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Recommend me a good DAC for my Windows PC

Mike_Trueman

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I love the sound from my NAD M10 V3 amplifier when streaming from the device every day. But i want to connect my Windows PC with USB to my NAD.

Can someone recommend me a good DAC to connect my Windows PC to the NAD M10 V3 amp and which connection is best?
USB to Coax IN
USB to Optical IN
USB to Line IN
USB to HDMI eARC

I was thinking buying the "Topping Centaurus R2R Dac" but i never bought a standalone DAC before so any help is welcome.
I do not need a headphone connection. Just streaming Flac files, Youtube, Spotify, Tidal, ... from the PC.
 
Just get a cheap USB to SPDIF converter, like SMSL PO100. Connect via coax or Toslink. No need for silly DACs. Your amp already has a DAC. Maybe your PC already has a digital output, you can just use that. Tidal and Spotify should be working out of the box using their streaming implementation. FLAC can be streamed using the BlueOS desktop app.
 
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Just get a cheap USB to SPDIF converter, like SMSL PO100. Connect via coax or Toslink. No need for silly DACs. Your amp already has a DAC. Maybe your PC already has a digital output, you can just use that. Tidal and Spotify should be working out of the box using their streaming implementation. FLAC can be streamed using the BlueOS desktop app.
Thanks for the feedback.
So this small device the "SMSL PO100 Pro" is powered by my PC with USB-C and it bypasses my internal Realtek sound card?
 
Thanks for the feedback.
So this small device the "SMSL PO100 Pro" is powered by my PC with USB-C and it bypasses my internal Realtek sound card?
Yes!
 
So this small device the "SMSL PO100 Pro" is powered by my PC with USB-C and it bypasses my internal Realtek sound card?
Anything USB bypasses your soundcard.

If you aren't hearing background noise from your soundcard, it's probably better than human hearing. But you might "feel better" using the DAC in your amp.

Optical connections eliminate the possibility of ground loop nose. Ground loops aren't a super-common problem but it's a difficult to fix when it happens.
 
For me it looks like you don't need any additional hardware - your NAD has USB and Toslink inputs already, so just pick one.
The third way to connect (assuming a TV as part of your setup) would be PC via HDMI to TV, and TV via HDMI (e)ARC to NAD.
 
For me it looks like you don't need any additional hardware - your NAD has USB and Toslink inputs already, so just pick one.
The third way to connect (assuming a TV as part of your setup) would be PC via HDMI to TV, and TV via HDMI (e)ARC to NAD.
It has no USB input for PC it is only for a harddrive or a USB stick.
 
So i need a DCC? I never heard of it so i am learning something new today. :cool:

 
It has no USB input for PC it is only for a harddrive or a USB stick.
Ah OK - but then, you still have the choice between Toslink and HDMI
 
Ah OK - but then, you still have the choice between Toslink and HDMI
True but Toslink is not bypassing my onboard soundcard. I can connect HDMI to my PC for audio only?
 
True but Toslink is not bypassing my onboard soundcard. I can connect HDMI to my PC for audio only?
Yes, if a TV is part of your setup. You only have to choose HDMI as default audio device, and disable all sound processing in Windows (if there is any active). Toslink is still another valid option for stereo. The "sound card" does nothing meaningful in the digital domain, if Windows processing is off, apart of "feeding" the outputs.

BTW: If you choose HDMI, you can later disable the internal audio section (Realtek or whatever) in the UEFI, to prevent Windows updates reverting to them as default.
 
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True but Toslink is not bypassing my onboard soundcard.
Your computer (or soundcard?) has Toslink? You ARE bypassing the soundcard's DAC, so you are essentially bypassing the "soundcard"/

I can connect HDMI to my PC for audio only?
If your PC has HDMI, probably. Are you using an HDMI monitor? Either way, it might require some "configuration" to use your video monitor at the same time
 
A monitor (normally) lacks HDMI output, so rather possible only via TV with ARC/eARC out.
PC via HDMI to TV and via HDMI (e)ARC to NAD.

With only a monitor at the PC, I would choose Toslink and be done with it.
BTW: How far from the NAD is your PC located? Toslink is limited to 5-10 m, depending on how good the cable is.
 
Simplest and cheapest option: buy an inexpensive TOSLINK (optical) cable and connect your PC to your NAD with that, as @respice finem advises in the comment just above mine. If that optical output is not from your PC's motherboard but rather only available on your PC's soundcard, then of course you will not be bypassing the soundcard. But with optical, who cares? As noted above, there's no ground/noise issues to worry about with optical.

However, as has also been noted, a very long run can produce dropouts (or I suppose in some cases total silence) over an optical connection, especially if you are looking to stream audio with sample rates above 96kHz. In actuality, sample rates higher than 96kHz usually work just fine with optical - not to mention, there's no point in using sample rates that high anyway.

But if you are concerned, or if you have other reasons you'd prefer not to use your PC's optical output, then I'd heartily second the above recommendation for the SMSL PO100/100 Pro. I have the 100 Pro, but only because the regular 100 happened not to be available when I need to purchase this kind of device.

My 100 Pro sits between my Mac mini and my Genelec active speakers. The signal path is Mac mini USB output-->PO100 Pro-->coax-->coax to AES EBU cable-->Genelec AES EBU input. I've never had a problem, and this is using the PO100 Pro's coax output, which theoretically is susceptible to noise, gorund loop, and so on. In fact, my "digital coax to AES EBU" cable is actually just a cheap Monoprice analogue RCA to XLR cable, and it works just fine (albeit my cable run for that is only 6 feet). The PO100 sits in the back of a cabinet and I can't even see it - it's literally out of sight, out of mind and just works.

In your case, using the PO 100 (or 100 Pro) optical output would eliminate the theoretical concerns of my setup with its coax output and the "wrong" resistance on my converter cable going into my Genelecs. So I'd say your setup would be bullet-proof unless you tried to run 384kHz sample rate data over a 20 foot connection or something silly like that.

Oh, and for my use case - and therefore for yours too - the PO100 and PO 100 Pro are functionally identical, so if the 100 is available again now, no need to spend the extra money on the Pro.
 
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If you just want a dac anyway or like me like the little display, also something a little more substantial than the PO100 try the Topping D10s. It will give you analog out as well as a bridge from usb to optical or coax. All of them work simultaneously as well. I didn’t have any issues with the PO100, it works great as a bridge. The D10s allowed me to add a headphone amp which also feeds a vu meter so I’m definitely having more fun with it.
 

An adapter like that operates only in the digital domain. It doesn’t utilize your existing sound chip or its DAC. As with any audio output device, it does utilize your CPU. It acts as a digital audio transport to your amp’s DAC.
 
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Thanks for the help all. Good to know i do not need another DAC for extra connections. (USB to SPDIF)
A lot of options now to choose from. :)

Cubilix USB A to TOSLINK Optical Audio Adapter (20€)
SMSL PO100PRO (80€)
Denafrips IRIS 12th (600€)

I think i am going for the SMSL PO100 PRO. Going to read some online reviews about this product.
 
@Mike_Trueman You didn't mention which PC you have and whether it has an SPDIF output on the motherboard.
Most do and you can connect those SPDIF connectors to the SPDIF bracket and connect the PC and amplifier directly with an optical cable.
This bypasses the audio DAC on the motherboard.
 
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