Is it worth a DAC?

[Anonymous]

OK, so I've confirmed that my mobo is not able to output in digital. I guess this is the answer then? From Lindy, it's a digital out via usb, then I hook it up with optical cable to the Lindy DAC - should be compatible at least - then twin phonos to my amp. http://www.lindy.co.uk/usb-2-audio-adapter-pro-spdif-analogue/42775.html

 

[Overdose]

Why not just fit a dedicated sound card? An ASUS Xonar DS would fit the bill, for example and leave cash spare for a sturdier cable to the amp. Less faffing with various adapters involved too.

 

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately I have an XPC shuttle and a mini atx mobo. There are only 2 slots - a full pci and a pci express which are both being used - twin tuner / graphics. so none spare for sound card.

Now, the optical port on the lindy dac has a little black cover - does this need to come off or does it hinge when the optical cable is inserted? I am loathe to force it.

 

[fayeanddavid]

I'm going to try the Behringer 202!

Has USB in, twin RCA out and optical out, £24.00 ish as an experiment, coupled with £5.00 worth of ThatCable optical cable and the job's a good'un (as they say)

Very intrigued to what I could expect, but having trawled that Google thing it has got to be worth a punt!

Brilliant................Behringer UCA202, just genius!

For £24.00 quite brilliant, headphone out as well, USB to PC, headphones take on a new lease of life with openess and detail.

Used the S/PDIF out via optical to CD input on my av amp, may not be audiophile quality but it is very very good

And compared to the iPod at 128kps, playing the pC at 320kps is wonderful, my ears don't do justice to larger files although I may be tempted to revisit that thought in the light of this discovery, wow.

If this can happen for such small beer, what does the esoteric end sound like?

 

[The_Lhc]

I'm going to try the Behringer 202!

Has USB in, twin RCA out and optical out, £24.00 ish as an experiment, coupled with £5.00 worth of ThatCable optical cable and the job's a good'un (as they say)

Very intrigued to what I could expect, but having trawled that Google thing it has got to be worth a punt!

Brilliant................Behringer UCA202, just genius!

For £24.00 quite brilliant, headphone out as well, USB to PC, headphones take on a new lease of life with openess and detail.

Used the S/PDIF out via optical to CD input on my av amp, may not be audiophile quality but it is very very good

Err, I'm not sure I follow here, you're using an optical connection from the Behringer to your AV amp? That means you're using the DAC in your amp, the Behringer is just acting as a USB to optical converter (and I'm not sure but reading the limited guff available for it, possibly upsampling to 48kHz while it's at it). If you wanted to use the DAC inside the 202 you'd need to use the analogue outputs on the Behringer.

And compared to the iPod at 128kps, playing the pC at 320kps is wonderful, my ears don't do justice to larger files although I may be tempted to revisit that thought in the light of this discovery, wow.

That could be as much the increase in bitrate as any particular benefit from the 202.

 

[fayeanddavid]

I'm going to try the Behringer 202!

Has USB in, twin RCA out and optical out, £24.00 ish as an experiment, coupled with £5.00 worth of ThatCable optical cable and the job's a good'un (as they say)

Very intrigued to what I could expect, but having trawled that Google thing it has got to be worth a punt!

Brilliant................Behringer UCA202, just genius!

For £24.00 quite brilliant, headphone out as well, USB to PC, headphones take on a new lease of life with openess and detail.

Used the S/PDIF out via optical to CD input on my av amp, may not be audiophile quality but it is very very good

Err, I'm not sure I follow here, you're using an optical connection from the Behringer to your AV amp? That means you're using the DAC in your amp, the Behringer is just acting as a USB to optical converter (and I'm not sure but reading the limited guff available for it, possibly upsampling to 48kHz while it's at it). If you wanted to use the DAC inside the 202 you'd need to use the analogue outputs on the Behringer.

And compared to the iPod at 128kps, playing the pC at 320kps is wonderful, my ears don't do justice to larger files although I may be tempted to revisit that thought in the light of this discovery, wow.

That could be as much the increase in bitrate as any particular benefit from the 202.

Agreed, but I am keen to see what the av amp could do with optical in, (nothing on my PC out to do that)

And I accept your second comment, of course there would be an improvement, what I wasn't ready for was the distance (for want of a better word) of that improvement

Analogue out/in is the next move

Just wanted to record how good this unit is, for small money, and the features it has.