DAC and External sound card

[sudhirbhosale]

Hi
Can we say that good External sound card = Good DAC.

I mean can External sound card can be alternative for DAC.

If not then wnat would be key difference in both?

Thanks ........

 

[reignofchaos]

A USB dac in essence is an external sound card but the reverse may not be true. There are many external usb interfaces used by in pro audio that have purely digital outputs - no digital to analog conversion happens.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

It is all a matter of terminology only.

At first, sound cards were cards inside the PC. Then they moved to units outside the PC case, but the name "sound card" stuck. To clear up the confusion, and to be inclusive, I prefer the term audio interface. As RoC points out, not all audio interfaces are even suitable for domestic use.

A sound card or audio interface usually has ADC as well as DAC. It is used for recording sound as well as playing it.

The hifi world came up with the idea of cutting the input/ADC side out*, and giving us output/DAC only. The only thing possibly wrong with that approach is that hifi companies go by hifi prices, so instead of only paying for what we need, we end up paying more for less.

So far as equipment suitable for our market is concerned, a good internal or external sound card, maybe called audio interface, must include a good DAC. But then, so must a good CD player, a good DVD player, etc etc.




*well, ok... high-end separate ADC/DAC units have probably been in use in studios for longer. Adding this because my pedantic brain insisted :lol:

 

[tiger0691]

Sound card also has its own DAC inside.
But the matter is the quality is not good.
Use very good sound card or use DAC.
- Sound card give you much noise from PC.
- Dac connected with Optical Cable has know noise from PC

In my case, I am using Onkyo PCI-200 sound card and DAC(PCM1794) and DAC(B&W8741)
The sound has its own color. Dac also has its own color.

I am very happy with DAC sound.

 

[vinodtthomas]

I use Creative Sound Blaster SB1095 external sound card. Will it help to improve the quality of sound if I add a DAC between the Sound card and the amplifier?

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

- Sound card give you much noise from PC.

Only if you have a really bad PC, power supply, sound card.

Dac connected with Optical Cable has know noise from PC

Optical cable isolates from the possibility of electrical noise, the risk of which was probably exaggerated in the first place.

Coax digital is less prone to jitter --- the risk of which was probably exaggerated in the first place! :lol:

Take your pick