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Best Sounding 2 Channel Sound Card

Its times like this that one realizes how limited their PC knowledge really is. I've been reading sound card reviews for about an hour and am no closer to knowing which one is best for my purposes. I have over 15,000 MP3 files on my PC, most recorded above 190. I want to connect my PC to my main stereo (McIntosh C2200 tube preamp, Mac MC352 SS amp and Merlin VSM-M speakers).
Looking to get the best sound practical without spending a fortune. Mostly just use it for 2 channel playback. Some recording, but not much. Is the Soundblaster Audiology II Platinum pretty good or should I go for something more exotic? Most the more expensive units seem to focus on recording. Thanks in advance... Jim
slhijb
vikingboy
42 posts
 
RME 9632 destroys all others.
chelentano
14 posts
 
Actually the way I understand it that soundcard is unimportant. I think the better way to achive good jitter free PC sound is to bypass souncard and use optical or coax output going to recever or amp.
chelentano
14 posts
 
...even better if your digital PC sound out of digital output goes to digital amplifier/receiver, like HK or Sony receiver. That way your digital signal is not converted to analog and stays digital all the way.
rx8man's avatar
rx8man
1,475 posts
 
The RME & M-Audio are great soundcards, but I have to agree with Chelentano on this one.

I decided to go with a Xitel Pro HiFi-Link, glad I did.
I upgraded the USB Cable to a Monster Ultimate Hi-Speed 2.0

The Digital Coax cable is *temporarily upgraded* to an Acoustic Research Performance Series going to the Coax input of my tubed Dac.

The sound, depending on streaming quality, is pretty darn close to my transport at times.
jazzdude
332 posts
 
For the best sound get a good proaudio card like by RME, Lynx or Digital Audio Labs. Use the digital output to connect to an external DAC. My card is the DAL CardDeluxe and it supports toslink, RCA coax, and AES/EBU via a TRS adapter. Other cards support USB digital output which I hear is very good, but I have no experience with it.

Don't think that you are just going to add a sound card to a PC and get great PC Audio. You need to be concerned with power supplies, power conditioning, digital cables, external DAC, and the actual OS configuration tweaking of the PC.
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