[haibane]

Hey guys, what sound card should I buy to hook up my stax to? I am currently connecting with the standard 1/8th connector to my T-amp

 

[infinitesymphony]

Stax headphones and the T-Amp have 1/8" outputs and inputs?

 

[Tachikoma]

I think the t-amp goes to a transformer box or something. Which stax headphone are you referring to?

I'm running my staxen out of an integrated laptop soundcard hehe (not out of choice, my DAC is still stuck in Malaysia), but erm... just get the best card you can afford?

 

[haibane]

ah ok. yeah the stax goes a to an adapter the adapter goes to the T-amp. Source goes to t-amp. Its the SR-5s

 

[infinitesymphony]

Ah, got it... In that case, any sound card should work. What's your budget?

 

[haibane]

well just wanted to add one to my list for birthday gift for upcoming. So I am guessing like maybe under 200

 

[infinitesymphony]

I'm a fan of the E-MU line-up, or you could wait for the Auzentech Prelude which is supposed to be a great deal (though it's not yet released).

E-MU 0404 USB for an external solution, 1212M for internal if you have two free slots (one PCI, one open). I have a 1212M and love it.

 

[haibane]

So why not the 0404 internal? I do have two slots, but what is the bonus of the 1212m?

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haibane /img/forum/go_quote.gif So why not the 0404 internal? I do have two slots, but what is the bonus of the 1212m?

The 1212M has a different, more expensive DAC than the 0404s (Cirrus CS4398 versus AKM AK4396). Also, the 1212M isolates the analog output from the motherboard by using a separate daughterboard connected to the 1010 portion via digital ribbon cable. This separate analog output board helps to prevent some of the interference and noise that results from being in an electrically noisy computer environment.

Most people prefer the external 0404 USB because it has a lot more features, like a built-in headphone amplifier, direct monitor control for active speakers, and microphone preamplifiers. Since you already have an amp and aren't looking to record anything, the regular 0404 would be a valid choice.

 

[TheVinylRipper]

I'm partial to M-Audio since I have one..

Audiophile 2496 or Audiophile 192

The 192 has balanced outputs so it might not be suitable but it has a 111 db signal to noise ratio..