VOGONS


First post, by CesarDRK

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Currently, I have both of these cards at my disposal (CT1600 and a CT2950).

From what I've read, it's a consensus that the CQM (CT2950) is crap and the real OPL3 is best (CT1600). So I did a bunch of recordings of both cards and tried to see the differences.
For listening, I use only my headphone, a Sennheiser HD-555 "modded" to the HD-595 (foam mod).

I have recorded the audio of a few games on both: Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis, Descent, Doom, DOTT, Duke 3D, Lemmings, Monkey Island II, Redneck Rampage.

To be honest, without nitpicking I only found the CQM worst than the OPL3 in Doom music. But in almost every other test the SB PRO 2.0 sound effects sounded muffled to me, and way noisier than the SB16, especially in Redneck Rampage. Besides the muffled sound, the SB PRO 2.0 still requires me to disable the L1 cache to be able to play some games (without it the game crashes or produces random noises, because it is speed-sensitive, while the SB16 is not). So my choice, for now, is the SB16 over the SB PRO 2.

Here are both recordings in playlists:

https://soundcloud.com/user-878099407/sets/so … game-sound-test
https://soundcloud.com/user-878099407/sets/so … -sound-test-cqm

I have the option to purchase another SB16, the CT2830 (real YMF-262M chip on the board) or the CT2290 (I'm not sure, but I think it has a real OPL3 as well).

So, my question is will it be worth it to replace the CT2950 with the CT2830/CT2290 to potentially have the same quality, low noise (SB 16), and without speed issues (SB PRO 2.0) with the real OPL3, mixing the best of both?

Here are the cards i have:

3RX2i6E.jpg

Reply 1 of 10, by dionb

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CT2290 has a real OPL, and can be nice and quiet if it has the CT1703-TBS or CT1703-A DAC. Its MIDI is also slightly less bugged than the others (just one kind of hanging note issue instead of two)
CT2830 is almost identical to the CT2950, just with a real OPL3. Both can have various DACs, the same revisions as above are desirable. Both have all the worst MIDI bugs.

Tbh, I consider Creative cards, particularly the Pro2 (low-pass filter...) and the whole buggy SB16 range, to be overrated - but if you feel you must use one, the CT2290 would be the best of this lot, at least if it has a quiet DAC.

Reply 3 of 10, by CesarDRK

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dionb wrote on 2020-07-18, 00:27:

CT2290 has a real OPL, and can be nice and quiet if it has the CT1703-TBS or CT1703-A DAC. Its MIDI is also slightly less bugged than the others (just one kind of hanging note issue instead of two)
CT2830 is almost identical to the CT2950, just with a real OPL3. Both can have various DACs, the same revisions as above are desirable. Both have all the worst MIDI bugs.

Tbh, I consider Creative cards, particularly the Pro2 (low-pass filter...) and the whole buggy SB16 range, to be overrated - but if you feel you must use one, the CT2290 would be the best of this lot, at least if it has a quiet DAC.

I dont care about MIDI at all. TBH i prefer FM, it brings me back some great memories.

I cant determine the DAC based on the photos i have, but i cant definetly see that the CT2830 is in better shape:

CT 2290:
https://imgur.com/3lGgcx8

CT 2830:
https://imgur.com/QeyFPRY
https://imgur.com/ntUr8VM

Reply 5 of 10, by kitten.may.cry

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maxtherabbit wrote on 2020-07-18, 15:20:

I'll trade you a OPL3 SB16 for the CT1600

What a lowball.

CesarDRK wrote on 2020-07-16, 14:22:

I have the option to purchase another SB16, the CT2830 (real YMF-262M chip on the board) or the CT2290 (I'm not sure, but I think it has a real OPL3 as well).

Get a Vibra Pro card, they sound very O.K

Reply 6 of 10, by maxtherabbit

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kitten.may.cry wrote on 2020-07-18, 15:39:
maxtherabbit wrote on 2020-07-18, 15:20:

I'll trade you a OPL3 SB16 for the CT1600

What a lowball.

just trying to meet his needs 🤣

Reply 7 of 10, by CesarDRK

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maxtherabbit wrote on 2020-07-18, 15:20:

I'll trade you a OPL3 SB16 for the CT1600

Lol.. If this offer was made a few months ago, before i knew vogons, and checked ebay or any other auction site i would probably have accepted it.

kitten.may.cry wrote on 2020-07-18, 15:39:

Get a Vibra Pro card, they sound very O.K

Does it have a real OPL3?

Reply 8 of 10, by James-F

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Greedy bastards.
SBPro2.0 was 40$ on ebay in 2016, when I was collecting.
I have 2.

DOSBox still doesn't produce accurate lowpass filter to emulate the SBPro2.0.


my important / useful posts are here

Reply 9 of 10, by kitten.may.cry

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CesarDRK wrote on 2020-07-18, 22:34:
Lol.. If this offer was made a few months ago, before i knew vogons, and checked ebay or any other auction site i would probably […]
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maxtherabbit wrote on 2020-07-18, 15:20:

I'll trade you a OPL3 SB16 for the CT1600

Lol.. If this offer was made a few months ago, before i knew vogons, and checked ebay or any other auction site i would probably have accepted it.

kitten.may.cry wrote on 2020-07-18, 15:39:

Get a Vibra Pro card, they sound very O.K

Does it have a real OPL3?

Yeah. And SNR is really good.

You need a specific model, though.