[Kentech0023]

I just installed this card yesterday and it is great and everything but I have a few issues:
 
1. I have MASSIVE electronic feedback from it - When I don't have music playing I hear static and electronic pulses pretty badly I have to mute it when I am not playing anything. 
 
2. Audio sounds slightly tinny - Maybe this can be fixed after I play around more with the settings.
 
3. I hear popping sounds with short audio clips - When short audio clips play (i.e. skype notification sound) I hear a pop after the sound is played and it slowly fades away. This is the most annoying issue I have.
 
I am using this on Apple earbuds because my new headphones haven't come in yet and this is the only thing I can use for now. Hopefully it'll sound better on my MDR-7506.
 
-Ken

 

[germanium]

Quote:

I just installed this card yesterday and it is great and everything but I have a few issues:
 
1. I have MASSIVE electronic feedback from it - When I don't have music playing I hear static and electronic pulses pretty badly I have to mute it when I am not playing anything. 
 
2. Audio sounds slightly tinny - Maybe this can be fixed after I play around more with the settings.
 
3. I hear popping sounds with short audio clips - When short audio clips play (i.e. skype notification sound) I hear a pop after the sound is played and it slowly fades away. This is the most annoying issue I have.
 
I am using this on Apple earbuds because my new headphones haven't come in yet and this is the only thing I can use for now. Hopefully it'll sound better on my MDR-7506.
 
-Ken

I would not call the sound of this card tinny though some have complained of excessive brightness at the very top. I personally find the sound very neutral & what so called excessive brightness to be in the recordings as it sounded the same on all my sources, not just the STX. On my system it sounds full without excessive warmth or sounding cold. Attacks are sharp & clean as in real life. I have had this card for close to 2 years & not a bit of trouble unlike creatives products which seem to last about 1 to 1.5 years before causing problems.
 
It sounds like you mike is set active & on high gain. This will cause the amplification of internal computer electronic noise. Make sure mike is muted & select anouther recording source other than microphone. Microphone inputs on most soundcards are usually very low quality
 
Try updating driver to the latest. This may help reduce or eliminate popping noises when playing short sounds. Muting mike & swithing to different source may help also.
 

 

[Pudu]

I just installed this card yesterday and it is great and everything but I have a few issues:
 
1. I have MASSIVE electronic feedback from it - When I don't have music playing I hear static and electronic pulses pretty badly I have to mute it when I am not playing anything. 
 
2. Audio sounds slightly tinny - Maybe this can be fixed after I play around more with the settings.
 
3. I hear popping sounds with short audio clips - When short audio clips play (i.e. skype notification sound) I hear a pop after the sound is played and it slowly fades away. This is the most annoying issue I have.
 
I am using this on Apple earbuds because my new headphones haven't come in yet and this is the only thing I can use for now. Hopefully it'll sound better on my MDR-7506.
 
-Ken

If it sounds bad on ibuds it won't get better, I would guess.


That definitely sounds like there's an issue somewhere. You should not expect any of that with this card.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Best Buffer chip.
I installed two LME49860NA chips in my STX for the headphone.
The third replaceable op-amp is for the RCA output (my getting Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers).
(Thinking of getting the LME49990NA)
So what is the current popular op-amp for the RCA output?

Please, someone have an answer for me.
I really do not want to read 178 pages.
 
 
 

 

[derbigpr]

Quote:

I just installed this card yesterday and it is great and everything but I have a few issues:
 
1. I have MASSIVE electronic feedback from it - When I don't have music playing I hear static and electronic pulses pretty badly I have to mute it when I am not playing anything. 
 
2. Audio sounds slightly tinny - Maybe this can be fixed after I play around more with the settings.
 
3. I hear popping sounds with short audio clips - When short audio clips play (i.e. skype notification sound) I hear a pop after the sound is played and it slowly fades away. This is the most annoying issue I have.
 
I am using this on Apple earbuds because my new headphones haven't come in yet and this is the only thing I can use for now. Hopefully it'll sound better on my MDR-7506.
 
-Ken

 
Pretty sure something's wrong. First check whether your PCI or PCI-e ports are filled with dust. I had the same problem with D2X.  Clean your ports, then plug it in.  Also, make sure your power cable thats connected into the card is not connected to something else before the card.  Use a cable that comes straight out of power supply, this card needs clean power, and a lot of power.  I had a cable that was connected into my graphics card and then into the sound card, and drivers posted errors on my screen.
 
There shouldn't be absolutely any hissing or buzzing from this card, on any volume. It has 124 db signal to noise ratio, which is one of the best measurements of all the DAC's, no matter which price.   Also, since you're using it with in-ear's, try checking whether your card gain is set for low or high impedance headphones,  STX should have that option i think.  If nothing else works, try reinstalling drivers, fiddling with the connection in the back (make sure headphones are plugged in properly, try turning the cable jack around a bit, on my D2X it takes quite a force to plug something in, and the cable jack "clicks" 2 time before its really in.
 
If nothing else helps, then its probably a broken card, or just too powerful for Apple ear buds.

 

[leeperry]

Please, someone have an answer for me.
I really do not want to read 178 pages.

Most ppl in this thread can't be hassled to solder single opamps on adapters, and that's the best sounding solution by far. Try OPA827, AD797B and all the usual suspects...they'll all be a far cry from the usual OPA2132, 2111, and all those crummy sounding dual opamps.
 
You can get adapters for very cheap on ebay, don't get conned by the stellar markups of the browndogs: http://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-Dual-SOIC-DIP-8-Convert-PCB-Adapter-SMD-OPA627-/230570372702
 

 

[acenes]

I just put this audio card in my computer four days ago and have about 20hours of listening to it , got to say I'm not dissapointed with the stock electronics it came with.  I've read the beginning 24 pages and it's quite a journey for any of us I'm sure.
 
I get a kick out of you leeperry , you have  a lot of opinions , and they are valid to me , so too for your nemises's , it's been a rollercoaster ride for me , a very enjoyable one when it comes to listening to you all rolling opamps.
 
Just wanted to say thankyou , and keep up the good fight to all of you that have contributed to this thread!

 

[acenes]

One thing that dissapionts me about this audio card is I can't have a line level out volume through the line out or spdif/optical out , big let down as I have DAC amps and analog amps. I wouldn't have purchased this if I would have know this before hand.  I yet to test out line level out vs this variable level out controlled by a computer , but I'm not like excited about it.

 

[KalumenDNar]

Hello Guys,
 
I am wondering if it works to have ths combination..
 
1 OPA 627 and 2 AD825.... THis is what I want to order...  but do i need actually 2 adapters and 4 ad825 ??

 

[KalumenDNar]

If i need adapters then my next option is 
 
1 OPA627 + 2 OPA827
or
1 OPA 627 + 2OPA2604
.....
 
 
If  my first option with the AD825 requires adapters thatn I wont buy it.. but if the other options are left for me, which one do you think would sound better...?

 

[GamerOne]

I have an Essence ST and a pair of AKG K701, which op-amps would you guys recommend for this combination?

 

[derbigpr]

Quote:

I have an Essence ST and a pair of AKG K701, which op-amps would you guys recommend for this combination?

Dont have the answer for Op-amps, but I wonder,  how well does that card run the K701's?

 

[d8n0g]

Quote:

I have an Essence ST and a pair of AKG K701, which op-amps would you guys recommend for this combination?

I have lme49990's and they are great!!
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DUAL-SOIC-LME49990-DIP8-ADAPTER-/190577861922?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5f536522#ht_889wt_1396

 

[PurpleAngel]

Anyone using three AD797BRZ in their Essence STX and how do you like the sound?
(currently I've only upgraded the I/V with two LME49860NA)

 

[leeperry]

Anyone using three AD797BRZ in their Essence STX and how do you like the sound?

A friend of mine tried it and he said that it wasn't stable on the I/V of the STX.