Analogue Sound Card Recommendations

[Hawklan]

Hi

My AV processor doesn't have HDMI inputs.

So I'm looking for recommendations for a really good sound card that will pump out all the HD formats via analogue.
The blu-ray playback software I'll be using is Powerdvd

At the moment I'm using my on-board card that came with my MB (Maximus Extreme)

I've had a Lynx TwoB in the past and loved it but don't want to go that hi-end again


So please let me know what you think

Many thanks

RON

 

[moominy]

I am looking for the same thing and the asus xonar hdav 1.3 deluxe is, I think, the only card that will do the HD formats over analogue.You will also need to install arcsoft TMT3 to play them this way.

 

[tman]

The Xonar Deluxe is designed to bitstream HD audio of HDMI. Nothing can bitstream over analog. So if you are talking PCM/FLAC over analog, then the best choice is a much cheaper Asus card, the standard Xonar DX.

Both PowerDVD and TMT will output HD audio over this card (I use it), but will downsample to 16-bit/48Khz (this is mandated because of the requirement for PAP for full bandwidth audio).

If you rip and convert to MKV/FLAC, then the audio is sent full bitrate over analog to any amp/receiver with 5.1/7.1 analog inputs.

 

[moominy]

Im pretty sure the top asus card does do HD over analogue if you have the daughter board attached, although at the moment it is still downsampling the analogue out to 16bit rather than 24bit (apparently this will be fixed with the next TMT3 update).
ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

 

[Hawklan]

Im pretty sure the top asus card does do HD over analogue if you have the daughter board attached, although at the moment it is still downsampling the analogue out to 16bit rather than 24bit (apparently this will be fixed with the next TMT3 update).
ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

Hi

Do you have a link to the reference to the next TMT3 update

If they do implement, this will be the best of both worlds -
HD Audio over analogue now and over HDMI when I upgrade my processor

Many thanks

RON

 

[moominy]

Im only going by what I have read on the arcsoft forums as I have TMT3 already. There is a thread on there implying the asus version will be updated sometime this month, whether that will be about the downsampling no-one knows.
However there also seems to be an arguament that most films only use 16bit HD anyway and its only music BR that tends to use 24bit.

 

[echn111]

If you're going to use analogue connects then the Asus Xonar D2 (same as the D2X but not PCI-E) is a great card when using standard 5.1 analogue connects (i.e. three 3.5mm to 2 RCA cables) or 7.1 (i.e. four 3.5mm x 2 RCA cables).

It's a good card for BluRay high def surround sound as the analogue outputs are of high quality.

And the UK prices (around £78 including VAT from retailers like scan.co.uk) make this a bargain compared to US prices where retailers (i.e. NewEgg) price it as a premium sound card between $175 to $200.

 

[eaglemmoomin]

I use a Xonar D2X (the PCI Express version) into an Arcam AVR280 and now that as far as I can see the issues with the card have been fixed with firmware and driver updates I would recommend one. The Xonar HDAV1 would be top of the tree as the analogue daughter board has phono connections and upgradable op amps for all channels but the Xonar D2/D2X is cheaper and is still a very good sound card with subterrainean Signal to Noise Ratios.