New audio component

[rhyseyness]

So, I currently use an Asus Xonar DGX, but the sound quality is not great.

I get a fair bit of crackling and popping through it (possibly from resoldering some of it).

I want to upgrade/update my audio set up so the sound quality is better.

My budget is £75 maximum (US$125).

I listen through headphones (ATH-M50s) and my 5.1 home cinema (Panasonic SA-PT480), which has optical audio & RCA (red and white) inputs.

The sound quality of music is the most important thing to me, and I presume that films/games will sound good if music does.

I mainly listen to dubstep and drum and bass if it makes a difference.

What's my best option?

 

Thanks in advance!

[MayflowerElectronics]

Use your onboard.

[rhyseyness]

Use your onboard.

That sounds worse than my DGX

[Elven]

Hey @rhyseyness

 

You could try the Creative Blaster Audigy RX PCI-E Sound Card. It has a built in headphone amp rated for up to 600 ohm headphones and optical out.

 

It seems to get good reviews, but I'll leave the decision up to you 

 

Currently £51 on Amazon UK. Here's the link:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-Blaster-Audigy-Reverb-Microphone/dp/B00F8VB0YQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1387217906&sr=1-6&keywords=sound+card

 

Elven

[MayflowerElectronics]

That sounds worse than my DGX

 

I doubt it.

[rhyseyness]

Hey @rhyseyness

 

You could try the Creative Blaster Audigy RX PCI-E Sound Card. It has a built in headphone amp rated for up to 600 ohm headphones and optical out.

 

It seems to get good reviews, but I'll leave the decision up to you 

 

Currently £51 on Amazon UK. Here's the link:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-Blaster-Audigy-Reverb-Microphone/dp/B00F8VB0YQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1387217906&sr=1-6&keywords=sound+card

 

Elven

Thanks, I'll have a look

[Elven]

 

Thanks, I'll have a look 

 

No problem  :lol:

 

Elven

[rhyseyness]

I doubt it.

You don't believe there's a better solution than my on board audio?

You think I should change my audio set-up more radically?

[MayflowerElectronics]

You don't believe there's a better solution than my on board audio?

You think I should change my audio set-up more radically?

 

There is better than on-board, but you'll have to go external. Most sound cards are a downgrade from on-board. Buy better headphones if you want better SQ.

[mr moose]

You don't believe there's a better solution than my on board audio?

You think I should change my audio set-up more radically?

The thing with sound is, If you are running your amp from the optical then the soundcard or onboard is not processing the signal, it is just passing it through. so it doesn't matter how good your audio solution is the quality won't change.  The same goes for Line level out, the freq. range and response are virtually identical between onboard and any sound card. because the line out is not driving a difficult headphone but the high impedance input of another amp there is nothing to upset the SQ.  In a blind test you would not hear a difference between the two. 

 

The only place you'll ever hear a difference is in the headphone output. Any poorly implemented headphone amp will introduce a hiss or noise floor.  The thing with sound cards, Particularly Asus is that their amps are not very well designed and let the rest of the board down.  Where as the onboard solutions are, Don't ask me why they put more effort into the amp on board, but it has a lower output impedance and less noise.  

This is why external dedicated headphone amps are popular, they are well built and have very low background noise.  The O2/odac is probably the best performing in any reasonable price range, but if you are on a budget then the fiio e10 comes next, it has a line out for your amp and a much better headphone amp than any sound card currently on the market.

[rhyseyness]

There is better than on-board, but you'll have to go external. Most sound cards are a downgrade from on-board. Buy better headphones if you want better SQ.

 

 

The thing with sound is, If you are running your amp from the optical then the soundcard or onboard is not processing the signal, it is just passing it through. so it doesn't matter how good your audio solution is the quality won't change.  The same goes for Line level out, the freq. range and response are virtually identical between onboard and any sound card. because the line out is not driving a difficult headphone but the high impedance input of another amp there is nothing to upset the SQ.  In a blind test you would not hear a difference between the two. 

 

The only place you'll ever hear a difference is in the headphone output. Any poorly implemented headphone amp will introduce a hiss or noise floor.  The thing with sound cards, Particularly Asus is that their amps are not very well designed and let the rest of the board down.  Where as the onboard solutions are, Don't ask me why they put more effort into the amp on board, but it has a lower output impedance and less noise.  

This is why external dedicated headphone amps are popular, they are well built and have very low background noise.  The O2/odac is probably the best performing in any reasonable price range, but if you are on a budget then the fiio e10 comes next, it has a line out for your amp and a much better headphone amp than any sound card currently on the market.

Ok that makes sense

Looks like I'll be investing in an O2/odac for now and long term saving for a better surround set up, with a proper amp.

Thanks for all the help

 

How would I go about achieving a great sounding surround speaker set up?

What devices/components would I need?

Or is a decent home cinema connected to on board audio pretty good?

Apologies for the spam of questions, but I'm not very well versed in audio solutions

[MayflowerElectronics]

Ok that makes sense

Looks like I'll be investing in an O2/odac for now and long term saving for a better surround set up, with a proper amp.

Thanks for all the help

 

How would I go about achieving a great sounding surround speaker set up?

What devices/components would I need?

Or is a decent home cinema connected to on board audio pretty good?

Apologies for the spam of questions, but I'm not very well versed in audio solutions

 

No worries on the spam, we are here to help.

 

With speakers you don't have to worry about an amp or DAC, it's built in to the speakers.

 

I recommend audioengine products, the A2+ for $250, and the A5+ for $400. Fostex pm0.4's are also good.

[mr moose]

Ok that makes sense

Looks like I'll be investing in an O2/odac for now and long term saving for a better surround set up, with a proper amp.

Thanks for all the help

 

How would I go about achieving a great sounding surround speaker set up?

What devices/components would I need?

Or is a decent home cinema connected to on board audio pretty good?

Apologies for the spam of questions, but I'm not very well versed in audio solutions

 

Well speakers (like headphones) are the weakest link, they are were you need to spend the most.  Without good speakers (or headphones) the rest of your system may as well be pressed out of poo. 

 

The best thing you can do is get around to shops with speakers on display and listen.  I find advice on the net about good quality speakers seems to center around a handful of companies, but even those have very different sounding products.  My home theatre is DIY so I can't advise on a particular brand as such, however I drive all mine from onboard, I have several sound cards and they don't make any difference to the SQ. 

[rhyseyness]

Well speakers (like headphones) are the weakest link, they are were you need to spend the most.  Without good speakers (or headphones) the rest of your system may as well be pressed out of poo. 

 

The best thing you can do is get around to shops with speakers on display and listen.  I find advice on the net about good quality speakers seems to center around a handful of companies, but even those have very different sounding products.  My home theatre is DIY so I can't advise on a particular brand as such, however I drive all mine from onboard, I have several sound cards and they don't make any difference to the SQ. 

 

 

No worries on the spam, we are here to help.

 

With speakers you don't have to worry about an amp or DAC, it's built in to the speakers.

 

I recommend audioengine products, the A2+ for $250, and the A5+ for $400. Fostex pm0.4's are also good.

You've been fantastically helpful, thank you so much

I'll stick with on board for now, and save for a while before investing in some proper speakers (and possibly an odac for my headphones)

Thanks again! You guys are awesome!

[mr moose]

 

(and possibly an odac for my headphones)

 

I assume you mean o2/odac or just o2 and use onboard line out. What headphones do you have? 

[MayflowerElectronics]

I assume you mean o2/odac or just o2 and use onboard line out. What headphones do you have? 

 

Would probably be easier to have a seperate o2 and ODAC and just plug/unplug when you switch between headphones/speakers.

[mr moose]

Would probably be easier to have a seperate o2 and ODAC and just plug/unplug when you switch between headphones/speakers.

I figured his onboard would be good enough to just use the O2 for headphones

[rhyseyness]

I assume you mean o2/odac or just o2 and use onboard line out. What headphones do you have? 

 

 

Would probably be easier to have a seperate o2 and ODAC and just plug/unplug when you switch between headphones/speakers.

 

 

I figured his onboard would be good enough to just use the O2 for headphones

 

Ok sorry, I don't think I really understand.

What are the ODAC and O2 for? What do they do?

I have ATH-M50's if that makes any difference.

[ShearMe]

Ok sorry, I don't think I really understand.

What are the ODAC and O2 for? What do they do?

I have ATH-M50's if that makes any difference.

 

A DAC is a Digital to Analog converter - it changed digital audio signals into analog for headphones or speakers. An amplifier amplifies that signal in order to drive the headphones or speakers to listening levels.

The ODAC is an Objective DAC. The O2 amp is the Objective 2 amplifier.

[rhyseyness]

A DAC is a Digital to Analog converter - it changed digital audio signals into analog for headphones or speakers. An amplifier amplifies that signal in order to drive the headphones or speakers to listening levels.

The ODAC is an Objective DAC. The O2 amp is the Objective 2 amplifier.

I knew what a DAC was, thought an ODAC might be something different.

Ok so that's understood.

I'd use both with my headphones?

[ShearMe]

I'd use both with my headphones?

 

If your source media is digital, then yes, you need a DAC. All headphones/speakers need some sort of amplification because most DAC chips cannot provide sufficient voltage and power. Think of it like a computer - you need a CPU to do all the complex work, but without a GPU you wont have the power to compute pixels for the monitor. Each component in the chain does the job it's specialized for, and without one the rest are practically useless.

 

What the guys above are recommending is you get an external amp, and plug it into your onboard because the onboard's DAC should be sufficient for transparent audio.

[rhyseyness]

If your source media is digital, then yes, you need a DAC. All headphones/speakers need some sort of amplification because most DAC chips cannot provide sufficient voltage and power. Think of it like a computer - you need a CPU to do all the complex work, but without a GPU you wont have the power to compute pixels for the monitor. Each component in the chain does the job it's specialized for, and without one the rest are practically useless.

 

What the guys above are recommending is you get an external amp, and plug it into your onboard because the onboard's DAC should be sufficient for transparent audio.

 

Gotcha.

That's great thanks!

As always, LTT forum is awesome, informative, helpful, etc.

[ShearMe]

Gotcha.

That's great thanks!

As always, LTT forum is awesome, informative, helpful, etc.

 

We try!