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Topic: Can external USB sound cards decode AAC? (Read 3974 times) previous topic - next topic
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Can external USB sound cards decode AAC?

I have an IPOD and iTunes for Windows on my PC.  I like the idea of encoding in AAC because that is what iTunes supports for downloads and my reading of reviews seems to support AAC as having a good quality/compression ratio compared to MP3.  I want to get an external USB sound card/decoder to output to a receiver and then to speakers.  I would like to know if any of the outboard USB decoders such as Yamaha RP-U200 or Sound BlasterAudigy 2 NX support AAC? I realize that the Yamaha is also a amp/turner, so that is appealing because I would not have to buy a receiver.  My goal is to drive to speakers in one room and also have the ability via RCA cables to drive another stereo in another room.  Any suggestions or comments are appreciated.  Dean.

Can external USB sound cards decode AAC?

Reply #1 –
You don't need an external AAC decoder for that. The AAC decoding will be performed inside you computer, not externally. The signal sent to your USB soundcard will be already decoded. In fact, you don't even need an external soundcard, an internal one can work the same for what it seems you want to do.

Can external USB sound cards decode AAC?

Reply #2 –
Thanks, just to be clear.  I don't have an internal USB sound card.  My sound card only has a single miniplug output.  I have used this to connect to a receiver via a miniplug to rca adapter cable.  However, now two things have happened.  First, my receiver died, and, second, I got an IPOD and have been downloading some AAC files from iTunes to the PC as well as ripping CDs to AAC.  Because of the hardware configeration of my Sony PC, I was thinking of trying an external sound card solution that would connect to the PC via a spare USB port.  I wanted to make sure that the AAC decoding takes place before the digital? signal is outputed via the USB connection or that the external USB connected sound card/device can decode AAC.  From the external USB sound device (Xitel?) I would then connect to a new receiver and speakers. Thanks.  Perhaps I am confused, if so I apologize in advance.

Can external USB sound cards decode AAC?

Reply #3 –
Quote
Perhaps I am confused, if so I apologize in advance.

Compressed audio files (mp3, aac, etc) are decoded by the software you use to play the files with (iTunes, Winamp, etc) It's not a function of the sound card.

If you want to use an external sound card the Xitel HiFi Link is just one of many. I have a Xitel and it works well.

CL

Can external USB sound cards decode AAC?

Reply #4 –
Thanks for clearing it up.  I appreciate it.

Can external USB sound cards decode AAC?

Reply #5 –
It is possible to send AAC over a digital cable - for instance, Mac OS X is technically capable of doing it, although I doubt that any drivers, sound cards or amplifiers support it. Maybe sometime in the future it will be possible...

Can external USB sound cards decode AAC?

Reply #6 –
Hi danchr,

Japanese Amplifiers support Multichannel AAC because HDTV in Japan uses AAC audio.

See Denon Web Page

Ciao ZYron