Soundcard question

[Covenant]

I use a usb dac attached to my computer, I was wondering how much of the signal that the dac receives is altered by the computer soundcard. For what it's worth it is the motherboard one on an old hp computer running XP.

[Stratmangler]

None.

[nat8808]

Do you mean how much does the built-in audio on the motherboard effect the USB DAC?

Should be none, especially these days. Used to be that there could be software issues and advice on studio computers buy people like RME (pro/semi pro soundcard manufacturers) was to disable it in the BIOS.

These days though I think drivers have improved and ways of doing things have improved. And it wasn't really a question of quality but one of it working at all (drop outs, no sound at all etc).

[Covenant]

Ok, many thanks.

[Rothchild]

The other classic thing is to make sure you disable system sounds (especially in windows) as all the sounds are in 11kHz samples so it will make the system switch sample rates in order to playback the 'ding' and could cause problems with the rest of your setup (being set to 44 or 96 or whatever).

Definitely the best thing if you're using an external/additional card is to disable the onboard in the bios and set the system sound profile to 'no sounds'

Edit this isn't a SQ thing really it's just a reliability and convenience thing

[laozi]

Hi there!

now I am using a Creative soundblaster 2zs soundcard only as a digital out through coaxial spdif to an external DAC. Is it worth to change the soundcard to M-audio audiophile 2496 to using it in the same way? Does it make any SQ improvements?

thanks.