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

[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.

[wappinghigh]

Hi Sadhu

This is a great thread.

Something I've also been hankering for...great playback.

I've actually plugged my mac mini straight from spdif toslink out into a high end audio DAC (Northstar).
But I'm getting lots of high end noise when playing 24bit/96khz tunes.

This is a great question for this forum, because I've found a way now to get hidef tracks into itunes (ie 24bit 96khz). They are easy to play via the mac's midi, yet I've been unhappy with the means of getting them out of the mac cleanly..even when straight into a hifi DAC.

So I have also been down the path of investigating an external firewire computer audio interface. Logic is to use firewire ->spdif into extrenal audio box->spdif out of box->into hifi DAC.
Trouble is you invariably wind up in computermusic online stores..with endless selections, and info about 8 or 12 or whatever no of inputs?outputs midi this/that..when really what you want to know is how pure is the electronics, and how good is it with simple digital stereo! (sorry everyone)

Some of the devices also have word clock interfaces..which should make them sound better with one of these external clocking devices you can get to reduce jitter..(I've looked into this big time)..see empiricalaudio.com...but I've yet to hear for myself if this makes a big difference. Empirical and their customers seem to think it does...

I suggest you visit the empirical audio site. The head of the company Steve Nugent is a really nice guy..take a look at the forum threads. We have recently been talking about the best way to get pure audio tracks out of a computer...might be just what you are after...but as yet I've yet to make a committment which is best way to go

If there is a simple firewire box that does at least 24/96 with just spdif in/out including a word clock interface..can anyone let me know!...

Will follow with interest

AB.

Ce message a été modifié par wappinghigh - jeu. 4 oct. 2007, 12:54.

[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.

[wappinghigh]

If your interested in Motu, there is a crowd in Chicago who "mod" these to improve sound quality. Also mod other makes like digidesign and M-Audio. Cost looks reasonable, though not real sure on technology. I'm looking into it. see www.blacklionaudio.com. Cheers.

[Bobby Bell]

One very good place to go for answers to this and other questions is www.sweetwater.com. Yes, it is a store, but they sell everything and don't have to sell you a particular item or brand of items to make a sale. I have been doing business with them for several years and they are the very best customer service oriented sales group I have ever met. A sales engineer is assigned to you and he/she keeps track of everything that you have in your system and can steer you down the path of true compatibility within your price range goals. After each and every shipment I receive a call to make certain that I got exactly what I wanted, that it arrived on time and that it arrived in pristine condition and that it does the job it was purchased for, including a t-shirt! THAT'S tough to beat!! I've never felt that I was taking too much of anyone's time to get my questions, no matter how newbie, answered to my satisfaction. As I write I'm preparing another shopping list to discuss with my guy at Sweetwater. Disclaimer: I am not connected to Sweetwater in any way.