Zalman 5.1 USB soundcard

[winopener]

Seems that 5.1 USB DAC are still quite scarce, and one of the few option is the Zalman USB.
Anyone using it for playback of mch dvd-a files?
Sound-wise it is good?
Max. resolution (192/24/2; 96/24/6...)?

 

[ssully]

Seems that 5.1 USB DAC are still quite scarce, and one of the few option is the Zalman USB.
Anyone using it for playback of mch dvd-a files?
Sound-wise it is good?
Max. resolution (192/24/2; 96/24/6...)?

According to the Zalman website:

Sampling Rate 16Bit 22.05/32/44.1/48kHz

 

[winopener]

Good to know, i'll stay with my Toshiba Multimedia Center (aka Creative Extigy + USB2 hub + Lan) which can do 5.1 at 96/24 perfectly with Foobar.

 

[wanners]

I have the Zalman soundcard. It works great for something so inexpensive. I always use the analog outs into my Onkyo (when I'm not using the HDMI out). The sound is phenomenal!

Found these specs on Amazon, I thought it supported 24/96 audio. Can someone smarter than me make sense of this please?

SPECIFICATIONs -------------------------------------INPUT - (1) USB Connection Port (USB 1.1/2.0 Compatible) OUTPUT - (3) 3.5mm Stereo Jack (Front Rear Center/Subwoofer) 0.6W per channel (1) Digital Port (Both Optical & Coaxial capable of outputting 5.1 channels) CHIPSET - Sonix 5.1 Sound SAMPLING RATE- 24-bit 96KHz D/A & A/D ConverterREQUIRES - Pentium III 700 MHz or higher (1GHz or higher recommended) or Celeron 1GHz or higher

 

[wanners]

I just pulled out my user manual for the Zalman USB 5.1ch soundcard Model ZM-RSSC. On page 19 it says that the sample rate is 24/96 D/A & A/D converter.

That's why I bought this one.

 

[winopener]

Two different releases?

 

[wanners]

Apparently there are two versions of the RSSC. I don't know exactly what the differences are, but below, are the full specs for version 1 from dell.com. This the version I have. I left an email to zalman support to get some explanation of the differences. I also have the zalman 5.1 channel headphone amplifier. Their products work great and are affordable. I would like to see more audio products from them. There are originally in the cooling fan business and recently exanded to audio.

Tech Specs
General
Device Type Sound card

Enclosure Type External

Interface Type USB

Width 3.1 in

Depth 4.3 in

Height 0.6 in
Audio Output
Sound Output Mode 5.1 channel surround

DAC Data Width 24-bit

Sample Rate 96 kHz (max)

Features Volume control
Expansion / Connectivity
Interfaces 1 x USB ¦ 1 x audio - line-out (rear) - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ¦ 1 x audio - line-out - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ¦ 1 x audio - line-out (center/subwoofer) - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ¦ 1 x audio
Miscellaneous
Cables Included 1 x USB cable

Compliant Standards Plug and Play
Software / System Requirements
Software Drivers & Utilities

OS Required Microsoft Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP

System Requirements Details Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP - Pentium III - 600 MHz - RAM 256 MB