OK, so maybes I've been sucked into the marketing blurb a little here but bare with me. From what I have read I can basically sum up the use of a DAC to mean 'better sound'.
A little bit of background.
I run a simple setup, Mordaunt Short 902i bookshelf speakers, 309i sub-woofer and these connect via QED cables (speakers are bi-wired) to a Cambridge Audio Azur 640A 65w amplifier. Finally, I output from my PC through an Asus Xonar D2X sound card. Small EQ changes but no DSP effects, 2 channel, 96 KHz sample rate output.
All seems to work well and in my eyes, is a nice little setup for gaming and listening to music from my PC (and I do listen to a lot of music).
How would a DAC fit into this picture? I'll be honest and say, I don't really understand them. Are they just fancy upscalers?
I have been sticking with Cambridge Audio to complement my current setup and therefore have been reading about their DACMagic. They state that "essentially it converts 16-24 bit audio to 24 bit/192kHz so you hear so much more from compressed material."
Now, this sounds good. I do have a lot of mp3's, and my CD collection is not ripped in the best quality. I know my sound card apparently does this output already thanks to Texas Instruments/Burr-Brown PCM1796 DAC’s, giving a maximum 8-channel (7.1 surround) output at 24 bit/192 KHz.
Would the two conflict somehow?
Finally, how would I hook it all up? Would it be...
1. Sound card -> Amp -> DAC -> Speakers
2. Sound card -> DAC -> Amp -> Speakers
And what is the best way to connect all this? S/PDIF?
Thanks in advance for any help answering my questions. Would be great if someone had a DACMagic and can say if it's worthwhile!
Cheers.
A little bit of background.
I run a simple setup, Mordaunt Short 902i bookshelf speakers, 309i sub-woofer and these connect via QED cables (speakers are bi-wired) to a Cambridge Audio Azur 640A 65w amplifier. Finally, I output from my PC through an Asus Xonar D2X sound card. Small EQ changes but no DSP effects, 2 channel, 96 KHz sample rate output.
All seems to work well and in my eyes, is a nice little setup for gaming and listening to music from my PC (and I do listen to a lot of music).

How would a DAC fit into this picture? I'll be honest and say, I don't really understand them. Are they just fancy upscalers?
I have been sticking with Cambridge Audio to complement my current setup and therefore have been reading about their DACMagic. They state that "essentially it converts 16-24 bit audio to 24 bit/192kHz so you hear so much more from compressed material."
Now, this sounds good. I do have a lot of mp3's, and my CD collection is not ripped in the best quality. I know my sound card apparently does this output already thanks to Texas Instruments/Burr-Brown PCM1796 DAC’s, giving a maximum 8-channel (7.1 surround) output at 24 bit/192 KHz.
Would the two conflict somehow?

Finally, how would I hook it all up? Would it be...
1. Sound card -> Amp -> DAC -> Speakers
2. Sound card -> DAC -> Amp -> Speakers
And what is the best way to connect all this? S/PDIF?
Thanks in advance for any help answering my questions. Would be great if someone had a DACMagic and can say if it's worthwhile!
Cheers.
