PC to DAC to PreAmp

You don't really need the DAC or pre-amp. I use an M-audio SB to a pair of monarchy class-A amps. They drive a pair of B&W N805's. I use the winXP volume control as the PRE. Sounds great with CD's and DVD-A's. I don't listen to MP3's because even at 320K they still sound very flat and lifeless. I do about 90% of my listening at my PC while working/surfering. Good luck.

Slhijb:

Yes, your current plan is the best way to get all you can from the MP3s provided your sound card has a digital output. Some sound cards that have a digital output only have it in mini plug form, and not sure what digital cable would go from mini to RCA (certainly there is no fiber cable like that). What I would recommend, and am saving to do for my system, is buy a Creative Labs Audigy 2 Platnium sound card ($200) which has 24/192 DACS and also has a break out box (the Extigy will work but has 24/96 DACs) that allows for fiber or rca style connections. Then you can buy/use a quality cable to make the connection and preserve as much of the signal as possible as it travels from the PC to the DAC. I would also recommend using a fiber cable for very long runs and www.audioadvisor.com last I saw was having a major sale on AudioQuest fiber cables. I think they are 'good' cables.

Matt

Mmomnick,

I had a Creative Labs Audigy 2 Platnnium sound card in my machine breifly. While it was a slight improvement over the original Audigy, I was disappointed with its overall sound quality. I am very happy with my M-Audio sound board. I breifly hooked up an MSD link dac 3 using a miniplug to RCA cable (custom made high quality) and used an Aragon 24K as a Pre-amp. There was a very marginal improvement in sound but all those components were eating up a lot of desk space. As for using fiber cable (toslink) it has the highest jitter rate of all methods which results in data errors and smearing of the music. I would stick to the unbalanced (RCA) connection.