VOGONS


First post, by 386SX

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Hi,

on my linux machine I actually use an Oxygen HD CMI8788 with a nice pcb layout, solid capacitor etc... I also have the lower end versions of the card and the original Audigy. If I'd like to try a better card for casual music listening and voice fidelity which card could I buy possibly not too much expensive?

Thank

Reply 2 of 11, by Logistics

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I use an M-Audio Delta 410, but the Audiophile 2496 has the same DSP. Either of them are fantastic sounding PCI cards, but driver support just barely, scoots by in Windows 7, which is where I use it. No Windows 10 support.

Reply 3 of 11, by Eleanor1967

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I have a D2x, the PCIe version of the Asus Xonar D2 and while its great sounding, especially if your into playing with its software feature like virtual headphone surround thingy, its Linux Support is barebones, it works and thats about it last time I checked. I wouldn't bet on it sounding any better than your curent CMI8788 card. Also it does not have a real headphone amp, so no 600 ohm headphones. With my 32 ohm headphones and on Windows 7 or 10 its fantastic, though.

Reply 5 of 11, by 386SX

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Thanks for the answers. At the moment my card is the Asus Xonar D1 as I was saying with the CMI8788. It works great (even if a bit lower volume of the Xonar Gamer) but it's really well built.
I'm not much expert in audio but I always appreciate noise free output signal, good volume level etc mostly for music and I was thinking if exists even better cards without entering in the professional area that are probably too expensive.

Reply 6 of 11, by Logistics

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Wait, I forgot to ask for some very important information, here. How are you using your card? Are you using headphones, right off the card? Are you outputting analog to an external amplifier or set of desktop speakers?

Matthew

Reply 7 of 11, by 386SX

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Logistics wrote:

Wait, I forgot to ask for some very important information, here. How are you using your card? Are you using headphones, right off the card? Are you outputting analog to an external amplifier or set of desktop speakers?

Matthew

Only music with a 2.1 analog amplifier that was from a home theatre (quiet cheap maybe 30W rms x 6 channels). Satellites and subwoofer are from the Creative DTT2500 kit but without its decoder/amplifier.

But also headphones even if the Gamer edition of thr Xonar has a dedicated on board amplifier.

Reply 8 of 11, by Logistics

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Okay, let's try to keep this simple. There are many ways you could go. First, you need to list what you have to work with. You do have a Xonar D1 so you can obviously, output to your 2.1 speakers. What are you using for headphones?

While the D1 would not be my choice for pure, stereo music listening, there's nothing wrong with it. If you're going to be listening to music primarily, over headphones, then I'd suggest you get a stand-alone amplifier for them, but first we need to know what headphones you're using. If you want to use your 2.1 system to play music most of the time, then all you could really change at this point is the 2.1 system, itself. What's the specific make and model of the 2.1 amplifier? This is very critical information to making sure you have a hardware arrangement that will coalesce.

Matthew

Reply 9 of 11, by 386SX

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Logistics wrote:

Okay, let's try to keep this simple. There are many ways you could go. First, you need to list what you have to work with. You do have a Xonar D1 so you can obviously, output to your 2.1 speakers. What are you using for headphones?

While the D1 would not be my choice for pure, stereo music listening, there's nothing wrong with it. If you're going to be listening to music primarily, over headphones, then I'd suggest you get a stand-alone amplifier for them, but first we need to know what headphones you're using. If you want to use your 2.1 system to play music most of the time, then all you could really change at this point is the 2.1 system, itself. What's the specific make and model of the 2.1 amplifier? This is very critical information to making sure you have a hardware arrangement that will coalesce.

Matthew

It is a quiet cheap amplifier of unknown brand "alltel" with analog six channels maybe 30w rms each. I know the whole config is quiet custom/cheap but it's still quiet powerful and good all considered.
i am using linux x86/amd64.

Reply 10 of 11, by LunarG

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The ESI/AudioTrak Prodigy 7.1 HiFi has excellent audio quality. I think it's not such a well known card, seeing as ESI are mostly aiming their products towards the professional market segment. It has socketed opamps for easy upgrade/tweaking, and uses the VIA Envy24HT chip. Unlike the Xonar cards and such, it isn't aimed for use with headphones, but rather with an external amplifier (RCA plugs on main outputs).
https://www.esi-audio.com/products/prodigy71hifi/

WinXP : PIII 1.4GHz, 512MB RAM, 73GB SCSI HDD, Matrox Parhelia, SB Audigy 2.
Win98se : K6-3+ 500MHz, 256MB RAM, 80GB HDD, Matrox Millennium G400 MAX, Voodoo 2, SW1000XG.
DOS6.22 : Intel DX4, 64MB RAM, 1.6GB HDD, Diamond Stealth64 DRAM, GUS 1MB, SB16.

Reply 11 of 11, by Logistics

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386SX wrote:

It is a quiet cheap amplifier of unknown brand "alltel" with analog six channels maybe 30w rms each. I know the whole config is quiet custom/cheap but it's still quiet powerful and good all considered.
i am using linux x86/amd64.

What headphones do you use?