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Originally Posted by donavansmith
If the 0404 is really that good compared to the EWX then I'm going to be very happy. I really, really liked the EWX's sound and it had an uncanny synergy with my amp and cans and if the 0404 keeps that signature but refines it I will be quite pleased.
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Hi mate, sorry to punish you in this way
I think you will be happy with it. It has a similar basic sound signature, but I think the midrange is more forward, more detailed and clearer, while the bass has an added dose of welly. The treble is more refined, and the whole thing simply sounds clearer and more "real" to me.
On their own, the differences are relatively small, but as a collection of improvements, the end result is dynamic and impressive sounding. I'll be very surprised if you are disappointed.
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Originally Posted by saint.panda
Paul, thanks for the very interesting write-up.
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Your very welcome
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I've always stayed away from pc audio but I'm wondering how good the emu 0404 is compared to a standalone player, let's say a Nad 521 or something like that. |
I will refrain from making any comparison, since I dont really have that said CD player at my disposal, but I dare say you wont be disappointed.
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And is it really a night day difference between two soundcards? |
Now, in my defence, I dont believe I used to the phrase "night and day" in my review, I think someone else did, but lets just say that I find the difference "marked", and all for the better, all IMHO.
Oh all right then, it IS clearly better.
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The Emu is 100 Euros here in Europe and I find it interesting that people prefer the cheaper Emu 0404 to the 1212. |
That can be put down to the different DACs. I have a theory about this, and that is the 0404 is perhaps intended more for users like me who simply use it as a source in an audio system. The 1212M uses a different DAC, but also has greater connectivity options, and is perhaps more geared towards the Pro market, with a more detailed, albeit analytical sound. I have always like the AKM sound, so it works well for me.
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I think the best thing about those more expensive sound cards is that they have RCA outs. |
True, but lack of dedicated RCA outputs has not stopped the 0404 dismissing the EWX.