[Mic]

Bottom line: putting an amp+HD600 will make the INTENDED sound better. It will, however, also bring out any noise from the source. The improvement in sound might also not be much since the recordings are probably poor to begin with. Money would be much better spent getting a mediocre ~$80 dedicated headphone.

 

[r4z0r]

Thanks for the tips folks...

I think I will work my ass off and save up for this combination:

Terratec DMX 6Fire 24/96--->Art D/IO--->Maxed Out Home--->Ety 4P/S & Senn HD-600

This is currently my dream setup, it's not going to be complete anytime soon

but once it is (assuming it doesnt become outdated) .. I think I will just stop doing everything else and listen to music all day.

Has anyone listened through this/a similar setup? Any comments on the sound compared to dedicated CD players?

 

[markjia]

hum...is there really a noticable difference btw the digital ouput of the Audiophile 2496 and Terratec DMX 6Fire 24/96?

 

[Mic]

First off, I wouldn't imagine that your average computer CDROM would act as a better transport than that of a dedicated CD player. Secondly, the sound quality of a dedicated CD player would probably be cleaner as it doesn't have to go through as many components, cables, etc. In addition, there are CD players that sound better, and worse than the Art D/IO so your mileage varies there.

 

[markjia]

Well, you don't need to get an average CD-Rom...Plextor makes some of the best out there and they are SCSI. Furthermore, CD-Rom are capable of advance error corrections. I don't know if CDP also do this, but consider that files need to be copied without a single mistake for them to work properly, while errors in audio is somewhat flexible. The combined cost of of a Plextor SCSI cd-rom plus SCSI card is like $150 at most. Errors in the digital information (I don't mean in the form of digital audio) within a computer is excessively rare and would not have a audible impact on the sound (consider how much more information needs to be transfered prefectly for a computer to function properly as apposed to a CDP). For this reason, the distance a digital signal travels within a computer is obviously inconsequential. The only two points in which a computer would signifacantly impact the sound are with the CD-Rom and sound card. You get what you pay for (but they would be less than a CDP of the same quality).

The price of high end CDPs is partly due to significant markup. Their compitition is much smaller than that of CD-Rom manufacturers.

As for some CDPs having better DACs than the Art DI/O, you could always get a better DAC.

The fact that you are spending $150 is somewhat misleading. You also need to take into account that fact that you have spent a least several hundred more on the computer itself. So it is not like saying that a $150 device will give you the sound quality of a $2000 CDP. It's just that you already have a computer, why not exploit it.

 

[r4z0r]

"hum...is there really a noticable difference btw the digital ouput of the Audiophile 2496 and Terratec DMX 6Fire 24/96?"

markjia, according to Audio&Me's Hi-Fi PC Guide, the DMX 6Fire has smoother treble and tighter bass, and marginally better middle range as well. I'm considering it mainly because its 5 1/2 drive bay box sports so many features, the ability to accelerate 3D gaming APIs is also a plus.

 

[r4z0r]

markjia, I also feel quite confident about using PC CD-ROM drives as transports.

Right now, the setup I mentioned in the previous post is a serious temptation.

In fact, within its price range, I think there's no better alternatives. So, has anyone listened through this kind of PC setup?

 

[markjia]

I do. (kinda)

Audiophile 2496 -> Art DI/O -> Morgan Jones DIY (it's a reverse engineered earmax pro) -> HD-580s

 

[r4z0r]

Could you comment on the sound compared to other sources? I.e. dedicated redbook Cd players? Umm, yeah, also the notorious creative cards (which i unfortunately owned for the past few years, but that will change very soon).

 

[markjia]

The only CDP i've ever used with this setup is a crappy old Pioneer CD/LD player (CLD-V760). It really does not compare to the Art DI/O + 2496. It lacked detail and full of noise and other odd sounds. The Art is much better, detailed, fast, larg soundstage, and no noise whatsoever.

But the Pioneer was still several times as good as the disgusting sound out of the Creative cards. They had a very limited frequency response and a tiny soundstage. Plus all of the other problems with the Pioneer, except to a worser degree.

I didn't fully realize how bad the creative card was until i got the 2496.

 

[r4z0r]

thanks for the info mark, looks like i will definitely throw out the crappy sb live value and get the Terratec card + interface box. I expect to hear a HUGE difference in everything

 

[markjia]

You won't be disappointed

 

[Audio-Me]

For the record, I have not tried an Audiophile 2496 or DMX 6Fire. I have owned DiO 2496 and now own Terratec EWS88 MT. Mine comes with a shielded external DAC (same one found in the art dio). I don't use the spdif output, only one of the many analog outs.

The difference I heard was an overall cleaner sound, so I guess you could say tighter bass, more refined treble, and a fuller midrange.

razor, I think 3D sound APIs are ****, if you just want to use the PC as your main source for music, I recommend you try the Audiophile 2496 or Terratec EWX 24/96 instead.

I use an old Panasonic CR-588-B for my transport, connected to the coax in of my soundcard. But with the recent descovery of the cd reader plugin for winamp, I've been using my Pioneer DVD-305S SCSI drive as I multitask quite often.

(the pana ide drive eats a lot of cpu)

To get better than this, I'd have to get a Rega Planet 2000 or Arcam CD72.

But they don't cost much more than $400, hehe.

 

[dparrish]

Audio&Me,

I tried an Audiophile 24/96 as a replacement to my Soundblaster Audigy. I, too, have been listening exclusively from the analog outs--mainly so I can enjoy dolby headphone with my DVDs. I have a Sony XA777ES for music

My question is this: I felt that the Audiophile, while an improvement over the Audigy, was still quite harsh in the treble and lacking in the bass (supposedly a symptom of jitter). Does the Terratec, with its shielded DACs, sound less harsh/smoother in the upper midrange/treble than the 24/96?

If possible, I'd like to get a HIGH quality sound coming from the analog outs!

Thanks,

David

 

[Audio-Me]

I can't comment on those, but I feel the sound from the EWS88 MT is much cleaner than what it was from the DiO 2496. No harshness.