E-MU 0404 v Terratec EWX 2496 - a short comparison

[pbirkett]

OK, I've listened to this card for a week now, and have formed my impressions pretty much by now.

The EWX 2496 is said to be pretty much in the ballpark of the M-Audio Audiphile 2496, Terratec DMX 6-fire, Phase 22, and maybe a few others. The EWX uses the AK45254 DAC, which I guess is an older AKM DAC to the AK4395 used in the EMU 0404.

Installation went faultlessly on my machine, and there was a problem on my friends PC with his, because of his TV card, which had to be physically removed while the EMU was installed for it to output any sound. Once the EMU was installed, the TV card & sound card worked flawlessly.

As you would expect the EMU and Terratec do share a similar sound, and the AKM sound is one I have liked since I first heard it. Generally they offer a full bodied sound, with good bass, and a warm sound, that is also very exciting to listen to.

Comparing the EMU 0404 to the Terratec, it does not bode well for the Terratec. My mate and I both come to the same conclusion. The EMU is simply better in every respect. Mainly, it just sounds more "alive". The sound is definitely more detailed and exciting, but the midrange more forward and clear, singing is more intelligable now. The dynamics of the sound are clearly better, with the card giving a "loud" exciting presentation, making even the Terratec, which I regarded as a lively card, sound boring. The bass extends deeper and punches harder, and the treble is less harsh. The overall sound is clearer. Not much more to say other than it takes the trademark terratec sound and makes it even better. I think it sounds wonderful now.

I have listened to it through Rotel RA-01 >>> Beyer DT531 headphones / Rotel RA-01 >>> Rega Ela speakers and Pioneer A400 >>> Rega Ela speakers and on all systems the improvement was very marked IMO.

I give you this review, because I was cynical that it would change anything over the EWX. But it has. Thanks mainly to lan for your review which persuaded me that it was a good sounding card. Consider this cynic eating humble pie right now!

 

[pbirkett]

Edited: I've just replied to the wrong thread

 

[evillamer]

My experience is similar to yours.

After upgrading from the M-Audio AP24/96 to the EMU 0404. It took me quite a while(a few weeks) to get use to the new card. The change for me is like changing from a diesel engine car to a turbo charged petrol engine car.

At first I thought it sounded too bassy and crispy and "in your face", but after listening for a month now, i think I very used to the EMU, and thanks to the card, i didnt know that my Videologic Siroccos had so much "omph" in them.

 

[1UP]

Same here for me, except I upgraded from a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz. The difference is absolutely night and day. Previously, the TBSC made some tracks completely unlistenable, whereas with the 0404, everything I've played so far just sounds like joyous music.

In graphics cards terms, it's like upgrading from a Geforce 2 to a 6800 Ultra.

 

[mega]

Ok, after weeks of pondering, i guess this thread did it for me. Team EMU, here we come.

You guys are the worst.

 

[gaboo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1UP Same here for me, except I upgraded from a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz. The difference is absolutely night and day. Previously, the TBSC made some tracks completely unlisternable, whereas with the 0404, everything I've played so far just sounds like joyous music.

Speaking of the hyperboles spread on head-fi. I've upgraded from a tbsc to a 1212m. Yes there is difference in the details. Like night and day? LOL. The difference is IMO more like the last 10%. Most of the "Joe sixpack" people would be hard pressed to find *any* difference.

Quote:

In graphics cards terms, it's like upgrading from a Geforce 2 to a 6800 Ultra.

Comparison with the graphics cards is another silly hyperbole. You're implying at least an order of magnitude difference. This is not there even on paper. 20dB improvement in SNR is more like 3 times.

 

[lini]

What opamps does Creative/Emu use in the output stage of the 0404, btw?

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lini What opamps does Creative/Emu use in the output stage of the 0404, btw? Greetings from Hannover! Manfred / lini

JRC2068, nothing special, but the cards still sound pretty great nonetheless (same opamps as in the 1212M and 1820M).

 

[1UP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaboo Speaking of the hyperboles spread on head-fi. I've upgraded from a tbsc to a 1212m. Yes there is difference in the details. Like night and day? LOL. The difference is IMO more like the last 10%. Most of the "Joe sixpack" people would be hard pressed to find *any* difference. Comparison with the graphics cards is another silly hyperbole. You're implying at least an order of magnitude difference. This is not there even on paper. 20dB improvement in SNR is more like 3 times.

/flamesuit on

You miss the point entirely - in my case, on many of the test tracks I listened to (via my Beyer phones using the TBSC "headphone front" jack, I will clarify: there was a smaller improvement in strictly "hi-fi" terms; the huge gain was in musicality and enjoying listening to what sounded like music instead of just sounds. This improved a fekkin' lot, and that was the basis of the graphics card analogy. It's not something I'd measure in a damned graph / plot as a chart in Excel. Neither is it any function of SNR!

If you think that's symptomatic of hype/FOTM'ness of headfi, well, pffft. Your view (re: Joe 6-pack plus SNR stats) is the equally vacuous corollary of the navel-gazing elitism of hi-fi in general. I wouldn't be so conceited as to declare what other people would or wouldn't be able to differentiate, nor require expression of improvement only in terms of paper specs.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1UP /flamesuit on You miss the point entirely - in my case, on many of the test tracks I listened to (via my Beyer phones using the TBSC "headphone front" jack, I will clarify: there was a smaller improvement in strictly "hi-fi" terms; the huge gain was in musicality and enjoying listening to what sounded like music instead of just sounds. This improved a fekkin' lot, and that was the basis of the graphics card analogy. It's not something I'd measure in a damned graph / plot as a chart in Excel. Neither is it any function of SNR! If you think that's symptomatic of hype/FOTM'ness of headfi, well, pffft. Your view (re: Joe 6-pack plus SNR stats) is the equally vacuous corollary of the navel-gazing elitism of hi-fi in general. I wouldn't be so conceited as to declare what other people would or wouldn't be able to differentiate, nor require expression of improvement only in terms of paper specs.

Exactly, my DAC1 doesn't measure as well as a 1212M in RMAA, but I'll be damned if much of anyone thinks it actually sounds worse. Joesixpack is himself just for that reason, that he is too damned stupid, deaf, or otherwise defective to tell the difference beyond common marketing terms: "Ooh, it's really expensive with 20.4 channels, and 160SNR, it must sound great, who makes it? BOSE, Creative, ok I know them from all their advertsing. Here's my hard-earned cash." No thank you. (Yes I know Creatve indirectly makes the EMU cards, that is not the point(.

 

[pbirkett]

I dont care at all about figures, I only care about how it sounds. And it sounds excellent, IMO

 

[gaboo]

1UP, my point is: if the difference between any two pieces of gear is to going to be described "like night and day", this site will become a glorified add, where only fanboys will keep each other company. I'm sure than my A900 cans are "night and day" better than your cans, and that my 1212m is a another "night and day" better than your card, so I'm two days ahead of you.

And Iron_Dreamer must be a week or so ahead of me.

Iron_Dreamer, it is not my intention to transform this into an objectivist vs subjectivist debate. The only reason I brought up the SNR argument was due to the video card comparison, which is normally a quantitative argument. I have yet to see a video card reviewer say "it runs slower, but it makes me feel much better". So, using that comparison, 1UP did make a quantitative argument in my view.

I haven't even listened to the DAC1, so I cannot debate that subject.

As for the Joe sixpack argument, you may find this study interesting. It concludes that "average Joes" found two pieces of gear "the same", while recording pros found them significantly different.

You may loathe "Joe sixpack", most newbies here are "Joe sixpack". Boasting "night and day" differences for every little improvement will lead to more threads like this.

 

[Zoide]

A slight tangent:

Today I was trying to A/B my Sonica->Piccolo->PPA->2X-S vs Toshiba SD-3960->PPA->2X-S.... And was very hard pressed to pin-point differences, and especially to formulate a "this is better than that" sort of opinion...

Would the 0404 or 1212m vs. Piccolo difference be even more subtle or easier to notice than the Toshiba vs. Piccolo one?

To make this more on-topic, what kind of magnitude of improvements are we talking about here when we talk about the EMU cards?

 

[1UP]

I've got no views at all on "Joe". I'm not Joe. I'm not spending Joe's money. I'm not listening to Joe's records. I don't give a monkey's what he hears or doesn't hear. On the other hand, if I perceive a significant quality improvement, I'm gonna express it.

I get what you are saying, but between subjectivist and objectivist judgements, what's left? Stoical, phlegmatic half-assertions that are effectively meaningless. Or some kind of metrics? Well, what kind of metrics?

If it's a terminology problem, tough doo-doo, I've just actually upgraded from a ti4200 to a 6800GT (clocked to ultra); from being constrained to 12x9 on low-details, I can now run 16x12 maxed-out with AA/AF; for me, this is not just a question of an FPS/$ ratio cost-benefit increase. I'm like: "Yay! OMG, this is crap-my-pants awesome!". Night and fekkin' day.

 

[stiben]

I'm a computer-as-source n00b, first post here.

My 1212M got delivered today and I'm happy to say that the difference between it and my previous SB Live / NF7-S Soundstorm is such that I personally feel that using a cliche like "night and day" is justified.

It sounds like I've plugged a NAD 542 into my stereo after previously using a Sony CD walkman with ESP turned on.

Thanks to all in this forum who made it easy for me to choose this soundcard

I bought it from the US for $290AU delivered. My local store has them for $530AU