[LordofDoom]

This is a repost from a topic I've made on another forum, but I assume that I can probably also get a lot of answers and ideas here. Here is the original post:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Me Well after seeing the mods by NapalmV5 in this thread, I was convinced and enticed to do something myself. I wasn't quite ready to try it on an X-Meridian or other high-priced sound card, I'd rather do it to something that is for the most part "dispensable" if broken. I want to know how I would upgrade this card (I don't need to know lots of details like how it would sound after specifically, the point of this project is to learn how to do it and to hear the differences myself). Our subject is the wonderful Turtle Beach Santa Cruz. It is the product of disassembling a neighbor's Dell after he so kindly called and donated it to me. Product specs and pictures are as follows: Analog (A-A): Frequency Response: 10Hz - 120kHz (-3dB) SNR: 96dB FS A-weighted. THD+N: (-3dB): < -91dB FS (0.0027%). Crosstalk: -105dB @ 100Hz Digital Playback (D-A): Frequency Response: (-3dB) @ Fs = 48kHz: 10Hz to 20kHz SNR: 90dB FS A-weighted THD+N: (-3dB FS): < -87dB FS (0.004%). Digital Recording (A-D): Frequency Response: (-3dB) @ Fs = 48kHz: 10Hz to 20kHz SNR: 93dB FS A-weighted THD+N: (-3dB FS): < -84dB FS (0.005%). Digital Output: 48kHz PCM audio or Dolby Digital® AC-3 for external decoder. Chip Used: 1x Crystal CS4630-CM EP AWAUHB0143 Other Readable Black Chips: 2x 1ACL8CT TLV2465C (they look to be Texas Instruments) 1x 4294-JQ EP ZTABCE0144(has an "E" looking symbol) 1x 4297-JQ EP YTTJYH0101 (has an "E" looking symbol) 2x 74HCT125D E1009 26 Unn0144D (unknown product symbol, same as below) 2x 74HC40520 D9820ME HRRR0105 D (unknown product symbol, same as above) 1x 78M05 RL136 (almost looks like it says ON) Readable Black Chips: 2x 1ACL8CT TLV2465C (they look to be Texas Instruments) 1x 4294-JQ EP ZTABCE0144(has an "E" looking symbol) 1x 4297-JQ EP YTTJYH0101 (has an "E" looking symbol) 2x 74HCT125D E1009 26 Unn0144D (unknown product symbol, same as below) 2x 74HC40520 D9820ME HRRR0105 D (unknown product symbol, same as above) 1x 78M05 RL136 (almost looks like it says ON) 1x CSI 24WC01J 01160 (really REALLY hard to read so this could be off) Caps: 6x Fat Blues- Lelon SEA85° H145(M) 3x Thin Blues- Lelon SEA85° H145(M) 41x Small Blacks- G-Luxon 10uF25v SS 85° 1117(M) 3x Medium Blacks- Tayeh 47uF16v 3x Big Blacks- Elcon (M)85°C 100uF V 16 Caps Used: 6x Fat Blues- Lelon SEA85° H145(M) 3x Thin Blues- Lelon SEA85° H145(M) 41x Small Blacks- G-Luxon 10uF25v SS 85° 1117(M) 3x Medium Blacks- Tayeh 47uF16v 3x Big Blacks- Elcon (M)85°C 100uF V 16 Big Silver Thing: 1x Raltron 24.576-20-BL 01 CYH 11 It looks like a good card (especially for the time, it was getting 9/10s in reviews when it was released ).

So, where do I start?