[yeeyy]

Hmm... then how about showing us the RMAA result for RME?

 

[Glassman]

have you used E-MU ASIO in the WaveLab / Cubasis? do not use Steinberg ASIO.. this simply must work fine.. I mean the problem is probably somewhere between the keyboard and the chair

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer I've tried that, when the card was stock, and no matter what I did it wouldn't work. This issue is one reason why I got so pissed with the driver/interface. I don't care though, since I love the sound. BTW this card can't do 176.4, only 44, 48, 96, and 192.

Well, if it sounds good, it is good.

Isn't that a sig?

How do you do an RMAA test?

-Ed

 

[yeeyy]

If you can read Chinese, perhaps you want to check out this:

http://forums.dearhoney.idv.tw/viewtopic.php?t=38793


The user did 24/96 and 24/192 Test but he wrote a small program to covert the file between 32bit and 24bit (RMAA use 32bit and Wavelab use 24bit, original file from RMAA, playback and record using Wavelab, then send back to RMAA for measurement).

 

[Glassman]

nice, thanks for pointing out..

it is interesting that regardless of the sampling frequency, the high freq rolloff curve is always the same.. it looks like some gentle Bessel filter is used in analog domain tuned rather low in freq.. however I don't know if it's the output or input filtering..

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yeeyy Hmm... then how about showing us the RMAA result for RME?

I have posted those in the various RME threads, here is one showing the difference between the stock RME and the bypassed analog stage one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glassman have you used E-MU ASIO in the WaveLab / Cubasis? do not use Steinberg ASIO.. this simply must work fine.. I mean the problem is probably somewhere between the keyboard and the chair

I don't have either of those programs, I have tried using Samplitude and Cool Edit Pro to no avail. I will not waste any more of my time trying to measure this card. If you want to see a couple of damned graphs so bad why don't you go buy one? All I know from listening is the the background is definitely blacker than that of the RME (i.e. lower noise floor) and the sound is much clearer (i.e. less distortion) and the soundstaging is better (less interchannel leakage).

 

[10068]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood That also depends on what amp you are using too.

Hmm... what amp were you using to compare the E-MU and RME? I'll be using my V2SE, and i'm kinda curious to see how that compares to (for example) your Grace.

In any case, I remember the E-MU having me rock out pretty hardcore (definitely more than the RME, see my post where I compared them.. i specifically mentioned the "Air Guitar Factor"), so perhaps it's just that we look for different things in the sound to be "enjoyable." I guess I can accept there's a lack of dynamics on the E-MU, but perhaps to my ears the other improvements override that. Whereas to your ears, the loss of dynamics is blaring such that the other improvements aren't as big of a deal.

Ah, the subjectivity of audio.

 

[TimSchirmer]

Heh.. glad i never bought into all of that RME hype. How is the Linux support for this card? I know creative stuff is usually pretty well supported. Could it possibly be auto-detected in the future? Is ALSA developing drivers at this point in time? I'm somewhat tired of having to muck with the 2496 every time i switch to a new OS. Would be nice to have drivers built into the kernel like most creative cards have.

No way in hell would this ever be my main source (since sound cards suck after all) However, I might grab one of these if the support is there. If not, i'll just stick with what i have now. I'll never understand why people bother using headphones at the computer. Its an ergonomic disaster. I have to be laying down in a comfy chair to do any serious listening.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimSchirmer No way in hell would this ever be my main source (since sound cards suck after all) However, I might grab one of these if the support is there. If not, i'll just stick with what i have now. I'll never understand why people bother using headphones at the computer. Its an ergonomic disaster. I have to be laying down in a comfy chair to do any serious listening.

I don't get you. You show interest in something, then want to bash it at the same time. Is it impossible for you to understand the convienience of PC audio to those of us that use it? Not everyone forces themselves to sit in an uncomfortable chair at their computer, I know I sure as hell don't. I don't think people are going to be very receptive to answering your questions if you continue treating us like some brand of second-class heretics. Why do you even have a sound card if you think they are so terrible? Haven't you found a way to build a turntable into your computer yet?

 

[cadobhuk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimSchirmer No way in hell would this ever be my main source (since sound cards suck after all) However, I might grab one of these if the support is there. If not, i'll just stick with what i have now. I'll never understand why people bother using headphones at the computer. Its an ergonomic disaster. I have to be laying down in a comfy chair to do any serious listening.

Here we go again,soundcards suck.I dont know about others my computer chair is quite comfortable.I sit in it all day long most of the week.

 

[yeeyy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimSchirmer Heh.. glad i never bought into all of that RME hype. How is the Linux support for this card? I know creative stuff is usually pretty well supported. Could it possibly be auto-detected in the future? Is ALSA developing drivers at this point in time? I'm somewhat tired of having to muck with the 2496 every time i switch to a new OS. Would be nice to have drivers built into the kernel like most creative cards have. No way in hell would this ever be my main source (since sound cards suck after all) However, I might grab one of these if the support is there. If not, i'll just stick with what i have now. I'll never understand why people bother using headphones at the computer. Its an ergonomic disaster. I have to be laying down in a comfy chair to do any serious listening.

May I know how you come with this conclusion that soundcard is suck? What is the Dynamic Range and THD+N of your CDP player?

 

[yeeyy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer I have posted those in the various RME threads, here is one showing the difference between the stock RME and the bypassed analog stage one.

Thanks for the link, Iron Dreamer.

For comparison, here is the direct link of RMAA result for EM1212 from the link I posted in previous post.

1. 16bit 44.1kHz
2. 16bit 48kHz
3. 24bit 48kHz
4. 24bit 96kHz
5. 24bit 192kHz

Based on the 24bit 96kHz results, I would say the heavier bass that Ed heard can be due to higher harmonic in RME card. Well, just a guess from the chart shown.


[Edited] typo.

 

[iamdone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadobhuk Here we go again,soundcards suck.I dont know about others my computer chair is quite comfortable.I sit in it all day long most of the week.

I was going to originally get something like the Squeezebox or Roku so I could listen to all my files from the couch but I figured out a better way. I was already wirelessly networked and have 2 pcs. I put one out in the living room, picked up a flat screen monitor, a wireless keyboard and mouse ,and the e-mu 1212m. I was now set. It surprisingly doesn't look bad. I can now listen to music and surf the internet from the couch. This was a much more expensive way than the Squeezebox, but it is also much better.

 

[10068]

I love how Tim seems to be judging all soundcards from his experience with the 2496. Granted, he could've had a listening session with something more HIFi, but he never said so.

I have to agree with Iron here. I'll be the first to admit I will probably never have "The Best" sound from my PC as compared to stand-alone systems. But i'll have full quality wav's of all my CDs at instant access, I can chat and surf whilst I listen to music, etc. It's much more of a complete package than a standalone system. For someone like me building a PC-based audiophile system is required, since I was brought up using computers so much.

As far as I can tell, Tim's stated inferiority of PC cards would be like me saying Vinyl Sucks or Vinyl is The Best even though i've never heard a HiFi Vinyl system.

EDIT: Might be too personal.. but I just gotta say this. How could someone have such a rash opinion and also have so many posts on HeadFi? (Well, ignoring those Team Useless Post-ers, heh) Most people I know with that many posts (Wodgy, Ed, Peter, Sean) are pretty open-minded and great people to talk to. I'd never hear one of them make a "X sucks" type of statement like "soundcards suck." Or if they did it would be laden with YMMV's and IME's. It saddens/angers me when I see posts like that; I think of the populace of HeadFi as being generally above this sort of thing, and every post like that makes it more like every other forum.

EDIT 2: Also, put yourself in other's shoes before spouting your huge breadth of knowledge, Tim. You said you have to be laying down to do "serious listening." I may be defining words differently than you, but IME I never listen "seriously", I just enjoy the music. True, laying down sometimes helps this, but I honestly don't enjoy just sitting and listening to music. I like encompassing all my senses in action. Thinking, reading, hearing, seeing, talking, eating, etc.

Furthermore, who are YOU to tell us how we listen to music at our computers? I have a recliner in front of my PC. In fact i've fallen asleep whilst listening to music and reclining. It's definitely comfy, although admittedly a bit awkward with my mouse.

 

[Edwood]

Uh, I used the Grace since it has both Balanced and Unbalanced inputs.

-Ed

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sduibek Hmm... what amp were you using to compare the E-MU and RME? I'll be using my V2SE, and i'm kinda curious to see how that compares to (for example) your Grace.