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Optical is a bad digital option I hear, what about on long runs, and a cell tower..??

Posted by Jonnycorn3 (A) on October 28, 2023 at 09:11:12

Setup Rundown:

My AE7 soundcard from my PC was bought to not use the onboard ALC897 realtek chip, well, I don't know if the ESS 9018 of the AE7 is bright harsh or just the ALC897 is very dull. Anyway, I'm using analog RCA to the AVR from the PC's AE7 at the moment, but I keep thinking DAC > ADC > DAC can't be good. So using an optical connection instead of HDMI since the HDMI circuits of my motherboard must be woeful and I also read HDMI is bad in itself... Great... I also read optical is bad too... Great..... On paper, I'm without a good choice. My AE7 has 3.5mm out or optical out. I need the AE7 as it is the only soundcard on the market to offer analog out to my little PC speakers, headphones and my big speakers in one. I don't want to use an external DAC relying on my motherboard's USB ports.

More to the title:

So optical is my only good choice I think, I would buy a glass fibre cable to even the score a bit, but also, regarding my situation, if I went with coaxial digital or HDMI, they would be on a 4 metre run AND I live next to a cell tower with 2 mW/m2 of pulsed 1.8GHz, on the cable run that's like 6 mW/m2, so there's a great deal more time of that RFI to have at the signal in HDMI and digital coax on a 4 metre run.

Regarding resistance though, wouldn't optic fibre come out on top over HDMI and digital coax over a 4 metre run, in audio quality, since the optic doesn't have a 4 metre resistance obstacle?

Any other things?

I know, and I read about it, and I agree, the ligit into electric signals is more timing to the chain. BUT in my case, with a cell tower (since QED say these signals effect micro timing) does optic end up on top of digital coax because, no 4 metre resistance and immunity to POTENT (compared to most people's households) RFI? I HOPE SO BECAUSE, I want a solution to this DAC > ADC > DAC issue, (So i think) and optical is my only choice.. HDMI is also not regarded well and I don't want to use the Motherboard on my PC for the HDMI out..

I need some good news because at the moment, I'm drowning in dead ends. Unless my current analog out to the AVR with DAC>ADC>DAC is no real issue, or i need to review other sound interface options concerning my PC... oh boy. I might look at the score with these streamers, see if I can work with that alongside my PC using ethernet.

Thank you.

Edits: 10/28/23 10/28/23 10/28/23 10/28/23 10/28/23 10/28/23 10/28/23 10/28/23 10/28/23

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