[Gabe Logan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by green84061 What does the mod do?

The mod i had done sounds like an improvement in soundstage and vocals come in alot more lively while keeping the bass as it which is was i was hoping for.It was a good choice considering i will not be getting another DAC for quite some time and i am satisfied with the job dome.

 

[green84061]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabe Logan The mod i had done sounds like an improvement in soundstage and vocals come in alot more lively while keeping the bass as it which is was i was hoping for.It was a good choice considering i will not be getting another DAC for quite some time and i am satisfied with the job dome.

I should learn to read

 

[chaseme]

I'm thinking about getting this card too as an upgrade to my AV-710. In my case my Chaintech is in my HTPC going optical to my reciever. I'd like the EMU connected the same way and using ASIO. Will it do this ok? Am I going to run into problems of any kind?

 

[ChaosCow]

EXCEPT Duck Hat is going to be using this card for 128k DRM downloads from Yahoo music almost exclusively. Would the Chaintech vs. EMU then become a moot point, as any difference in quality is overshadowed by the sampling difference?

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaosCow EXCEPT Duck Hat is going to be using this card for 128k DRM downloads from Yahoo music almost exclusively. Would the Chaintech vs. EMU then become a moot point, as any difference in quality is overshadowed by the sampling difference?

Nah, even with 128AAC from iTunes store purchases a good soundcard stands out from a bad soundcard - not saying the chaintech is BAD, it's just that the 0404 will still show an improvement with that level compression.

Of course, it might show you that 128 compression stinks once you resolve it with something like an 0404, but consider that incentive to get an even better source like an external DAC!

And lossless or at least 256 vbr!

 

[TheGhostBelow]

my 0404 stopped working for awhile and had to switch back to my 24bit live onboard card for two days. It was one of the worst things i have done in a long time the emu 0404 even unmodded is at least 10 times better than the 24bit, and also the 0404 has much better adjustment controls

 

[johnmatrix]

Another one for the emu. I picked up a modded one off the fs forums with bypassed caps and AD8620. It blows away the soundstorm 2 that was my old source.

 

[Duck Hat]

I know this thread hasn't had a response in a while, but I just want to say that I finally got the 0404, and it is AMAZING. I had no idea it would make this much difference. It is a complete night and day difference from the soundblaster live. Everything is so much richer and deeper, voices are clearer, and the bass is soooo much better. It really sounds like I got a new pair of speakers. I don't have extensive experience with sound cards, but I could not reccomend the 0404 more.

 

[uzziah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer I think the 0404 is the best deal going out there for a source right now, especially if modded, and if you can do the mods yourself the value goes up even more.

having done the mods myself; they do make a very significant difference.

 

[uzziah]

for modding, do some searches here at headfi. you'll need the basic soldering stuff, and you can research that in diy section.

here are the main mods:
1. remove output buffers (opamps): moderately challenging
2. bridge output caps (or remove): easy/medium
3. replace opamp: medium

4. replace analog output capacitors: medium

the last costs more and is a bit less common. anyway, i did the top three (tried a few different opamps), and the result was tremendous. i modded a few cards. i will say that i was a complete soldering beginner when doing these mods, but i did lift some traces on one card, causing massive headaches and delicate work to get my card back from fubar-land. if you screw up you can destroy your card. if you're going to try as a beginner, make sure you get plenty of practice in first, and be extremely delicate and careful. the solder-blob trick should help with the stuborn opamps. best advice i can get is this: lifting the traces is very EASY to do, and can destroy everything esp. if you're a beginner. be ever so delicate

 

[deandob]

Another vote for the EMU 0404. I also have the EMU 1820M and I think the 0404 is more dynamic. Modding it is a must. I made the the first two changes uzziah mentions and it makes a decent difference.

uzziah, was there a significant difference swapping out the opamp and the analog caps?

Regards,
Dean

 

[purplesun]

Hi, I have both cards in my system. Wrote a very brief review some time ago (see below). I now use EMU0404 exclusively for foobar2k playback. And the AV710 for regular things like movies, PC sounds, games etc. Both card outputs hooked up the AUX1/AUX2 line-in on my Exposure amplifier, so that I can easily switch between the cards.

------------------
After spending some time comparing the 2 cards, my comments are:

AV710 sounds slightly thinner across the frequency spectrum, while instruments (esp. acoustics) on the 0404 sounds fuller.

AV710's very-high frequencies sounds exaggerated. Which is great for expanding sound stage and make ambient-electronica compositions positively ethereal. Which is very cool, if you are into those sort of music. Also, my equpiment is excellent at smoothening harshness; so I would hazard a guess that better resolving and more accurate equipment would reveal the exaggerated highs to be quite harsh sounding.

As for mid-range and lows (can't comment on very lows as I have bookshelf speakers), AV-710 lacks the control of the 0404. Songs with lots of mid-range content sounds like "a lump of music" coming at you. But with the 0404, there is noticeable separation in instrumentation as well as vocals. The 0404 is also a tad more refine and less fatiguing. But not so much that makes it sound boring.

Equipment:
Exposure XX int amp
Mission 780 mk1 modded with solid-copper wire(TaraLabs)
TaraLabs solid-copper speaker cables
Homebrew Cat5e litz interconnects to soundcard
Virtually inaudible PC setup

Music tested:
Telepopmusic - Dance Me/Incertitude D'Heisenberg
Air - Universal Traveller/Alone in Kyoto
Kosheen - Wish/Recovery
New Radicals - You get what you give
Barber's Adagio op. 11 (unknown performers)
------------------------

 

[CSMR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maarek99 That is true. It seems that emu/creative engineers look at specs first and how they sound second. X-fi scores very well in RMAA, but does it really sound as excellent as the measures would indicate? Nope.

Maybe the scores are under artificial conditions?
Quite likely better specs doesn't imply better sound, but wouldn't it be true that as the specs tend to perfect, the analog wave should tend to perfect?