Returning to your original post, if all you are doing is listening to music from YouTube, then your PC will have a perfectly adequate built-in DAC for the purpose.
If you are having sound quality issues, or if you've downloaded some high resolution music files and your computer won't play them back, you may need an external DAC.
Full details can be found here:
https://www.audioholics.com/frequent-questions/dac-do-you-need-an-external-digital-to-analog-converter#:~:text=Here are the two main conditions that would,issues related to the digital to analog conversion
Quite a few motherboards have S/PDIF digital outputs for the onboard sound. There could be a header on the board for connecting a rear panel Toslink transmitter module. Or, if you have a spare PCI slot, many sound cards, starting with the Soundblaster Live, include S/PDIF outputs. With the "Live" I just ran a mono 3.5mm cable to an RCA plug on the DAC/processor. Other cards may have header pins that can be wired to a Toslink transmitter or a coax output of some kind. I got away with a direct connection from the Live, but it might more properly have needed an attenuator, or isolation transformer.
But there are various USB sound devices that include digital outputs; I've got one from Musical Fidelity that goes up to 24bits/96ks/s. A more common box is the ADS Tech RDX-150 "Instant Music"; line level input and output, Toslink input and output. Tops out at 16 bits/44.1 or 48k. Those show up at thrift stores regularly, or there's plenty on ebay. Toslink input is quite a special feature; I've used it to capture from an external ADC box for live recordings, but it might also be valuable for capturing digital audio from obsolete digital media like DAT or laserdisc.
You want a Behringer U-CONTROL UCA222 (USB audio interface). Very good value for money, cost only like 25,-
I gave me good results during playback on laptop running VCL-player and youtube in browser. Even used it with Steinberg Cubase virtual studio software. Should work out of the box, but installing ASIO drivers will boost performance.
https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=P0A31
The old Behringer UCA 202/222 or the clone from Thomann music store - all built around the TI PCM2902E - were my go-to cheap USB interfaces, too, before the Apple DAC came along. I must have at least four of the Thomann variant and one Behringer. Still very useful if you need line inputs and can live with the 89dB SNR on the input, like when recording from cassette decks. Never liked the phono input on either model, though. Sounds thin to me, the bass probably rolls off early. Nowadays the Behringer does not contain the original TI chip anymore. Behringer actually has the chips they use made in-house, their foundry is called Coolaudio. There is reason to believe that the Coolaudio PCM2902 clone does not offer the same performance as the original. The Thomann units I have, called "Fun Generation UA-202", have original TI chips. I got them in 2017 and 2018.
Also, as with any 16 bit interface without hardware volume control, sound on the output gets grainy, for lack of a better word, when you turn the volume down low. The operating system is responsible for volume control, it can only do this by decreasing resolution. Take 16 bits, throw away 8, you now have 8 bits left, leaving you with 48 dB dynamic range. Quite lousy. Take a 24bit interface like the Apple DAC, throw away 8 bit, you still have 16. This is oversimplifying, but does illustrate the point. AFAIK the Apple DAC even does volume control in hardware. As opposed to the PCM2902E, the linux driver exposes a hardware volume control. That would mean that you could turn it down a lot before it starts dropping bits, even when running at 16 bit on USB 1.
Then again, as OP uses a preamplifier after the DAC, he might just as well run the PCM2902E at full blast and adjust the volume on the pre. The Behringer is still $15 more expensive than the Apple, which measures a lot better.
Also, as with any 16 bit interface without hardware volume control, sound on the output gets grainy, for lack of a better word, when you turn the volume down low. The operating system is responsible for volume control, it can only do this by decreasing resolution. Take 16 bits, throw away 8, you now have 8 bits left, leaving you with 48 dB dynamic range. Quite lousy. Take a 24bit interface like the Apple DAC, throw away 8 bit, you still have 16. This is oversimplifying, but does illustrate the point. AFAIK the Apple DAC even does volume control in hardware. As opposed to the PCM2902E, the linux driver exposes a hardware volume control. That would mean that you could turn it down a lot before it starts dropping bits, even when running at 16 bit on USB 1.
Then again, as OP uses a preamplifier after the DAC, he might just as well run the PCM2902E at full blast and adjust the volume on the pre. The Behringer is still $15 more expensive than the Apple, which measures a lot better.
At the prices of interest this one needs to be mentioned.
https://www.schiit.com/products/modi-plus
Just found my tiny little Apple DAC. Haven’t listened to it.
dave
https://www.schiit.com/products/modi-plus
Just found my tiny little Apple DAC. Haven’t listened to it.
dave
I bought a Topping D10 (old version) maybe 3 years ago and it sounds quite good. Good, healthy output, nice bass, smooth sound, not grainy or gritty. It was $80 (USD), I think. They're probably a bit more expensive now, though. Everything is.
Review w/ measurements
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...topping-d10s-usb-dac-and-bridge-review.14859/
Sells on Amazon for $109 USD
https://www.amazon.com/Topping-D10s-ES9038Q2M-Desktop-Black/dp/B08CZ65188
However, it's way overkill for playing YouTube videos. For that I'm sure the PC's built in line out is adequate.
Review w/ measurements
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...topping-d10s-usb-dac-and-bridge-review.14859/
Sells on Amazon for $109 USD
https://www.amazon.com/Topping-D10s-ES9038Q2M-Desktop-Black/dp/B08CZ65188
However, it's way overkill for playing YouTube videos. For that I'm sure the PC's built in line out is adequate.
@ariendj I bought a Behringer UCA222 from Thomann during a temporary stay in Sachsen some 10 years ago. Needed something to connect XLNaudio studio grand piano running on laptop to external ampifier., Reading your contribution I got curious, and as this thingy is still laying around in a drawer, I decided to open it. Inside is an original Behringer PCB with a Coolaudio V2902 chip on it. I don't think you should compare the UCA222 one on one with the apple thingy. The former has cinch outputs and inputs, also S/PDIF, while the later has just a mini jack. And yes, one should use them at line level, and control volume on the amp.