"Jim Lesurf" wrote

Finally, note that if using something like a USB DAC then you may still
get
timing/latency/etc problems with playing the stream out though the DAC.
Depends entirely on the details of the hardware, etc. If concerned, look
for some of the more recent USB DACs that control the transfer rate to
ensure they can convert smoothly.


I had the problem with playing audio from my laptop that there was a
background "buzz", this buzz varied with processor activity, a screen
refresh was particularly loud. I tried a relatively expensive external USB
connected "SoundBlaster", but there was no improvement in this respect over
the laptop's internal audio circuitry. However when I used a cheap USB to
SPDIF converter from Maplin, connected to an external DAC, the problem went
away.

I don't have the knowledge to say why the cheap, simple Maplin converter
worked better than the much more expensive "SoundBlaster" unit, but it
proves to me that spending more money doesn't necessarily make for better
results.

David.