Sorry for the very long delayed response, but I have owned a X-Fi Prelude and a ZXr from Creative. These standalone external DACs are in another league when it comes to fidelity. The space is completely black when nothing is playing, no hum no nothing with I2S connection.
Here is what I am up to now: ES9038Pro CAT6 (Belden Catsnake™) I2S DAC Mod | Facebook
You can see more here: Hallman Labs: Guide to Making CAT6A I2S Cable (Belden S/FTP Catsnake) – Hallman Labs
I have a review I am about to publish in 1-2 days between the setup mentioned in these links against the Burson Play with V6-OPA Classics (x5). You'd be surprised how well the Play does, even using its own amplifier!
Here is what I am up to now: ES9038Pro CAT6 (Belden Catsnake™) I2S DAC Mod | Facebook
You can see more here: Hallman Labs: Guide to Making CAT6A I2S Cable (Belden S/FTP Catsnake) – Hallman Labs
I have a review I am about to publish in 1-2 days between the setup mentioned in these links against the Burson Play with V6-OPA Classics (x5). You'd be surprised how well the Play does, even using its own amplifier!