The most profane terms generally confuse which are not linked to each other and the field of music is no exception. If you have already interested how you can improve the quality of the music you hear, it is likely that you have found terms such as Dac,, S / pdifEnveloping an audio sound, digital and analog among others.
In this article, we will focus on the clarification of doubts that many users have on the thermal terms DAC and S / PDIF that some users wrongly consider that they are linked despite the different objectives.
What is a dac
If you want to improve the quality of the music you hear, you need a DAC. A DAC (digital analog converter) is responsible for Convert digital audio signals In analog signals so that it can be reproduced by speakers and headphones.
All speakers and headphones treat the analog audio It is therefore necessary to use a DAC to reproduce the content. All devices capable of playing digital sound includes a DAC because otherwise it would not be possible to listen to it.
The problem is that the quality of the majority leaves a lot to be desired and that they are simply there to depart and, it is more than sufficient for most users. If we want to take advantage of the best sound quality, we need a dedicated DAC.
This device can use two types of connectors: USB Y Toslin. In both cases, the DAC receives the signal in digital format and makes it analog to reproduce it via connected speakers or headphones.
What is s / pdif
If we are talking about S / PDIF, we are talking about a Digital audio transmission interface Used to transfer digital audio between devices found on sound cards and PC musical equipment. S / PDIF uses the connector Toslin which we talked about in the previous section.
The equipment that contains the music we want to play, send it to a DAC using the S / PDIF or USB interface. As we can see DAC and S / PDIF with two very different things that do not have the same mission, but are completed. 
As for which it is preferable to use, if a USB port or the S / PDIF interface, it is important to emphasize that S / PDIF has a limitation of 192 kHz and 24 bits, while the bandwidth of a USB 3.X port is higher, it therefore offers higher output resolution.
If you intend to buy a DAC for your PC, taking into account the latter, and although your team includes a S / PDIF output, it is advisable to use a USB model. But, in addition to your PC, you also want to connect it to a musical chain or any other device with a few years, the option you have to choose is S / PDIF, as it was created in 1985 due to a collaboration of Sony and Philips initially for CD players.
