Do you need a preamp with a soundcard as your source?

Suppose I was to connect this soundcard http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=products.main&ID=41cf7347b20eff77b69588578a74aa58 to an amp and then to the speakers. Would I need a preamp to adjust the volume and send the signal to the amp, or would the soundcard act like a preamp and let me adjust the volume from there, in the mixer for it?

I can definately get a better power amp for the same price as an integrated amp, or an amp of equal quality for a lower price than an integrated amp, so this is a bit crucial here.

Thanks.

No. Just plug into an input (DAT, Tape, CD-R, etc.) or digital input (SPDIF, Toslink) and your amp should treat it like any other source.

Here is another source you can try - I own the Soundblaster Extigy

Creative Labs

Sean

Ah, then what are preamps used for then??

So, lemme get this straight - I connect soundcard into the amp, something like this http://rotel.com/products/specs/rb1070.htm and then to the speakers? No preamp needed, just RCA cables from soundcard to speaker? And I could adjust volume and all from the soundcard's mixer? Sorry for bein' dense, but I wanna make sure I get this right and don't have to ship stuff back after I find out it doesn't work.

//snip// Babbling deleted

According to the documentation with my Extigy, I CAN plug it directly into a power amp (no-pre required).

Sean

PS In looking at your Soundcard, the analog outs (RCA outs) would plug in to your power amp.

whoa whoa...

Depending on the output of the card, yes or no.

I have the turtle beach santa cruz, when i plugged it into my preamp, i had to have the volume on what would be quite loud on my cdp, and i had all the volumes on the puter set to high and it wasnt even that loud.

My preamp is capable of 20db of gain too., so i doubt the soundcard could have driven my amp well.

In reply to:
I have the turtle beach santa cruz, when i plugged it into my preamp, i had to have the volume on what would be quite loud on my cdp, and i had all the volumes on the puter set to high and it wasnt even that loud.

The old Turtle Beach stuff (I've used a SCruz back when they had a clear step-up over Creative's products) has no amp circuit onboard if I remember correctly... TBs stand (correctly so) is that they don't want to add amplification inside the EMI disaster that is a computer case.

The Creative line should drive a solid line level... that M-Sound or whatever, you're on your own... never tried one.

Bren R.

As for M-Audio stuff, I've had a Revolution 7.1 in my PC for a while now and it's been a good card. The S/N is 106dB and I have it going to my NAD T762 for now. I'm pretty sure that if you had an M-Audio card going straight to an amp, it wouldn't sound too bad. The only quirk I've noticed is that I get really annoying static when I run my ATI All-In-Wonder to the line in on the M-Audio, but I'm sure the static is from the ATI. So it's no big deal, just unplug it when I'm not watching TV. Another thing you might need to know is I remember reading about people having driver issues with the USB version of the Revolution 7.1. I'm not sure if it would be the same as what you're looking at, but just thought I'd let you know. Oh yeah...and their software is REALLY nice. Easy to use and plenty of features and settings. The manual on the other hand is on par with Denon. *

for all those poor people who have suffered such pain and anguish while reading one* If you want you can wait till it's cold and use it to start a fire. That's about it's only use. Anyway, hope this helps a little.

My initial response was Yes - pre-amp is required. After looking at the manual, it seemed to indicate that a pre-amp wasn't required but not explicitly. Since I don't like to give bad information, I've sent an e-mail to Creative Labs for this question regarding the Extigy. I expect that the response will be the same for both cards - that a pre-amp will be required. I could not find enough information on the Extigy to determine what the maximum gain is but I know that internal versions of the card used to be equipped with a 4W amp if memory serves.

The specifications on the web for the Maximum Audio audiophile USB, shows that the Analog Outs are variable "line level" which indicates that the output signal is at the same level (when turned up to maximum) as a DVD or CD-plyer which would not be enough to drive a power amp as far as I know. I assumed integrated amp from your post and not power amp. Had a rough evening yesterday - my apologies for any confusion.

Sean

Creative answered my e-mail - they essentially said "it has a line level output that you can connect to an amplifier" with specifying integrated or power - no further ahead here.

Sean

Sean,

If it outputs a line level signal, and the M-audio provides volume control, then I believe direct to amp should work just fine.

I wouldn't recommend going from your anolog out of your soundcard to a power amp. To many tics and hiss will be produced. Try booting down windows with that in place just as you shutdown a loud pop could eminate from your speakers. It did it with my Bryston amps and Maggies. Its pretty scary. It is better going SPDIF out of your soundcard to your receiver or preamp/processor which is connected to a power amp.

Saturn

I'll turn off the soundcard before I turn off or boot up the computer. Frankly, getting a $600 preamp or so just doesn't seem worth the money just to not have tics and hissing. Most preamps at that price, which are out of the question for budget reasons anyway, don't have spdif input, just the receivers do, and the quality there is definately not the same as I'd expect from a good amp. I've also never seen an integrated amp with the spdif inputs either.

I think I'll just go for the amp and the soundcard, except connecting a subwoofer in the future would appear to be tricky with this kind of setup.

I have an M-Audio Delta 410 and I connect it directly to an amplifier. I guess some people just luck out where electronic noise is concerned because I haven't had a problem in that area. Honestly, though, if you already have a preamp or a receiver, it might do some good to compare the sound using each possible configuration. There are quite a few people at the avsforum who stand by the pre/pro capabilities of an HTPC, but the software isn't always there depending on what soundcard you buy. So, in summary:

* You can use the analog outs and decode multichannel audio from your HTPC using software or hardware (depending on the capabilities of your soundcard -- the Delta 1010 and the SB Audigy 2 Platinum Pro offer external hardware that make EMI concerns inside a computer moot).

The drawbacks here include possible electronic noise/interference (for those cards with no external hardware) and lackluster software.

* You can use the digital out and decode multichannel audio with a preamp or a receiver.

The drawbacks here include added cost and the fact that your home theater will take up more space.

- David

Ok, so if I went this route, all I'd need to know is how I would add a subwoofer later? Is there anything I could get inbetween the soundcard and the amp to send the signal to the speakers and the subwoofer? That's one of my planned upgrades down the line, maybe in a year or two. I'd prefer to send the signal to both the sub and the mains, but I don't need to. I've heard about external crossovers, yet I'm not exactly sure how that works.

Thanks a lot for all the help!

A lot of subs will allow you to pass through the signal to your mains - ie. you go from your amp to your sub, then from your sub to your mains. If you buy other external sound cards (such as the Audigy or Extigy) they have a channel for the sub.

Sean

Thanks!

Would that allow bi-wiring?

**waits for claims that it does nada**

(hey, with a spool of 100 feet, using just 20 seems like a waste)

In reply to:
Would that allow bi-wiring?

GET ME MY SHOVEL!!!

Bren R.

You and your damned shovel... I was just asking because it'd be something worth trying when I had 80 feet of wire left over.

100 feet for below $40 12 guage is a damned good deal.

Does anybody here know about external crossovers, which one'd usually put between the preamp and the amp to split the connection between the amp to the speakers and the sub? How much do these run, and could I put the signal to both the speakers and the sub this way?

Not sure why you'd want to but you could.

Sean

So I feel like I'm not wasting an extra 80 feet of wire.

And placeabo is by far cheapest upgrade.

Anyway, so I'd plug the amp to the sub then out to the speakers - and use the sub's crossover? So the power would go through the sub to the speakers. Sounds about right.

Except how would the sub know what goes to it? It'd be getting, for example, a 60 watt signal, would it have to deamp it then amplify it again with the sub amp?

How about external crossovers that go inbetween the soundcard and the amp? Where would I find these, and how are they used?

Thanks again for putting up with these questions.

Subs are generally set up with passive and powered sections. If you drive through the output of your amp the feeds go into the passive section of the sub (do you own a sub already?). I don't think the signal is attenuated at all.

Sean

I own a shitty boombox and good headphones.

What about putting something like this inbetween the soundcard and the amp? http://www.hsustore.com/high-pass.html How would that work? Thanks.