ALC888 VS Asus Xonar D2X

[sidglide]

Hi Guys,

This is my first post on the forum. Request your expert opinion on buying a souncard.

My Computer setup:

Processor: i7 920
Motherboard : Gigabyte X58-UD3R
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon 5850
RAM: 6 GBs

I mainly use my PC for watching HD movies in .MKV format with either AC3/DTS enconding.

My pc is currently connected to a Pioneer AVR VSX-RS320K
Speaker Config: 5.1

I am planning to buy a Asus Xonar D2X soundcard.

I wanted to know if this will enhance the quality of sound being output via AVR.

I usually do not bit stream audio.

And use the 5.1 option under VLC players audio options.
The AVR is connected to the onboard soundcard using an RCA SPDIF cable.
I can use optical aswell if it improves the quality of sound.

Thanks

 

[saaiello]

Basically when connecting via digital connections the soundcard will not affect the sound quality at all. The determining factor in sound quality will be the receivers internal DAC. When connecting via SPDIF the cable can be subject to some electrical interference and could cause a hum. Connecting via optical output will eliminate this problem. Both optical and SPDIF have length limitations that can affect quality. So what I am trying to say is a soundcard is pointless unless you plan on using its analog outputs.

 

[gamerk316]

^^ True, most soundcards are optimized for analog output, but you are still having the card do its own post-processing to the audio, so you will be getting a much better processed audio stream, even when using digital.

The D2(X) uses optical by default, not RCA coax. They come with two converters for the SPDIF In/Out ports though, so you can go either/or as needed.

The only mention I have in regards to the D2X:
1: Requires floppy power connector
2: The PCI->PCI-E bridge has some known issues with nforce chipsets [not a big issue anymore...]

I generally recommend the PCI D2 over the D2X for those two reasons, but the cards are functionally equivalent.

 

[sidglide]

Thanks so much for the response Guys.


GamerK316: special thanks to you i have seen you help a lot of people on this forum.

So adding the soundcard will improve the quality of sound for me substantially. should i just go ahead and but it.

 

[sidglide]

Since i do not use the passthrough function and get the sound processed on the sound board (Realtek alc888).
Will this purchase increse the quality of the sound output.

Thanks

 

[gamerk316]

It will certainly help, but audio is subjective. The speaker/headphones you use also plays a part.

The biggest downside to using digital output is some other device is doing most of the audio processing. The soundcard still does its share of work [the driver layer does a LOT of post-processing on the audio stream], but analog is where soundcards really shine. For using optical output, its very hard to justify anything beyond an ASUS D1/DX [Note: only supports Dolby enocding] or the HT Omega Striker.

 

[sidglide]

Best answer selected by sidglide.