Lynx e22 as an actual dac?

I see a lot of posts on here of people using the Lynx e22 and e44 pcie cards as transports, utilizing the spdif or aes outs. But they also have analog outs and are full-blown converters. Anyone have any experience using them this way? How do they sound?

 

The inside of your computer cabinet is full of overheated noisy devils that fill audio with noise and make it sound like a steam train.

... At least, that it what most audiophiles will tell you.

I've used internal cards. In early days of computer audio, we didn't really have external dacs. I've never used Lynx: could never afford it. Had good results with an RME card for some years.

One of the reasons that I joined the external DAC/ADC/Interface mob is that the availability and demand for those boxes really killed the sound-board market, reducing to a very few, rather expensive, choices. Especially if one wanted just two-in/two-out without all the bells and whistles. And then I went Linux, which reduced the choices even further. Oh... Lynx doesn't (didn't) support Linux or any community effort to write the software.

All that aside. I'd expect analogue in/out and a Lynx card to be damn good. But I'm never going to find out, because a, money and b, Linux and c, too deaf for serious-money audio.

Now, everyone will tell you why it shouldn't sound good...

 

Man, I remember when the EMU 0404 and 1212M were all people talked about (in my community), and Lynx cards were in the realm of the gods.

 

pair the e22 with an external pcie to thundebolt expansion chassis and you're getting computer-external lynx conversion sub $1000. seems like a decent value proposition. SBAF took interest in the crane song dac, motu, forssell, etc so I'm surprised I'm not seeing anyone on here trying this solution. curious about it for my own purposes. prob a rackmount pcie-thunderbolt for live use.