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[chrisbutty]

I upgraded yesterday to MC18 and sound quality  was unusable.  Followed the options and got it back with Kernel Streaming (Options; Audio Options; Output Mode: Kernel Streaming).  I was using Direct Sound with MC17.

Then spent a few hours learning about the new (!) stuff like ASIO and realising my XP laptop's old external sound card; Creative SB Extigy is probably too old.

Can someone suggest a cheap (£30/$50) external sound card?  I spent a few hours looking but no conclusions and no clue to how to interpret specifications for ASIO compatibility. Some are tiny and some cost the earth.

I like to adjust the volume out to match the source volume with other sources on my stereo.
Maybe continue to use USB2 for connectivity convenience though lappy does have a 1394 interface.
5.1 capability at least though I am just using stereo (2x audio plugs) so far.

Anyone help?

[mwillems]

I'm not aware of any 1) low cost, 2) high quality, 3) external, 4) multichannel interfaces. If you're willing to forgo one of those four you can find something pretty easily.

For example, there are some fairly cheap high quality external 2 channel soundcards/DACs floating around.  Some of the Fiio series DACs can be had for a little more than $50 (e.g. the e7k or the e10).  I've had an e7 for over a year and like it quite a lot, although it's bigger somewhat more expensive brother (the e17) is better and has ASIO drivers.  See this thread for info on the e17: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=78637.0

However, it's a very different world in multi-channel territory.  You can get pretty solid multichannel internal PCI-E cards (like the Asus DX) near your price range, but it's very hard to get the same quality in external multichannel interfaces at a low cost.  

Check out this thread for more info on what's out there : http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=55607.0, but a lot of the good options are in the multiple hundreds (or thousands) of dollars.  I can personally recommend the Steinberg UR-824, but it is not cheap.

[kstuart]

The cheapest good quality stereo DACs are:

* HRT Music Streamer 2   US$149  (their new "Microstreamer" includes a high quality headphone amp for $190) hirestech.com (buy on amazon)

* Schiit Modi  US$99  buy direct from schiit.com

Both are USB asynchronous (which in my experience, makes more of a difference than anything else in digital audio).   I have not compared them to each other.   The Modi is newer technology.  Both are made entirely in Southern California (by sheer coincidence).

[DarkPenguin]

The cheapest good quality stereo DACs are:

* HRT Music Streamer 2   US$149  (their new "Microstreamer" includes a high quality headphone amp for $190) hirestech.com (buy on amazon)

* Schiit Modi  US$99  buy direct from schiit.com

Both are USB asynchronous (which in my experience, makes more of a difference than anything else in digital audio).   I have not compared them to each other.   The Modi is newer technology.  Both are made entirely in Southern California (by sheer coincidence).

I've been having a lot of problems getting my HRT Music Streamer II to stop having dropouts and ticks.

I did pick up the headphone amp/usb dac from FIIO the E07K and it sounds good.  Not as good as the HRT but since it doesn't skip it is far less likely to be tossed into a canal.

[jologskyblues]

^ Switching to kernel streaming output in JRMC18 seems to solve the drop outs and ticks on my HRT MSII FW Rev.2.3.

The same DAC works flawlessly with the new WASAPI output component in fb2k.

[Arindelle]

My son just ordered this from e-bay UK for 87£ for his gaming setup ... it might work in a pinch, but I need to hear it first!

Asus just put it out and has some good specs (114db SNR, with an ok Cirrus Logic DAC. It works in Win 32/64bit, and has 7.1. Have no idea if it is asynchronous USB - doubt it. I have an old but good Linn system if anybody wants me to plug it in and see what it sounds like (to me  )  -- should come in a couple of days.

details here https://www.asus.com/Sound_Cards_and_DigitaltoAnalog_Converters/Xonar_U7/#overview

[DarkPenguin]

^ Switching to kernel streaming output in JRMC18 seems to solve the drop outs and ticks on my HRT MSII FW Rev.2.3.

The same DAC works flawlessly with the new WASAPI output component in fb2k.

The HRT dude suggested putting it on a powered usb hub.  I did so and it is working about as well as it ever has.  It is a nice DAC.  Particularly for the money.  Been very frustrated with it lately, tho.

So, power issue.  It would be nice that, if they were that close to the (power) edge, they would include a wall wart or at least the connector for one.

I'm only 1/2 way through the first album so I reserve the right to come back and complain.  And I loaded a million updates to windows 8 before trying this.  So I can't be sure that was the issue.

But anyways it is a good sounding DAC.

[kstuart]

For HRT Music Streamers, you need to decrease the buffer.

[DarkPenguin]

For HRT Music Streamers, you need to decrease the buffer.

Yep.

[chrisbutty]

Many thanks to everyone for helping me out on this.  Some great stuff to get started on.

C

[DarkPenguin]

BTW, two days in and so far no skips, ticks or stutters.  MC has crashed more than once but the HRT seems to be working fine.  So it needs to run from a hub.  Noted.

[jologskyblues]

For HRT Music Streamers, you need to decrease the buffer.

I have set the buffer down to 10ms which seems to be the only setting that does not have any clicking or popping with the HRT MSII connected and powered directly by a usb 2.0 port in in my PC. I noticed that HRT DACs seem to be sensitive to the quality of the USB cable and computer's PSU and also sounds better without the PC connected to a Uninterruptible power supply.