[AgentVX]

Hey all,
I'm trying to find the best sound card to suit my needs, which are basically to be able to have headphones and 5.1 speakers plugged in at the same time, and being able to simply switch the output in software depending on my usage. From my research, I gather that the Chaintech AV-710 and M-Audio Revolution 5.1 would both be able to do this...so first of all, am I right about that and are there any other candidates that I could consider? (I don't think the Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 is able to do what I want)
Note that my eventual 5.1 speakers would probably be something low-end so I don't really want to use the headphone jack on them.
Usage would be headphones for personal music listening and the 5.1s for games, movies and a bit of entertainment music when friends (non-critical listeners

) are around. Headphones are currently a pair of Audio Technica ATH-AD5, looking to change probably to Grado SR-60 in the very near future.

So yes I do game a bit but I'm not critical of audio quality when I'm gaming. Here's the main thing that you guys (and gals) can help me answer though...widespread opinion is that the Chaintech requires an amp to get the most out of decent headphones, whereas the M-Audio Revo already has an amplified headphone-out. I'm not looking to spend too much, so let's say I pair the AV-710 with something like a PA2V2. Would this setup be better than a standalone Revo 5.1?

I also understand that the Revo 5.1 has better DACs across the board than the AV-710, but seeing as I'll be using low-end speakers anyway, would it make much of a difference? Any guesses as to how the AV-710's non-Wolfson outputs compare to, say, the onboard audio solutions on modern motherboards?

Finally, are there any other factors in favour of the M-Audio that I may not be aware of? Better API (EAX and the like) support or something? Specs for the AV-710 are quite limited so it was a little hard to compare them head-to-head.

Thanks in advance for any advice/opinions.

 

[Xakepa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgentVX Hey all, I'm trying to find the best sound card to suit my needs, which are basically to be able to have headphones and 5.1 speakers plugged in at the same time, and being able to simply switch the output in software depending on my usage. From my research, I gather that the Chaintech AV-710 and M-Audio Revolution 5.1 would both be able to do this...so first of all, am I right about that and are there any other candidates that I could consider? (I don't think the Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 is able to do what I want) Note that my eventual 5.1 speakers would probably be something low-end so I don't really want to use the headphone jack on them. Usage would be headphones for personal music listening and the 5.1s for games, movies and a bit of entertainment music when friends (non-critical listeners ) are around. Headphones are currently a pair of Audio Technica ATH-AD5, looking to change probably to Grado SR-60 in the very near future. So yes I do game a bit but I'm not critical of audio quality when I'm gaming. Here's the main thing that you guys (and gals) can help me answer though...widespread opinion is that the Chaintech requires an amp to get the most out of decent headphones, whereas the M-Audio Revo already has an amplified headphone-out. I'm not looking to spend too much, so let's say I pair the AV-710 with something like a PA2V2. Would this setup be better than a standalone Revo 5.1?

With Grado, probably yes. PAV2 is warm, while Revo is more bright/analytical which is not a good thing with Grado, besides they need a lot of current.
Quote:

I also understand that the Revo 5.1 has better DACs across the board than the AV-710, but seeing as I'll be using low-end speakers anyway, would it make much of a difference?

The difference is marginal; the caps in the output stage of both make much more of a difference.
Quote:

Any guesses as to how the AV-710's non-Wolfson outputs compare to, say, the onboard audio solutions on modern motherboards?

Same s***t...well, a bit better than my notebook maybe.
Quote:

Finally, are there any other factors in favour of the M-Audio that I may not be aware of? Better API (EAX and the like) support or something? Specs for the AV-710 are quite limited so it was a little hard to compare them head-to-head.

I tried both. Revo is a better card with better drivers, and ASIO support, but comes at twice the price. If you're not going to start modding it, I'd say Revo is a better choice.
Quote:

Thanks in advance for any advice/opinions.

UR welcome

 

[SpacemanSpiff23]

I have the same concerns as the OP. I am already using the optical input on my speakers so I will have to use the Orange, black, and green cables for my computer. Will I be able to do this and still get the High-res sound for my headphones?

 

[joe_cool]

If you need a built-in headphone amp and/or quality 5.1 analog or coax SPDIF then the Revo 5 is way better than anything that costs less. Simple mods to remove or bypass the electrolytic caps make a lot of difference. Don't bother changing the op-amps, the 4580 is a better amp than the 5532 used in other cards.

 

[AgentVX]

Whoa, haven't seen this in a while.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpacemanSpiff23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have the same concerns as the OP. I am already using the optical input on my speakers so I will have to use the Orange, black, and green cables for my computer. Will I be able to do this and still get the High-res sound for my headphones?

Well to get the high-res sound you need to use the Alt-Out jack, there's not much else to it. I've found that the Envy24 drivers are a bit fiddly and sometimes I get output from more channels than intended, but unneeded equipment can always be turned off. I think it's an acceptable tradeoff for the flexibility it offers (as opposed to plugging/unplugging cables all the time).
Basically...you'll figure it out

Anyway just to update, (thanks again Xakepa) I decided to get the AV-710 and a PA2V2. Aside from minor driver issues I think it was a good route to take because I also have the added flexibility of an external amp to carry around (although that's a bit of a contradiction if you think about it

)