Dac vs Amp vs Sound card

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I want to know which can output the best sound quality for less than $250 or which setup will work the best

If it has optical input better

 

[ssddx]

what are you trying to power... headphones? speakers?

what source... computer? ipod?

what purpose... games? music?

 

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what are you trying to power... headphones? speakers?

what source... computer? ipod?

what purpose... games? music?

Speakers, computer and ps4, for music and a little gaming

 

[ssddx]

what type of speakers? pc speakers or home theater?

if you are trying to power home theater speakers then i would say either a dac+amp or avr would work. since stereo amps typically have analog input and you intend to use optical spdif you would either need that dac or an amplifier with one built in. a receiver pretty much combines everything.

another plus for a receiver is if you have multiple inputs and a common monitor or television for everything. you can turn a knob and change inputs for sound+video at the same time.

 

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what type of speakers? pc speakers or home theater?

if you are trying to power home theater speakers then i would say either a dac+amp or avr would work. since stereo amps typically have analog input and you intend to use optical spdif you would either need that dac or an amplifier with one built in. a receiver pretty much combines everything.

another plus for a receiver is if you have multiple inputs and a common monitor or television for everything. you can turn a knob and change inputs for sound+video at the same time.

I was looking between audioengine P4 which are pasive or audioengine A2 or A2+ depending of the setup

I also look at av receivers but they are usually more expensive and take a lot of space, any you recomend_

 

[ssddx]

well for the most part amplifiers take an analog signal. while easy for your computer to output with a soundcard the ps4 i am not so sure of. this is why i said you may need one with either an integrated dac or a dac (so you could spdif from two sources).

while true that avr can be somewhat large not all of them are expensive. i personally use a pioneer and it is great however i'm not sure what they have in your budget. i've heard onkyo is good for a low budget.

 

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well for the most part amplifiers take an analog signal. while easy for your computer to output with a soundcard the ps4 i am not so sure of. this is why i said you may need one with either an integrated dac or a dac (so you could spdif from two sources).

while true that avr can be somewhat large not all of them are expensive. i personally use a pioneer and it is great however i'm not sure what they have in your budget. i've heard onkyo is good for a low budget.

Ok and how do I connect the PC with the av receiver?

 

[ssddx]

that depends on if you want to run both audio and video through it or just audio.

i have multiple devices hooked up to my sound system and tv so i run everything to the receiver and then out with one hdmi to the tv. my pc connects with a dvi to hdmi cable but newer video cards may have a hdmi port (mine doesnt). both my video and audio is transmitted to the receiver so i can swap inputs rather easily.

the other way to hook it up is to use spdif optical or spdif coax out from your soundcard or motherboard. only sound will be output to the receiver in this manner. your video will go via another cable from your video card to your monitor or tv.

both work and its up to you to decide which fits your usage.