[leeperry]

 

Check the control panel of the old drivers and compare to the latest one. The latest one just looks cheap. Only a fraction of the old features remained. This is a huge and I will repeat it HUGE  step backwards. Most of the old stuff never worked for me anyway but at least it was there!
Frankly speaking talking to ppl responsible for those new drivers is simply a waste of time...

 
Yep, soundcard drivers are always a crapshoot...except if you buy a high-end RME/Lynx, then you get proper tech support and timely bugfixes..RME has a VERY responsive dev team.
 
the Audiotrak story is complicated...the original drivers were from ESI and using their EWDM technlogy, but Gyrocom has bought Audiotrak from them and used a firmware to be compatible w/ the generic VIA drivers. The ESI drivers are as buggy as can get and their tech.support inexistent.
 
VIA are clueless when it comes to anything else than DS, they've just built on the "IC Ensemble" legacy(from whom they bought the Envy DSP). There's a nasty bug w/ KS on XP, I've tried to explain it 10 times to their tech.support to no available.
 
The ultimate solution to computer audio is drivers-free chips, so you won't depend on some clueless software engineers.

 

[sonda2008]

Thank God they did not ruin the card and it still sounds nice

 

[leeperry]

It's an ESI design I think, ESI gear "works"..but its PCB only has 2 layers(4 layers on the Prodigy 7.1 HiFi and Asus Essence) and carries no ground isolation whatsoever(unlike the Asus Essence/Auzen Bravura)...also they boast about 120dB, but that's the DAC chip SNR, not the card's. And it's using two high jitter clocks, plus its DSP is rated for 500ps jitter.
 
But yes, the B-stock is so cheap that it's a good deal.

 

[razzz42]

Thanks for that link Lee to the newer HD2 drivers which appears to be an update patch when installing. Put them on XP and Win7. Hard to sound test and compare them to the 'F' driver but there is a difference to my ear. With Win7 more staging, results in the more well defined bass and vocals. After that maybe more clarity (clearness) overall. On XP not so much difference.
 
I always thought Mr. Bill's Windows was the problem. Not to many topics on Linux or Apple problems.
 
I read some kid reporting on his new AMD 32/64 chip and new supporting Asus motherboard when they first came out. Remember AMD took the memory controller off the motherboard and built it into the CPU leaving an empty spot on the board. The kid loaded, of all things, Windows 95 on his new 64 bit capable computer system. He said he was on day 45 without a reboot during constant heavy use. This told me Intel memory chips and Windows memory controllers sucked (BSODs).
 
So I have no doubt Window's interfaces with drivers being the main culprit. They wrote the specs to be adhered to and to work with.
 
Anyway, been enjoying Linda Ronstadt. Her voice is a dream. Anything from Mexican folk music to opera to jazz to choir and swing era classics besides light rock and country western. A student of the music she sings and well arranged using high quality studio work.
 
Setting Window's wave control volume to 70% seems to be a standard setting to prevent clipping.

 

[leeperry]

70% volume? depends on what you're playing, but this link seems to be saying that bit-perfect isn't really an option: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/tips-techniques/334385-intersample-peaks.html
 
And yes, I've been using a drivers-free USB transport for the past few months...my box has never been this stable, impressive!
 
I read that m$ decided to get Creative out of the windows kernel since Vista because of the gigantic number of crash reports due to their drivers.
 
That's too bad you've been unlucky w/ opamps, because they can make up for a very impressive improvement! you really need to hear 4*AD797BRZ as LPF and LT1363/Burson V2 as final buffer.

 

[razzz42]

With setting the Window's Wav out volume to 70% was a reference to my speakers because Klipsch recommends this setting for their Promedia 2.1 speaker system, I take it so the amplifier can do its job correctly.
 
797 is still on my lists of things to do. Sounds have actually been improving step by step as I have been rolling along. Op-amps and drivers.

 

[leeperry]

you really wanna leave the WAV slider in the windows mixer at 100%, play through a bit-perfect audio renderer(KS/ASIO/ASIO4ALL/WASAPI Exclusive) and use the windows master volume, as it's hardware accelerated and not resampled by windows. 

 

[ManuLM]

Klipsch PC speaker seem to have a max input swing which is quite low.
I also face some clipping problems above 60% on one of my PCs using Klipsch iFi (driven by Essence STX).
Can't test the headset, as it would make me deaf... simply too,loud
 
My HD2 is always set to 100% as line out, no clipping, my amp can take it

 

[razzz42]

Sometimes I think I live in a cave, looked up a Klipsch iFi...what a nice system you have. 8" sub driver with a slotted enclosure instead of a round port and nice midrange drivers and the horns. Specs are really nice. Ears may not hear all the range but the rest of your body certainly can feel it.
 
SN ratio make the satellites over driven by the amp at low listening levels but specs allow higher listening levels with no distortions, yes, until you can't stand it. Bass must really thump. I'd be jealous but I have the 5.1 Ultras.
 

 

[ManuLM]

iFi has proved to be an excellent system indeed, all accross the frequency range.
 
Bass can be as full as you want, also depending on how you place the sub.
My settings are quite shy though, not like boom all the time, just bass kick when there is actually one in the track itself...
 
Honestly the most noticeable aspect to me is not the bass, but the mids, which are very sharp. the satellites do a great job.
 
iFi is now outdated completely and no longer sold. I got one of the last units, on sale as demo unit in a shop.

 

[hizjoe]

I've been reading this thread and am thinking about upgrading my prodigy hd2 advance de with [size=9pt]AD797[/size]'s at the I/V. Could anybody perhaps predict how this would sound with dual LME49710 at the buffer? I don't want to mod the card by soldering, so the 1028's aren't an option though I have a bright system.
 
Right now I'm on XP still. Due to the Gyrocom firmware and driver I can't use asio however, so i'm stuck on kernel streaming. (i have downgraded to the earlier firmware, yet i hate the glitches and indeed leeperry, the kernell streaming bug with 24/96 files is dibilitating). Would upgrading to W7 allow me to use wasapi in exclusive mode, or is it restricted to shared mode? Thanks!

 

[barkas88]

Does anybody know how I could insert a good quality volume control in the analog section of this card?  Is this possible?  What would be required?
TIA

 

[leeperry]

the volume attenuation is hardware accelerated on the HD2.

 

[barkas88]

Could you elaborate just a bit so I could understand what that means and how I could incert a physical volume knob in this thing

? 
Other Q; Do you know if the clock can be changed on this card? You said it is all jittery, but what could be done?  TIA

 

[leeperry]

the volume attenuation is hardware accelerated, meaning that it's not resampled by windows...the volume is lowered in either the DSP or the DAC.
 
a physical knob would only ruin the SQ, as a good quality knob costs more than the card itself.
 
Its DSP is rated at 500ps, there's no point in investing money on pimping this card...its PCB has only 2 layers and is hardly shielded.