Hi all, I'd appreciate some help making a decision here.
My laptop sound is fried, and I'm looking for a cheapish external DAC to do the job.
I listen to most of my music on my HiFi setup (see below), but do occasionally work to laptop music with hadphones (nothing flash, Senheizer HD 201's), or play a youtube mix through to my Cambridge amp.
Now I'm a bit confused between...
Sunix UTA3100: http://www.sybaritic.co.za/store/product_info.php?products_id=23205
XONAR U3: http://www.comx.co.za/XONAR_U3-UAD-B-A-Asus-Xonar-U3-7-1-Channel-USB-Sound-Buy-p-52649.php
There are no reviews of the Sunix, but it does have a digital optical out, see pics: http://www.kwshop.co.kr/detail_view2.html?cate=21&stockno=7486
The XONAR gets relatively good reviews from gamers and ok'ish ones from audiophiles. The software is said to be good.
However for the digital out it uses a s/pdif toslink optical adapter, to provide optical out from the 3.5mm mic jack. This I believe: http://jineung.co.kr/gnuboard4.utf8/data/cheditor/0809/toslink_adapter_copy.jpg
Is there an advantage to the dedicated optical out of the Sunix vs. the XONAR's toslink adapter?
Or does the XONAR's toslink adapter pass through digital signal straight to my Cambridge amp for processing (when not using headphones)?
So which wins? :help:
My laptop sound is fried, and I'm looking for a cheapish external DAC to do the job.
I listen to most of my music on my HiFi setup (see below), but do occasionally work to laptop music with hadphones (nothing flash, Senheizer HD 201's), or play a youtube mix through to my Cambridge amp.
Now I'm a bit confused between...
Sunix UTA3100: http://www.sybaritic.co.za/store/product_info.php?products_id=23205
XONAR U3: http://www.comx.co.za/XONAR_U3-UAD-B-A-Asus-Xonar-U3-7-1-Channel-USB-Sound-Buy-p-52649.php
There are no reviews of the Sunix, but it does have a digital optical out, see pics: http://www.kwshop.co.kr/detail_view2.html?cate=21&stockno=7486
The XONAR gets relatively good reviews from gamers and ok'ish ones from audiophiles. The software is said to be good.
However for the digital out it uses a s/pdif toslink optical adapter, to provide optical out from the 3.5mm mic jack. This I believe: http://jineung.co.kr/gnuboard4.utf8/data/cheditor/0809/toslink_adapter_copy.jpg
Is there an advantage to the dedicated optical out of the Sunix vs. the XONAR's toslink adapter?
Or does the XONAR's toslink adapter pass through digital signal straight to my Cambridge amp for processing (when not using headphones)?
So which wins? :help:
