[Jesusa]

Hey! (And sorry my bad english)

I have purchased Sennheiser 595 and i thought that my old soundcard (integrated) would be okay for my sennheisers, but I was wrong.. they sound kind a plastic and cheap. Not much difference between my old sennheiser hd477.

Now I would like to buy a new soundcard, but i don't know much about those. I could spend about 100-150 euros, would E-MU 0404 sound good (140e), or Terratec Aureon 7.1 Space (~100e). And the biggest question is, will they be much better with my sennheiser than the integrated soundcard?

Thanks for helping such a noob

 

[sgrossklass]

First off, it seems you're not using an amp. Thus you can remove cards with line outs only (such as the 0404) from the list, and you'll want to stick with good "normal" sound cards that feature some amplication for headphone use. The most popular cards on this class are, in alphabetical order, Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT and 7.1 (the latter is almost the same as the Terratec except for coax digital outs and much better drivers), M-Audio Revolution 5.1 (possibly the best-sounding of the bunch, at least it does have the best DAC) and Terratec Aureon 5.1 Sky and 7.1 Space (the 5.1 Sky is the same minus two channels and thus just as good for headphone use). You should research the prices for all of those in your location, this should make it easier to recommend a card.

 

[lordgibbness]

I'd agree - if you don't have enough to get an amp and a soundcard then get a soundcard that is capable of powering the Senns. The Revo 5.1 has a headphone jack (amplifier built-in) and should work fine.

 

[Jesusa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgrossklass First off, it seems you're not using an amp. Thus you can remove cards with line outs only (such as the 0404) from the list, and you'll want to stick with good "normal" sound cards that feature some amplication for headphone use. The most popular cards on this class are, in alphabetical order, Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT and 7.1 (the latter is almost the same as the Terratec except for coax digital outs and much better drivers), M-Audio Revolution 5.1 (possibly the best-sounding of the bunch, at least it does have the best DAC) and Terratec Aureon 5.1 Sky and 7.1 Space (the 5.1 Sky is the same minus two channels and thus just as good for headphone use). You should research the prices for all of those in your location, this should make it easier to recommend a card.

Thanks. And yes, I don't have an amp. So, I think I'll choose M-Audio Revolution 5.1...

 

[mattpwill]

Unamped, HD595s driven from the EMU0404 sound amazing. Trust me, get the amp if you're not satisfied

 

[Jesusa]

What if I someday decide to buy an amp, will the Revo 5.1 be good for that?

 

[Patu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesusa What if I someday decide to buy an amp, will the Revo 5.1 be good for that?

In that case I think there would be better cards available in almost same price range. With Emu 0404 it's hard to fail.

I took a 'risk' and bought Esi Juli@. Hope it's worth 134EUR.

 

[Nandro]

From reading about it, it dosent look like much risk. That looks like it would be awsome. Please post your impressions when you get a chance to do some listening.

 

[Patu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nandro From reading about it, it dosent look like much risk. That looks like it would be awsome. Please post your impressions when you get a chance to do some listening.

Well risk might be wrong word but there isn't so much comments or reviews about Juli@ than there is for example about 0404.

I'll have to wait my other gear to arrive, then I'll post my expressions.

 

[Nandro]

They have a very detailed review of it here:
http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/esi-julia/
Looks like a very good card as they compare it to $800+ cards

 

[lordgibbness]

I would like to see a comparison between the Audiophile192, Juli@ and 1212M one day as one of these will probably be the next card that I get. On the other hand there is also the Onkyo SE-90 to consider - it has a SNR of 110dB and has two RCA outputs - nice and simple.

 

[Jesusa]

Hey again!

My sennheiser 595 are 50 ohms.. would it matter which card i choose?

 

[sgrossklass]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesusa Hey again! My sennheiser 595 are 50 ohms.. would it matter which card i choose?

For direct connection of headphones, you do not want a card with too high an output impedance (as in significantly more than 100 ohms). This is usually the case with cards that have line outs only, e.g. 0404, Juli@, 1212M, Audiophile 192. (Thus you have more choice among high-end sound cards when using an amp.) Apart from that, the card should be able to deliver a moderate amount of current but doesn't need all too high output voltages. The HD595 isn't very power hungry.

 

[Jesusa]

Okay, I just ordered the Revo 5.1 and I think it will be good enough for my needs. At least it can't be worse than this integrated card

 

[Nandro]

Do you know what integated sound it is?