Looking for a DSD sound card

[PeterSt]

It looks it is USB (stack) based ...

 

[kcwilsonii]

Ordered mine,
I will post feedback when I get it up and running and have tested a few configurations

[Kal Rubinson]

On 1/11/2019 at 7:19 PM, lucretius said:

5.1 Channel (Digital via S/PDIF)

???  In what format?

[kcwilsonii]

The TOSLink/SPDIF is lacking in Format specs and rate capability. I would assume all the current technologies that can be sent via the connection, but always nice to see it in writing somehwere

[Miska]

1 hour ago, Kal Rubinson said:

???  In what format?

 

DolbyDigital and DTS I guess...

[Kal Rubinson]

2 hours ago, Miska said:

DolbyDigital and DTS I guess...

Feh.  Amusing to associate these names with Audio Note (UK), Ltd.

[lucretius]

 

8 hours ago, Kal Rubinson said:

???  In what format?

 

Since it's just "pass-through", isn't it the case that what formats can be decoded depend on the downstream receiver/processor?

 

 

 

 

[Kal Rubinson]

21 minutes ago, lucretius said:

Since it's just "pass-through", isn't it the case that what formats can be decoded depend on the downstream receiver/processor?

Exactly.  However, discrete, lossless multichannel cannot be conveyed by S/PDIF in or out.

[STC]

It can but depending on the hardware. 

[lucretius]

1 hour ago, Kal Rubinson said:

Exactly.  However, discrete, lossless multichannel cannot be conveyed by S/PDIF in or out.

 

I'm wondering why EVGA didn't go with an HDMI out.

[MetalNuts]

On 1/10/2019 at 1:06 AM, The Computer Audiophile said:

Interesting. designed by Audio Note.

 

Here are the inside photos.  The price is around USD250.

 

However, I doubt whether Audio Note has played an active role in designing this sound card apart from some of the parts are produced by Audio Note.  My knowledge did not recall Audio Note good at digital product.

[Kal Rubinson]

10 hours ago, STC said:

It can but depending on the hardware. 

Can you offer an example?

[STC]

10 hours ago, Kal Rubinson said:

Can you offer an example?

 

My mistake. Got mixed up with ADAT and SPDIF via Toslink.

[Miska]

7 hours ago, STC said:

 

My mistake. Got mixed up with ADAT and SPDIF via Toslink.

 

Yeah, ADAT/SMUX can give you lossless multichannel over Toslink. But I doubt this card supports it. But practically all pro-audio gear does.

 

[kcwilsonii]

starting to see reviews

 

https://hothardware.com/reviews/evga-nu-audio-sound-card-review

 

[Miska]

At least that confirms what @PeterSt was suggesting that it is indeed USB DAC built on a card. So USB interface and USB DAC built on the same board.

 

Good thing is that it is easy from the driver point of view. Bad thing is that it doesn't bring any of the benefits of PCIe because it is still a USB device...

 

I would have liked to see a real PCIe device (like the ASUS cards, RME, Lynx etc)

 

[lucretius]

6 hours ago, kcwilsonii said:

starting to see reviews

 

https://hothardware.com/reviews/evga-nu-audio-sound-card-review

 

 

From the quoted review:  EVGA's NU Audio is an enthusiast-class, pro-sumer audio device through and through.

 

I have to disagree with this.  It's essentially a gamer's card.

[PeterSt]

23 minutes ago, lucretius said:

It's essentially a gamer's card.

 

Because of its RGB lighting ?

haha

 

But seriously, why ?

[PeterSt]

PS: It is not that I agree or disagree - just interested in your judgment.

[lucretius]

Just now, PeterSt said:

 

Because of its RGB lighting ?

haha 

 

But seriously, why ?

 

With the availability of cheap DACs, I'd argue that enthusiasts and pro-sumers have moved beyond internal sound cards, which cannot avoid the noise pollution from within the computer case.

 

[PeterSt]

Well, I would actually agree with you, by looking at the "targetted" specs. So personally I see no "audio" in there (but this is merely a hunch than fact or something). Btw, DSD should not be much related to gaming.  

 

11 minutes ago, lucretius said:

I'd argue that enthusiasts and pro-sumers have moved beyond internal sound cards, which cannot avoid the noise pollution from within the computer case.

 

I probably would be moving back, if something up to the task would exist. But I know of nothing. This is always related to under the hood design flaws like in this case it really uses USB again. There is much more which can fail.

Not that I don't like our own DAC, but I know what can be improved upon, and that won't happen at the end of a USB cable. All what that causes is making USB cables.  

Maybe it is time for (heavy) tweaking.

[One and a half]

1 hour ago, lucretius said:

 

From the quoted review:  EVGA's NU Audio is an enthusiast-class, pro-sumer audio device through and through.

 

I have to disagree with this.  It's essentially a gamer's card.

If it ditched the RGB light show altogether and added a mini XLR analog in and mini XLR  digital out I would buy one.

 

Noise is then differential.

[Miska]

4 hours ago, lucretius said:

With the availability of cheap DACs, I'd argue that enthusiasts and pro-sumers have moved beyond internal sound cards, which cannot avoid the noise pollution from within the computer case.

 

Well, it is not bad at all when the card is properly designed and shielded:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/asus-xonar-essence-ststx-soundcards-measurements

I've seen noisier external DACs.

 

[lucretius]

35 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

Well, it is not bad at all when the card is properly designed and shielded:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/asus-xonar-essence-ststx-soundcards-measurements

I've seen noisier external DACs.

 

 

In the article, JA notes "it's possible that the actual [signal/noise] ratio will depend on the computer in which the card is installed" and "the advantage of the Shuttle PCs [where the STX card was installed] is that they are dead quiet acoustically." Also, note that the Shuttle PCs came with low wattage power supplies, e.g. 250W. I wonder what would happen if JA retested the line outs with the STX card installed in one of today's typical towers with a 1000W power supply?

 

 

[Miska]

2 hours ago, lucretius said:

In the article, JA notes "it's possible that the actual [signal/noise] ratio will depend on the computer in which the card is installed" and "the advantage of the Shuttle PCs [where the STX card was installed] is that they are dead quiet acoustically." Also, note that the Shuttle PCs came with low wattage power supplies, e.g. 250W. I wonder what would happen if JA retested the line outs with the STX card installed in one of today's typical towers with a 1000W power supply?

 

Acoustically quiet, but didn't say anything about electrical noise.

 

Probably it would perform better with modern powerful low-ripple PSUs. And it is not so much trouble to filter and regulate power from the PC's PSU. At least the PC PSU's are no worse than lot of SMPS used in/with external DACs. Probably better.