[Kush_]

My birthday is comming up in a few weeks so I decided to get a new soundcard to complete my setup. I have been tossing up between the M-Audio Revolution and the Terratec DMX 6 FIRE LT. Ive done a little searching and found that most people seem to hint that the Terratec has better sound quality. How exactly does it sound better? Has anyone done any A-B testing between the too?
I also heard that the Revolution has week bass and is a little bright. How would the bass compare to that of my Creative SB-Live Value?
I assume the brightness is not too bad just a minor thing?

Can someone give me a general idea of just how **** my SB Live Value is in comparison to the Revolution/6-FIRE?

The Revolution is much easier for me to get where I live, so please dont tell me the Terratec DMX 6 FIRE LT is that much better

I might consider having a shot at modding my Revolution if I get it.
Glassman talked a bit about modding the Revolution here. Are all these parts required for modding the Revolution availiable here in Australia? If so where would I buy them from?

Thank you for your help

 

[RayEarth]

Stay tuned...my Terratec DMX 6fire LT is on its way here (from US)...

As a side-note, if you decide to buy from Australia locally, Terratec LT = $350, Revolution 7.1 = $250. If that was the case, I would definately go fro the Revolution.

But if you buy from US like me, both cards are of equal price (US90 + 30-40 shipping).

 

[Kush_]

I was not planning on buying local.
I was going to order a revolution off ebay for ~$99 USD Plus postage or pay someone in America to buy the Terratec for me and mail it over here. I dont think places like JDsound ship to Australia off ebay.

Thanks for the speedy reply.

 

[RayEarth]

Actually they do. USPS Global Mail Express. $US35. Email them.

 

[mEtal]

The difference isn't huge. Also, the Revo's drivers are more robust and has more features, some of which do come in handy.

I don't really believe the revo is bright per say...perhaps suggesting it is on the grainy side is better. I doubt you'll notice it, the sound is quite clean and even.

 

[DanielHill]

I would have to say that the Terratec DMX 6 FIRE LT is the better of the two. I have owned the SB Live and I upgraded. The quality is amaizing.

 

[yossi]

As a side note, Revolutions are available for $200 at hometheatrepc.

 

[amol]

Keep your sound card and get a seperate Cd player with mp3 and DVD A playback for 100$. It beats any sound card,period.

 

[RayEarth]

Quote:

Originally posted by amol Keep your sound card and get a seperate Cd player with mp3 and DVD A playback for 100$. It beats any sound card,period.

I don't think a $100 cd player will beat either revolution or terratec.

 

[mulveling]

Quote:

Originally posted by RayEarth I don't think a $100 cd player will beat either revolution or terratec.

A $60 DVD player will, in my experience, beat those cards: Toshiba 3950/4900

 

[Kush_]

Please keep to the topic. I have a lot of decent quality mp3s, ogg's and flacs I want to take advantage off. If i wanted advice on a CD/DVD player I would have asked.

mEtal: When you said "The difference isn't huge." I assume you were refering to the difference between the revo and the 6fire?
From what I have read here the creative cards are bad sounding especially my SB Live Value Edition, Im expecting a pretty big difference in sound pared with my hd-650s, perreaux and zu pivot.

I assume that the Revolution is more moddable than the 6-Fire LT? I haven’t heard anything about anyone modding the 6-fire LT before. I take it that a Modded Revolution would sound better than a stock 6-Fire. Drivers are also very important to me so I’m leaning towards the Revolution.

Where can I buy the parts required for modding the revolution mentioned in Glassmans guide?

 

[taylor]

Don't let them all get to you, they are close-minded people who can't concieve that a PC may actually be a better source than a CDP.

But they don't point out to you that the best of the best CDPs are just computers that rip the CD to the hard drive and play it back through that.

You didn't see Kush_ asking for a CDP, did you? No. he says he wants a sound card. Even if amol thinks a CDP is better, maybe he could have posted that you should consider getitng a CDP, not making a sweeping generalization about sound cards.

Tell me, have you put together the best sounding PC possible and did a DBT comparing it to the Toshiba SD-3950?

The SBLive is generally considered a mediocre card. I'm not familiar with the two sound cards listed, but of they are the same price I think versatility (Does it have all the inputs and outputs you want) and driver quality should be a concern too, as the sound qualityis probably not much different.

 

[CamelBackCinema]

With the new heating/cooling technology and how cards and boards are being built, you can experience a very nuetral and silent system even if it is a computer. I think that there are soundcards that sound wonderful. You can do so much more with what you're listening to on a computer. I think that the flexibility that a computer system allows and the ability to transform yourself into a guru mixer etc.. sways me towards never getting a dedicated source just for music. Technology is changing.

Sound is so good!

 

[taylor]

Of course, the best system is the most versatile one. And a PC can't be beat in terms of versatility. You can use the digital output from a PC to go to any standalone DAC. You can use it as a DAC for an external transport. It's far more versatile than anything else. Good choice getting one!

The SBLive is not as good as the audigy for surround. It is better than most motherboard sound (Some, like the nForce2, have superior sound compared to the SBLive. I have an Abit P2 machine that has better sound than the SBLive, according to reviews, but I don't think the chip it uses was very popular).

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally posted by taylor Don't let them all get to you, they are close-minded people who can't concieve that a PC may actually be a better source than a CDP. Tell me, have you put together the best sounding PC possible and did a DBT comparing it to the Toshiba SD-3950?

Fwiw, I've directly compared my M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 to a Toshiba SD-2109 DVD player (playing CDs, using the same amp and headphones for both) and the sound card stomped the DVD player into the ground.

Granted, this is a consumer-level DVD player, one of the earlier models from late 1999 (about $200 iirc). However, my Audiophile 2496 sounds much better -- less grainy, more transparent and more detailed.

To be fair, I'm upsampling to 24/96 with my soundcard (which improves SQ in several ways, to my ears).