[scott916]

http://www.audiocubes.com/product/On...dio_Board.html

Any thoughts on how it might perform? What about compared to something at a similar price point like an e-mu?

 

[lan]

Ah finally it's out! I'm not sure anybody has it yet and the 1212m.

The significance of this card is multichannel out. Could be an upgrade from Revo/chaintechs of the world.

 

[DrewWinters]

Perhaps since it is based on the Envy24 chip it will be a bit easier to use with games and/or movies for those people who, like me, use their computer for more than just audio stuff....

then again, I guess that probably depends upon the drivers more than anything, eh?

 

[lan]

hmm... I read from a japanese site translation there are no ASIO drivers?, recording on it isn't that great, and it sounds trebly?

see what you make of it yourself.
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...115/dal168.htm

Of course their drivers were in japanese language. I wonder if there's english drivers with this.

 

[Daroid]

Probably a bad thing, never realised it before, but the board is only compatile with the dated PCI 5V spec. The interface will not work in new motherboards featuring PCI v. 2.3 spec, it won't fit - the AV710 (and others) won't either. See a pic of the e-mu 1212M PCI interface, RME digi 96/8 PAD/PST/PRO, Audigy 1/2/2ZS which are all universal boards...

 

[sgrossklass]

That's an interesting point you bring up there. I've had a look at some models now, and most Envy24xx cards I could find are only keyed for 5V operation, the only exceptions being the Revo 5.1 and 7.1, the Audiophile 192 and the Philips Ultimate Edge 5.1 with universal keying. 5V-only cards are apparently very common, with universal ones being the exception rather than the rule outside of Creative. I do not consider this to be much of a problem, though, since even workstation/server-class boards tend to have at least one 5V-compatible 32-bit 33 MHz PCI slot, and ordinary ones are usually 32/33 (5V tolerant) throughout.

BTW, I'm wondering whether a service manual on the SE-150 PCI will be available; this is common in the hi-fi sector where Onkyo comes from but pretty much unheard of in the PC world. Whatever, a soundcard from a hi-fi maker (which shows immediately) certainly is an interesting novelty item and may attract some collector value pretty much regardless of how it performs.

 

[sgrossklass]

PS: PCI revision and I/O voltage aren't directly related. 3.3 V operation has been possible since the PCI 2.1 spec, but even current PCI 2.3 compliant boards are able to use old 5V only cards. (However, for operation in a PCI-X slot, the card must be 3.3V capable; the same goes for PCI64/66.) It only gets tricky if a new PCI 2.3 compliant (but universal) card does some things that upset an old PCI 2.1 board or rather its BIOS, resulting in anything from no detection to failure to boot.