Personal computing discussed
Moderators: renee, Captain Ned
qmacpoint wrote:Thanks for the suggestions guys! This is for my eGPU enclosure/dock for general (not audiophile) use, it's just for my desk speakers (self powered)
MrJP wrote:Might be overkill for your use, but I highly recommend the SMSL M3. I've had one for a few years now. Lots of input options as well as USB, line-level outputs for powered speakers as well as a fairly decent headphone amp.
DoomGuy64 wrote:Driverless DACs do nothing when it comes to providing any sort of software or virtual surround, which means you either buy one that does, or find some 3rd party software if you want that, and I find that concept worthless for gaming. Powered speakers don't need amps either. I wouldn't recommend buying something over $100 meant for headphones, to use on speakers, and I find it hard to recommend older products that might be using software incompatible with windows 10. I haven't been following usb dacs, so a schiit may be the easy way out, plug n play, but it also won't have any gaming features either.
Chrispy_ wrote:Under Windows, as of Windows 7's launch a decade ago, DACs no longer require their own software or virtual surround. The device is presented to any application by the OS and the addition of any third party processing is usually* detrimental to the desired result of the original content creators.
Chrispy_ wrote:I inject DSP equalisation into my driverless DAC chain to compensate for the room my studio monitors are in. I use Equaliser APO but I think miniDSP is more popular these days. I specifically avoid any pseudo-surround software or effects processing since all the games I play have their own version of HRTF positional emulation and doubling up on HRTF is horrendous! The application is expecting to do the HRTF positioning and expects to output to headphones/speakers that don't have additional positional processing.
Chrispy_ wrote:* - Potentially you'd want a 2.0-to-surround emulator for movies that lack 2.0 mastered audio; I haven't used it but I assume this is what the $14.99 Dolby Access bundled with Windows 10 lets you do? Certainly any DAC with 'drivers' that inject HRTF positional audio aren't doing anything that driverless DACs with 3rd-party software don't also do. They're just branded by the DAC vendor and likely still have to pay royalty/licensing fees to Dolby and DTS.