psychohistory

I currently have an Arcam rDAC, but it's too analytical for my tastes. I want something fun. Can anyone recommend a nice "musical" DAC for less than $2000? I would like it to have a built in headphone amp (for Sennheiser HD 650). I listen to mostly Orchestral and generic pop. I want my french horns and trombones to roar. Maybe even a little "Edge" to the sound. Looking into the TEAC UD-H01, or simply the benchmark USB DAC 1 or something. Advice?

Awesome news. Thanks for the info & clarification.

@Chris Wow, never has an article been so informative. Looks like I'll be getting a SOtM tX-USB card! I'm a little confused, though. You said "I was sorely disappointed as I heard absolutely no change with only the tX-USB installed and my USB converter to the main board." and then mentioned a misconfiguration. Just so I don't avoid the same pitfall, what were you referring to? Thanks for the good read (and the whole website in general). @Barrows I'm using an Arcam rDAC, which has it's own power. If I'm understanding you correctly, I don't think I can benefit from that. I wonder if I can disable the USB power (using that toggle switch on the PCI card)...

Dumb question. Currently using the USB from my motherboard to go to an external USB DAC. Would there be an improvement in sound if I bought a PCI (or PCIe) USB card to go to my external DAC? Some people say "digital is digital", but I've heard differences with my equipment on different computers (using the same software & output modes). Are all USB ports powered equally? I'm new to this, so be gentle. Thanks!

Good to know! Any cable recommendations? Thanks for all the tips.

I will definitely listen to everything before buying. I'm not sure how ASIO works: I will be using USB to go to my DAC. Is ASIO still necessary? Thanks for the tips.

Howdy! I'm new to the whole "audiophile" thing, so please look over what I'm about to buy, and let me know if it is headed in the right direction. Speakers - Dynaudio Excite X12 Integrated Amp - Arcam A28 DAC - Arcam rDAC I will be playing most of my music through my computer via USB (to the rDAC) using foobar2000. I was debating between this set up, or the Peachtree Nova. Although I've heard good things about the Nova, I'd like to have my DAC separate from my amp; that, and I like the warm sound of Arcam. Do I have the right idea? Am I missing anything critical? Sound quality is my ultimate aim. Please give me any advice / criticism. I'm new, so I want to make sure I'm spending my money correctly. Thank you very much!!