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DAC Advice

EpiTeK
By EpiTeK
in Audio
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Posted

I currently own a Xonar STX PCIe and my friend made me notice recently a buzzing sound in my mic when I a launch game.

So I finally decided to go the DAC route but I can't find any that fits my config.

 

I'm using Corsair SP2500 for speakers so I need a 3.5mm or analog and Sennheiser PC363D so 2x3.5mm for mic + headphones.

I also don't need an amp my Sennheiser are only 32Ω, is there any DAC out there that I can plug everything into just like my STX but external to avoid interference?

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Posted

A DAC will do nothing for a microphone.

 

that's not technically true although practically there are no mics out there that can benefit from a dac that I know of. 

If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking it's stupid.  - Albert Einstein

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Posted

that's not technically true although practically there are no mics out there that can benefit from a dac that I know of. 

 

It's not "technically" true? How does a DAC affect a microphone, "technically"?

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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Posted

that's not technically true although practically there are no mics out there that can benefit from a dac that I know of. 

errrr you do know what a DAC actually does/means right?

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Posted

errrr you do know what a DAC actually does/means right?

Yeah, you would need an ADC and i don't think that is a thing

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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Posted

Yeah, you would need an ADC and i don't think that is a thing

 

Well, an audio interface.

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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Posted

Well, an audio interface.

Yeah, that makes more sense that rearranging the letters in DAC.

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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Yeah, that makes more sense that rearranging the letters in DAC.

 

ADC is correct, but generally they appear in an audio interface.

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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I just want to avoid the interference from a sound card, isn't there anything external if it's not a DAC?

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I just want to avoid the interference from a sound card, isn't there anything external if it's not a DAC?

 

Asus and Creative make a couple of external soundcards with headphone out and microphone in. For super cheap, there's the Syba external sound thing.

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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I'm sort of an audio noob but from the one you link or this one http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Xonar-U7-Sound-Card/dp/B00E7QA9E0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449607634&sr=8-1&keywords=xonar+u7, will I notice any difference in sound compared to my xonar stx?

 

I don't know. Maybe? Most of the shit in this price range sounds pretty similar.

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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I can't find what I exactly want :/.

 

The Syba you linked is perfect because it's driveless and has all my inputs but it looks so cheap and the chipset is a low end VIA.

 

I don't mind paying up to 200$ I basically want something comparable to a DAC with all the Syba features.

Asus and Creative makes some decent one but it's all software driven with dolby, virtual 5.1 and whatnot.

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Posted

I can't find what I exactly want :/.

 

The Syba you linked is perfect because it's driveless and has all my inputs but it looks so cheap and the chipset is a low end VIA.

 

I don't mind paying up to 200$ I basically want something comparable to a DAC with all the Syba features.

Asus and Creative makes some decent one but it's all software driven with dolby, virtual 5.1 and whatnot.

 

I don't know that you have any other options. You can get something cheap like the Syba I linked, or get the Asus/Creative offering that requires drivers.

 

Basically, the issue here is that if you want serious sound quality you need a serious microphone. They don't make high-end interfaces for shitty headset mics because it isn't worth it.

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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I'm not a streamer or doing professional recording, my mic on my PC363D might be lower quality than a Blue Yeti but compare to my friends who owns one I have way less background/keyboard noise. Also I know I overpaid my headset a bit but it isn't bad either and they wouldn't have that much noise if they had the mic right in their face but who does that while gaming except streamers.

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I'm not a streamer or doing professional recording, my mic on my PC363D might be lower quality than a Blue Yeti but compare to my friends who owns one I have way less background/keyboard noise. Also I know I overpaid my headset a bit but it isn't bad either and they wouldn't have that much noise if they had the mic right in their face but who does that while gaming except streamers.

 

I think you're missing the point.

 

Basically what I'm telling you is that you do not have a lot of options for external sound-cards WITH a microphone input.

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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I think you're missing the point.

 

Basically what I'm telling you is that you do not have a lot of options for external sound-cards WITH a microphone input.

 

Yea and you helped alot thanks, I was just trying to explain why I have this config.

I just wish there was a product category for what I want, not sure if I will use my m50x and buy a DAC + mic now or try one of these sound cards (scared for drivers support :().

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Let us know how it works out.

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
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Works very well, don't see any change from my Xonar STX but I didn't need the amp.

The buzz sound in my mic is also gone, only 1 thing that bothers me a bit.

 

The speaker (analog) and headphone (3.5mm) play at the same time and I didn't see any option in the cmedia panel or the device to switch between the 2, is that normal?

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Works very well, don't see any change from my Xonar STX but I didn't need the amp.

The buzz sound in my mic is also gone, only 1 thing that bothers me a bit.

 

The speaker (analog) and headphone (3.5mm) play at the same time and I didn't see any option in the cmedia panel or the device to switch between the 2, is that normal?

 

Probably? I don't know anything about this product.

 

I recommend the unthinkable, read the manual or go to the manufacturer website for usage instructions.

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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Yea already looked at both, no luck.

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Posted

 

ooo pretty

 

i noticed is has an optical input - are there software options for what you can do with that input, or can it only be switched to as a sole source?

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