Realtek ALC4080 vs DACs.

[N0comment]

Hi. I`m going to build a new PC and i`m currently looking at motherboards. I would like the motherboard to have SPDIF output so i can connect them to my active speakers Edifier R2850DB so i could try my speaker`s dac. But i also have Fiio K11 R2R dac that im using with my headphones HIfiman Edition XS and currently i`ve connected my speakers via the RCA on the back of the DAC.

So my question is should i spend more money on higher end PC motherboard with better realtek chip or should i just buy something cheaper that has SPDIF output? If i connect the speakers not in the SPDIF, but in the 3.5mm jack of the motherboard would there be big difference from my Fiio DAC? I understand that this question is a little big vague but i would like to hear some opinions. I`d like to try the SPDIF so i can see if there is going to be difference in sound from the 3.5mm and from my Fiio DAC. Should i invest in better motherboard or not?

Will i get better sound quality from the motherboard audio or from my fiio k11 r2r?

 

[coonmanx]

Do you realize that the Fiio has a USB input on the back so you could just hook it up that way? I mean, if you already like the Fiio then why not just give it a shot. You might be overthinking this...

 

[N0comment]

The Fiio is connected to the PC with USB - yes. And from the back with the RCA i connect it to my speakers. But i want to try connecting my speakers directly to the motherboard via with SPDIF port so that i can hear the speaker`s DAC ( at least i think its gonna be using the speakers DAC when its connected with SPDIF port). Thats what i`m thinking of doing. Don`t know what the efect is going to be. But i`m willing to try. But should i go for some higher end motherboard with Realtek ALC4080 or something like that or should i get cheaper one with SPDIF and ACL 897? I want to try my speakers DAC. Until now i`ve been using my old motherboard and the Fiio`s DACs.

 

[AnalogSteph]

There should be no functional differences in terms of SPDIF output. There have been some issues with USB-based onboard audio codecs like the ALC4080 in the past, so the lowly ALC897 HDA job may even work more reliably.