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INTRODUCTION
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Greetings Head-Fi'ers,
The following is a rough guide to chronicle my impressions of the various soundcards I own, and how they fare in powering my Senn 580 headphones.
Enjoy!
-Bosk
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EQUIPMENT USED
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Sources: Creative Audigy 2 ZS Soundcard, M-Audio Revolution 7.1 Soundcard, Chaintech A710 Soundcard, Realtek AC97 Onboard Sound (IC7-G Motherboard)
Headphones: Sennheiser HD580 headphones, 300 impedance, stock cord, 6+ months of burn-in
Amplifier: Talisman T-3H Class A, solid-state headphone amplifier, 3+ months burn-in
Computer: Pentium4 2.8C, 1GB ram, IC7-G motherboard, 250GB SATA HDD, Windows XP
Interconnect: AU$10 shielded mini to dual RCA audio cable, from local electronics shop
Software: Foobar 2000 version 0.8.3
My Ears: I tend to listen to music at low volume levels, and am fairly good at picking out small details (but I wouldn't say I have "audiophile" ears by any means). I have owned all of the equipment and sources for months, except for the Chaintech which is a week old but has seen at least 20 hours of use
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TESTS PERFORMED
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All tests were conducted using a single
Uberized MP3 album, Back in Black by AC/DC (1980). I am very confident that the files used are almost indiscernable in sound quality to the CD itself, as least when played through the equipment listed above.
Tracks were played with each source using both the amplifier and also going directly into the soundcard.
All music was played in Foobar 2000, using what I believe are the optimum settings for each source as per guides I have found both here and on the Hydrogen Audio forums.
Though various volume levels were used for each card they were always very similar between sources, though I had no scientific means of matching them up at my disposal.
The tests lasted for a total of approximately 3 hours of continuous listening and comparisons between sources.
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FINDINGS
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Chaintech A710 ----- AU$90
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Soundstage
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Seems to have the widest soundstage of all cards, but the Revo is very close.
It's soundstage seems to weaken in volume/fidelity towards the edges unlike the other cards, though this could be considered a pleasing affect by some, and seems to resemble "vintage" audio in some way.
Bass
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Acceptably tight but not as strong or dominant as I would like. A step up from the Audigy but more in the nature of the bass rather than its presence. Bass is heard rather than felt on both cards.
Detail
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A controlled all round effort, with no real instruments ever standing out too much. Nevertheless, something is definately missing here, perhaps there isn't enough sparkle in the instruments or the card lacks that "WOW" effect. Adequate for enjoyable listening but not earth-shattering.
Power
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Definately the least powerful card and noticably so, but only by 10% at most. This would only be a factor if no headphone amp is used *and* the headphones are 250+ impedance, but even then it does not bother me greatly.
Summary
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The chaintech has a broad soundstage with a kind of gradient like effect, and overall the most laid-back presentation of all the cards. It's treble is good without standing out too much, and bass is decent but not great.
Overall I find the card a good "easy-listening" experience, which although it doesn't really give you that traditional "Hi-Fi" feel would probably be perfectly acceptable for non-critical listening to pop, some rock and even classical.
Especially for the price, I think many people could be happy with one of these, especially for lowish quality MP3's or playing movies on their PC. Had the Revo not been here I would have probably look upon it more highly.
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M-Audio Revolution 7.1 ----- AU$190
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Soundstage
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Approaching the width of the Chaintech's but consistently "solid" all the way from the middle to the edges and therefore seems better balanced. Can feel crowded at times, but overall I find it pleasing.
Bass
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Easily the best of all cards, very punchy and tight (at least compared with the competition) and also has more impact on the music than the rest. Feels like the only card with genuine "Hi-Fi" rather than "Computery" bass.
Detail
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The Revo seems to find that little extra bit of shine, polish or edge to each note played. In some cases the difference over the Chaintech needs to be searched for and in others it's more obvious but it always seems to be there.
Power
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Sound level is roughly equal with the Realtek, but both were a long way behind the Audigy.
Summary
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I think this is definatly the best card overall. The bass, instrument seperation and detail all made the music seem more polished and alive, and the notes seemed to appear faster than when played on the other cards. It displayed a more balanced yet authoratative sound than the Chaintech, though both are enjoyable to listen to it must be said.
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Creative Audigy 2 ZS ----- AU$169
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Soundstage
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This is the main disappointment of the Audigy. The soundstage is very narrow, and the difference between even the Realtek was an obvious one. Although the soundstage is overall quite well balanced, it gives the mental picture of the band squashed into a closet, and the feeling of claustrophobia can create a sort of boombox/car stereo feeling.
Bass
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The bass is there but is slightly flabby and not as tight or impactful as the Chaintech. I feel there simply isn't enough of it and it's impact on the music is partially lost. That said, it doesn't go as far as ruining the performance, only detracting from what might have been.
Detail
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The Audigy does a workmanlike job of presenting the details of each song, and listening I felt as though nothing horribly important was missing. Of course the individual naunces and emotions of instruments were often curtailed, which led to a pretty straightforward rendition of each track.
Power
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The loudest card by a large margain, and the one most suitable to drive high impedance phones un-amped. In fact, I thought that the 580's didn't really sound significantly better through my amp than they did going direct into the Audigy.
Summary
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The Audigy is easily the most aggressive and forward sounding of these cards. I think it's the narrow soundstage and lack of subtle details which enhances this feeling, but in any event it is by far more "upfront" than the others. It's a great choice for anyone who can't afford an amp for their phones and doesn't care too much about the intricacies of their music, but just wants raw in-your-face tunes played LOUD. Probably a great match for all 128bit techno and metal MP3's on Kazaa..
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Realtek AC'97 Audio ----- N/A
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Soundstage
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This is somewhere between the Audigy and the Revo, with a slight softening from the middle outwards. Not particularly impressive, but not the card's weakest aspect.
Bass
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The least of all the sources, it really blends into the rest of the music and had very little impact.
Detail
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Very little detail compared to the rest yet supplies all of the key elements of each song almost as well as the Audigy, but without any bells & whistles. This actually allowed me to concentrate more on the rythym and pace of each song more than usual, somewhat similar to radio. At times also exhibits a kind of warbling effect which is unpleasant.
Power
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Very similar volume level to the Revo, and copes equally well with driving the 580's without an amp.
Summary
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By far the best option as a back up in case your soundcard breaks down! Actually it reminds me of listening to the radio, but without all the static. Different instruments tend to blend into each other to a degree, and the performance overall is pretty flat and lifeless. On the other hand this makes it less harsh and more forgiving than the other options, though the resulting blandness is the price paid.
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CONCLUSIONS
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Before I discuss individual sources I want to make a point of mentioning how surprised I am at the comparitive lack of impact the amplifer has on the overall sound. While it's effect is certainly there - better soundstage, deeper bass, better instrument seperation, better details - I've found that the difference in what I hear is greater when changing sources than comparing the same source with or without the amp.
Overall the Revo is the most impressive card, and offers a "sparkle" which the others lack. Although it's improvement over the Chaintech is not huge, I've found that the more I listen to it the more impressed I am. It is definately the most "musical" of all the sources and I think compares very favourably to low-end (non-audiophile) CD players. The drivers are very straightforward and easy to use as well.
The Chaintech would be a much better source if I didn't already have the Revo. Although I couldn't help comparing the two (that being the point of this writeup) when you consider it is half as expensive as the Revo it isn't really a fair comparison. Not only is it a great value card, but it's also one I could feisably forsee myself listening to for many hours without worrying that I am missing something in the music.
The Audigy is a surprise, if you listened to most of the opinions of it here at Head-Fi you would swear it was some kind of trojan carrying devil-machine that will infect your ears with a vicious hearing disease given half a chance!
It's actually not a bad option for high impdeance phones if you don't have an amp, and the very forward sound suits the Sennheisers perfectly. If only the soundstage and details were better..
The Realtek was very dull and uninspired, but this would probably suit low quality recordings/files better than the above sources quite nicely. That aside it is hard to recommend it as anything more than a fallback.
As a final word it's important to bear in mind that although these sources vary in quality, the differences between them outlined above were noted under almost dead silent room conditions, with an AU$900 amplifier and AU$500 headphones - and perhaps most important of all with yours truly trying as best he could to strain his ears for tiny differences in sound.
Under more casual listening conditions and with less precise equipment I can imagine almost all of the above sources being considered decent options, particularly if used in a busy office for example.