Any USB sound card that uses quality DACs for ALL channels?

[georgeT]

Not if you want five channels

I'm gonna have to give up on that by the looks of it, I checked the specs on the scarlet, -81 dB THD+N on channels 3 and four.

 

[georgeT]

.. or you just don't worry about the cheap DACs

I returned a Creative AE5 after hearing the hiss on the side channels, absolute garbage.

 

[Bleib]

I returned a Creative AE5 after hearing the hiss on the side channels, absolute garbage.

OK, I used for several years and didn't have this problem. Perhaps a lot of this has to do where the card is placed and into which motherboard and maybe also depending on the quality of the PSU. I always placed mine at the bottom, as long distance from the GPU as possible

 

[georgeT]

OK, I used for several years and didn't have this problem. Perhaps a lot of this has to do where the card is placed and into which motherboard and maybe also depending on the quality of the PSU. I always placed mine at the bottom, as long distance from the GPU as possible

I had it on a Z87X board a few years ago, the onboard sound card had no hiss. I don't recall what slot I had it but doesn't it have a shield for that?
Edit: the specs says it has Soundcore3d for the side channels whatever the hell that is!

 

[georgeT]

Alright I think I found something a used Focusrite Scarlet 6i6 second gen for 120 euros. Thoughts?

 

[Bleib]

I had it on a Z87X board a few years ago, the onboard sound card had no hiss. I don't recall what slot I had it but doesn't it have a shield for that?
Edit: the specs says it has Soundcore3d for the side channels whatever the hell that is!

I don't know the specifics of that motherboard but with AMD AM5 I've had three different brands: Gigabyte, Asus and now MSI and they all have their own unique sets of bugs
Seems to be, so you already have Creative card on the mobo

Creative Introduces Sound Core3D​

 

[georgeT]

I don't know the specifics of that motherboard but with AMD AM5 I've had three different brands: Gigabyte, Asus and now MSI and they all have their own unique sets of bugs
Seems to be, so you already have Creative card on the mobo

Creative Introduces Sound Core3D​

 

[Bleib]

View attachment 469739

Whilst not terrific it's similar to an amp like smsl a300 which many have not heard hissing... I'm still inclined to think that if one channel is worse then it's some form of bug, incompatibility.

I should add that I mostly used mine for 2 channel audio

 

[georgeT]

Does anyone know what the SoundblasterX G6 uses for the surround channels? the DAC is listed as CS43131 which is a 2 channel DAC.

 

[Ramon Cota]

i have been using this marvellous device https://www.amazon.com/AXAGON-ECO-ADA-71-Sound-External/dp/B0774MRT8F
it was dirt cheap and i hear no sonic quality difference from my 90s denon or sony cd- players

 

[georgeT]

i have been using this marvellous device https://www.amazon.com/AXAGON-ECO-ADA-71-Sound-External/dp/B0774MRT8F
it was dirt cheap and i hear no sonic quality difference from my 90s denon or sony cd- players

Sampling rate, resolution and output converter (DAC) noise:
• Analog - 44.1 / 48 kHz @ 16 bit for playback,
• Signal-to-Noise ratio (Output SNR) ≥ 96dB,
• Harmonic distortion (Output THD + N) ≤ -88dB / ≤ 0.0056 % (20 Hz ~ 20 kHz).

It does look nice for the price but I'm looking for something with THD+N >96dB

 

[georgeT]

I guess nothing's changed in the last 7 yes since I tried looking for an affordable 4-6 channel DAC. many thanks to audio companies for trying as hard as they can to not make it possible! that goes to you topping, SMSL, fosi and co. no, we don't need a 2 channel dac with 140db SINAD!

 

[StefanR]

If you perhaps have a rpi5 already, the Hifiberry DAC8X is well below €/$ 100 with decent quality? The Rpi5 is also clearly below that. SINAD for that 8 channel DAC is well below almost all amps and definitely below even the best speakers.

For a digital XO (3 or 4 way), CamillaDSP is excellent and it would run very well in e.g. Modde Audio on that Pi.