[ribadeo]

Balanced differential inputs and outputs reject common mode noise, which is why they are essential for long cable runs and microphone leads, among other things that benefit from such an interface.

The actual ADC and DAC chips, or codecs, are usually specced just fine in even consumer on-board audio devices.

Hifi audiophiles are notoriously superstitious, and as long as RCA coax is the connection standard, my eyes continue to roll about their DAC nonsense, but you should pay attention to professional audio as this is where you can hear audible differences. Preamplifier stages and voltage amplification in general have a lot of nuance and analog circuit know-how inside. Removing the codecs from the inside of an electrically noisy computer is the beginning of starting to care about audio signal quality. Power filtration is another major concern for noise. Latency is a factor of buffer size which is both necessarily low when overdubbing recording while monitoring, and yet paradoxically allows for smoother glitch free audio as the buffer size is increased, largely a function that is CPU bound. No one talks about DMA controllers or the data bus employed, often USB, another factor that can affect audio independent of which audio interface or soundcard is employed. Some play nicely, some don't.

My advice is to delve into the world of professional audio, as this is real. Hi-fi often entails gullibility and snake oil in the sales chain.

[chha]

This!

Get rid of any unwanted noise caused by gear or environment. Add a basic EQ - I'm using a 15-band one just to compensate for the room, the speakers, hearing loss and anything else that would impact the sound.

[floppiplopp]

"What do you mean gullible and snake oil, nonono, I can totally hear the difference since I spend 2k on this audiophile fuse and the 11k CAT 5 cable. It's made of Rhodium and insulated with Dodo-feathers."

[seabass-labrax]

I don't see why people are so harsh in mocking audiophiles. There is a continuum of hearing ability in the general population, and if those who fancy themselves at the top of it are willing to pay, what's the problem? Audiophiles are subsiding the development of technologies such as 32-bit recording, which have benefits in other contexts aside from home audio.

From what I've seen, very few of the devices marketed to audiophiles are actually fraudulent. It's like Apple computers: a massive profit margin doesn't make a MacBook a scam, just an expensive way to get features a few months ahead of everyone else.

[MrSkelter]

Audiophiles are a self selected group. Membership has nothing to do with hearing ability. Most are of an age where they have less than “normal” hearing for a healthy child.

Audiophiles classically deliberately confuse measurable differences with audible ones. This they chase meaningless goals and convince themselves that anything which affects signal affects sound.

None of it would stand up to properly double blind testing. When it’s done things like “the sound of cables” disappears entirely outside incompetent engineering.

Even worse audiophiles tend to prefer distortion which flatters. I.e. exaggerated bass and treble to compensate for components and old ears.

[aredox]

The problem is that audiophiles routinely fail blind tests. There is a lot of delusion in that group.