Phono vs spdif with stereo audio

Radiation · 2 Feb 2010 at 17:48

I was wondering, i use spdif as my single audio connection from the pc to my av amp, this works fine for both normal stereo audio and dvd surround but im just wondering, i know spdif is meant for digital and surround but whats going on when normal analogue audio is being played, is my soundcard (audiophile 2496) converting to digital and passing it over the cable or is it an analogue signal?

Is phono better for normal stereo audio?

Marsman · 2 Feb 2010 at 18:03

Your amp is converting the digital to analogue. All music on a computer is digital until it is converted to analogue, your sound card is not converting anything. You can only take advantage of the M-Audio's sound quality by connecting to the amp via the RCA connectors. By using S/PDIF connection, you are not using your sound cards potential, you might aswell be using a motherboard with optical/coaxial.

For stereo, I would connect with RCA/phono, as you mentioned. S/PDIF is great for media that contains surround tracks, DVD's etc.

Radiation · 2 Feb 2010 at 18:13

Hmm, so you mean to say i've basically not really been using the soundcard all this time then?

I bought it for quality and low latency asio, this appears to have worked when i use it in flstudio, i knew it was digital until it got to the dacs but i wasn't totally sure about spdif, whats the relationship between asio and spdif, surely the card is doing something even if it remains in the digital realm?

Also lets say i switch to phono for stereo, isn't the amp going to influence it anyway, what will sound better?

Marsman · 2 Feb 2010 at 21:01

All the card is doing is passing along the digital data the AV receiver, which the receivers DAC then converts to analogue. You would get the same quality of sound by using a motherboard with S/PDIF connections, as a sound cards job is to convert digital to analogue basically.

If the AV receiver has no audio processing turned on, Dolby Pro Logic for eg, it should just amplify the incoming analogue signal, pretty much the way a stereo amp would.

Another thing to consider, which has the better DAC, the AV receiver or the sound card? Of course that indeed depends on the AV receiver in question.