Dac/amp/aux switch?

[Thebman712]

So i want a way to use my speakers and headset and i would prefer a usb solution because i have heard some interference coming from my onboard audio after i installed my 280x.

Right now it will be used with my Kracken pro and a pair of logitech speakers but i do plan to upgrade to something better within a year.

My budget is about 50$ cad

[Builder]

So i want a way to use my speakers and headset and i would prefer a usb solution because i have heard some interference coming from my onboard audio after i installed my 280x.

Right now it will be used with my Kracken pro and a pair of logitech speakers but i do plan to upgrade to something better within a year.

My budget is about 50$ cad

USB DAC? Get a dedicated sound card like the Xonar DX.

[Thebman712]

USB DAC? Get a dedicated sound card like the Xonar DX.

i dont really want one because sound cards generally have more interference

[Builder]

i dont really want one because sound cards generally have more interference

Mine has way less. 

[NannerBeans]

USB DAC? Get a dedicated sound card like the Xonar DX.

That won't help with interferance. Also sound cards are all marketing. 

 

OP grab a Syba Dac/amp. It's not the best but it's good for the price and in your budget. 

 

Edit: Oh I forgot about the switch part. I'm not sure if the syba amp only plays audio through the back when there's nothing in the front. Monoprice has a 4 channel amp that's cheap but don't know the quality. 

[Thebman712]

That won't help with interferance. Also sound cards are all marketing.

OP grab a Syba Dac/amp. It's not the best but it's good for the price and in your budget.

ok,l will look at it

[Builder]

That won't help with interferance. Also sound cards are all marketing. 

 

OP grab a Syba Dac/amp. It's not the best but it's good for the price and in your budget. 

 

Edit: Oh I forgot about the switch part. I'm not sure if the syba amp only plays audio through the back when there's nothing in the front. Monoprice has a 4 channel amp that's cheap but don't know the quality. 

They aren't all marketing. They're a necessity if you're a competitive FPS player. They give auditory positioning cues.

[NannerBeans]

They aren't all marketing. They're a necessity if you're a competitive FPS player. They give auditory positioning cues.

Sorry marketing. Open headphones with the in game surround is typically better. And there are free programs for virtual surround if you really need it. The sound card itself does nothing for surround. It's the software it comes with and there are alternatives for free. 

[Builder]

Sorry marketing. Open headphones with the in game surround is typically better. And there are free programs for virtual surround if you really need it. The sound card itself does nothing for surround. It's the software it comes with and there are alternatives for free. 

So you seriously think there is no difference in positional quality?

 

I'm not saying sound quality, but have you actually tried a good sound card? The difference is night and day with positional cues.

[Lauen]

So you seriously think there is no difference in positional quality?

 

I'm not saying sound quality, but have you actually tried a good sound card? The difference is night and day with positional cues.

I use onboard audio and a pair of Pioneer SE-A1000, and in CS GO I have the audio settings in game set to "headphones" and I CAN tell where people are from gunshots and footsteps. I tried it with my ASUS Xonar D2X, in regular stereo it sounded just the same, and with virtual surround enabled it sounded worse (muddy) and gave worse positional audio.

[Thebman712]

They aren't all marketing. They're a necessity if you're a competitive FPS player. They give auditory positioning cues.

i dont have a sounbd card and i have great surround, and you still get it through a dac/amp

[Builder]

I use onboard audio and a pair of Pioneer SE-A1000, and in CS GO I have the audio settings in game set to "headphones" and I CAN tell where people are from gunshots and footsteps. I tried it with my ASUS Xonar D2X, in regular stereo it sounded just the same, and with virtual surround enabled it sounded worse (muddy) and gave worse positional audio.

Well the D2X isn't really that good at positional audio. The Creative Sound Blaster Z is better for gaming. I have a Titanium HD which they don't make anymore but is still considered the best for positional audio.

 

i dont have a sounbd card and i have great surround, and you still get it through a dac/amp

The surround from the Titanium HD is far better than my onboard and in game sound.

[Lauen]

Well the D2X isn't really that good at positional audio. The Creative Sound Blaster Z is better for gaming. I have a Titanium HD which they don't make anymore but is still considered the best for positional audio.

 

The surround from the Titanium HD is far better than my onboard and in game sound.

it's all just software anyway, if you could like make your own software that could work on any sound solution that uses the same kind of stuff as the Creative stuff, it'd be just the same.

[Builder]

it's all just software anyway, if you could like make your own software that could work on any sound solution that uses the same kind of stuff as the Creative stuff, it'd be just the same.

Except the Creative cards have sound processors that are purpose built for their software, and nearly everyone agrees that their software is the best.

 

It's partially hardware and partially software.

[Guest]

The effectiveness depends on the implementation. But as people have said it's all software; the soundcard does absolutely nothing for positional audio. Case in point Razer surround. Soundcard makers bundle surround with soundcard drivers in an attempt to make the cards relevant.

[Guest]

Except the Creative cards have sound processors that are purpose built for their software, and nearly everyone agrees that their software is the best.

 

It's partially hardware and partially software.

 

Uh, no. The CPU can do whatever processing is necessary, it's hardly computationally intensive.

[Builder]

Uh, no. The CPU can do whatever processing is necessary, it's hardly computationally intensive.

You're putting words in my mouth. I never said it was computationally intensive, I said that Creative software works best with Creative cards.

 

Razer surround is a decent solution, however it does not match hardware implementations. 

 

http://www.overclock.net/t/1014902/ocns-most-recommended-audio-products

[Guest]

You're putting words in my mouth. I never said it was computationally intensive, I said that Creative software works best with Creative cards.

 

Razer surround is a decent solution, however it does not match hardware implementations. 

 

http://www.overclock.net/t/1014902/ocns-most-recommended-audio-products

 

You've drunk the marketing kool-aid it seems.

 

Software can do most things that hardware can, just less efficiently. That was why I made the point that sound processing is not computationally  intensive; that is the only reason that hardware would be better in this case.

 

Whether or not Razer matches other solutions is subjective. I've yet to hear of any serious objective test of the relative merit of surround solutions.

[Lauen]

You're putting words in my mouth. I never said it was computationally intensive, I said that Creative software works best with Creative cards.

 

Razer surround is a decent solution, however it does not match hardware implementations. 

 

http://www.overclock.net/t/1014902/ocns-most-recommended-audio-products

I'm dead sure that it's just software. Sure, "purpose built", it's built to give you clean, accurate audio, which every audio solution is (except for tube amps), but dowmixing 5.1 or 7.1 into a stereo signal, with some echo and weird sound effects added can all be done through software, it's just down to someone to make said software. Creative (at least I think so) only delivers this in "creative solutions", in order to make more money. and as previously stated, in game audio gives me positional audio, with no extra cost.

 

and like *some people* have done, go look at this, no surround effects enabled:

this is to prove that fancy effects aren't needed.

[Builder]

You've drunk the marketing kool-aid it seems.

 

Software can do most things that hardware can, just less efficiently. That was why I made the point that sound processing is not computationally  intensive; that is the only reason that hardware would be better in this case.

 

Whether or not Razer matches other solutions is subjective. I've yet to hear of any serious objective test of the relative merit of surround solutions.

It's nearly impossible to do subjective tests when it comes to audio quality. That I will say.

 

However I know now that I have a dedicated processor in my computer that was carefully designed for sound processing and it's certainly better shielded than my onboard solution and it's better amplified as well.

[Guest]

It's nearly impossible to do subjective tests when it comes to audio quality. That I will say.

 

However I know now that I have a dedicated processor in my computer that was carefully designed for sound processing and it's certainly better shielded than my onboard solution and it's better amplified as well.

 

I'm not arguing that a soundcard couldn't have a better amplifier or DAC implementation than integrated. My point is that SURROUND doesn't require special hardware. I don't care how carefully a manufacturer claims to have designed their product.

[EmoRarity]

I'm not arguing that a soundcard couldn't have a better amplifier or DAC implementation than integrated. My point is that SURROUND doesn't require special hardware. I don't care how carefully a manufacturer claims to have designed their product.

I can claim that my dick is four feet long and I cum the cure to cancer, but that doesn't make it magically true. 

[Builder]

I'm not arguing that a soundcard couldn't have a better amplifier or DAC implementation than integrated. My point is that SURROUND doesn't require special hardware. I don't care how carefully a manufacturer claims to have designed their product.

Ah ok. Perhaps what I said was a bit misinterpreted. Creative is considered to have the best surround software implementation, and you can only use it if you get their cards. The Titanium HD was really cheap when I bought it on eBay and it's a highly recommended solution in other aspects as well such as the DAC and amp.

[Guest]

Creative is considered to have the best surround software implementation^{[citation needed]}

[EmoRarity]

Creative is considered to have the best surround software implementation^{[citation needed]}

My opinions, 2014, My ass.