Hooking up soundcard to amp

Guest2

Guest2

Guest2

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I didnt know whether to put this in Home cinema/hifi or here.

If I buy a Xonar Essence ST how would I hook it up to my amp? Would I just need to run Phono - Phono from the card to the amp or do you use coax - amp phono?

I have a Marantz PM68 stereo amp with the usual Phono ports for speaker output.

At the moment my Audigy 2 zs is connected to amp via 3.5mm - phono

If a DAC like a Beresford 7520 is used then do i just need to use the standard phono - phono or do i need a coax cable or toslink or something else?
 
The ST has a headphone amp, which contributes to it's cost. So seeing you already have an external amp, unless you wanted to spend that much on the ST, you could get cheaper card maybe.
 
Then again, I am assuming the ST or STX must offer better SQ to justify it's price over the cheaper models, and isn't just cause it has a headphone amp.

The ST has optical support, if you are able to make use of that. I have the DS, and that comes with an adaptor module, so I guess the ST must be the same, or intergrated into the back panel. It has phono in and out aswell.
 
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Well first off if you're thinking of getting a DAC then I wouldn't bother with the ST, just use your onboard S/PDIF (coax or optical) or USB if it has a USB interface.

If you're just getting the card then you connect the analogue outs to the amp. Phono > phono or 3.5mm > 2x phono if the card doesn't have phono conenctors. Coax is digital.
 
AbsenceJam said:
Well first off if you're thinking of getting a DAC then I wouldn't bother with the ST, just use your onboard S/PDIF (coax or optical) or USB if it has a USB interface.

If you're just getting the card then you connect the analogue outs to the amp. Phono > phono or 3.5mm > 2x phono if the card doesn't have phono conenctors. Coax is digital.
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I would be either getting the ST or a Berresford 7520.

My current soundcard is Audigy 2 zs, im not sure how i would go about connecting it to a DAC. There are 6 3.5mm connections on the back and another one ? Then on the card there is a load more. Here is the card

Soundblaster_Audigy2_ZS.jpg
 
Euro_Hunter said:
A bit off topic but is it really worth spending best part of £150 to use the card in analogue mode?
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That's the whole point of spending the money.... You're paying for better components so the analogue output is good. A digital out is a digital out (in general, some are screwed by drivers e.g pre-X-Fi creative cards) but then you'd need a DAC.
 
Guest2, you'd just bin that card and use the optical or coax output on your mobo as the Audigy's resample everything so digital output isn't bit perfect. But for reference the 3.5mm one labelled digital out is a digital out funnily enough. It has an LED inside that you with a 3.5mm to Toslink adaptor.
 
AbsenceJam said:
That's the whole point of spending the money.... You're paying for better components so the analogue output is good. A digital out is a digital out (in general, some are screwed by drivers e.g pre-X-Fi creative cards) but then you'd need a DAC.
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OK many thanks, don't know anything about sound cards really and I am still using my onboard sound via spdif to my Onkyo amp :p
 
So would i be better getting a DAC to go with my soundcard or getting a Xonar essence ST? Ive read that the essence can give 'clinical' sound whilst DACs have a 'signature sound'

Ive also read the using toslink doesnt sound as good as coaxial. How then do i hook up either the DAC and audigy or essence to my Amp?
 
Euro_Hunter said:
OK many thanks, don't know anything about sound cards really and I am still using my onboard sound via spdif to my Onkyo amp :p
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Nothing wrong with that, though for music AV amps (which I assume it is) aren't the best.

Guest2 said:
So would i be better getting a DAC to go with my soundcard or getting a Xonar essence ST? Ive read that the essence can give 'clinical' sound whilst DACs have a 'signature sound'

Ive also read the using toslink doesnt sound as good as coaxial. How then do i hook up either the DAC and audigy or essence to my Amp?
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You've been reading too much, most of which will be a load of ******** - such is the world of audio.

Get whichever suits you best. If you play games, want virtual surround for headphones, don't want an external box etc then get a soundcard. If you're just listening to music, want something you can move between systems etc then get a DAC.
 
I went for the ST instead of the DAC. Its around £60 cheaper and read good things about it. More importantly, ill let you know how it is when i get it hooked up

Thanks all
 
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