Linux DAC USB headphones+mic+speakers suggestions?

[matt3o]

I'm looking for an external Linux-compatible USB audio card able to drive both headphones+mic and speakers (so yeah technically both DAC and ADC). I don't need audiophile quality, just decent linux compatibility, hiss/click free audio and good mic input.

The one I could find is the Creative Sound Blaster X7 which is ugly as hell but it seems to check all the boxes... and it's possibly more than I need

Do you have any suggestions?

[Muirium]

Yeah, well that’s just your opinionated design, man.



It would look pretty good somewhere around here, perhaps.

[matt3o]

It would look pretty good somewhere around here, perhaps.

so... we agree

[matt3o]

also found this https://mayflowerelectronics.com/arc-mk1-1/ that looks sweet but I can't find it in Europe.

[Muirium]

Ouch! That's expensive for a sound device.

I'm currently using a CalDigit Thunderbolt dock myself, which is just as pricey, but does give me a desktop workstation for the price. Just plug my laptop in with one cable and everything's connected. It's got optical audio out as well as headphone analog and line-in sockets, which do the trick for my playing around with music in Logic. But it's Thunderbolt or bust, and makes no mention of Linux support.

USB mixers and audio interfaces for desktop musicians may be what you're looking for. The entry models have less outputs, which is likely all you want. And some of them have pleasingly weighted volume knobs…

[matt3o]

Also found this https://www.bursonaudio.com/products/playmate/ ... but can't find it over here. Not a huge fan of the specs but I could live with it.

[davkol]

I have been interested in the same thing.

The "better" mainstream consumer options are just Asus Xonar and Creative Sound Blaster. Sadly, both tend to have problems in Linux, usually with volume control.

Just below that, there are plenty of USB sound cards with C-Media chips. Linux support is fine, DAC&ADC work alright, amplification isn't great, though, so maybe find one with optical output and add an external amplifier?

I have also found Syba SD-DAC63057, but (a) it's hard to get outside the USA, (b) the quality is allegedly mediocre.

As for higher-end gear, I'm only aware of said Mayflower Arc (and some Massdrop exclusive a couple years ago, I tried to get it, but surprise-surprise, they failed to ship it properly), or hardware targeted at musicians—with phantom power for the mic and you name it.

[zuglufttier]

If it's in your price range: Motu M2

In my experience, it's the best sound device you can get for that kind of thing right now. If your headphones are not too hard to drive then is also has a very competent headphone amplifier.

Measurements: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/foru ... ace.19911/

[matt3o]

If it's in your price range: Motu M2

In my experience, it's the best sound device you can get for that kind of thing right now. If your headphones are not too hard to drive then is also has a very competent headphone amplifier.

Measurements: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/foru ... ace.19911/

that's pretty sexy and quite overkill. It's a kind of different beast compared to what I need... in that range I've found the Rode Ai1 which is small, sweet and cheaper (or any entry level Focusrite).

[Daniel]

I'm using an Audinst HUD-MX2 since a few years on Linux and Windows. One of the main reasons I've bought it is that it's easy to switch between head phones and speakers and it has an optical input as well. Finding sth. with comparable features was pretty hard a few years ago.

EDIT: sorry I've should have read your post in more detail. The Audinst HUD-MX2 doesn't have a mic-input.

[HAL]

How about a solution consisting of two things:
an USB Audio Interface like the Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD for € 63 (thomann.de)
and a separate class D amplifier like the Lepy LP-2020A HiFi Stereo Digital Power Amplifier Class D (ebay)

[JBert]

If it's in your price range: Motu M2

In my experience, it's the best sound device you can get for that kind of thing right now. If your headphones are not too hard to drive then is also has a very competent headphone amplifier.

Measurements: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/foru ... ace.19911/

that's pretty sexy and quite overkill. It's a kind of different beast compared to what I need... in that range I've found the Rode Ai1 which is small, sweet and cheaper (or any entry level Focusrite).

I've got a Focusrite Scarlett 2, but ALSA doesn't allow me to change the volume on my Arch Linux box. Not sure what's going on there, whe I open alsamixer then it complains that it couldn't list all channels or couldn't interact with a mixing bus or something...


It does produce output but I've never tested recording.

[HAL]

I've got a Focusrite Scarlett 2, but ALSA doesn't allow me to change the volume on my Arch Linux box. Not sure what's going on there, whe I open alsamixer then it complains that it couldn't list all channels or couldn't interact with a mixing bus or something...

It does produce output but I've never tested recording.

I also got a Focusrite Scarlet 2 and I use it for ripping vinyl (with a preamp of course). I don't use ALSA to set any levels (neither record nor output). Thats what the gain knob on the Focusrite (recording) or the volume knob on the preamp is for.