pc to amp help.
Thu, Jan 24 2013, 5:07PM
just got a new pc and was thinking of either
Asus Xonar D2X Soundcard
or
Arcam rPac
what would be better in your opinion?
i have a cambridge audio asur 640a amp
would be willing to buy new amp for improved sound,maybe with built in dac?
thank you.
Fri, Jan 25 2013, 3:06PM
#2
You have already started a thread on this subject http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/dac-or-sound-card-help-please
Fri, Jan 25 2013, 6:46PM
#3
ok,thanks 
i know,sorry i thouight i'd posted in the wrong area as got no replies.
thx again.
Fri, Jan 25 2013, 7:30PM
#4
and no i have no need for surround, just want the best audio from pc to amp.
Hi Kev,
Well those two options are quite different. The Xonar D2X looks cool and has surround sound, if you need that then it's most likely a good idea to get an internal card unless you just output optical to a decent AV amp. If stereo is all you need and care about then definitely get the rPAC, I can highly recommend that as a portable (with a laptop) headphone amp as well as a DAC, but yeah it will also output an analogue signal from the RCA connectors at the back to a stereo amp to great effect.
It's worth noting that the rPAC doesn't support 24bit 192khz (only up to 24bit 96khz) but I wouldn't let that put you off unless you have a ton of music in the former format. Purely down to quality of DAC the rPAC will win because it's only stereo. I think the Xonar will need at least 4 DAC chips for it's surround output and thus the quality of components in the rPAC will be much better and much more focused (more simple) for stereo quality.
PC>JRiver> DAC/amps: Fiio, Audinst, Yulong, Arcam, Fostex, Audiolab, Schiit, Oppo, Ifi ●
Headphones: D7000, Q701, M80, M100, DT770, DT880, HP100, HP200, Mad Dog, HD650 ●