Audio Cards

[mab16]

Hello
Which is the best audio cards to listen music??

Thank

[Feanor]

Hello
Which is the best audio cards to listen music??

Thank

What is best is a USB DAC. Of course I'm assuming you want to run the output to your music system, not just listen to computer speakers.

[royphil345]

Without spending a fortune... The M-Audio Audiophile cards sound great with 2-channel audio. Mine blows away the sound I was getting from an Audigy 2 for music. I've found the USB 1.1 interface on the Audiophile USB is just barely fast enough to function reliably. I would go for the Audiophile Firewire or the Audiophile 2496 internal PCI card.

I'd stay away from USB cards that aren't true USB 2.0 which is faster than firewire.

[2Broke4This]

I had an M-Audio Audiophile 2496 card that I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, the new machine is lacking in the PCI slot department, so I'm stuck with integrated sound in my bedroom now. I just wanted to second royphil345's vote for M-Audio. Especially convenient are the RCA inputs and outputs (along with the digital coax and midi ins and outs) instead of 3.5mm jacks. Maybe I'll have to drop the tv tuner card and put that card back in.....

[Feanor]

What is best is a USB DAC. Of course I'm assuming you want to run the output to your music system, not just listen to computer speakers.

As you'll see clicking on 'see my config' below, I use an external M-Audio Audiophile USB. It works well in general and sounds very good with its build in DAC, (though I slightly prefer my Assemblage which also has a HDCD decoder).

I do get some brief drop-outs one in while. Whether this has to do with the USB 1.1 limitation, I'm not sure. I've been try Foobar2000 recently instead of iTunes, and I think I'm getting few drop-outs with the former in general -- except I always get a drop-out with Foobar when the screen-saver kicks in, which is never the case with iTunes.

[royphil345]

Well... I put my money where my mouth is and bought an Audiophile 2496 internal. I like to be able to do other things on the computer while listening to or recording music without fear of dropouts. The Audiophile USB, as good as it sounded, wasn't cutting it.

I can report that the sound is every bit as good (recordings from analog too) as from the USB unit to my ear. Maybe even a little less "etched". Completely kills what I was getting from an Audigy2. And RELIABLE... YEAH!!!!!

I may try the Audiophile USB for fooling around with multi-track guitar recordings on this computer. Should be able to handle one channel at a time without dropouts...

So... I'd definitely recommend the 2496 as the best, reasonably inexpensive sound card for music in a desktop. http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=361112 For a laptop, I'd be tempted to try the Audiophile Firewire or something else with a better than USB 1.1 interface. Something like the Squeezebox that hooks up to your sound system, is controlled by a remote, and streams audio files from your computer via wireless network could also be considered if you don't wish to record from analog and the setup is more convenient in your situation. http://www.slimdevices.com/pi_squeezebox.html? The sound is said to be excellent. Don't own one, but I've had no problems streaming audio or even DVD quality video between my computers via wireless g. Getting stereo audio through a USB 1.1 interface was more of a challenge.