USB DAC for my home listening needs

[abhiroopb 0]

I have a reasonably decent sound system.

 

KOK Sub-Woofer

16Hz - 160Hz

6.5"

30W (RMS) 60W (Max)

 

2 Space Speakers - satellite speakers not too sure about specs as they were a gift

 

JBL Power20 Amp

 

It isn't the most perfect set-up as the speakers were a present, the amp was small (and I couldn't buy a massive one due to lack of space) and the KOK sounded nice for the price.

 

Anyway the sound coming out of my computers is OK, when I connect a CD player it sounds LEAGUES better.

 

Will a USB DAC help? If so, could I have help with some brands and also price-wise.

 

Thanks!

[kchew 0]

What CD player are you using? And what is your budget? If you want something on par with a CDP then perhaps the Cambridge Audio DACMagic or Stello DA100 will fit the bill. Zero DAC has a preamp option but I've no idea how it performs.

 

I do have a Stello DA100 for sale in the Classifieds subforum, PM me if you're interested. It's a great DAC for the price with good reviews around.

[abhiroopb 0]

CD Player is an old Sony Walkman, but, I'm looking for something for my laptop.

[kchew 0]

What price range are you considering? I wouldn't know whether to recommend you a Govibe Petite or Bel Canto DAC3 otherwise...

[abhiroopb 0]

I honestly have no idea. I came across USB DAC in an article and just thought it may improve the quality of the sound on my laptop.

 

I haven't done any research yet or anything.

 

I'd appreciate it if you could explain what it is exactly?

[kchew 0]

A DAC is a Digital to Analogue Converter. A USB DAC is an external device that takes in a digital signal from USB and converts it into an analogue signal that can then be passed to an amplifier. Think of it as an external soundcard that avoids all the noisy interference from onboard computer audio. By isolating the circuitry from electronic interference from a computer together with a dedicated power supply and higher quality parts, the output from a DAC can be vastly superior to a computer with onboard audio.

 

External DACs usually take in coaxial or optical digital inputs, but USB inputs are getting more popular as more people are demanding better audio from their computers and laptops. Usually, Windows already has drivers for these USB DACs, and will recognise them as USB speakers when plugged in.

 

Prices start from $100+ for small, portable DACs like the Ordnance DAC, Govibe Petite and some Creative products, while the top-end desktop DACs can hit 4 digit prices.

[abhiroopb 0]

Ok thanks, that's pretty much what I thought but good to have it confirmed!

 

Right now I REALLY don't want to spend much. I just spent 300+ on a pair of headphones.

 

I may just try something out with my laptop to see if there is a marked improvement.

 

Which one do you have and what's it like? Why are you selling?

 

Thanks for the help?

[zer061zer0 0]

check out my sales thread, I am selling off a zero 2009 ver. with usb inputs and opa627 chip

[abhiroopb 0]

check out my sales thread, I am selling off a zero 2009 ver. with usb inputs and opa627 chip

 

Thanks for posting.

 

How does the Zero DAC amp work exactly? Just like to reiterate that I’m going to be hooking this up to my computer (through a USB port) and then it will go to my KOK sub-woofer which goes to my amp and then to my speakers. Does that make sense? If so, how will this work exactly? As kchew said this should reduce computer noise (which is what I am looking for). So, will this do that? Also, from reviews it seems to be mainly for headphones. I won’t be using this for headphones, but, my sound system (see first post).

 

Sorry if I’m not totally clear. I am interested in getting something to clean my sound a bit as I experience a lot of hissing.

 

[zer061zer0 0]

From my experiences with this dac/preamp, I used to owned the 2008 version mas well. IMO, the output is pretty clean and accurate using only the DAC out, with the preamp function on, the sound is a little tubey.

[abhiroopb 0]

So, how do I connect it with my laptop?

[zer061zer0 0]

simple, just via usb