My next pc build (Would you believe Windows XP Pro SP2 32 bit?) will be
a lower power desktop dedicated to audio. I'll use it for editing and adding effects to wav files of my CD track rips. Then SPDIF or USB will feed my external DAC to serve my amps and speakers. But I have these questions regarding the ultimate vulnerability of the digital audio signal before and
after leaving my pc:
1.) Would it be true that the faster the CPU and/or the higher its TPD, the
more RFI and EMI radiation it and/or the pc's switched mode supply (SM)
will generate?
My CPU will be something like this ARK | Intel® Xeon® Processor E3-1260L (8M Cache, 2.40 GHz)
As you can see, it has a stock 2.4GHz speed and 45w TPD. Does that
make it a "safer" choice than a faster (4GHz 80w) CPU to better insure
digital audio signal quality?
2.) I need to switch between using two DAW platforms, this one Technical data > Samplitude > Audio Production > MAGIX Pro and Pro Tools
7.4.2. , the latter runs only with XP 32 bit. I need this old PT version to run
a valuable and expensive plug-in. However PT needs an old M-Audio PCI
card (with on board proprietary drivers) to run at all M-AUDIO - Audiophile 2496 - 4-In/4-Out Audio Card with MIDI and Digital I/O This card does have a SPDIF output. But unlike this USB card JCAT | JPLAY - hi-end audio player for Windows that can run off a battery supply, this PCI
card must runoff the pc’s SM supply, of course. Thus, would digital audio
signal quality from the M-Audio card’s SPDIF output be more at risk than
that from the battery powered JCAT card’s USB output?
3.) With PCI long since supplanted by PCIe, I’m one of the unfortunates
needing a motherboard with native PCI support-which have now dwindled
down to very few
List of Intel chipsets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
But at least there’s a board like this one
Motherboards - P8Q77-M/CSM - ASUS However, if digital
audio signal quality from the M-audio card is more at risk than it is from the JCAT USB card, would the RF and EMI suppression circuitry in this motherboard Motherboards - P8Q77-M/CSM - ASUS be
just as good as in this one Motherboards - Z97M-PLUS - ASUS ??
(Btw, despite the PCI slot in the latter board, it does NOT offer native PCI support, only via the PCIe bus)
4.) Lastly, despite the cost, has anyone had any experience with using linear power supplies to drive their pcs or macs? If so, is there a very definite sound quality boost with the LPS installed compared to that of the SM supply?
Enough to justify the high LPS cost?
(Of course, by sound quality I mean better sound from the output of your external DAC fed from your computer-not any analog audio from the motherboard or sound card).
If yes, did you get the LPS from here Kaia Audiophile Linear Power Supply | Core Audio Technology ?
Or here Home Page ? Or where?
a lower power desktop dedicated to audio. I'll use it for editing and adding effects to wav files of my CD track rips. Then SPDIF or USB will feed my external DAC to serve my amps and speakers. But I have these questions regarding the ultimate vulnerability of the digital audio signal before and
after leaving my pc:
1.) Would it be true that the faster the CPU and/or the higher its TPD, the
more RFI and EMI radiation it and/or the pc's switched mode supply (SM)
will generate?
My CPU will be something like this ARK | Intel® Xeon® Processor E3-1260L (8M Cache, 2.40 GHz)
As you can see, it has a stock 2.4GHz speed and 45w TPD. Does that
make it a "safer" choice than a faster (4GHz 80w) CPU to better insure
digital audio signal quality?
2.) I need to switch between using two DAW platforms, this one Technical data > Samplitude > Audio Production > MAGIX Pro and Pro Tools
7.4.2. , the latter runs only with XP 32 bit. I need this old PT version to run
a valuable and expensive plug-in. However PT needs an old M-Audio PCI
card (with on board proprietary drivers) to run at all M-AUDIO - Audiophile 2496 - 4-In/4-Out Audio Card with MIDI and Digital I/O This card does have a SPDIF output. But unlike this USB card JCAT | JPLAY - hi-end audio player for Windows that can run off a battery supply, this PCI
card must runoff the pc’s SM supply, of course. Thus, would digital audio
signal quality from the M-Audio card’s SPDIF output be more at risk than
that from the battery powered JCAT card’s USB output?
3.) With PCI long since supplanted by PCIe, I’m one of the unfortunates
needing a motherboard with native PCI support-which have now dwindled
down to very few
List of Intel chipsets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
But at least there’s a board like this one
Motherboards - P8Q77-M/CSM - ASUS However, if digital
audio signal quality from the M-audio card is more at risk than it is from the JCAT USB card, would the RF and EMI suppression circuitry in this motherboard Motherboards - P8Q77-M/CSM - ASUS be
just as good as in this one Motherboards - Z97M-PLUS - ASUS ??
(Btw, despite the PCI slot in the latter board, it does NOT offer native PCI support, only via the PCIe bus)
4.) Lastly, despite the cost, has anyone had any experience with using linear power supplies to drive their pcs or macs? If so, is there a very definite sound quality boost with the LPS installed compared to that of the SM supply?
Enough to justify the high LPS cost?
(Of course, by sound quality I mean better sound from the output of your external DAC fed from your computer-not any analog audio from the motherboard or sound card).
If yes, did you get the LPS from here Kaia Audiophile Linear Power Supply | Core Audio Technology ?
Or here Home Page ? Or where?
In my opinion, youre making a mountain out of a mole-hill. All the things you're worrying about are of high concern to those trying to maximize the quality of their soundcards' analog-out. While many factors could, possibly, under the most unfortunate circumstances, affect the digital I/O ofba card, you wont be likely, at all to notice.
And not all implementations of digital I/O are created equal. If you're using a Xeon, then likely you're using a server motherboard, which should serve you well, but make sure you're using a quality supply from names like Sparkle, FSP (Fortron), Seasonic, etc.
And not all implementations of digital I/O are created equal. If you're using a Xeon, then likely you're using a server motherboard, which should serve you well, but make sure you're using a quality supply from names like Sparkle, FSP (Fortron), Seasonic, etc.
Well, of course you can always tear that stupid PCB apart and rebuild it PTP on turrets, include some NOS Telefunken gold pin tubes, wire everything with silver wire, build 2 single ended monoblocks with Coke bottle sized direct heating riodes (5 W RMS per channel at less than 6% distortion) and fill it with silk and beeswax caps, rehoused in oak enclosures.
No, I'm just joking. Nothing you can do will affect the internal digital processing and theonly influence fasterprocessors and more Ram will have is not quality but ... faster processing. Which is not bad.
No, I'm just joking. Nothing you can do will affect the internal digital processing and theonly influence fasterprocessors and more Ram will have is not quality but ... faster processing. Which is not bad.
A lot of noise in a PC is SSN (simultaneous switching noise) there is nothing you can do about it, it affects all fast switching digital circuits...not just the SMPS which always gets a bad press....
If you are concerned then use galvanic isolation from the PC to your DAC or filter the digital input.
If you are concerned then use galvanic isolation from the PC to your DAC or filter the digital input.
Understood Marce, and thanks. Fortunately, the replies I've received from
a good number of high end DAC makers use this isolation (Auralic, Bricasti, Forssell Technologies, Lavry Engineering, MSB Technology, TEAC Esoteric, Theta Digital, Weiss Engineering).
And MSB's "affordable" Analog DAC also buffers the incoming data and
then reclocks it. MSB's "options" that should come standard made me angry.
But their entry level DAC might the best way to go for those committed to
CD ripping and computer fed stereo systems.
a good number of high end DAC makers use this isolation (Auralic, Bricasti, Forssell Technologies, Lavry Engineering, MSB Technology, TEAC Esoteric, Theta Digital, Weiss Engineering).
And MSB's "affordable" Analog DAC also buffers the incoming data and
then reclocks it. MSB's "options" that should come standard made me angry.
But their entry level DAC might the best way to go for those committed to
CD ripping and computer fed stereo systems.
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