Now THAT is a sound card! :)

[Logistics]

Just had to share this because I didn't know these even existed.

http://www.audiocubes.com/product/On...dio_Board.html

OMG! Look at all those crazy caps! Just goes to show how good an idea that Envy chip really is. They use it even on the cheapest of sound cards and one of the things it is praised for is it's native 44kHz output instead of 48, because supposedly the sound quality is degraded when cards like your typical creative card resample everything because they use 48kHz.

I have often considered removing all the useless jacks on my Live! and adding RCA jacks. I love seeing things like this. Will post pics as soon as I do it.

[Per Hansson]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

Nahh, you got it all backwards, here is a decent sound card

And it's upcoming brother seems very promising too...

http://www.techspot.com/news/24961-a...soundcard.html

[Per Hansson]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

Here are two more high res pics of it:

http://www.jp.onkyo.com/press/se-150pci_l.jpg

http://www.jp.onkyo.com/press/se-150pci_wc_l.jpg

Can't make out the opamps though.

And I wonder if that card remains within PCI spec for surge current with all them caps!?

Anyways, yea, it does look kinda cool, but remeber that you want as few electrolyte caps in the signal path as possible...

[willawake]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

looks excellent
http://onkyo.jp/wavio/ seems this line is japan only at the moment?

i like the envy chip, have it on both my m-audio cards but there are a few versions though. i dont know if the cheap cards use the same version. also dacs matter a lot.

[gonzo0815]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

I can`t help me, but from my point of view, the onkyo 150se se is loking far better with all those foil capcitors an big sized lytics.

[Logistics]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

You'll notice they used some of those film caps as bypass caps, which is a huge plus. Ceramics are known to cause audible distortion when used as bypass caps even in the power supply stage of an amplifier. This is nice, but the Nichicon VX is still just a general purpose cap. Can anyone tell which line those brown ones are from? And I like those normal type resistors they used. Could switch them out for 0.1% Cardas. RCA Jacks = Superior! ...but then I have no use for surround.

[bobcaygeon]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

I cant see the words on the brown caps very well, but the brown color and the distinctive vent - the diagonal cut line with the small arc - is commonly an Elna capacitor. Elna caps are very popular in Audio equipment.

[Logistics]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

And I like those normal type resistors they used. Could switch them out for 0.1% Cardas.

Oops, this should have read Caddock, not Cardas, and they actually go lower than 0.1%! Check it, these are some REAL resistors, muahaha!

http://www.caddock.com/Online_catalo...tc/low_tc.html

/me imagines a motherboard reworked entirely with Caddock resistors.

[pentium]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

Wow, Sound cards are far different now than I can remember.
What the hell is that green monitor port again? I heard mention that all the jacks had to be external.
I personally go for stuff that fits well in the garage recording studio and can handle large wavetables. Yes, I can be a midi freak at times.
SoundBlaster Live! with Live! Drive anyone?

[willawake]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

i used to use kxproject drivers with a live! for asio
http://kxproject.lugosoft.com/index.php?skip=1

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

I never thought I'd see the day I had Live cards in my parts bin. But then, I've only got an Audigy Platinum in my main PC. No reason to upgrade since I'm not a gamer anymore. And my home theater PC just has a cheap Chaintec AV-710 to send SPDIF to my receiver.

Does onboard audio still suck these days? I know it's been getting better since the nForce came out...

[Spacedye69]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

I didn't know computers could make sounds! I just look at all the sqiggly lines and pictures.

[Azurael]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

I'm going to change the opamps on my OEM SB X-Fi Xtreme Music for LM4562s in the very near future (I'll change the larger caps at the same time and probably knock some of the smaller ones out of the signal path...) - that way, I should end up with a card with audio quality rivalling some of the higher end cards (though maybe not an Auzentech!) but maintain the niceties of Creative's cards, like EAX3-5, since at the moment there really isn't a 'prefect' card on the market. Most of the pro models have awful DS3D support and can't do EAX >2 (and even that they do in software emulation.)

[Fizzycapola]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

I'm going to change the opamps on my OEM SB X-Fi Xtreme Music for LM4562s in the very near future (I'll change the larger caps at the same time and probably knock some of the smaller ones out of the signal path...) - that way, I should end up with a card with audio quality rivalling some of the higher end cards (though maybe not an Auzentech!) but maintain the niceties of Creative's cards, like EAX3-5, since at the moment there really isn't a 'prefect' card on the market. Most of the pro models have awful DS3D support and can't do EAX >2 (and even that they do in software emulation.)

If you're going to go that far maybe want to do the "Japanese mod" (I name such as I found it posted by jap on English forum but nobody understood him and he didn't reply) - something to do applying some material over the card, prevent pc internal electrical noise penetrating the sound card - he said SNR was increased very significantly on his system. Very vague but if you know your electronics it may make some sense perhaps.

[Per Hansson]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

Auzentech will be releasing a new soundcard based off the X-fi chipset

So that might sound interesting for those of you tired of the Soundblasters but still wanting EAX >2...

[Azurael]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

Yeah, but it's gonna be expensive, and everything I've read suggests that an opamp swapped X-Fi card is in the same sort of analogue stage quality as the Auzentech cards anyway.

[Logistics]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

something to do applying some material over the card, prevent pc internal electrical noise penetrating the sound card - he said SNR was increased very significantly on his system

Likely, something similar to these jokers(and yes people really buy into this stuff): http://www.belt.demon.co.uk/product/ref/ref.html

If you want to eliminate interference with a shield like those TV cards do, you could just setup some tiny framework around your soundcard and wrap it in foil you buy at the store. Just as long as you attach the foil to ground, it will do the same thing. Either way, the card should have the appropriate capacitors added to it to filter off the junk.

[Spirit]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

You'll want to keep in mind that the foil also keeps signals from escaping the card, so it can do as much harm as good.

Most people agree the X-Meridian sounds better than the X-Fi even when using the same opamps (LM4562).

Replacing the main power supply cap on the X-Fi is purely for longevity purposes. (makes no difference to the output)
Bypassing the 4 dc-coupling caps / opamp however will make a for a better analogue output.

[Per Hansson]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

Replacing the main power supply cap on the X-Fi is purely for longevity purposes. (makes no difference to the output)
Bypassing the 4 dc-coupling caps / opamp however will make a for a better analogue output.

Some people have said that replacing the main power cap made the bass deeper

Guess that would be true if it has lost most of it's capasitance already so the card really is running out of power when the sub kicks in?

[Logistics]

Re: Now THAT is a sound card!

This would really depend on what you're talking about. If you're replacing the power cap that runs to the DSP, this probably won't change anything, but by nature replacing the power cap which runs to the output opamp will have an effect on low frequency output. The power cap for the DSP should be changed to an Ultra Low ESR cap such as a Rubycon MCZ to allow the DSP to run more stable and deal with ripple better, having less problem with oscillation.

However, this becomes a huge can of worms because there are too many people modding their cards, thinking they are going to get better low frequency response, but they're outputting to a reciever or set of powered speakers who's internal amplifier topology has the low frequency cut-off set so high that it just doesn't matter. If the internal amp cuts off at 80Hz or 120Hz, who cares that your sound card's outputting to 5Hz for a said impedance. And as far as sound quality goes, don't stop at replacing the decoupling caps on your card with films, rework your external amp as well.

You'll want to keep in mind that the foil also keeps signals from escaping the card, so it can do as much harm as good.

Doesn't matter which side of the foil it comes from; it's not a reflector. If it's tied to ground it will act as a leeching antenna and route everything it can to ground.