# Can audio interface plays hi res/hifi music?



## Rey (Apr 8, 2018)

Hello. Need some help here. I'm about to get my first audio interface for music making with ableton daw. However I'm also someone who lately enjoys listening to hi res music, and just about to subscribe to Tidal streaming music service for listening to hi res music quality.

My question is do audio interface plays hi res music optimally and gives a pleasant listening experience?
Or
My friend suggest me to get thing call dac/amps that improves my pc and headphone sound quality for hi res music instead of sound card or audio interface.

What do you guy think? Which should I get?

Thank you for your help in advance


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## Mornats (Apr 8, 2018)

I have a Focusrite Forte audio interface going into my Yamaha HS7 monitors and also have an Asus Xonar Essence STX sound card that goes into my hi-fi amp and speakers. It's much more pleasurable listening to music on the hi-fi setup than through the audio interface for me. Both will play hi res audio no problem though.


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## Ed Wine (Apr 8, 2018)

I might be wrong, but my understanding of audio interfaces is that they are for recording and listening to music at a somewhat professional level. What would be the point of buying an interface if they weren't capable of "hi res", you might as well keep to the integrated soundcard shipped with any home computer (and they are quite good nowadays) or plug into a home stereo unit. Most interfaces are capable of 32bit 96 kHz, to me that's fairly hi res. Now unless "hi res" music is coded in such a way that special amps etc are required, then audio interfaces and a good pair of monitors sound be all that's needed.


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## Mornats (Apr 8, 2018)

As Ed mentioned on board soundcards I'll just say that the Xonar is in a whole different class to the onboard card on my Asus Maximus Ranger VII motherboard (which boasts superior sound quality over other on board cards). If you're going for the hi res experience then don't compromise on anything in the chain.


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## d.healey (Apr 8, 2018)

Rey said:


> However I'm also someone who lately enjoys listening to hi res music


What do you listen on currently? If you're happy with that buy an interface with the same specs and use the same speakers.


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## Rey (Apr 8, 2018)

d.healey said:


> What do you listen on currently? If you're happy with that buy an interface with the same specs and use the same speakers.



I'm listening via my Sony h. Mdr h600a. Speaker wise I have yet to upgrade to a studio monitor due to budgetor latest hi res speakers maybe like the edifier s880db. Still using my old atp3altec Lansing. I'm upgrading one at a time when I have the money.



Ed Wine said:


> I might be wrong, but my understanding of audio interfaces is that they are for recording and listening to music at a somewhat professional level. What would be the point of buying an interface if they weren't capable of "hi res", you might as well keep to the integrated soundcard shipped with any home computer (and they are quite good nowadays) or plug into a home stereo unit. Most interfaces are capable of 32bit 96 kHz, to me that's fairly hi res. Now unless "hi res" music is coded in such a way that special amps etc are required, then audio interfaces and a good pair of monitors sound be all that's needed.



I'm not sure how you get 32 bit 96khz? Most audio interface in the $100 price range only do 24bit and 192khz? Or is it high end thing? Appreciate if you can list some


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## d.healey (Apr 8, 2018)

Rey said:


> I'm listening via my Sony h. Mdr h600a.


These are just headphones, what are you plugging them in to? What specs does the thing you're plugging them into have? If the specs of that thing are "hi-res" (I'm not sure what that means) then buy an audio interface that has the same specs. Nobody can hear the difference between 24bit and 32bit (actually no-one can hear the difference between 16bit and 24 bit although many will claim otherwise, or they are listening to badly produced recordings). And the difference between 48Khz and 192Khz are pretty much inaudible. What do you mean by hi-res?


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## tack (Apr 8, 2018)

While shopping for interfaces, beware intermodulation distortion. Even otherwise high quality interfaces can suffer from IMD, such as the Babyface (including the Pro). You can check with the test files here (where Monty Xiph also mounts an argument against high resolutions, but anyway).

I was nonplussed to see my Babyface being affected by IMD but ultimately I'm not too hung up about it as I'm not on the high res bandwagon.


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## Rey (Apr 8, 2018)

d.healey said:


> These are just headphones, what are you plugging them in to? What specs does the thing you're plugging them into have? If the specs of that thing are "hi-res" (I'm not sure what that means) then buy an audio interface that has the same specs. Nobody can hear the difference between 24bit and 32bit (actually no-one can hear the difference between 16bit and 24 bit although many will claim otherwise, or they are listening to badly produced recordings). And the difference between 48Khz and 192Khz are pretty much inaudible. What do you mean by hi-res?



Currently plugged in to my onboard pc realtek HD audio. Hi-res means hi resolution, mostly using. Flac files


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## robgb (Apr 8, 2018)

I'm happy to say that, like the average listener, I can't tell the difference. But I would imagine any interface that does 24/192 should fit the bill.


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## Ed Wine (Apr 8, 2018)

Rey said:


> I'm listening via my Sony h. Mdr h600a. Speaker wise I have yet to upgrade to a studio monitor due to budgetor latest hi res speakers maybe like the edifier s880db. Still using my old atp3altec Lansing. I'm upgrading one at a time when I have the money.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure how you get 32 bit 96khz? Most audio interface in the $100 price range only do 24bit and 192khz? Or is it high end thing? Appreciate if you can list some


You never mentioned $100 range. My statement was general, to serve as an example. If you like listening to high quality audio, you have to be prepared to pay over a certain price threshold. I am English, and $100 is about £71 to date, which would buy you an entry-level interface used capable of, say, 24/48.


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## tack (Apr 8, 2018)

Rey said:


> Hi-res means hi resolution, mostly using. Flac files


There's a difference. High resolution refers to higher sample rates (typically above 48kHz such as 96/192) or higher bit depth (above 16). Lossless encoding like what FLAC offers is very different. You'll hear more people arguing against the former than the latter.


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## d.healey (Apr 8, 2018)

Rey said:


> Currently plugged in to my onboard pc realtek HD audio.


Ok so if you're happy with the sounds you're getting from the onboard and you consider that sound to be "hi-res" just stick with that. The headphones can't improve the quality of what comes through the sound card.



> Hi-res means hi resolution, mostly using. Flac files


Flac is just a lossless compression format, it isn't an indicator of the quality of the audio (although some marketing gurus - and Neil Young - would like you to believe it is).


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## Rey (Apr 8, 2018)

Ed Wine said:


> You never mentioned $100 range. My statement was general, to serve as an example. If you like listening to high quality audio, you have to be prepared to pay over a certain price threshold. I am English, and $100 is about £71 to date, which would buy you an entry-level interface used capable of, say, 24/48.



Say if I'm prepared to purchase expensive gears for hi res listening, what interface would you suggest?


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## Rey (Apr 8, 2018)

d.healey said:


> Ok so if you're happy with the sounds you're getting from the onboard and you consider that sound to be "hi-res" just stick with that. The headphones can't improve the quality of what comes through the sound card.
> 
> 
> Flac is just a lossless compression format, it isn't an indicator of the quality of the audio (although some marketing gurus - and Neil Young - would like you to believe it is).



I'm ok with the onboard sound card so far. Just wondering though does an audio interface would improve crispiness, sharpness and give a more pristine sound in whatever way than my everyday pc realtek onboard soundcard. And does every audio interface sounds a bit different to one another


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## Mornats (Apr 8, 2018)

I think you're looking for an audiophile-grade soundcard rather than an audio interface. I'd recommend the Asus Xonar Essence STX for that. It has a great headphone amp so you can plug your Sony headphones in. For speakers you'd need a hi-fi amp and speakers though. I don't think audio interfaces will really give you audiophile sound as I'd imagine they would favour revealing the sound over flattering it.


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## d.healey (Apr 8, 2018)

I think you need to go to some place that will let you try out a bunch of different ones so you can see/hear for yourself. But 90% of any differences you hear will be placebo unless you're on a dub stage, the room makes a big difference. Don't be fooled by audiophile marketing into thinking that huge differences on paper translate into audible differences. People really like vinyl and tape but the quality of them expressed in digital terms is pretty bad and the "warmth" everyone loves is distortion/saturation.

Speakers/monitors are a different story, definitely audible differences between different speakers but the specs on paper don't count for much (neither does the price tag after a certain point) you have to listen to them to find what you're after.


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## Rey (Apr 9, 2018)

Just edited the title. Hi-res like in hi res quality. Also what's anyone take on using soundbar as pc speakers while listening to music? As opposed to studio monitors


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## Rey (Apr 9, 2018)

Mornats said:


> I think you're looking for an audiophile-grade soundcard rather than an audio interface. I'd recommend the Asus Xonar Essence STX for that. It has a great headphone amp so you can plug your Sony headphones in. For speakers you'd need a hi-fi amp and speakers though. I don't think audio interfaces will really give you audiophile sound as I'd imagine they would favour revealing the sound over flattering it.



Probably what I'm looking for @Mornats. Asus essence stx. I've also managed to tried out several dedicated dacs(ifi, Sony and chord mojo) for hifi sound. To my dismay the difference is minimal as opposed to using my realtek motherboard card. But they do have some advantage like some giving out more bass punching in my headphone and more reverb like spaciousness in the headphone while the higher end dacs like chord mojo gives a clear sound of each instruments playing. Kinda magical. But I don't think I'm gonna fork out $700 just for that.


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## Rey (Apr 9, 2018)

d.healey said:


> I think you need to go to some place that will let you try out a bunch of different ones so you can see/hear for yourself. But 90% of any differences you hear will be placebo unless you're on a dub stage, the room makes a big difference. Don't be fooled by audiophile marketing into thinking that huge differences on paper translate into audible differences. People really like vinyl and tape but the quality of them expressed in digital terms is pretty bad and the "warmth" everyone loves is distortion/saturation.
> 
> Speakers/monitors are a different story, definitely audible differences between different speakers but the specs on paper don't count for much (neither does the price tag after a certain point) you have to listen to them to find what you're after.



Yeah I'm thinking now of getting a Sony ct80 soundbar for my pc and add in maybe scarlet 2i2 or other interfaces in that price point. I wonder if that would sound better than getting a pair of studio monitors


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## Rey (Apr 9, 2018)

Mornats said:


> I think you're looking for an audiophile-grade soundcard rather than an audio interface. I'd recommend the Asus Xonar Essence STX for that. It has a great headphone amp so you can plug your Sony headphones in. For speakers you'd need a hi-fi amp and speakers though. I don't think audio interfaces will really give you audiophile sound as I'd imagine they would favour revealing the sound over flattering it.



I'm not familiar with hifi amp. Is it ok if get xonar stx and connect it say to Sony ht ct80 soundbar or yamaha yas 207 soundbar? Can it encode and decode all the dolby and dts conversion


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## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 9, 2018)

Rey said:


> Yeah I'm thinking now of getting a Sony ct80 soundbar for my pc and add in maybe scarlet 2i2 or other interfaces in that price point. I wonder if that would sound better than getting a pair of studio monitors



Stick to the basics: look for a decent audio interface and speakers. Headphones are great, but they're not a substitute. We musicians tend to care a lot about sound quality, because a) for some inexplicable reasons we really do develop a little hearing acuity  and b) we need to hear every detail in our productions.

In other words, the implication that audiophiles' ears are uniquely gilded is asinine snobbery. 

Soundbars are great for casual listening to TVs or broadcast music - I love our Vizio one for its application - but they're not designed for critical listening at all. They almost always have boosted low and high ends, and often have stereo widening effects (although you can defeat that).

Forget that, forget the audiophile DAC headphone amp.


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## Mornats (Apr 9, 2018)

Rey said:


> I'm not familiar with hifi amp. Is it ok if get xonar stx and connect it say to Sony ht ct80 soundbar or yamaha yas 207 soundbar? Can it encode and decode all the dolby and dts conversion



It has RCA and optical outs so it should connect ok. I believe it does do Dolby etc. but do check the specs before buying.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 9, 2018)

Stay away from the consumer stuff with RCA jacks.

More money really does translate to better sound quality (up to a point of diminishing returns). But even the inexpensive audio interfaces sound surprisingly good these days.


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## Mornats (Apr 9, 2018)

The RCA ports are for the hi-fi connection rather than the audio interface. Other than optical or RCA I've no idea how you'd connect a soundcard to an amp/receiver. Did you mean stay away from audio interfaces with RCA connectors?


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## Jeremy Spencer (Apr 9, 2018)

M


Mornats said:


> The RCA ports are for the hi-fi connection rather than the audio interface. Other than optical or RCA I've no idea how you'd connect a soundcard to an amp/receiver. Did you mean stay away from audio interfaces with RCA connectors?


Most interfaces don't have RCA. You'd just need to buy a high quality pair of RCA >1/4" or RCA > XLR cables.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 9, 2018)

Wolfie2112 said:


> M
> 
> Most interfaces don't have RCA. You'd just need to buy a high quality pair of RCA >1/4" or RCA > XLR cables.



That's right, or just an inexpensive adapter.

My point is only that the RCA connections are an indication of the application, not that there's anything wrong with RCA - although they happen to be designed for static connections, not for musicians who re-patch stuff with any frequency.

Another point about audio interfaces for musicians: they have inputs! You can connect equipment (synths, mics, whatever) for recording.


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## Rey (Apr 9, 2018)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> Stick to the basics: look for a decent audio interface and speakers. Headphones are great, but they're not a substitute. We musicians tend to care a lot about sound quality, because a) for some inexplicable reasons we really do develop a little hearing acuity  and b) we need to hear every detail in our productions.
> 
> In other words, the implication that audiophiles' ears are uniquely gilded is asinine snobbery.
> 
> ...



Thank you for the heads up.
Based on your inputs, I am to understand/believe that it is better to get an audio interface rather than audiophiles dac and pc soundcard.

I'm thinking to get Behringer umc204hd audio interface. let me know if its any good or not.
And for speakers what would you recommend?
Studio monitors-Yamaha hs7/hs8, krk series, behringer or monkey banana?
or
expensive book shelf speakers like-Yamaha NX-N500 Wireless Bluetooth or inexpensive solution of speakers?


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## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 9, 2018)

A PC soundcard is an audio interface, just an internal one.

Hopefully other people will comment on your choices, because I haven't heard any of that. But I'd stay away from Bluetooth speakers for this application. The audio gets compressed for transmission, and there's a slight delay that you'll notice if you're playing instruments running on your computer.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Apr 9, 2018)

I probably wouldn't use reference monitors for the purpose of listening to music for pure enjoyment, they are intended for mixing and revealing subtle artefacts. For this reason, they are flat sounding (which is what you want when mixing). I have HS8's and KRK's, and they are ok for just listening to music, but not something I would put in my living room so to speak.


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## Mornats (Apr 10, 2018)

Wolfie2112 said:


> M
> 
> Most interfaces don't have RCA. You'd just need to buy a high quality pair of RCA >1/4" or RCA > XLR cables.



I think we're getting mixed up  I'm taking about an audiophile sound card with RCA connectors and not an audio interface for musicians. That's what I'd recommend for listening to music instead of an audio interface and studio monitors.


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## d.healey (Apr 10, 2018)

Rey said:


> I'm ok with the onboard sound card so far. Just wondering though does an audio interface


Why are you buying something new when you've already said you're happy with what you have? What is it that is making you want something new? Have you looked at the specs of the Realtek card (http://www.realtek.com.tw/products/productsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=24&PFid=27&Level=5&Conn=4)? (http://www.realtek.com.tw/products/products)? They seem pretty decent in terms of audio quality. 

If you really think you're missing something then look at upgrading your speakers/monitors. Some have a digital input (usually optical) that provides a less noisy signal from the computer to the speaker but then you need to check the specs of the speaker's built in audio interface/DAC and you'll need a sound card with a digital output.


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## Divico (Apr 10, 2018)

I think that an interface is fine if it hast good converters and preamps. Most people prefer hifi systems because of signal coloration making the music pleasant to listen to. An interface should be as transparent as it gets. 

Imo the anwser is audio interfaces suite high res music. If you are not happy try out different speakers/headphones or EQ them. Usually a smiley EQ curve can make things sound more hi fi.


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## yhomas (Apr 10, 2018)

Rey said:


> Hello. Need some help here. I'm about to get my first audio interface for music making with ableton daw. However I'm also someone who lately enjoys listening to hi res music, and just about to subscribe to Tidal streaming music service for listening to hi res music quality.
> 
> My question is do audio interface plays hi res music optimally and gives a pleasant listening experience?
> Or
> ...



Yes, a professional audio interface is 100% suitable for pleasant listening. All DACs and amps are designed to be very flat, and low distortion--and they measure well (including hifi stuff). These days, good quality DACs and amps are cheap.

The biggest cause of imperfection in the sound quality are speakers and room acoustics. In systems with multiple speakers, the crossovers can also be a problem. Bigger and lower frequency speakers make the problem more difficult and expensive as well. 

So obviously for price/performance, headphones are the best option. Normal people (like myself) can easily hear differences between different speakers/headphones, but hearing differences between DACs/amps is much more difficult.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 10, 2018)

Wolfie2112 said:


> I probably wouldn't use reference monitors for the purpose of listening to music for pure enjoyment, they are intended for mixing and revealing subtle artefacts. For this reason, they are flat sounding (which is what you want when mixing). I have HS8's and KRK's, and they are ok for just listening to music, but not something I would put in my living room so to speak.



KRKs, Tannoys, that ilk, no question - they do sound very flat. And it's not that their frequency response is flat (although it is), it's that they don't sound lively. Flat is just a good word to describe their sound, and they wouldn't be my first choice for listening to music. They're good for mixing on, because you have to work to make the music sound good.

However, there are lots of really good studio reference monitors that don't sound like that, and music sounds very nice on them. I'd put my Blue Sky System Ones in that category.

The danger is really the opposite: mixing on flattering speakers with a midrange scoop, causing you to put on the inverse curve. That's exactly why you don't want to use a soundbar for production!


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## yhomas (Apr 10, 2018)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> KRKs, Tannoys, that ilk, no question - they do sound very flat. And it's not that their frequency response is flat (although it is), it's that they don't sound lively. Flat is just a good word to describe their sound, and they wouldn't be my first choice for listening to music. They're good for mixing on, because you have to work to make the music sound good.
> 
> However, there are lots of really good studio reference monitors that don't sound like that, and music sounds very nice on them. I'd put my Blue Sky System Ones in that category.
> 
> The danger is really the opposite: mixing on flattering speakers with a midrange scoop, causing you to put on the inverse curve. That's exactly why you don't want to use a soundbar for production!



I don't have much experience with a lot of different monitors, but I have used Mackie HR824 (L C R) for Home Theater purposes and I like them a lot in that application--on the used market they can be a great value.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 10, 2018)

Yeah, they'd be excellent speakers for a home theater.

The HR824s are... they're not copies, but let's say they were intended to be direct competitors to the Genelecs that were really popular when they came out in the later '90s. I had a pair here for a while, and I like the way they sound. They lean toward the living room side rather than being super-accurate, but a lot of professionals use them in their project studios.


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## yhomas (Apr 10, 2018)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> Yeah, they'd be excellent speakers for a home theater.
> 
> The HR824s are... they're not copies, but let's say they were intended to be direct competitors to the Genelecs that were really popular when they came out in the later '90s. I had a pair here for a while, and I like the way they sound. They lean toward the living room side rather than being super-accurate, but a lot of professionals use them in their project studios.



I have heard other speakers with more information/ resolution/ articulation, but the Mackie HR824s (Mk1 and Mk2) do well enough in every area and just sound very pleasant--well rounded, nothing offensive. In terms of power output, frequency range, frequency response variation, etc.--many years down the line, it's still difficult (on paper) to find something else that is comparable for the new price (most similar options in have lower power output)--but at used market, prices, they are just great IMO except perhaps for getting that last 0.1% of detail for critical mixing.

I don't have golden ears, but IMO, one can do a lot worse for a home theater setup.


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## Rey (Apr 11, 2018)

I guess instead of getting a dedicated dacs, I'll get an audio interface with great dacs inside that should I'm prove listening experience. Any recommendation of audio interfaces with great sounding dacs below $500?


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## d.healey (Apr 11, 2018)

Rey said:


> I guess instead of getting a dedicated dacs, I'll get an audio interface with great dacs inside that should I'm prove listening experience. Any recommendation of audio interfaces with great sounding dacs below $500?


Get speakers, you are already happy with your sound card and you won't hear a difference with a different audio interface (actually you will but it will be placebo).


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## Divico (Apr 11, 2018)

+1 This. Speakers are more important as well as the room. You could try a room correction software. Sonarworks offers a couple of presets that give you more of a hifi sound than the typical flat studio one.


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## Rey (Apr 11, 2018)

d.healey said:


> Get speakers, you are already happy with your sound card and you won't hear a difference with a different audio interface (actually you will but it will be placebo).



Thing is @d.healey, I'm not sure if I'm happy with my realtek onboard audio. All my life realtek onboard audio is all that I ve been listening too on pc. I wonder if grass is greener on the other side somewhere. My realtek audio is OK, it can be set up till 24bit 192khz via windows playback devices setting.

Thanks for recommending me to upgrade the speakers(from altec Lansing atp3) I'm sure This will output the different than dacs or audio interface from now on. And I think I still gonna get a soundbar, and maybe later monitors


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## Rey (Apr 11, 2018)

Divico said:


> +1 This. Speakers are more important as well as the room. You could try a room correction software. Sonarworks offers a couple of presets that give you more of a hifi sound than the typical flat studio one.



Interesting. Thank you for the suggestion. Never heard of it. Will surely try out this sonar works software. Thank you again


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## Jeremy Spencer (Apr 11, 2018)

d.healey said:


> Get speakers, you are already happy with your sound card and you won't hear a difference with a different audio interface (actually you will but it will be placebo).



I can personally hear the difference between a $2 Realtek sound chip and an interface with quality convertors (for under $500), there's no question.


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## d.healey (Apr 11, 2018)

Wolfie2112 said:


> I can personally hear the difference between a $2 Realtek sound chip and an interface with quality convertors (for under $500), there's no question.


Have you done a double blind test with all other variables being equal?


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## Jeremy Spencer (Apr 11, 2018)

d.healey said:


> Have you done a double blind test with all other variables being equal?



Absolutely. Would you actually mix out stems with a Realtek over a quality interface? The sound is night and day. I found this out the hard way when I used to think different years ago...and then realized there was a huge difference.


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## d.healey (Apr 11, 2018)

Wolfie2112 said:


> Would you actually mix out stems with a Realtek over a quality interface?


No, unless that was all I had access to. But we're talking about listening to individual "hi-res" flac files, not mixing multiple audio stems.


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## Divico (Apr 11, 2018)

I think there is an audible difference. Although I would point out that if it comes to bang for buck upgrading the monitors would be where I´d start.


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## yhomas (Apr 11, 2018)

Rey said:


> I guess instead of getting a dedicated dacs, I'll get an audio interface with great dacs inside that should I'm prove listening experience. Any recommendation of audio interfaces with great sounding dacs below $500?



I suspect you won't notice much sound difference in various DAC options, but if you record instruments in real time, latency will be a significant concern. 

So, IMO, getting an audio interface is a good idea, but most likely you won't notice much difference in sound.


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## yhomas (Apr 11, 2018)

Rey said:


> Yeah I'm thinking now of getting a Sony ct80 soundbar for my pc and add in maybe scarlet 2i2 or other interfaces in that price point. I wonder if that would sound better than getting a pair of studio monitors



IMO, the sound bar will not compete with studio monitors. It's a 90% waste of money because you will replace it with something better soon. It's better to save up and spend money on something you will be happy with for years.

If you don't need super loud, the absolute best bang for buck is in 5"-6" used nearfield studio monitors (e.g. HR624, LSR305, etc). The downside of these is that they may not have enough volume for a home theater application down the road. 

Either way, you will probably want to add a proper sub, but that can always happen later because your headphones will give enough bass info when you need it.


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## Rey (Apr 11, 2018)

yhomas said:


> IMO, the sound bar will not compete with studio monitors. It's a 90% waste of money because you will replace it with something better soon. It's better to save up and spend money on something you will be happy with for years.
> 
> If you don't need super loud, the absolute best bang for buck is in 5"-6" used nearfield studio monitors (e.g. HR624, LSR305, etc). The downside of these is that they may not have enough volume for a home theater application down the road.
> 
> Either way, you will probably want to add a proper sub, but that can always happen later because your headphones will give enough bass info when you need it.



Thinking about that too. I'm doing music in my small room. Presonus eris series studio monitors any good?


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## yhomas (Apr 11, 2018)

Rey said:


> Thinking about that too. I'm doing music in my small room. Presonus eris series studio monitors any good?



I haven't heard any of the smaller monitors. Just based on reviews, I would lean toward LSR305 since they have a reputation for being more pleasant to listen to, with the Presonus having a reputation for being more neutral. Ideally listen to more than one pair before committing. 

Now, you can get good nearfieldds for $300/pair, but IMO, you should probably think about more than that for a sub down the road (I have one from Rythmik sealed E,15HP and I love it.)


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## Rey (Apr 12, 2018)

yhomas said:


> I haven't heard any of the smaller monitors. Just based on reviews, I would lean toward LSR305 since they have a reputation for being more pleasant to listen to, with the Presonus having a reputation for being more neutral. Ideally listen to more than one pair before committing.
> 
> Now, you can get good nearfieldds for $300/pair, but IMO, you should probably think about more than that for a sub down the road (I have one from Rythmik sealed E,15HP and I love it.)



It would be my first purchase of monitors. Do the bass sounds fine for monitors without sub?


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## yhomas (Apr 12, 2018)

Rey said:


> It would be my first purchase of monitors. Do the bass sounds fine for monitors without sub?



For me, yes, but it depends on how much you like bass and what kind of music you are listening to. (The HR824's are pretty good for bass.) However, getting good quality bass always more expensive--need lots of power. If you can't afford it, don't compromise with a crappy sub--it's a waste of money. Most people are fine with the compromise of listening on midfields without a sub.

In my opinion, a lot of people have a negative view of subwoofers for the flabby one note honk that a lot of subs put out. But with a good quality sealed sub (and a good crossover), it just sounds like your speakers go all the way down.


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## Diablo IV (Jun 20, 2020)

tack said:


> While shopping for interfaces, beware intermodulation distortion. Even otherwise high quality interfaces can suffer from IMD, such as the Babyface (including the Pro). You can check with the test files here (where Monty Xiph also mounts an argument against high resolutions, but anyway).
> 
> I was nonplussed to see my Babyface being affected by IMD but ultimately I'm not too hung up about it as I'm not on the high res bandwagon.



Any chance you have the files? The site has gone 404


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## Instrugramm (Jun 22, 2020)

Audio Interfaces can play hi-res audio but a high grade DAC + AMP will do better. I nowadays don't even use my audio interface unless I need to because my Topping D90 MQA + A90 or THX789 have a better sound and the same latency.

That being said, I'm an audiophile freak with way to many expensive headphones, for everybody without that obsession a normal audio interface will probably do.


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## sostenuto (Jun 22, 2020)

Instrugramm said:


> Audio Interfaces can play hi-res audio but a high grade DAC + AMP do better. I nowadays don't even use my audio interface unless I need to because my Topping D90 MQA + A90 or THX789 have a better sound and the same latency.
> 
> That being said, I'm an audiophile freak with way to many expensive headphones, for everybody without that obsession a normal audio interface will probably do.



Was 2nd guessing decision to begin upgrading DAW #2 audio system with Modi DAC + Asgard 3 Amp > DT880 Pro 600-ohm. Now not so stressed. 
No Audio I/F so far, but stumped to add dedicated Mic Preamp ..... where to connect ?? Many choices force I/F, but trusting there must other solutions ..... 

Good to see Your post !


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## Instrugramm (Jun 26, 2020)

sostenuto said:


> Was 2nd guessing decision to begin upgrading DAW #2 audio system with Modi DAC + Asgard 3 Amp > DT880 Pro 600-ohm. Now not so stressed.
> No Audio I/F so far, but stumped to add dedicated Mic Preamp ..... where to connect ?? Many choices force I/F, but trusting there must other solutions .....
> 
> Good to se Your post !


Watch out for the DT880s in 600ohm, they need a lot of power and are hard to pair with the right amp. (Meaning, they sound great on very few and terrible on most) I got the 880s for testing only recently (might buy them in the end) and they sound terrible on 3 out of my 4 amps (THX 789, Topping A90, XDUOO TA-20) only on the Heresy (my cheapest amp) sound is good. Apparently the Emotiva BassX is the only amp DT880 people agree on being a perfect match.


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## sostenuto (Jun 27, 2020)

Instrugramm said:


> Watch out for the DT880s in 600ohm, they need a lot of power and are hard to pair with the right amp. (Meaning, they sound great on very few and terrible on most) I got the 880s for testing only recently (might buy them in the end) and they sound terrible on 3 out of my 4 amps (THX 789, Topping A90, XDUOO TA-20) only on the Heresy (my cheapest amp) sound is good. Apparently the Emotiva BassX is the only amp DT880 people agree on being a perfect match.


Schiit Audio Mdi DAC + Asgard 3 seems quite good, BUT so tough with no A/B compare. ( other than 2nd DAW with Saffire Pro14 I/F and older Senns ). Very low volume (as expected) with DT880 600-ohn into Saffire Pro14.


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## Instrugramm (Jun 27, 2020)

sostenuto said:


> Schiit Audio Mdi DAC + Asgard 3 seems quite good, BUT so tough with no A/B compare. ( other than 2nd DAW with Saffire Pro14 I/F and oler Senns ). Very low volume (as expected) with DT880 600-ohn into Saffire Pro14.


The Asgard has 300mW at 600 ohms, that should be plenty! I don't know about the sound signature match but powerwise you're good.


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## labornvain (Jun 28, 2020)

Here, finally, is the answer to your questions. I found the answer because I took the trouble to look up what tidal streaming means by hi-res.

It means 96k sample rate and 24-bit audio.

A pro or Semi-Pro audio interface will easily match or exceed those specifications. And for other reasons, they'll probably sound better doing it.

As for your friend's suggestion to get a DAC amp, which just means digital audio converter and possibly some amp combo, I assure you that is is unnecessary and inadvisable.

All audio interfaces have DAC built in.

So a decent little audio interface, like a Focusrite, is what you need to get if you not only want to listen to hi-res music, but also work in a DAW like Ableton.

Understand, even a cheap audio interface designed for audio production will probably sound better and have more features then any consumer device you can come up with, especially in regards to working with Ableton.

The reason why I recommend Focusrite is just because they offer a lot of bang for the buck, they're fairly rock solid in performance, they sound great, you can plug a guitar or a base for a microphone right into the unit and record, and most importantly, it has a huge user base which becomes invaluable if you ever need any help or assistance with working it.

There are certainly comfortable interfaces available. But the benefit of going with something that's already really popular, with a wide user base, can't be overstated.


It's the difference between doing an internet search for some problem you're having and getting three hits in return versus getting 300 hits in return.

Going with really popular devices also makes them easier to resale should you ever desire to.


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## sostenuto (Jun 28, 2020)

au contraire .... Surely not inferring all DACs are equal ? Highly rated DACs are in cost range with several top Audio I/Fs. Then add capable Amp in similar cost range. 

Not stating what level of investment is good, bad, ok, but blanket approval of common I/F fails OP .... imho.  _Disclaimer_ ..... what any individual can hear and discriminate is very different topic.


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## Mornats (Jun 29, 2020)

I have an Asus Xonar Essence STX sound card and a Focusrite Forte audio interface and for hi-fi audio (i.e. pleasant to listen to) the Asus bests the Focusrite when pumped into a hi-fi amp and speakers. For mixing, critical listening and of course making music, the Focusrite wins hands down.

Both play hi-res audio no problem.


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## Instrugramm (Jun 29, 2020)

I own several DACS and 5 Headphone Amps (soon 4, as one's actually sold now but I still need to send it to the new owner.) There are severe differences between DACS and Amplifiers (notably between solid state, tube and tybe hybrids). ESS, AKM and R2Rs sound slightly different, a good stand-alone DAC will pretty much always be better than one found in an audio interface simply because interfaces deal with input primarily (they have a different focus).

I do understand, that there are people who cannot tell the difference right away but A-B'ing stuff will actually show impressive differences. For example my A90 by Topping shows a slightly mellower treble and deeper bass than my THX 789 although both are essentially neutral, the Shiit Heresy is actually quite neutral as well but is ever so slightly more v-shaped than both of the other amps (and lacks the impressive detail an all balanced setup can provide on some high-end headphones like the Ether CXs). 

I also have a dedicated soundcard in my PC that I actually used to mix with after using my interface for recording but hands-down there's no competition, my active monitors sound so much better when running the D90 through the A90's preamp section at mid-gain... You can mix and listen on all of these devices but I would encourage anybody to take the dive, if you're a musician and actually want to sit down and truly listen to music.

Simply go to any hifi-shop in your region with one of your mixes on a usb-stick or phone and ask for a neutral setup to listen on (ideally with headphones), I'd wager it won't take you more than 1 minute to tell the difference. 

Ps. Maybe I'm wrong and there are (very expensive) audio interfaces out there that trump my current dac/amp favourites but I haven't heard them yet.


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## Instrugramm (Jun 29, 2020)

Before I forget, since it's been brought up, Tidal actually uses MQA, so there's additional Information you won't get in your listening experience if you don't have an MQA capable DAC. (I won't get into detail on that though, that's a discussion on its own.)


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## sostenuto (Jun 29, 2020)

Tidal for years, and Bluesound home system capable of streaming flac. Nowhere near a hard rock kinda listener, but searching Tidal had found me amazing range of ethnic, classical, jazz, orchestral content ... for building Playlists. Veterans' discount as well. GO TIDAL !


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## Instrugramm (Jun 29, 2020)

Although I own a handful of MQA Songs, I mostly like to download 24bit flacs from highresaudio.com or from the Qobuz downloadstore, if there's no high-res version of a song, I buy the CD version and rip it via EAC.


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