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Topic: Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality? (Read 10116 times) previous topic - next topic
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Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Hi everyone,

what soundcard offers the best possible signal quality on its SPDIF output one can buy for money today? I want to drive a high end dolby surround preamp with both stero and AC3 material and I want to get the absolute best quality that is possible out of my PC.

I would be glad to hear your recommendations!

- Daniel

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #1 –
What do you mean, best SPDIF quality? Can you explain what do you expect?
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Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #2 –
I simply want to achieve the best sound quality that is possible with a PC. Some say that there are no differences between a cheap onbard sound chip and a high end sound card when you connect it using a digital connection (optical or koaxial). But I have read that this is not true at all (there is jitter, timing, etc.).

So I would be glad to hear which soundcard I should buy to get the best quality when connecting my PC to the high end DAC of my preamp.

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #3 –
You might have a look at brands like Lynx and RME.
TheWellTemperedComputer.com

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #4 –
It's just digital data that is passed through your PC, wich is also a pure digital domain (means no jitter/timming issues). So unless some resampling is happeing on driver level, every decent soundcard will outpit bit-identical data.

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: onkl on
It's just digital data that is passed through your PC, wich is also a pure digital domain (means no jitter/timming issues). So unless some resampling is happeing on driver level, every decent soundcard will outpit bit-identical data.


SPDIF send the signal in bits.
The sample rate is derived from the speed the bits are pouring in.
This speed is generated by a clock so fully analogue.
Any fluctuation in clock speed is a fluctuation in sample rate, that’s what we call jitter.
So by design SPDIF is a hybrid protocol, the signal digital, the timing analoque.
TheWellTemperedComputer.com

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #6 –
They're all the same.

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #7 –
An external DAC with an Asynchronous Sample Rate Converter IC can completely eliminate even insanest amounts of clock jitter. So if you have a good DAC aleady the simplest onboard S/PDIF output will give 100% accurate results (as long as there is no mandatory resampling to 48kHz in your sound card).

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Roseval on
Quote from: onkl on
It's just digital data that is passed through your PC, wich is also a pure digital domain (means no jitter/timming issues). So unless some resampling is happeing on driver level, every decent soundcard will outpit bit-identical data.


SPDIF send the signal in bits.

The sample rate is derived from the speed the bits are pouring in.


But the relationship between the clock used to regenerate the analog signal and the bit clock for the input signal is not always 1:1.

These days, it is very common to *clean up* digital inputs and remove most if not essentially all jitter.

There are many digital audio products that do this, including almost all surround receivers,  surround processors, and stand-alone DACs.

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #9 –
Ok, so the question is more like what soundcard has the most solid, stable and high-quality software/driver implementation.

I am not really satisified with my current onboard chip (a ADI SoundMAX AD2000). From time to tme the music sounds quite distored like if you put your music through an effect box and when I pause and resume the track everything is fine again.

End everytime a start or resume a film (the preamp switches from stero to AC3 then) I hear an extremly loud noise/crackle signal for a short time, which is quite annoying (it may also be some other component than the soundcard).

So what soundcards have decent software implementation? The only thing I need is good digital output (no effects, no fancy functions/mixer, etc.).

- Daniel

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #10 –
I found two cards that look quite promising: The M-Audio Revolution 5.1 and the ESI Juli@. Does anybody know if it is still right, that it does not support ASIO over SPDIF? Even with the latest drivers (dated 4/20/2009)?

What are the drawbacks of these cards and which would you prefer?

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #11 –
Yes, it may be some other components than the soundcard. So what if you buy an expensive soundcard and the problems persist? Will you return the soundcard and solve the real problem? Having saved the money. Or keep the new soundcard and resolve the real problem? Having gained nothing.

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #12 –
Quote from: Berki on
Ok, so the question is more like what soundcard has the most solid, stable and high-quality software/driver implementation.


You don't have to spend more than $10 if the card is supported by these drivers.

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #13 –
@Fandango: I would gain two things: (1) a good feeling because I know I do not use a bad onbaord soundcard (2) the certainty that it was not the onboard card that caused the problem if it still persist.

Compared to the rest of my audio system the 100$ or so would be negligible...

But this open source driver really sounds interesting. Is it really better then the comercial ones like from ESI?

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #14 –
Quote from: Berki on
@Fandango: I would gain two things: (1) a good feeling because I know I do not use a bad onbaord soundcard (2) the certainty that it was not the onboard card that caused the problem if it still persist.


What problem do you have?

In case you use Windows Vista or 7 RC, have you tried foobar2000 + WASAPI?

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #15 –
I described my problems in Post #10. I just don't like this onbard thing. Driver is quite bad in my opinion. So, I want to get a new soundcard. Money doesn't matter so much. Only sound quality matters to me.

If this open source cmedia driver is really better than - let's say the driver of the ESI Juli@ - what concrete soundcard with a correct chipset is the best (koaxial and optical output would be nice and the quality should be as good as possible)?

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #16 –
Quote from: Berki on
@Fandango: I would gain two things: (1) a good feeling because I know I do not use a bad onbaord soundcard

What makes you think the onboard soundcard is bad? Onboard soundchips are much better today than in the past. You don't even know the cause of your problems yet.

Quote from: Berki on
(2) the certainty that it was not the onboard card that caused the problem if it still persist.

In which case you can return the soundcard with a good feeling and get your money back.

I don't see the point in buying a useless soundcard that basically does the same as the one you already have.

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #17 –
Quote from: Berki on
I just don't like this onbard thing. Driver is quite bad in my opinion. So, I want to get a new soundcard. Money doesn't matter so much. Only sound quality matters to me.

I think the root of the problem may lie with this claim to sound quality. If you want to justify the purchase of an expensive soundcard to most of the people here you will need to find a reason that is acceptable on their terms. For example:
- owning it will make me feel good
- it will be the envy of my friends
- it has some features that would be useful
- it conforms to standards and is straightforward to talk to
- established history for reliability in the field
- etc...

Alternatively, you could post to an audiophile site for advice where you will no doubt receive a great deal of information about the relative sound quality of various expensive soundcards. None of these claims will be supported by evidence and will, of course, be in conflict the claims of other audiophiles and with the evidence that does exist.

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #18 –
I hate the driver/software and the "feeling" of my onboard ADI SoundMAX card. It just makes me feel bad :-). I don't want to use it anymore. But I am definitely considering a cmedia based card too (even though it might cost less money).

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #19 –
Quote from: Berki on
Ok, so the question is more like what soundcard has the most solid, stable and high-quality software/driver implementation.

I am not really satisified with my current onboard chip (a ADI SoundMAX AD2000). From time to tme the music sounds quite distored like if you put your music through an effect box and when I pause and resume the track everything is fine again.

End everytime a start or resume a film (the preamp switches from stero to AC3 then) I hear an extremly loud noise/crackle signal for a short time, which is quite annoying (it may also be some other component than the soundcard).

So what soundcards have decent software implementation? The only thing I need is good digital output (no effects, no fancy functions/mixer, etc.).

- Daniel


Any currently available sound card should remedy the issues you describe when outputting through its digital output, if it is indeed your onboard sound card that is the source of your current problems. So buy one that you feel confident gives good sound quality based on specs and reviews, and I'm sure you'll be happy. Make sure to keep the receipt in case your trouble lies elsewhere.
Thorbjorn

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #20 –
Quote from: Berki on
Hi everyone,

what soundcard offers the best possible signal quality on its SPDIF output one can buy for money today? I want to drive a high end dolby surround preamp with both stero and AC3 material and I want to get the absolute best quality that is possible out of my PC.

I would be glad to hear your recommendations!

- Daniel


ASUS Xonar is probably at the top of the list.

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #21 –
Ok, after some research I am deciding between the ESI Juli@, the E-MU 1212M, the Trust 514DX 5.1 and the TerraTec Aureon 5.1/7.1 (the former two with original drivers and the latter two with the bit perfect cmedia driver) sound card.

What card would you recommend?

Soundcard with absolute best SPDIF quality?

Reply #22 –
Quote from: Berki on
Ok, after some research I am deciding between the ESI Juli@, the E-MU 1212M, the Trust 514DX 5.1 and the TerraTec Aureon 5.1/7.1 (the former two with original drivers and the latter two with the bit perfect cmedia driver) sound card.

What card would you recommend?

For analog/SPDIF audio, I've always been very happy with the Asus Xonar DX, but Asus drivers can be buggy and I haven't tried that card with WASAPI-exclusive mode. The also inexplicably took out DPLIIx "music" (not that I care much for it, but still) from recent drivers. My Xonar U1 has problems with WASAPI-ex. in foobar2k in Windows 7 as well. The cards/features/sound are all good, but drivers can be buggy.