Feed a monitor digital?

[Motorbreath]

Hi there,

In looking for monitors, I've noticed that many of them seem to take an SPDIF digital input. As it happens, my soundcard has this kind of output (Audiophile 2496). Is there an advantage to feeding monitors with a digitial signal, or should I take the normal signal path...out of my board, into an amp, and into the monitors? Does it make a difference?

Stay warm!

 

[lost studios]

Well, if a monitor takes a digital signal, then they must be already powered so you wouldn't need to feed an amp at any point anyway. I don't think there's a major difference in a home studio environment, sonically. Maybe just a shorter signal path using a different set of D/A converters than going to a board then to the monitors via balanced cabling. (In this case you'd be using the soundcards converters as opposed to the converter within each speaker.)

ls