This thread is making me want to spend money I don't have. Subscribed
I have a Fubar II USB/DAC coming...They bypass the computers sound card and because they are outside the case and are not affected by all the electrial noise associated with fans, power supply's and just the computer doing its thing...Are alleged to have much better sound quality versus a internal PCI sound card.
They are stereo, no surround or EAX...So they really are geared toward high sound quality stereo output.
I am going to order the Audiotrak Prodigy HD2 tonight and will be doing a sound quality comparision when I get the HD2 opamps and capacitors changed out versus the Fubar II USB/DAC.
But for stereo only use there are almost endless USB/DAC's out there that can be had from cheap, to the sky is the limit...There are even some Do It Yourself DAC kits you can buy for 50 duckies.
There are other options as well...A USB/DAC-T-Amp paired with good bookshelf speakers are supposed to sound bad to the bone.
It is almost crazy how much the source effects the Audioengines...So a good source is very important.
The USB/DAC-T-Amp, bookshelf solution will cost you more money to exceed the Audioengine paired with a good source...I.E...HD2, Juli or USB/DAC.
You can buy a decent T-Amp for about 100 bones...And if you already have some decent bookshelf speakers could get into some great sound quality for not much money.
I have a old pair of high end Polk Audio bookshelf speaker sitting in the closet, that will be unretired as soon as I decide what T-Amp to buy.
Kinda curious how all this stuff will stack up against each other.
Stay tuned...This thing is just getting started.
Kinda confused here Sir Barton...Did you order the LT1364's or the LT1634's...Here is a search for the LT1634...I am assuming the LT1634S8 is the ones we need...First they show a diagram of the LT1634MS8 that does not look like the right size...Then they show the LT1634S8 that appears to be the right demision.
