What is External DAC, Do You Need One for a PC?

This guide is about What is External DAC, Do You Need One for a PC?. So read this free guide, What is External DAC, Do You Need One for a PC?. If you have query related to same article you may contact us.

What is External DAC, Do You Need One for a PC? – Guide

You might not even think about it, but most of us use at least one digital-to-analog converter (better known as a DAC) every day. Built into computers, tablets and smartphones, the DAC is the fundamental key to unlocking the convenience of digital music. It converts the vast amount of digital information into an analog signal that speakers and headphones – and the human ear – can understand.

Any device that acts as a digital sound source – be it a CD or Blu-ray player, a digital TV box, a game console or a portable music player – needs a DAC to convert its sound to an analog signal before exit. Conventional amplifiers don’t process digital information, speakers certainly don’t reproduce digital information, and our ears can’t interpret digital information – they all need an analog waveform. Without a DAC, your digital music collection is nothing more than a sizable collection of “0s and 1s” (more on that in a bit) that only make sense in the digital world. In short, DACs play a huge role in making digital music worthwhile.

The biggest problem is that the DAC circuits used in many devices are simply not efficient enough to live up to the original recording. So a DAC upgrade might be the easiest way to upgrade your digital music and really get the most out of your system. Whatever your installation.

Sound hardware vs. graphic

Your computer’s built-in sound is very good for most tasks. Compare this to games where you need a graphics card if you want to play the latest AAA games at high frame rates. A CPU’s integrated graphics processor is simply not up to the challenge. Even so, some people still want better sound than a motherboard can provide. In this case, the main choice is a sound card or an external DAC (digital to analog converter).

A quality listening experience requires minimal electrical interference, which is a problem as the PC’s motherboard is a hotbed of electrical activity. Because of this, the motherboard’s onboard audio is shielded to protect itself as much as possible from the rest of the board. However, a better alternative is to remove your audio streaming device (whether a sound card or an external DAC) from the source of all this interference.

What is a DAC?

DAC stands for digital-to-analog converter. A DAC receives digital audio information and converts it into an analog signal. That signal travels to an amplifier and then to your speakers or headphones where you hear it.

A DAC is an essential component of any PC’s audio system. Motherboard audio has one, as do sound cards, smartphones, USB headphones, and other digital devices. You can’t get sound from a PC or other digital device to the human ear if there isn’t a DAC somewhere along the line to convert digital audio signals to analog.

Why you might want an external DAC

If you already have a DAC, why do you need another one? First, an external DAC is usually of higher quality than a motherboard or USB headphone DAC and offers better audio potential. But we also have to go back to our original problem with the motherboard: all the current flowing through the motherboard creates a high potential for what audiophiles call “noise”, which basically means interference that affects the quality of sound reproduction. If you have good headphones – or call up the volume on average headphones with a heavy load of calculations – you can probably hear some of these glitches. It sounds like a hiss or noise.

Some interference, or “noise”, is unavoidable when you’re dealing with electrical equipment, but reducing noise is critical for a better listening experience. For this reason, many people prefer an external DAC for their PC. It removes all electrical noise around the motherboard, which improves audio quality. In comparison, a sound card is mounted just above the motherboard, but it’s still in the case, which some audio fanatics think is just as bad. Some people are so concerned about interference that they try to move their external DAC as far away from the computer case as possible. For most of us, however, just place it on the table next to or above the PC.

However, an external DAC isn’t a magic solution to your audio problems, and it’s good to understand what to expect. When it comes to gaming, an external DAC helps bring quieter sounds to the fore. In some cases, your positional audio can improve, making it easier to find stealthy NPCs and other players. When it comes to music, however, everything from recording quality to mastering by the sound engineer, file size and the quality of your headphones come into play.

Most external DACs connect to your PC with a USB cable and have a volume control on the front and a socket for headphones and speakers. Many external DACs only have 3.5mm jacks, but some are 6.3mm as well. It really depends on the device. But, as always, you can bring an adapter that both can work with. The great thing about an external DAC is that it is not tied to a machine. So if you spend most of your time on a desktop PC but want to enhance your audio experience on a laptop, you can move it between devices.

What to look for in an external DAC

First, your external DAC must have a built-in amplifier to make it more economical and take up less space. Most PC options have an amplifier, but you’ll find high-end audio DACs that require a separate amplifier. You can also see discussions of bit depth and sample rates for each DAC. In our tutorial we explain bit depths and sample rates for all different audio formats. Many DACs you can find online support either 24-bit or 32-bit depth, while sample rates range between 96 KHz and 768 KHz.

If you’re just looking for a DAC that will enhance your gaming and other listening experiences, something like the FiiO E10K is a great choice. Someone looking for high-end hardware might want to check out Schiit’s Modi DAC, which requires the purchase of a separate amplifier. Creative also makes external sound cards that some PC users may prefer. One final consideration is your personal use case. If you also want to enhance your listening experience on a mobile device, a portable DAC may be best for you. However, without good quality headphones, a portable external DAC/amplifier probably won’t do much for your listening experience in a phone.

As always, a good rule of thumb is to read consumer and professional reviews of the DAC you are interested in to get an idea of ​​what to expect.

Final note

I hope you like the guide What is External DAC, Do You Need One for a PC?. In case if you have any query regards this article you may ask us. Also, please share your love by sharing this article with your friends.