Please help me bypass the S/PDIF-port on my PC:s motherboard

[phofman]

IMO your existing DAC is quite good https://www.stereophile.com/content/nad-c-328-integrated-amplifier-measurements , why buying another DAC...

If you are OK with TOSLINK (typically up to 96kHz only), a reasonable PCI-e soundcard with TOSLINK output should do just fine, like e.g. https://www.pccasegear.com/products/45893/asus-xonar-se-5-1-pcie-gaming-sound-card

 

[SoundDude89]

Douk Audio U2 works flawlessly with a MAC

The two are OK.
S.M.S.L PO100 Pro do more things that you will never need. Perhaps useful if you want to use it with a game console too (and no, don't ask about MQA or I2s )

Do you think they will work with a PC with Windows 10 or 11?

I prefer keeping all of this as simple as possible, and since I've barely heard of MQA or I2s, I'll oblige with your request!

Some people write in their reviews that the Douk Audio U2 breaks often and whatnot. I suppose this might just be a case of the ol' "angry customer report on online forum", but do you perhaps know anything about this?

IMO your existing DAC is quite good https://www.stereophile.com/content/nad-c-328-integrated-amplifier-measurements , why buying another DAC...

If you are OK with TOSLINK (typically up to 96kHz only), a reasonable PCI-e soundcard with TOSLINK output should do just fine, like e.g. https://www.pccasegear.com/products/45893/asus-xonar-se-5-1-pcie-gaming-sound-card

Here's a funny thing: I just realized that TOSLINK can only transfer up to 96kHz thanks to you mentioning this!

All of my previous posts, where I ask if the adapters like the Douk Audio U2 are sufficient because they "only" transfer up to 44.1K-192KHz/16-24 bit are completely redundant, since the whole point is to connect to my NAD C 328 which only accepts TOSLINK and coaxial anyways. The NAD C 328 does support 192 kHz/24 bit, but it's irrelevant, since it doesn't have a USB port anyways.

I just realized this! Thank you!

If the Douk Audio U2 is of good build quality, then I think I will go for it.

By the way, is the difference in audio quality and clarity very noticable between 96kHz and 192 kHz, both with 24 bit rate?

 

[Killingbeans]

By the way, is the difference in audio quality and clarity very noticable between 96kHz and 192 kHz, both with 24 bit rate?

Nope. It has nothing to do with quality or clarity. Only frequency extension.

96kHz sampling captures up to 48kHz audio. 192kHz sampling captures up to 96kHz audio. Both are way beyond human hearing ability.

24bit is also overkill. 144dB dynamic range. Good luck finding music or playback systems taking advantage of that. And if you do, it will probably make you permanently deaf

I mean... non of it hurts your audio, but it doesn't really have any benefits either.

 

[staticV3]

By the way, is the difference in audio quality and clarity very noticable between 96kHz and 192 kHz, both with 24 bit rate?

48kHz sample rate is enough to completely saturate the human hearing. Anything higher than that is useless for music consumption.

Yet, 192kHz+ Hi-res releases still sell because audiophiles like to think that it means better sound quality. It does not.

 

[SoundDude89]

Nope. It has nothing to do with quality or clarity. Only frequency extension.

96kHz sampling captures up to 48kHz audio. 192kHz sampling captures up to 96kHz audio. Both are way beyond human hearing ability.

24bit is also overkill. 144dB dynamic range. Good luck finding music or playback systems taking advantage of that. And if you do, it will probably make you permanently deaf

I mean... non of it hurts your audio, but it doesn't really have any benefits either.

48kHz sample rate is enough to completely saturate the human hearing. Anything higher than that is useless for music consumption.

Yet, 192kHz+ Hi-res releases still sell because audiophiles like to think that it means better sound quality. It does not.

Alright, sounds good to me!

You guys have been an absolutely invaluable source of information for me. I really can't thank you enough for all the help you've provided me with.

I'm going to sleep on it, but I think I'll go not for the Douk Audio U2, and not the PO100 Pro (I can't get it easily where I live), but rather the Douk Audio U2 Pro. I figure the HDMI IIS output is a nice thing to have, just in case. @tcli says it does more things than you will ever need, but I mean, maybe the HDMI IIS a good thing to have, maybe?

With that, I think I'm ready to conclude the business. Do you believe this to be a sensible choice?

Cheers!

 

[Killingbeans]

I figure the HDMI IIS output is a nice thing to have, just in case. @tcli says it does more things than you will ever need, but I mean, maybe the HDMI IIS a good thing to have, maybe?

Nahh, sorry to disappoint :

Study: Is I²S interface better for DACs than S/PDIF or USB?

This is an analysis of I²S interface to see if it is superior to S/PDIF or USB interconnects for audio DACs. From what I recall, it was PS Audio that popularized I²S for external DAC connections. Phillips (now NXP) had invented I²S years early as an internal protocol to route audio. It was...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[SoundDude89]

Nahh, sorry to disappoint :

Study: Is I²S interface better for DACs than S/PDIF or USB?

This is an analysis of I²S interface to see if it is superior to S/PDIF or USB interconnects for audio DACs. From what I recall, it was PS Audio that popularized I²S for external DAC connections. Phillips (now NXP) had invented I²S years early as an internal protocol to route audio. It was...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Haha, I had recently watched this video, and decided to include I²S on my wish list because of it, and @amirm opens the thread by mentioning PS Audio! I would say that it's a real coincidence, but maybe not. After all, I googled TOSLINK vs I²S, and I guess the results on the first page mirrors what others google as well.

The red Douk Audio U2 it is then (or maybe the black...)!

 

[Killingbeans]

Haha, I had recently watched this video, and decided to include I²S on my wish list because of it, and @amirm opens the thread by mentioning PS Audio! I would say that it's a real coincidence, but maybe not.

PS Audio gets mentioned a lot her on ASR, but hardly ever out of respect or reverence. Paul is notorious for being a cosy old dude who loves to sell fairy tales.

He's probably a perfectly cool guy, but a lot of his "teachings" should be taken with a serious grain of salt.

 

[Zek]

The red Douk Audio U2 it is then (or maybe the black...)!

 

[LTig]

Here's a funny thing: I just realized that TOSLINK can only transfer up to 96kHz thanks to you mentioning this!

It depends on the type of transmitter/receiver and the cable (especially its length). Typically 96/24 works always, while 192/24 works only when conditions are perfect (supported by transmitter and receiver, short cable).

For a longer connection you can use a SPDIF coax to toslink converter with a long coax cable (a cheap 75 Ohm satellite cable suffices) and a short toslink cable.