[infinitesymphony]

I'll sneak in another vote for E-MU. 0202 USB, 0404 USB, 1212M, or 1616M, depending on your needs and budget.

I'm not very familiar with amplifiers... How good is the Rockhopper M3?

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll sneak in another vote for E-MU. 0202 USB, 0404 USB, 1212M, or 1616M, depending on your needs and budget. I'm not very familiar with amplifiers... How good is the Rockhopper M3?

It is a very nice SS amp. Great price for performance. I don't think trice is building them any longer but you can find them in the FS forum every once is a while. Oh! not to say other builders do this as well. There is a DIY site that has links to builders that do these as well as something called a "beta"22 that is supposed to be even better.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Ah, well in that case, it would be the most cost-effective to recommend the E-MU 1212M. It's around $150 new and has the top-of-the-line Cirrus CS4398 DAC. Just plug the analog outputs into your headphone amplifier (probably via some sort of Y-adapter) and you're set.

The benefit of the 0404 USB (~$200) is that it's portable, doesn't take up two PCI slots in your computer case, comes with its own headphone amplifier, and features microphone preamps for recording purposes. The only downside is that the DAC is different--it's AKM's top (or near-top, can't remember) AK4396. Different brands, different tonalities.

 

[Xiode]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif The benefit of the 0404 USB (~$200) is that it's portable, doesn't take up two PCI slots in your computer case, comes with its own headphone amplifier, and features microphone preamps for recording purposes. The only downside is that the DAC is different--it's AKM's top (or near-top, can't remember) AK4396. Different brands, different tonalities.

In what way do they sound different? I mean, what are the sound signatures of each?

Also, why does it take up two PCI slots? I'd rather stay external if at all possible because I don't think I have any spare PCI slots on my main rig. What's the difference between the USB 0404 and 0202?

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiode /img/forum/go_quote.gif In what way do they sound different? I mean, what are the sound signatures of each?

I haven't heard the 0404 USB (AKM AK4396), but most people say it sounds warmer than the 1212M (Cirrus CS4398), more focused on the midrange--"more rockin'."

I have the 1212M and can verify that its claim to fame is a very detailed, revealing sound, especially from the upper-mids on up, with a large amount of high and low frequency extension. The CS4398 was the DAC Digidesign chose for their highest-end ProTools|HD 192 I/O interfaces, which are some of the most popular pieces of studio equipment used today. I've used the 192 I/O for mixing and mastering purposes and can confirm that the sound signature of the 1212M is quite similar.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiode Also, why does it take up two PCI slots? I'd rather stay external if at all possible because I don't think I have any spare PCI slots on my main rig.

Sounds like that rules out the 1212M. One slot is for the 1010 DSP card (basically the DAC and other sound card stuff), and one is for the 0202 analog output card. They're connected by a short IDE ribbon cable. This allows the analog stage to have more outputs than if it were implemented on the main card, and also helps to decouple it from electrical interference on the motherboard.

Quote:

What's the difference between the USB 0404 and 0202?

The 0202 lacks a handful of features that most non-recording types probably wouldn't use (ex. microphone preamps, some inputs and outputs), but the main difference in your case is that they use different DACs. The 0202 has the Cirrus CS4392 DAC, which is considered inferior to the AKM AK4396 and Cirrus CS4398.

Edit: I just remembered that I made a thread about the E-MU lineup not too long ago. Here's the link: E-MU Sound Card Compendium.

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiode /img/forum/go_quote.gif In what way do they sound different? I mean, what are the sound signatures of each? Also, why does it take up two PCI slots? I'd rather stay external if at all possible because I don't think I have any spare PCI slots on my main rig. What's the difference between the USB 0404 and 0202?

Again try to find a M-Audio Audiophile USB or Firewire and check it out. My Audiophile cost me 130$ shipped and it has an analog out section. External power and feed by USB off the computer or Firewire (more costly).

Here is one for sale today on the forum.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...audiophile+usb

Review:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...audiophile+usb

 

[Xiode]

I can already tell you that I won't be recording, so I don't need all of that extra stuff. I'm just looking for a good DAC to output to my M^3 for a reasonable price (lets say that ~$250 is the limit).

I have a pair of RCA to RCA interconnects that I might could use if they're the right type. I'm assuming that they're coaxial, from what I've heard? It has been a while since I purchased them and I don't remember the specifics about the cable.

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiode /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can already tell you that I won't be recording, so I don't need all of that extra stuff. I'm just looking for a good DAC to output to my M^3 for a reasonable price (lets say that ~$250 is the limit). I have a pair of RCA to RCA interconnects that I might could use if they're the right type. I'm assuming that they're coaxial, from what I've heard? It has been a while since I purchased them and I don't remember the specifics about the cable.

I only use my Audiophile USB for USB to SPDIF conversion that allows Hi-Res files to play into my Lavry DA10. Otherwise, I would normally use my HagUSB for this work.

 

[Xiode]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif Again try to find a M-Audio Audiophile USB or Firewire and check it out. My Audiophile cost me 130$ shipped and it has an analog out section. External power and feed by USB off the computer or Firewire (more costly).

I read up on the specs last time you linked it, and if I'm not mistaken, isn't the USB port v1.1? Wouldn't that be a limiting factor when streaming lossless AAC files?

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiode /img/forum/go_quote.gif I read up on the specs last time you linked it, and if I'm not mistaken, isn't the USB port v1.1? Wouldn't that be a limiting factor when streaming lossless AAC files?

Not at all. This is something that has been discussed many places about music files. Even lossless that have 1411 kpbs is less than the speed of 12 mbps (v1.1) of the USB port. As I said this is what I am using right now. The Hagusb is also a USB 1.1 device. I am also able to use it on those Hi-Res files that are much denser (88.2/96 kHz and 24 bit) than the normal 44.1 kHz and 16 bit lossless files from CDs (not the HagUSB on those).

 

[Schalldampfer]

It seems like there's a limited choice of DAC's out there. Which one is the best? I'm talking only about DAC's.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schalldämpfer /img/forum/go_quote.gif It seems like there's a limited choice of DAC's out there. Which one is the best? I'm talking only about DAC's.

Depends on your budget and needs. It's difficult to find a DAC without a headphone amplification section these days.

 

[Schalldampfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif Depends on your budget and needs. It's difficult to find a DAC without a headphone amplification section these days.

I was afraid of that. I was entertaining the idea of having a dedicated DAC and then add a dedictade amp to the chain.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Well... Just ignore the headphone jack on the DAC. For the price, some of those DACs couldn't be beat even without the headphone section. Plenty of people use DACs like the Benchmark DAC-1 or Lavry DA-10 ("Black") to feed a separate headphone amplifier.

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well... Just ignore the headphone jack on the DAC. For the price, some of those DACs couldn't be beat even without the headphone section. Plenty of people use DACs like the Benchmark DAC-1 or Lavry DA-10 ("Black") to feed a separate headphone amplifier.

That is exactly what I am going...see sig. I guess I am going this twice, once to the Audiophile (used only as USB to SPDIF converter) and second on my Lavry (used only as a DAC).