Will External Sound Card Improve Playback From Itunes And Other Online Music?, Wondering if an external sound card for the iMac Intel will improve so Options

[Sadhu]

See very little on sound cards for the iMac. While I know that many users purchase sound cards for MacPro desktops, I am wondering if an external sound peripheral will improve the playback sound off my iMac Intel unit ... for sound OTHER THAN the tracks that I record or input INTO such a peripheral. In other words will I hear any improved audio quality if I purchase a good quality external sound card when listing back through my computer ... say through iTunes or through a high quality stream? I'm not concerned about the "value" of $ spent to the amount to improvement. I am simply interested to know if there will be an improvement in over all quality (say more defined bass, or tighther bass, or a more natural sounding midrange and high end?

Anyone have any comments on external sound cards and whether they improve the sound? If so, anyone have any suggestions on what products to look at? I eventually plan to buy a Mac Pro, so I don't mind spending more on good external card if they can be had as an external device for the mac.

Would appreciate any and all comments. Thanks in advance.

- Sadhu

[minskybabs]

Hi there, my thoughts, for what they are worth, is that yes an external audio interface "can" improve the playback from itunes and other online music. As the other people have suggested the conversion from digital to analogue, D/A will often be better, but, and here's the catch only on some interfaces and only on some sources. A very cheap intrerface will probably not be noticeably better than the built in, but an expensive one almost certainly would be. try before you buy if you can. Take in a digital file and play back through a shop mac and then compare same file through an interface. As people have suggested MOTU, RME, Apogee, various prices and generally the more you pay the better you get, up to a point.

Other factors, some audio files are poor in the first place, no amount of mioney will make a lo fi recording sound hi fi, but you appear to be talking about high quality recordings, so you should see improvements. Your other point about headphone impedences could also be a factor, but this is why try before you buy is good. Or get a dedicated headphone pre amp too. Though that is yet more bucks!

Good luck.
Minskybabs

[Sadhu]

Hi there, my thoughts, for what they are worth, is that yes an external audio interface "can" improve the playback from itunes and other online music. As the other people have suggested the conversion from digital to analogue, D/A will often be better, but, and here's the catch only on some interfaces and only on some sources. A very cheap intrerface will probably not be noticeably better than the built in, but an expensive one almost certainly would be. try before you buy if you can. Take in a digital file and play back through a shop mac and then compare same file through an interface. As people have suggested MOTU, RME, Apogee, various prices and generally the more you pay the better you get, up to a point.

Other factors, some audio files are poor in the first place, no amount of mioney will make a lo fi recording sound hi fi, but you appear to be talking about high quality recordings, so you should see improvements. Your other point about headphone impedences could also be a factor, but this is why try before you buy is good. Or get a dedicated headphone pre amp too. Though that is yet more bucks!

Good luck.
Minskybabs

Thanks for your comments. I trust you understood that I was playing back via the iMac into the external device be it MOTU, RME, or Apogee ... which ever I end up buying. I will not doubt buy a good external box for use for RECORDING and not just playback. I quite understand many of the factors about recording and do know that you can turn make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I am somewhat experienced in recording in Analog having gone to Eastman School of Music's school of Recording during the 1970s and having run a 24 Track Analog recording studio in the 70s, and many of the recording principals for Analog still apply to the world of Digital. So I do understand your point about poor audio files remaining poor audio files, and likewise about heaphone impediences. It's somewhat difficult to try before I buy here in the Greater Buffalo area as none of the stores that I know of have live setups for digital gear they sell and even if they did, probably most of them would already be using a Mac Pro and not an iMac since it's not the appropropriate piece of gear for professional recording ... the Mac Pro Desktop is. Again, my interest was in buying an external device for use the iMac that could eventually use when I buy a Mac Pro, which I intend to do. Hence my question regarding whether the external card would improve the sound of the iMac playback.

I am surprised actually to hear that you think it will. Many people have told me it would not improve the sound and that it would be complete and total waste of money in relation to use with the iMac. I do think it would enable higher quality recordings on the iMac but that I wouldn't necessary hear any difference on the iMac when it came to playback. That this would only be possible on the Mac Pro.

You are the first one to suggest that I could gain some benefit from the external sound device with regard to PLAYBACK on the iMac. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

- Sadhu


"I quite understand many of the factors about recording and do know that you can turn make a silk purse out of a sow's ear."

Obviously, I meant to say that "YOU CAN'T make a silk purse out of sow's ear!"

and would hope that you realized that's what I meant.

[minskybabs]

Thanks for your comments. I trust you understood that I was playing back via the iMac into the external device be it MOTU, RME, or Apogee ... which ever I end up buying. I will not doubt buy a good external box for use for RECORDING and not just playback. I quite understand many of the factors about recording and do know that you can turn make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I am somewhat experienced in recording in Analog having gone to Eastman School of Music's school of Recording during the 1970s and having run a 24 Track Analog recording studio in the 70s, and many of the recording principals for Analog still apply to the world of Digital. So I do understand your point about poor audio files remaining poor audio files, and likewise about heaphone impediences. It's somewhat difficult to try before I buy here in the Greater Buffalo area as none of the stores that I know of have live setups for digital gear they sell and even if they did, probably most of them would already be using a Mac Pro and not an iMac since it's not the appropropriate piece of gear for professional recording ... the Mac Pro Desktop is. Again, my interest was in buying an external device for use the iMac that could eventually use when I buy a Mac Pro, which I intend to do. Hence my question regarding whether the external card would improve the sound of the iMac playback.

I am surprised actually to hear that you think it will. Many people have told me it would not improve the sound and that it would be complete and total waste of money in relation to use with the iMac. I do think it would enable higher quality recordings on the iMac but that I wouldn't necessary hear any difference on the iMac when it came to playback. That this would only be possible on the Mac Pro.

You are the first one to suggest that I could gain some benefit from the external sound device with regard to PLAYBACK on the iMac. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

- Sadhu


"I quite understand many of the factors about recording and do know that you can turn make a silk purse out of a sow's ear."

Obviously, I meant to say that "YOU CAN'T make a silk purse out of sow's ear!"

and would hope that you realized that's what I meant.

Hi Sadhu, yes did manage to read through your typo!

I am not an expert at all this and you sound like you have a lot more recording experience than myself, but my understanding of the situation is that the same box will do your recording in to computer AND playback from computer. Therefore the box that you get to do this, an external soundcard, will have an effect on the quality of audio both ways.

Sound quality is a combination of many things, but a good high spec box will have a good clean signal path, low noise, very good A/D and D/A converters (the latter particularly important for playback), great pre amps, high sample rate, high bit rate (these two are more for recording than playback) Being outside the imac may also benefit from less interference etc etc.

If the box has a better signal path and D/A converters and drives/matches your headphones better, then it should make a good recording sound better.

As you have found by directly comparing the same source through the same headphones on two different machines there can be marked differences. Some audiophiles spend a massive amount on cd players and amps, not to mention cabling, they can and do make a difference. The same is true of soundcards, internal or external. Quite how much of a difference depends on your ears, opinions and many other things.

Keeping the signal digital until it can get to the best digital to analogue converter you can get is the way to hear the best sound. You should not need a seperate box to record and to playback.

If it is difficult to actually test a piece of kit, then it is vital you by from a good source. Being in England I don't know what is a good source in Buffalo, but the important factors are: returns, understanding of your needs, selling you the best/most suitable bit of kit at a fair price, and supporting you after you have purchased it, or even letting you return and change your mind. Don't just buy from the cheapest place, otherwise you may end up stuck with something that does notimprove your situation.

Read all the reviews, sound on sound etc. ask here what people like, I also have an old MOTU 828 that I think is very good and I got very good deal as it is an old bit of kit. There are lots better around, but they would have cost me more, there is always a trade off!

Good luck,
Minskybabs.

[Sadhu]

Minskybabs, thanks. Yes, you’re right. I can justify spending more because I am using the box for both record and playback, I can justify spending more on it. I have looked around a little and see it’s a crowded field of players (actually sorting through all the new Motu products requires some digital expertise that I don’t have). And of course, when you walk into conversations that surround choices ... such as the software debates (many marry you to one recording software package or the other - which is might be called the “to be or not to be a Protools user) or the latency problems issue (with sharing one firewire port between a demanding audio device and hard drives). I trust, first of all that are fewer latency issues using a Firewire 800 port than using a Firewire 400. Would you know? ??It seems that many people agree that the preamps sound pretty good in the Motu. This is what I’ve read, anyway. That’s very encouraging. Quality of sound is, and lack of noise and distortion is very important to me. Also, it looks the new version supports midi in and out. ??By the way, I’ll be in England in October to visit my daughter (who is going to school in London). I probably won’t want to spend much time shopping around, but are there are any shops you’d recommend? Here, there is only Guitar Center. If I shop around, it will probably mean either a trip to NYC or trying to get some advice out of a friend of mine who has a Mac studio that’s both stationary and portable. He’s also in NYC. But I’d like to expand my search beyond just one person’s experience if at all possible. I think your suggestion about reading reviews, (Sound on Sound) and asking people what they like is up my alley. That’s something I enjoy -- to an extent, but I am an anxious to get something by Christmas or January. ??Thanks again.
Sadhu

Hi Sadhu

This is a great thread.

Will follow with interest

AB.

So few useful threads on this subject. Very good info for me so far.