ALC887

[starepiernikowe]

Hello

Went to look for some noise ;>

 

[AnalogSteph]

This is how it should normally be. The real fun only tends to start once you connect your PC to a grounded audio playback setup.

Note - for better sensitivity you want to be using the microphone input with some input gain selected, say the 20 dB step. The analog noise floor on both the output and the mic input on these basic chips tends to be a fair bit lower than the ADC's. Let's say you get a -73 dB noise floor that way, then that's the equivalent of -73 dB - 20 dB = -93 dB. (Verify the exact gain step size for best accuracy, though in your case it wouldn't be relevant as you only wanted a relative comparison.)

Protip: If you insist, you can even operate an XLR measurement or other condenser microphone using an external P48V phantom power supply and an XLR to 3.5 mm cable (direct 1:1 connection, like XLR to TRS but smaller plug). It's probably most interesting for measurement applications as REW supports an L-R mode for input and output. It should be reasonably straightforward to achieve in common sound recorders / DAWs as well. Having this feature in software like Voicemeeter would be handy.

 

[starepiernikowe]

Yes, exactly, just comparison.
If I understand you correctly, the noise floor is lower, or should be lower from that mobo DAC, if measured properly?

I can add, that I later did the same test, with amplifier with internal DAC connected via USB to PC.
PC is grounded and DAC amplifier has a coil separation chips from digital input to DAC chip.
Amplifier has ground on the transformer, it doesn't have external ground.

The results were the same with that amplifier connected, later I also did test with washing machine running hehe

Maybe those were stupid tests, but needed to see.
Honestly I would never say that I will be so satisfied with my mobo sound.
Just regret spendings on the external sound cards.
But one can't argue with empirical data.
Unless done incorrectly.