[sejarzo]

IMHO, at this point the cost difference between the 0202 USB and the 0404 USB is so small that the edge definitely goes to the 0404 USB.....if you prefer a more revealing/analytical character in your source.

The 0202 USB uses a somewhat older Cirrus DAC, which probably means it has a warmer, more forgiving character--based on the typical "house sound" of the AKM versus Cirrus chips.

If you can wait a week or so, I think a detailed comparison of the two units is forthcoming.

 

[Downer]

Can 0404 be powered from the USB only or it needs the AC ??? Thanks...

 

[penguindude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can 0404 be powered from the USB only or it needs the AC ??? Thanks...

Needs AC

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can 0404 be powered from the USB only or it needs the AC ??? Thanks...

It needs AC, but the reviewer at Digit-Life speculates that powering it via USB could be possible:
Quote:

"Prima facie, the non-USB power feed seems surprising. But it becomes obvious when you consider that the card consumes current of up to 1 ampere, while a single USB port is limited to 500 mA (even less in real devices). Since noone likes that greyish-white smoke and distinctive smell, the vendor decided to play it safe and implement the main power feed. (Enthusiasts might want to accept responsibility and try feeding the card from 2-3 USB ports. Since the supply voltage is 5V, perhaps, the first engineering samples were bus-powered.)"

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

Maybe the first engineering samples ended in smoke and unhappiness?

 

[dr.larkos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sejarzo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Personally, I don't connect the E-MU to my CDP......I find that I prefer the DAC section in the Marantz to the E-MU. And I'm confused about the question.......there are both coax and optical S/PDIF inputs and outputs on the 0404 USB, plus there have been quite a few posts on the forum about how to connect and configure the unit to run as a standalone DAC. Take a look at this page for details on the connections available: E-MU Systems - 0404 USB 2.0 - USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface

.

Sejarzo could you kindly guide me to those posts about how to connect and configure unit to run as a stand alone DAC? I would like to connect my CDP to the emu0404USB.

Thanks in advance........dr.larkos

 

[sejarzo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dr.larkos /img/forum/go_quote.gif . Sejarzo could you kindly guide me to those posts about how to connect and configure unit to run as a stand alone DAC? I would like to connect my CDP to the emu0404USB. Thanks in advance........dr.larkos

I thought it would be easy to search, but there are just too many matches and I've had a long day.......I will respond with a new post on Thursday with updated directions, because it seems to me the latest firmware update just might make it act a bit differently.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dr.larkos /img/forum/go_quote.gif . Sejarzo could you kindly guide me to those posts about how to connect and configure unit to run as a stand alone DAC? I would like to connect my CDP to the emu0404USB. Thanks in advance........dr.larkos

Here's what I do...

1. Connect a digital cable from the CDP to the optical or coaxial digital input on the 0404 USB.
2. Turn on the CDP.
3. Turn on the 0404 USB.
4. Cycle through the S/PDIF selection by hitting the button twice (or once if you're using optical); this will force the 0404 USB to lock on to the player's clock [Sync Status switches to 'Ext.'].
5. Hit the Direct Monitor button until Main is selected.
6. Turn the Direct Monitor Level knob to the right a few times to ensure that no digital attenuation is occurring (this only needs to be done the first time).

Done!

 

[sejarzo]

Thanks for jumping in on that one, infinitesymphony. My trusty CRT (been hanging on to it for dear life for color fidelity in photo editing) is in its final death throes as I type this....looking at ghosted characters all day yesterday had my eyes burned out. New NEC 22" LCD to arrive today, I hope!

I could swear that last year, when I used mine "fresh from the package", even if I forced the sample rate to 96k by running an SRC plug-in in Foobar (or manually setting it there via the E-MU control panel) before disconnecting it from my PC, the 0404 USB would quickly sync to a 44.1k signal without any problem--or would just require a power cycle with a 44.1k signal present on either the coax or optical input.

Over the past year, I have evaluated a couple of beta drivers that involved firmware updates. A couple of days ago, I realized that I never checked the digital outs on my SA8001 to see if they worked. I found that if I set the sample rate to anything other than 44.1k, then disconnected the USB connection, the 0404 USB wouldn't sync on either coax or optical. The only way to get it to sync was to go into the E-MU Control Panel and set the sample rate to 44.1k before disconnecting it.....as, it seems, E-MU always suggested would be the case.

Maybe that's the reason for the change to the firmware that you mentioned elsewhere--that they presumed automatically reverting to 44.1k would prevent most issues with re-syncing to an external source? But I took it from your post that the change only applied to the 176.4k and 192k rates (as if many folks would have used those at this point, anyway?)

Also.....there is a new driver package that includes support for all E-MU USB interfaces, including the new Tracker Pro. Once I get my desktop straightened out, I will download that and see if there is any firmware update in that one and evaluate its impact on external sync. Don't want to be in the middle of an install and have the monitor finally go completely dead!

I don't want to put the new driver pack on my notebook quite yet.....I want to leave that one "as is" until after the Chicago meet on Saturday!

 

[dr.larkos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here's what I do... 1. Connect a digital cable from the CDP to the optical or coaxial digital input on the 0404 USB. 2. Turn on the CDP. 3. Turn on the 0404 USB. 4. Cycle through the S/PDIF selection by hitting the button twice (or once if you're using optical); this will force the 0404 USB to lock on to the player's clock [Sync Status switches to 'Ext.']. 5. Hit the Direct Monitor button until Main is selected. 6. Turn the Direct Monitor Level knob to the right a few times to ensure that no digital attenuation is occurring (this only needs to be done the first time). Done!

Thank you infinitesymphony and Sejarzo for your responses. Process seems very straight forward. Will look forward to hear about sejarzo's trials of new firmware.

Best.................. dr.larkos

 

[sejarzo]

Downloaded and installed the new driver package.

Well, it has sort of new firmware, I guess......I had previously loaded the newest beta drivers as of mid-January, which apparently updated my firmware to the new version in the official public release drivers. The installer first updates the driver files, then starts the firmware update by checking the currently loaded version. It reported that there newer version available.....if you get that message, you actually have to manually click the "Cancel" button to exit and reboot. If you click the "Continue" button, it simply loops you back and tells you, once again, that there's no newer version available.

So far, so good. I think the main reason for the new pack might be support for the new Tracker Pro......like most of their updates, the new package includes all docs for the 0202/0404/Tracker Pro USB series in all the languages.

I'd highly suggest doing a custom install and unchecking the options to install the docs for the units you don't own. One often wonders if choosing the custom install might result in problems if one makes bad selections--but that's not the case here, it's straightforward.

So far, it appears that the external sync procedure above is perfect.

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

That the 0404 needs custom drivers makes me worried that it will quickly become obsolete, if they stop developing the drivers.

Especially Mac OS is infamous for making software obsolete. Maybe I will be unable to use it within two or three years?

 

[sejarzo]

Any USB recording interface capable of greater than 16/44.1 playback uses its own drivers for Windows because the Win USB Audio Device is in almost all cases limited to that rate (and the devices that can do that "driverless" are expensive and use custom firmware......and who knows if that firmware might not be compatible with future OS's?)

I am clueless when it comes to the realm of the Mac....but I think it has better built-in capabilities for hi-rez audio, maybe, and better support for FireWire devices?

If I could operate Mac-only, then that new Apogee Duet would likely be my choice......I've read nothing but great things about it so far.

 

[rms]

I had a few minutes of downtime today so I read through this thread and thought I would add my experiences. I have the 0404 and am using it as a digital interface to my external DAC, so this will be a mini review of the 0404 and my DAC. My signal chain is PC playing flac files from the HD ripped using EAC. I play these with Foobar through asio to the 0404 then s/pdif out to an Audio by Van Alstine Omegastar DAC to a B&K Pro10MC pre in direct bypass mode, to a Hafler DH500 to SP Tech Continuum speakers. I bought the 0404 to get bit perfect playback capability via asio to the external DAC and also for its recording capabilities. I have compared the 0404 DAC to the AVA DAC as directly and level matched as possible (using my ears - I don't have a spl meter). I use the Sheffield Drum and Test Track disc as my primary reference recording. I know the recording very well and have a high end drum set in my studio for verification / cross reference. I will first say the 0404 sounds very good and if I didn't have the AVA DAC I would be quite happy. However the difference is not subtle. The AVA DAC exhibits superior detail retrieval throughout the sound spectrum. 3D imaging is fantastic - when I close my eyes and listen the drummer is directly in front of me with the kit accurately represented spatially both vertically and horizontally. And the timbre, tone, and nuances so accurate as to be indistinguishable from the actual drum kit. All of my other good quality recordings are equally well rendered. I was actually hoping the 0404 would sound close to as good as the AVA DAC since I had the AVA on a 30 day trial - I would have returned it (it costs $899 new direct from Frank Van Alstine) however the AVA is a keeper, but so is the 0404. I am in no way trying to knock the 0404, for $150 or so it is an incredible value, offers a lot of flexibility, and really sounds quite good. It just lacks the depth, detail retrieval, 3d imaging, air, and reality of the AVA.
(many thanks to sejarzo for assisting with the 0404 and Foobar setup)

 

[jinp6301]

Got mine today, and its a nice step up from the entech 203.2 and my old lite dac.