Transit vs Audigy 2 NX - Price doesn't matter

[Yellowjacket]

It's only a $10 differential so that's not an issue, and I don't game much.

The Transit meets all my current needs (headphones and optical for surround sound)...but the Audigy 2 NX could be useful in the future when I upgrade my speakers and they don't have optical input.

So, why wouldn't I get the Audigy 2 NX? I don't know how well it works with OSX (I have a both WinXP lappy and Powerbook) and it needs an external power supply which means I can't use it when my lappy is running on battery.

Any suggestions from those who have experience with either card?

 

[Soundstorm]

Audigy2 NX has a crappy Sigmatel 9460 codec, the DAC inside the codec is not audiophile quality. Sigmatel DACs are never good sounding.

The Transit has an AKM AK4584 DAC, and AKM DACs are miles better than any Sigmatel product in sound quality.

http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/...rodigy192.html

Quote:

The Prodigy192 comes with the Sigmatel ST9460 codec which is a new 6-channel solution that outputs sound in the 24/192 mode and samples it in the 24/96 one. The result didn't please us much. The Prodigy192 sounded like a typical Sigmatel-based product: the sound was constrained, had sharp metallic highs and lacked for minor details.

 

[Jon L]

Get both?

If you need to use headphone out or analogue line-out, I would stick with Transit. I have one with simple mods on analogue out (blackgate coupling caps), and the output is very nice sounding. Extensive mods are needed if SPDIF digital output is what you mainly need.


Audigy 2NX 'may' be what you want IF you mainly needed SPDIF output to use with outboard DAC. There's rumors that 2NX may be utilizing asynchronous USB mode, which would be a better way to do USB->spdif. I doubt the analogue output would sound that good due to the DAC used, though.

 

[thomaspf]

I can assure the async mode is not a rumor.

However, for this purpose bit perfect playback at 44.1 Khz is probably a bigger issue.

I would put getting the correct bits to the DAC higher than sending bits with low jitter.

Ideally you want bit perfect and low jitter but it is not clear at this point whether the 2NX can give you that.

Cheers

Thomas

 

[Glassman]

I would be surprised even for that lower jitter in case of Creative.. everything's possible, I'd need to see pics of it's guts first to judge anything..

 

[Yellowjacket]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L Get both? If you need to use headphone out or analogue line-out, I would stick with Transit. I have one with simple mods on analogue out (blackgate coupling caps), and the output is very nice sounding. Extensive mods are needed if SPDIF digital output is what you mainly need. Audigy 2NX 'may' be what you want IF you mainly needed SPDIF output to use with outboard DAC. There's rumors that 2NX may be utilizing asynchronous USB mode, which would be a better way to do USB->spdif. I doubt the analogue output would sound that good due to the DAC used, though.

Why would I need to mod the Transit to use SPDIF? It has a TOSlink port

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellowjacket Why would I need to mod the Transit to use SPDIF? It has a TOSlink port

Well, you don't 'need' it to work. You could just use the toslink output without mods, and it will work. Mods, including adding a coax digital out, better parts, external PS, etc, will make it sound better, though.

If you don't want mods, one of the Edirol units is reported to sound better than stock Transit.

 

[Alu]

Aren't those mods expensive as hell?