do computers make good sources? - Page 6

On the card it has one stereo 1/4" analog out and one in, a toslink out and in, and a coax SPDIF out and in, AFAIK, with an optional breakout cable for AES/EBU on Cardas XLR's.

ID, so it uses minijack plugs like cheaper soundcards for its analogue out?

No, it uses 1/4" jacks, the same kind most high-end headphones use, as with the Neutrik locking jack. The minijack is 1/8".

Ah yes, thats right

I love that Neutrik locking jack.

fits like a glove.

-Ed

Indeed, you could make many a good analogy about the fit of that jack, especially with your Zu Mobius cable

On a side note: "Let he who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number," - Iron Maiden (for post #666)

well, i'm just gonna jump in now. i didn't read 4 pages of stuff... so if i make the same points, then ignore me....

but the best computer setups are just as good as the best cd stuff... or even better. i don't know if you realize it, but the majority of the music being made today used a computer somewhere in the signal chain, and a majority of those were recorded almost entirely on a computer.

enter the world of Digidesign Pro Tools, and to a lesser extent, Nuendo, Logic, Cubase, etc... it's all done with a computer now.

so, you think your CD player can beat what people use to record the music in the first place? no. it cannot, logically.

of course, not all music is recorded on computers. but if pros are willing to use computers..... they gotta be pretty darn good, no matter what you argue--whether you think digital is bad, and analog is good... or whatever.... can computers sound as good as a cd player?--YES. they can. good quality?--certainly. better to get a CD deck?--well, it all depends on what you want to spend. if you want a "budget" system, dedicated CD players are clearly better. but you want to spend $500 on a good computer interface with AES/EBU, connect it to a $5000 DAC, all clocked with an ultra-low jitter clock costing $1500... well, you got one hell of a playback system then. just sit back and let the harddrive spin to your dreams.

pleeease, don't worry about $100 Revo just for the fact it's just $100 and not $150 as Audiophile.. these cards are different generations, Envy24 certainly costed more than Envy24HT todays and AK4528 was pricey too at the time Audiophile was born.. now it's cheaper to make such card like Revo becouse parts are cheaper and much more cards are produced.. for example, analog supply filtering, crystal oscilators, opamps and most probably LPF are the same on Revo just as on Audiophile and Delta family.. what's different are DACs and ADCs.. Revo uses some cheap stereo AKM on front channels which I found is nowhere as good sonicaly as the multichannel AKM on the rest of the outputs - AK4355 (used on ESI WT192-L & X cards too).. ADC is a very cheap and basic one too, becouse Revo wasn't meant to be recording card.. you don't have MIDI interface, digital input etc. those are the main reasons why it's $100 card, not $150.. don't be fooled, rather look what's on the card itself..

as for RMEs, PAD is the one to be used as a complete source, while PST is just an excelent transport, but doesn't shine in analog performance..

anyway, there is MUCH more difference from modding the cards than those between Revo and say Audiophile..

FYI, Delta 410 uses technically inferior DACs to Revo but still sounds better, even though it has the same parts and is of the same design as I described before.. better specs -> better sound? oh no.. as I'm telling you, rear out on Revo sound more natural than fronts, which I found a bit artificial..

So,how big is the difference between Terretec 6-fire and RME Digi Pad?And how much channels does RME have,I didnt find that information anywhere,suspecting its only stereo.If so,i'd have to keep terratec or use audigy for dvds with speakers.

6fire = 6outs
Digi96/8 = 8outs (but only in digital ADAT mode), it has just one analog stereo out for monitoring purposes..

I would say it's a leap, not step up..

Hmm.are you sure about the 2 channel DAC being inferior?

Cause here's the specs of the 2 channel one.

AK4381


And here's the specs for the 6 channel codec


The 2 channel codec is looking superior to me.

Although i am not sure if it is being used on the front or the rear codec. It hasnt been specified where it is placed.

If would be nice if someone cleared up where the DACs are used exactly. The 2 channel DAC if used in the front out would be a better solution for headphones or 2 channel stereo speakes. glassman i guess you must have seee the card, cause i heard you modified it, so could you tell me where the superior 2 channel DAC is being used, is it the front or the rear out?
Thanks

you know, i don't have much experience with the cards in question... but in general internal cards are susceptible to the noisy environment inside the computer. i used to have a Digidesign Audiomedia III PCI card. thing costed me $800 new. but it was an excellent performer. ....all but one thing... if you enlarge the waveform of a recording of silence, you can actually see a complex sound wave, resembling a sine wave. so, this noise isn't just the ADC's bit noise... it's a recording of some electrical noise inside.

now i have a Motu 896, which is connected to the computer via firewire only. no such noise exists. the 896 has its own power supply, own converters, everything being seperate from the computer.

incidentally, i sold the Audiomedia (stereo only) about 2 years ago for $300... and that thing was ancient!... that's how good that old sound card was. and it still recorded internal computer noise.

amol, read my post one more time, I was talking about sonical performance, not measured specs.. surely the two channel DAC used on front out is technically superior to that on rear channels, but sonicaly it's inferior.. I also stated that the DACs on Delta 410 are inferior technically to that used on Revo and even on Audiophile.. it's the AK4529, it uses just single ended outs, while all modern DACs use differential.. it has specs pretty much like the rear channel AK4355 on Revo. there is no doubt that Delta 410 sounds better than Revo (front channels) and Audiophile, but the DACs are measured to be iferior.. why is this possible? well, not just measured specs matters to our ears.. I am pretty sure that each one who owened Revo have been listening through front out and judge the card based on them.. nobody ever tried using rear channels..

edit: it's not 6 channel codec, it's 6 channel DAC.. Audiophile and Terratec 6fire uses codec - AK4524 & AK4528

I own Revo for about half year and I'm pretty familiar with it.. my friend owned Audiophile for more than a year and when he heard Revo, he said that Audiophile sucks

LOL..thats strange, i have heard that the m audio audiophile is better than the revolution. But its upto your ears i guess. I am not very sure how it sounds, cause i havent heard it