Quick question
Is the SoundBlaster Audigy able to feed an external DAC with bit-perfect digital data?
A friend has lent me a very nice Linn 5103 sound processor that I want to use as a DAC...

What OS are you using? It's easier in Vista or Win 7 using WASAPI exclusive, but I guess you could also use ASIO, though I understand that it requires special drivers, and it's less compatible.

Your device and drivers have to be able to take the source's native resolution for it to work. I think most SPDIF devices can do at least 44.1 and 48 kHz stereo, that should be enough for most music.

Any card that is capable of outputting Dolby Digital or DTS bitstreams has to be capable of bit-perfect output; any alterations to compressed multichannel audio will result in gibberish. Certain cards, however, may only output at 48k s/s, which is fine for DVD sourced surround, but would presumably destroy a 44.1k DTS bitstream off a laserdisc. Or force resampling with CD-sourced PCM audio.

There's various Audigy models... some have better qualities than others. Googling the exact model and bit-perfect should turn up something.

The kxproject driver may be better than the Creative Labs one. If you can figure out the peculiar interface. I gave up and went back to the Creative one, since at least for recording, it was clear how to enable bit-perfect S/PDIF input.