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Topic: USB DAC to fix computer noise issues? (Read 5487 times) previous topic - next topic
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USB DAC to fix computer noise issues?

I've got a bit of a problem in that my sound card seems extremely noisy. I have a pair of HD-580's and listening to lossless audio I still get background noise (even on songs ripped from CD). I've got an Audigy 2 soundcard. I have heard that noisy internal environments can make all PCI cards useless. This would make sense, I've got a huge powersupply and 6 or 7 hard disks running dual Xeon processors.

So, I think that the noise is coming from all of the electrical components in my computer. Is the correct solution to this to buy a USB DAC? What will I have to worry about if I do that. Finally, which one should I buy? I would rather spend $200 or less, but I can go over that if the quality drastically increases. How is the Fubar II? How are the stereo-link DACs? How is the headphone.com total bithead amp+DAC?

Also recommended to me was a PCMCIA card with a desktop adapter that would let me also listen from my laptop. Is this likely to deal with the noise issues?

Thanks so much for your help!

USB DAC to fix computer noise issues?

Reply #1 –
Another possibility is a sound card with either s/pdif or toslink output and an external DAC or receiver. This should eliminate computer noise, other than the noise of all of the fans that you must have to keep your system cool.

USB DAC to fix computer noise issues?

Reply #2 –
I greatly reduced the noise of my laptop audio card using the Edirol UA1EX, but it is not so simple to understand what is the real cause of the noise, and so I can tell if it is a good solution for you. Can you tell us what kind of noise you ear?

USB connection is digital as SPDIF, so the main difference between the two solution will be in the quality of the audiocard/receiver you will use.

a bit off-topic: while I can't ear any noise when I listen using my USB audiocard, I have some troubles when I record, since a strong noise produced from the laptop power supply is carried thought the laptop, the usb cable and the audio cable, that acts as an antenna and induces a lot of hum in my guitar... but this is a whole another story. (I think my home electrical implant is not properly grounded)

USB DAC to fix computer noise issues?

Reply #3 –
It also might be a simple power issue; Sennheisers are somewhat notorious for needing a little extra juice to drive, and some sources get noisier when driving them to good volumes. A lot of well-rated sound cards (even USB ones) might still be noisy for you.

I can't recommend anything specific to solve this except to look around and see what other people are using with their 580s.

USB DAC to fix computer noise issues?

Reply #4 –
I have no experience with your headphones, but the card I use with my Sony MDR 780 is the cheap (obviously non-DAC) external soundcard from Behringer, the UCA -202.

http://www.behringer.com/UCA202/index.cfm?lang=ENG

Supporting ASIO and being external I dont think you should have noise issues that are related to your CPU or other internal components.

Oh, and its only $30. For me it works very well.

USB DAC to fix computer noise issues?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: KingOfCapital on
I have heard that noisy internal environments can make all PCI cards useless.


Maybe crappy ones, but good ones don't have this problem.  Well, at least my Lynx doesn't, and I imagine the Emu and RME and dal ones work fine. 

IMHO usb is not as rosy a picture as everyone paints....YMMV
 

USB DAC to fix computer noise issues?

Reply #6 –
Do you want an amp included as well or will you be plugging  into an external one?