Thread: Question on Line Out of M10000 and Audigy NX

Originally Posted by Mears

Is the line out on the audigy line level? Every spec sheet says line out/headphone(implies amplified). Is there a selectable switch to make it line level?

This is where you are confused, line level outputs and headphone outputs are basically the same thing. Go hook your mp3 player up to your headunit, it will work just fine. The headphone jack and the line out jack on the audiy 2 NX are the same thing, they just put one of the front and one of the back (or something along those lines, use the Audigy 2 Platnium myself).

I have not heard what the integrated audio sounds like on a M1000, but I bet it will be disapointing. If you have a good stereo system, you better go buy a different sound card, because its going to sound like **** otherwise. The line outs/headphone outs on either cards will be the same signal, but one is going to sound a hell of a lot better than the other (much less noise and interference, less distortion).

Ummm...I could be mistaken, but a traditional headphone jack isn't line level. I believe minor amplification is done.

I'm not sure why using feeding an amp directly from a mid-range sound card would be better than feeding it from 4-6V Pre-outs on a deck with a decent DAC. Not to mention many individuals use multiple amps and can benefit from mutliple pre-outs on aftermarket decks.

Leslie: That 1st picture is showing the digital outputs on the soundcard. You wouldn't be able to send those to the aux-in of a head unit.

Originally Posted by Mears

Ummm...I could be mistaken, but a traditional headphone jack isn't line level. I believe minor amplification is done.

I'm not sure why using feeding an amp directly from a mid-range sound card would be better than feeding it from 4-6V Pre-outs on a deck with a decent DAC. Not to mention many individuals use multiple amps and can benefit from mutliple pre-outs on aftermarket decks.

Leslie: That 1st picture is showing the digital outputs on the soundcard. You wouldn't be able to send those to the aux-in of a head unit.

You would be correct, except the Audigy has seperate headphone/line-out. Headphone on the side and line-out on the back. Now I could be wrong, however I don't believe it is true Line-out (Line level does have amplification, however it is fixed as a raw analog signal can vary from device). If you can adjust the volume either on the actual unit or on the PC's volume control it is not true Line-level out. The ONLY sound card I have that had a proper line-out is an old Sound Blaster 16 ISA, great card and was great for un amplified speakers as it had a great amplifier on it that most cards (and defently not onboard) do not have.

Geeze Im going off topic, yes the first picture has digital outputs on the left, the analog ones are on the right which are gold looking. And if you have a USB cable running to your amp you are not going to get as much ditortion as with running RCA cables, however if you take care and have a good head unit you will be better going that way.

can anyone tell me what is the limit that you can flog your USB system? at the moment I have a mouse and keyboard running off USB, and I am considering a USB wireless network dongle to connect to the house network (and the net) and also, a USB sound card to get the music clearer and up the front (no audio cables) to the amp!
And later, Id like to connect a USB camera looking out the back! (phear!)
Is my system USB gonna crash?