[commando]

Can anyone recommend a reasonably cheap and not-too-nasty PC sound card, for playing mp3s? Someone I know is looking at an Audigy and I want to recommend something else for them.

 

[Bolt San]

The typical recommendation is the Chaintech, but I don't know about availability in New Zealand.
They're cheap enough that I'm sure someone could buy it and ship it to you to give to your friend, though.
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

 

[commando]

You can't easily get chaintech here, but i'll pass the recommendation on, thanks. The ones that can easily be had are here:

http://www.ascent.co.nz/mn-product-t...me=Sound+cards

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

How cheap is cheap? I think the Terratec Fun is Envy24 based, so at least it wouldn't resample your 44.1 to 48 the way nasty AC97 cards like the SB's do. It looks like the best bet of the cheaper cards on that list

 

[commando]

I've passed the recommendation on to the person who's interested, thanks.

Now for another question - my Sonica isn't performing very well as a source for my AOS DAC. Can anyone suggest a cheap internal sound card that will output bit-perfect digital output, optical or coax? By cheap in this case I mean the cheapest that does that bit-perfect output.

 

[Guild]

Recommend the Gainward Hollywood@Home Sound Card, PCI from that list to your acquaintance. IIRC, it is essentially the same card as the Chaintech that Bolt San mentioned.
ascent

newegg

 

[commando]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guild Recommend the Gainward Hollywood@Home Sound Card, PCI from that list to your acquaintance. IIRC, it is essentially the same card as the Chaintech that Bolt San mentioned. ascent newegg

Thanks for that Guild. Does anyone know if the output is bit-perfect? Or at least if it's resampled before it's sent to the digital out?

 

[Glassman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer How cheap is cheap? I think the Terratec Fun is Envy24 based, so at least it wouldn't resample your 44.1 to 48 the way nasty AC97 cards like the SB's do. It looks like the best bet of the cheaper cards on that list

wrong, Fun is actually crap.. CMI based card with some game bundle, stay away!

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glassman wrong, Fun is actually crap.. CMI based card with some game bundle, stay away!

OOPS! Guess it has been a while since I read a review of those Terratec's. Sorry commando!

 

[breez]

The Gainward card seems to use Cirrus Logic CS4341 DAC for the 7/8 channels. How does it fare compared to the one in Chaintech?

edit: not crystal but cirrus

 

[Mr.Radar]

If I remember right this was brought up a while ago and it was determined that the 7/8 DAC on the Gainwood was above average but nothing special like the Wolfson on the Chaintech.

 

[breez]

Any RMAA/listening results available (search function doesn't work ATM

) ?

 

[commando]

Well i'd better recommend a chaintech then! Pain in the arse having to order it from the states, but ah well, it just costs a little more and takes a little longer. Actually shipping could be more expensive than the sound card.

 

[Earwax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by breez Any RMAA/listening results available (search function doesn't work ATM ) ?

Yes: http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=73562

I found it by using Google's search, with the following search string
site:head-fi.org rmaa chaintech