What Is the Best sound card?

[theboah]

i like my audio and i willing to spend any money on but i don't know whats a good sound card since i always used the rear I.O ones and they worked fine but my work in progress one that has its final motherboard but know a final graphics card or case.

anyway it can also be used in conjunction with an AMP or D.A.C

Thanks

[RedSphyxis]

@theboah Creative Sound blaster ZxR I also have these in my current pc. This is one of the best if not the best soundcard out in the market. 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102050&cm_re=zxr-_-29-102-050-_-Product

 

but audio quality is pretty much negligible from soundcard to soundcard the Headphones/speakers make the real difference

[Lays]

If you want to be using it with an Amp and DAC, there's no point getting a soundcard as you'll be going from USB/Optical to the DAC you already have.

USB & Optical are both digital, so a soundcard is irrelevant at that point.

 

If you care that much about audio, your audio "chain" should be PC->USB/Optical->DAC->Amp-> Headphones / Speakers.

[slightlyjaded]

For the consumer stuff. Asus xonar Aourus/Phoebus (same card difeerent implementation), Or the sound blaster Zxr.

If you've got the money to spend on the industry grade stuff. You'll have to do your own research, but the step up with that sort of stuff is mainly the multi channel input.

As for standalone DAC's I'm not really the one to ask.

[Tim Drake]

If you are getting an audio card because "you like audio" is a bad move.

 

In my opinion no sound card is the best sound card unless you need loads of sound ports or you are a professional music maker or something.

[theboah]

thanks  im kind of a noob at audio

[IIILvLZeroIII]

I like my supreme fx on my hero Lol am I a nub Kappa

[dustySoda]

For a standalone DAC, the Modi 2 from Schiit is a good go-to. 

[Lays]

For a standalone DAC, the Modi 2 from Schiit is a good go-to. 

 

 

Keep in mind that DAC's don't power headphones, if he was to get a Modi, he'd need an amplifier as well.