Please dont go for the soundcard!!! the clocking of the digital data or better said the sync between a soundcard and an external dac will without question produce excessive jitter (unless you add an external clock.)
"The Transporter's digital path is not only "bit perfect", but also extremely accurate in timing precision. Clock signals in Transporter are handled not as ones and zeroes, but as precision analog signals. Specialized crystal oscillators, careful clock management, and linear-regulated logic supplies ensure the lowest possible jitter throughout the system". From transporter's website. The technology in this machine goes much farther than a sound card/ dac combination. Actually this is the biggest advantage of the Transporter over all other available solutions and what makes the transporter sound so musical and not so digital. So I know Im biased, but here it goes again: Get the Pathos And for the headphone issue.... well since I dont listen so much through headphones in my house, i dont really mind. It all depends on how much of your listening is done through headphones. But even if you do that a lot, you still have a nice thing to go crazy about in the future: a headphone amp.... -- GuyDebord Reference 3A Royal Master monitors biwired with van den Hul Inspiration cables, REL Strata 5 sub. AMP: Pathos Classic One MKIII. ANALOGUE: Michell Gyro SE, Technoarm & Lyra Helikon SL cartridge, ASR Mini Basis SQ phono preamp, link: WireWorld Silver Eclipse 5.2. DIGITAL: MacMini, SlimDevices Transporter, link: van den Hul The Second XLRs. POWER: Isotek MiniSub GII, Isotek Elite cables (MiniSub, Rel) Siltech SPX30 MKII (Transporter) van den Hul Mainstream (Pathos) & van den Hul Mainserver (ASR). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GuyDebord's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=14587 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=42067
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