i can send optical from tv to av unit if and when i ever finish setting it up. and seeing i can switch the switch from back from pc/mobile/console there will be no sound overlaping. atlest to my under standing i can do this. but like said only thing that might be issue is IF i want to use sound from TV and my PC is off cause dac get power from pc. could do same setup with X3 too

    now i currently use the Realtek ALC1150 for audio on my pc atlest for my headphones, if and when I game on my PC using TV that audio is from from my 1070ti HDMI port that just using Microsoft drivers
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2022
  8. Chastity

    Chastity Ancient Guru

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    Your headphones and speakers you list are Bluetooth. If you plan to use them wirelessly, then you don't need a DAC.
     
  9. tsunami231

    tsunami231 Ancient Guru

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    my headphones are not bluetooth they are wireless 2ghz and those speaker may be able to use bluetooth, but they would be use connecting them to my iphone or something like to stream music, for pc purposes they would be connected via 3.5 with 2rca adapter
     
  10. Mufflore

    Mufflore Ancient Guru

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    Look at Topping DACs, amazing sound quality for the money.
    As always, read reviews of each DAC before deciding.

    https://www.topping.audio/products
    Find local shops that stock them.

    The D90SE is exceptional.
     
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  11. Maddness

    Maddness Ancient Guru

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    I've been thinking about the DX7 Pro.
     
  12. Mufflore

    Mufflore Ancient Guru

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    Yeah impressive, well featured and pretty useful.
    It wont be out of place in a very high end setup.
     
  13. tsunami231

    tsunami231 Ancient Guru

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    was looking FX-Audio-X6 saw few reviews or the FX-Audio X6 MKII should work well with power Bookshelf speaker planing to get, which either Edifer 1280dbs or Bestisan SR01 or SR04, so dac and the speaker would cost me about $160 to $200 + depending.

    could in theory run pc from usb, connect either the 2 bookshelf power speaker to line out could even run optical out from TV to this and have headphones wireless headphones base connect to this too, and aviod get optical splitter for my headphones. would just have to turn the dac on and then wireless headphones.


    Also thought about getting one that would support 5.1 DD and Stereo have 2 channel setup for pc and 5.1 for tv and movies what not, but going that route might be cheaper to buy Onkyo Reciever i been eyeing

    Or i can just get Optical splitter and run 1 optical to either the 2 Speakers and other optical to headphones and have my current onboard feed the audio from pc to speakers via rca to 3.5mm which seem to be cheaper of options have my pc and tv feed the same speakers and have ability to use my headphones. Cause i cant use 3.5mm on my tv for headphone out or anything for that matter with it completely disabling tv speaker and i not gona keep disconnect and connect that 3.5mm to get tv sound back.

    I buy one those 2 speaker to hook to both pc and tv, but find out I could only use optical on tv cause use 3.5mm for headphones would result in tv speaker be disable. cause me another issue. I ether get optical spliter or get dac and run everything thew that

    Atm i not sure what i gona do, but i leaning toward just getting optical splitter and speakers and deal with dac at later time.
     
  14. tsunami231

    tsunami231 Ancient Guru

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    also looking at just getting Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus, but i very weiry do know how well CL supported the sound drivers after years. is this still the same case

    Last time I used creative labs sound card was SB live value i got with my gateway, way back around 2000 might even been prior to that, still have card but have not used do driver support
     
  15. tsunami231

    tsunami231 Ancient Guru

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    just realized Motherboard can be set to provide power to usb while PC is turned off so long deepsleep is enabled, would be be enough to power usb power dac? or would that be not reccoment to do?
     

  16. Mufflore

    Mufflore Ancient Guru

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    I cant see a problem as long as the DAC isnt also a speaker amp, you'll need to use another audio input on the DAC than USB.
    Its also not the best power source for an external DAC, but whether that really matters will depend how good the DAC is.

    And it depends whether the DAC can power all its functions from USB, many external DACs only need to see power on USB as a signal to enable the the DAC to power up, they still require external power.
     
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  17. tsunami231

    tsunami231 Ancient Guru

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    So any Dac that use passive speaker hook up would be bad idea, but if the dac is using power speaker/headphones ( incase of my wiredheadphones) i should be fine?

    Most dac i been looking are that external power dont accept 5.1 dd signal from the optical, nor do take surround channels and turn them in to something 2.1 channels can use. The X3-X4 seem to do along with DDL but they usb power,
     
  18. Mufflore

    Mufflore Ancient Guru

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    It depends entirely how they designed it.
    Most external DACs regardless of type will require external power.
    Not a surprise really. If it can use USB power, many reviewers will use it in their reviews and give lower marks because sound quality will be impacted.

    The DACs you are looking at use external power.
     
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  19. tsunami231

    tsunami231 Ancient Guru

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    THe FX is external power but dont accept 5.1 DD from optical, and to my understand wont mix surround sound in 2.0 channels. but as far dac go it one that stick out for me, creative labs one too but there all 100-160$ and all usb power and only one i could power via usb wall adpater and still have and input for pc and optical out from pc and GC7.

    I will do more researching
     
  20. Mufflore

    Mufflore Ancient Guru

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    You cannot expect a stereo DAC to accept 5.1 input.
     
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