Solved! Help! New to this stuff....

[evanpseller]

Good day to you all. I have been thinking of getting into some semi professional audio equipment and I have some questions so I am here. I would greatly appreciate any help or guidance.

I am a PC user who plays games and listens to all various genres of music, which files are mostly .mp3's at 320k bit rate. I currently use a Bose companion 3's (2.1 setup). Motherboard back plate supports various 3.5 jacks and a optical jack (not in use). Motherboard sound is about as good as it can get I think (pretty standard). ASUS ROG Maximus IX Hero.

1. I am wanting to upgrade to a pair of powered monitor speakers like Klipsch or PreSonus. If I am only playing files at 320k would I even notice a difference? Will the monitors be able to reproduce higher fidelity sounds? What PC options options can I setup for a better format or do I not have control of that?

2. I am planning to get a Yamaha MODX synthesizer keyboard. How would I be able to connect it to a device that I would be able to switch audio from PC use to the the MODX keyboard using the same monitors? I would prefer to keep everything digital (I think but I do not know the pro's and con's of it). Or I could get smaller powered speakers like the 3.5 to 4's seperatly for the MODX and have nicer monitors for the PC. If I did that how would I hook all those up?

3. If all lines coming from all devices are digital type would I ever need a DAC? I seen some Klipsch R-51PM and they have a optical in port along with the keyboard has optical port. I think the parts I do not understand is about the DACs, audio interface, switches, etc.

4. I noticed the Klipsch PM have a digital in unlike most other PM's. Is that useful and how? Does that mean I can hook the keyboard directly into it digitally since the keyboard has a optical/USB port? Does that also mean I could use a optical cable from the back of my mobo straight into the speakers digital in?

Appreciate the help again!

 

[americanaudiophile]

The Klipsch have many input options so you could connect them to both the PC and keyboard without having to change cables.
I don't know if you can use the USB input for the keyboard but you probably could use it for the PC and the optical for the keyboard. When you use a digital audio connection (optical, USB, or BT) you are using the DACs inside the speakers. You could compare the internal DACs to the soundcard DACS by connecting both USB and analog from the PC and switching between them.
If you find you want to upgrade the sound you could get a DAC with USB and optical inputs and connect that to the analog input of the speakers bypassing the internal DAC. If your files are mp3 you might not notice the improvement that a DAC would provide with higher quality files.