[xis23]

Just got my emu 1212, and damn! I'm pretty dissapointed. The bass is swampy, the seperations in the highs are poor, in fact the highs are weak all around. And the dynamics seem to be dead - the whole thing sounds over compressed. This is unamped mind you.

I am using allessandro ms-2s and grado sr-80s. Both similar results.

Now I am wondering, is it just that these are both too low impedance? 1212 ouptuts a rather large 550 ohms. Grados want around 30! But still, the difference between unamped emu and unamped audidy 2zs seems very very dramatic to me! The audigy unamped sounded a lot lot better balanced, and more spacious. Is my card broke, or is it just the lack of amp?

 

[Asmo]

What are you using for cables to connect to the 1212m outputs?

And yes, you shouldn't plug any headphone into the 1212m directly.

 

[Zorander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xis23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just got my emu 1212, and damn! I'm pretty dissapointed. The bass is swampy, the seperations in the highs are poor, in fact the highs are weak all around. And the dynamics seem to be dead - the whole thing sounds over compressed. This is unamped mind you. I am using allessandro ms-2s and grado sr-80s. Both similar results. Now I am wondering, is it just that these are both too low impedance? 1212 ouptuts a rather large 550 ohms. Grados want around 30! But still, the difference between unamped emu and unamped audidy 2zs seems very very dramatic to me! The audigy unamped sounded a lot lot better balanced, and more spacious. Is my card broke, or is it just the lack of amp?

The E-MU output is a line-out only. You should have known better than to try to connect them to a load, such as headphones, rather than an amp.

 

[Solude]

Can't speak of Grado, but Senn 650/Beyer 880 and the Emu get along just fine. It is the cheapest way to a decent balanced rig.

I'd put my money on damage, either the card or the adapter you are using for the Grado.

 

[xis23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorander /img/forum/go_quote.gif The E-MU output is a line-out only. You should have known better than to try to connect them to a load, such as headphones, rather than an amp.

True, I am just testing at the moment before I get an amp though. I wasn't expecting the difference between my audigy and e-mu to be anywhere near this though! The back of the daughter card with the analog outputs has faded lettering so I don't know whether its just damaged or what? Also will a lack of amp damage my headphones?

I am using a Hosa Y cable, although I have also tried running them as mono without the Y cable, and even in mono the problem persist.

I might get a gilmore lite. I know it's a good match for the grados/allessandros. Is it a good match for the e-mu? I figure if it comes in the ETA of 3 weeks, then I can assertain whether or not my e-mu is damaged, or whether it is just a matter of unmatched impedance. Then hopefully I will still be within time to send it back if it's the card. Kinda worried at the mo, not knowing why it is.

 

[cgrums]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can't speak of Grado, but Senn 650/Beyer 880 and the Emu get along just fine. It is the cheapest way to a decent balanced rig. I'd put my money on damage, either the card or the adapter you are using for the Grado.

Negative on the damage. As has been mentioned before: 1212M line out is just that: a LINE level signal. Current hungry low-impedance phones like Grados are not going to be driven at all well from a line level signal. Higher impedance cans, i.e. senns, will be more forgiving. Amp them. My SR225s love a well executed tube amp.

Edit: you cannot damage your headphones by supplying too low a driving voltage. 2 things kill headphones: seriously over driving them and DC voltage on the headphone output.

 

[xis23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgrums /img/forum/go_quote.gif Edit: you cannot damage your headphones by supplying too low a driving voltage. 2 things kill headphones: seriously over driving them and DC voltage on the headphone output.

Ok makes, sense. I figured the lower voltage would mean to achieve the same loudness so I would have to crank it more (i.e more power/amps), but I have a poor understanding of how this works. I tried to read the explanation in soundonsound but it went a bit over my head.

 

[Zorander]

Technically speaking, you can kill a headphone and/or speakers indirectly from an underpowered amp/source by trying to overdrive the drivers (because it sounds bad and you try to crank up the volume in the hope it will sound better - a natural and common reaction). The combination of high power demand from the high volume and the resultant clipping from the lack of power will kill the drivers easily.

Also, I have heard somewhere that the output of the SoundBlaster cards are amped (less pure than E-MU card outputs for sure, but amped nevertheless), which will explain why headphones tend to sound better straight out of them.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Also, make sure that the card's output isn't clipping somewhere. Insert Trim Controls into your output channels in PatchMix and make sure that the peaks don't go past the "10" mark (-10 dB) to prevent clipping. Without the Trim Control insert, I experienced clipping in almost every application, so I'd say it's almost essential.

 

[chelrob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can't speak of Grado, but Senn 650/Beyer 880 and the Emu get along just fine. It is the cheapest way to a decent balanced rig. I'd put my money on damage, either the card or the adapter you are using for the Grado.

But you're running and amp after the emu, right?

The op is pluging cans straight into the emu line outs.

 

[chelrob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xis23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just got my emu 1212, and damn! I'm pretty dissapointed. The bass is swampy, the seperations in the highs are poor, in fact the highs are weak all around. And the dynamics seem to be dead - the whole thing sounds over compressed. This is unamped mind you. I am using allessandro ms-2s and grado sr-80s. Both similar results. Now I am wondering, is it just that these are both too low impedance? 1212 ouptuts a rather large 550 ohms. Grados want around 30! But still, the difference between unamped emu and unamped audidy 2zs seems very very dramatic to me! The audigy unamped sounded a lot lot better balanced, and more spacious. Is my card broke, or is it just the lack of amp?

The emu 1212M is a spectacular sound card. Learn how to use it properly and you will see the Audigy cannot come near the sound quality of the 1212.