...You don't need FireWire; the iMic will do. However, if you want to step up a bit, you could get one of these, but I doubt you'll hear a difference:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Transit/...
For strictly sound output, the Transit is total junk!
I got suckered into buying one so that I could go digital out to an external DAC. The drivers are pathetic, and it taxed my CPU like you wouldn't believe. There was also static every time the hard drive did something (read or write). I've also read reviews by others who have had the same problems (too bad I didn't find them until too late). The Airport Extreme does a much better job, without any of these problems.
...I need to connect my headphone and speakers at the same time, what would you recommend, Creative xmod, a external Usb card(please recommend one) or just a splitter cable (does the sound quality decrease by a 3.3mm splitter cable?)
Thanks!
Stay away from the Transit. The iMic will probably do what you want, without the Transit's problems, but I haven't used it myself so I can't say for sure.
Haven't tried the Xmod, but based on the description, I'd stay away from it. The iMic looks like it'll do a better job (interfere less with the sound).
There are also some speakers that also have a headphone out. Generally not very good sound quality, but it may be "good enough" for what you want. Choosing good headphones is a whole 'nuther issue
Sound quality is highly subjective. What one person finds to be unacceptable may be just fine for someone else. If it sounds good to you, then it
is good. You don't need to spend a ton of money for a reference quality sound system, especially if you're listening to 128 bitrate music. In fact, if you're listening to stuff encoded at low bit rates, you don't want a hi-fi system. You'll just start noticing all the imperfections in the encoding.
I've found that a lot of audiophiles forget that it's all about enjoying the music. They get too wrapped up in hyper-analyzing every nuance of sound and ignore the entire musical experience. Contrary to typical audiophile thinking, it's perfectly possible to enjoy music from a "sub-par" sound system. People do it every day, and there's nothing wrong with it.
The reality is, you're not going to find "good" (in terms of hi-fi) computer speakers. They just don't exist. However, there are a few that sound quite a lot better than most (I've heard good things about Swann speakers).
A lot of people also recommend Klipsch, but personally, I don't like them, because their speakers tend to over-emphasize lows and highs. Booming (as in the opposite of tight) bass and piercing, thin highs, with a non-existent mid-range. Probably works great for home theater though.
