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Topic: Optical out from integretated soundmax (Read 3176 times) previous topic - next topic
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Optical out from integretated soundmax

I got a HTPC a few months ago and have been using the optical out from the integrated soundmax sound, running it through a soundblaster extigy (it can work as a stand alone dac) to my receiver as its an old pro logic one with no digital inputs. Was playing the song Nobody by keith sweat, heard it probably a million times. Knew something was really wrong with how it sounded! The bass note was almost non-existant. Just a light thump. Hook up the extigy directly with the usb and it sounds great to me (which I would rather not do since its so much easier to make pops/clicks etc while having heavy loads and no ground loop with the optical). Now I'm really confused, I've always been a believer in digital is digital. So why would it matter whether the digital was coming though on the USB or the optical out on the soundmax? Is there some feature that changes the sound on the integrated soundcard? I looked through all the options and don't really see anything. I will be getting a new reciever eventually. Can one digital out really be better than another? are the audiophiles really not making stuff up? Will I probably want to get a better soundcard to?

Optical out from integretated soundmax

Reply #1 –
If something was wrong with quality in your original setup it is because something is not working correctly. Your explanation seems to say that the SB was doing the D to A in both cases so the only variable is the delivery of the digital to the DAC. It seems unlikely that resampling, if that is occurring with those 48kHz standards, could account for what you describe, so probably either the digital out of the built-in is corrupted or the digital in (S/PDIF version) of the SB does something weirder than usual.
 

Optical out from integretated soundmax

Reply #2 –
Sounds like you might be trying to play the audio with Pro-Logic turned on?