What frequency can a computer sound card DAC output?

Question

Electronics

It is necessary to give out analog signals, let it be a sinusoid, for example. Interested in what frequency can give out, without strong distortion, the DAC of a conventional sound card soldered on the motherboard.

Answer 1

Do you have any idea how a DAC works? He distorts anyway. You can do floating point arithmetic, but the DAC will only accept Integer, even if it's a long one. If it’s for your ear, then Kotelnikov’s theorem, as it were, tells us that it is enough for the sampling frequency to be twice the frequency of sound. And if for measurements - then you will see everything on the oscilloscope in the most undisguised form. The problem at the "tops" will be much more pronounced.
And before all the measurements, just divide the frequency of the sound so that you get acceptable distortion. Here is the sound frequency divided by 4 will give you 4 levels! For one period of the sine, these are steps, not a sine. Draw and you will understand everything :)
And there are 192 kilohertz zvukovuhi. And even consumer goods. The question is whether you are satisfied with the quality of their sinusoids at the "tops".

Answer 2

What does "no strong distortion" mean? The sampling rate of the coolest sound cards is 96kHz, i.e. max sound frequency 48kHz. Cheap ones (built-in ones) have a frequency of 44kHz (22kHz) In principle, the least distortion is at low frequencies, at frequencies close to the max it all depends on the DSP, of course, expensive ones have less distortion, but still decent