Tiramisu
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2007
- Posts
- 69
- Likes
- 10
Hi guys:
I'm very glad that I've purchased the best soundcard avaliable on the market in terms of its features, customizability, and No.1 sound quality proven and claimed by many reviewers through various benchmark tests. Creative X-Fi is no comparason to the new Auzen Meridian with its implemented Oxygen HD 8788 Chip. For gamers, X-Fi may perform better in terms of higher FPS and lower CPU usage. For all audiophiles, this card will meet your highest expectation from a sound card for music and movie as it's fully supported all Dolby formats: Dolby Headphone is one of them I'd point out becouse this is what matters to us on the head-fi.org
Now here comes its upgradable operational amps. It's widely acclaimed that it's supposed to give out significant difference in the sound reproduction. Others have said they were totally amazed by the Oxygen HK 8788 Chip and "floored" after they done the 4 onboard OPAMP upgrade (Burr Brown OPA2134PA) This is the recommanded OPAMP from Auzen official website under their support page. This upgrade is for analog output from the soundcard. For SPDIF connection, the signal is trasfer to your external DAC/ADC so this is for analog users. From the website, it states that it's suppose to give out clearer, stronger signal and better sound quality playback and recording.
Well, whatever others said and those websites claimed aren't going to be a substitude for my own pleasure experience of course, said to myself.
Here's the story...
sigh....quite a dissapointment from this upgrade.
Nope, the sound quality/range/clarity/extention/depth DID NOT improve by a significant amount. Personally, I wouldn't consider this is an upgrade NOR a degrade either. Simply the result isn't great, in fact, I can't tell a difference.
I just paid Doug $30 for parts/labour all together which is a very fair price for a suppose to be decent upgrade. He did a great job during the installation process with contact sprayer on all parts.
The result is...I'm just not floored. I've a highly reputable high end Hi-Fi Headphone cost $200USD - Audio Technica A900. The difference may have to be tested and calculated through various 3D sound benchmark tests to get that fair margin of improvment result on paper. But user experience isn't there for me, IMHO.
I'd say the sound db level output, quality, depth, range, clarity and extention is just great as it is without an upgrade. Unless you're a professional trained ears audiophile, you're not going to detect great amount of difference. This doesn't mean I'm a newbie in the audiophile's realm, I've years of lisening experience from high end equipment, I know how each music notes should be presented throughout the full range of sound spectrum.
Conclusion, I cannot say it's a degrade from the original operation amps but I'm not going to state it's going to be a significant upgrade even tested with high end stuido level hi-fi monitor. The sound is excellent as it is originally. However, I wouldn't discourage all Auzen sound card owners who wants to do this modification. From a marketing perspective, you're buying an experience. This experience/pleasure purchases is intangible. What is going to enhance this experience feedback quality is going to be closely associated with the additional "placeable effect" from users; the power of believing that you're getting a "better" sound. Are you actually getting a much better overall sound quality from this upgradable mod? The result is really to each of their own and with placeable effect, yes, it's going to help by a fair amount as this our human nature...
I'm very glad that I've purchased the best soundcard avaliable on the market in terms of its features, customizability, and No.1 sound quality proven and claimed by many reviewers through various benchmark tests. Creative X-Fi is no comparason to the new Auzen Meridian with its implemented Oxygen HD 8788 Chip. For gamers, X-Fi may perform better in terms of higher FPS and lower CPU usage. For all audiophiles, this card will meet your highest expectation from a sound card for music and movie as it's fully supported all Dolby formats: Dolby Headphone is one of them I'd point out becouse this is what matters to us on the head-fi.org
Now here comes its upgradable operational amps. It's widely acclaimed that it's supposed to give out significant difference in the sound reproduction. Others have said they were totally amazed by the Oxygen HK 8788 Chip and "floored" after they done the 4 onboard OPAMP upgrade (Burr Brown OPA2134PA) This is the recommanded OPAMP from Auzen official website under their support page. This upgrade is for analog output from the soundcard. For SPDIF connection, the signal is trasfer to your external DAC/ADC so this is for analog users. From the website, it states that it's suppose to give out clearer, stronger signal and better sound quality playback and recording.
Well, whatever others said and those websites claimed aren't going to be a substitude for my own pleasure experience of course, said to myself.
Here's the story...
sigh....quite a dissapointment from this upgrade.
Nope, the sound quality/range/clarity/extention/depth DID NOT improve by a significant amount. Personally, I wouldn't consider this is an upgrade NOR a degrade either. Simply the result isn't great, in fact, I can't tell a difference.
I just paid Doug $30 for parts/labour all together which is a very fair price for a suppose to be decent upgrade. He did a great job during the installation process with contact sprayer on all parts.
The result is...I'm just not floored. I've a highly reputable high end Hi-Fi Headphone cost $200USD - Audio Technica A900. The difference may have to be tested and calculated through various 3D sound benchmark tests to get that fair margin of improvment result on paper. But user experience isn't there for me, IMHO.
I'd say the sound db level output, quality, depth, range, clarity and extention is just great as it is without an upgrade. Unless you're a professional trained ears audiophile, you're not going to detect great amount of difference. This doesn't mean I'm a newbie in the audiophile's realm, I've years of lisening experience from high end equipment, I know how each music notes should be presented throughout the full range of sound spectrum.
Conclusion, I cannot say it's a degrade from the original operation amps but I'm not going to state it's going to be a significant upgrade even tested with high end stuido level hi-fi monitor. The sound is excellent as it is originally. However, I wouldn't discourage all Auzen sound card owners who wants to do this modification. From a marketing perspective, you're buying an experience. This experience/pleasure purchases is intangible. What is going to enhance this experience feedback quality is going to be closely associated with the additional "placeable effect" from users; the power of believing that you're getting a "better" sound. Are you actually getting a much better overall sound quality from this upgradable mod? The result is really to each of their own and with placeable effect, yes, it's going to help by a fair amount as this our human nature...
