Question about "Digital" Speakers

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Jedman

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I'm curious about how "digital" speakers work:
I have the Audigy2 card, and a set of Cambridge SoundWorks Digital speakers that have the SPDIF in as well as 2 analog inputs. IS there a DAC in the speakers that converts it there?
I mean the sound has to be converted somewhere, right? :)
Will I get better sound quality if I go from my digital out of the Audigy 2 to the SPDIF in on the speakers . . . or if I go from the analog out of the Audigy 2 to the analog in of the speakers, letting the Audigy 2's Crystal DAC do the work?
Thanks for any info on this one,
Jed
 
The DAC is in the speakers. What will sound best? Try it both ways and let us know.
 
I believe the SPDIF is for getting the 5.1 surround sound out of those speakers. In other words 6 seperate channels. I don't know if you would get surround sound the other way.
 
Maybe I should've mentioned that the speakers are only 2.1 -- two satellites and a sub woofer. They are very good quality for their size - same size as the Bose cubes.
I just wonder how good the DAC is compared to the one in the Audigy2...these speakers were madein 1999, and the Audigy2 in 2002... I know that's not a good way to compare, but it just got me thinking.
I'll try 'em both ways and see if I can tell a difference.
Jed
 
Well, I couldn't really tell a difference with either one - the SPDIF method seemed a little quieter, but not any clearer - I looked up stuff online, and one review site said the quality of the DAC in the speakers is like 20Bit...and my card's is 24bit, so I just decided to do an analog out from the Audigy2 to the analog in of the speakers.
Jed
 
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