Bought last month but arrived this week:

ESS AudioDrive ES1868
Wow, what a sound card! I was 90% happy with my previous sound card, an AWE64, but I am 99% happy with the ES1868.

The AWE64 was very nice but there were two things I didn't like about it. First, it causes sound effects to skip in Build engine games when using an external synth, unless you reduce the sfx quality to 11khz. Second, I didn't care for how it handled FM synth. The ES1868 doesn't exhibit the Build engine bug, and features FM synth very close to the classic SB OPL.

I expected these improvements (that's why I ordered the ES1868 in the first place), but am also happy with the much simpler configuration (no more Creative PNP driver!) and, to my ears anyway, much better sound quality overall.

Sadly, it still suffers from a few issues I was somehow hoping it would magically resolve:

- Might & Magic III and Might & Magic IV still insist on muting the sound card's LINE IN when they launch, which prevents Roland music from playing. I assume the only way to resolve this is to use a dedicated MIDI interface card. Until then, the workaround is to just plug my MT-32 into the LINE IN on my speakers.
- Xargon is WAY TOO LOUD. I thought this might be some weird AWE32/64 bug, but I verified that it goes an sets the mixer values for the sound card itself from 8 to 14. Really bizarre.
- Configuring MT32 music for Spirit of Excalibur and the other games that use its engine (Vengeance of Excalibur and Conan the Cimmerian) slows the game down massively, rendering it unplayable (ultimately freezing). I assume these games are some of the few that only work with a genuine MIDI interface rather than SoftMPU.

For the first two issues above, I wonder if it's possible to "lock" the mixer settings somehow to prevent games from fooling with them?

Anyway, I'm VERY pleased with this card!

Artex wrote on 2020-08-01, 01:04:

NyLan wrote on 2020-07-31, 16:56:

I found and bought on eBay some speaker I had 25 years ago with my first Pentium 75 ! So happy to get it, the picture was clean and clearly white... but when I received them, I've been disappointed to see this yellowish color 🙁 Only 5$, but still...

A "magic" bath with Hydrogen peroxide later...

Now I can really enjoy them 😀

Nice work! I just switched over to the 12% peroxide bath + UV light method vs developer cream + plastic wrap myself. Works well - nice and uniform restoration vs streaking.

Do you bath it in 12% or dilute it at all?

2 days ago I ordered a touch screen for the NEC Versa M/75. It's another 3M Microtouch screen, 5 wire, capacitve surface unit, but it looks to be quite a bit newer. I'm pretty sue I can build an adapter to make it work properly with the NEC.

Next up, I've got my eyes on a compatible Docking Station........I'm really digging this thing.

LewisRaz wrote on 2020-08-01, 06:54:

Artex wrote on 2020-08-01, 01:04:

NyLan wrote on 2020-07-31, 16:56:

I found and bought on eBay some speaker I had 25 years ago with my first Pentium 75 ! So happy to get it, the picture was clean and clearly white... but when I received them, I've been disappointed to see this yellowish color 🙁 Only 5$, but still...

A "magic" bath with Hydrogen peroxide later...

Now I can really enjoy them 😀

Nice work! I just switched over to the 12% peroxide bath + UV light method vs developer cream + plastic wrap myself. Works well - nice and uniform restoration vs streaking.

Do you bath it in 12% or dilute it at all?

Yep 12% but pure as I want to reuse it later 😀
I just didn't put the stuff in the bath directly because I don't have enough Peroxide to submerge all pieces completely.
Important :
- use a closed transparent case
- Do it during a sunny day. Even better if warm like now.
- be very careful when you open the case due to Peroxide gas
- be very very careful with your eyes when dealing with peroxide Not joking guys.

Good job on the retrobrighting. In my experience unfortunately the yellowing comes back after a while (a year more or less, depending on the plastic)

Still a satisfying thing to do, but too bad the results are short-lived!

LewisRaz wrote on 2020-08-01, 06:54:

Artex wrote on 2020-08-01, 01:04:

NyLan wrote on 2020-07-31, 16:56:

I found and bought on eBay some speaker I had 25 years ago with my first Pentium 75 ! So happy to get it, the picture was clean and clearly white... but when I received them, I've been disappointed to see this yellowish color 🙁 Only 5$, but still...

A "magic" bath with Hydrogen peroxide later...

Now I can really enjoy them 😀

Nice work! I just switched over to the 12% peroxide bath + UV light method vs developer cream + plastic wrap myself. Works well - nice and uniform restoration vs streaking.

Do you bath it in 12% or dilute it at all?

I dilute it with water since it's a little pricey.

Artex wrote on 2020-08-01, 14:58:

LewisRaz wrote on 2020-08-01, 06:54:

Artex wrote on 2020-08-01, 01:04:

Nice work! I just switched over to the 12% peroxide bath + UV light method vs developer cream + plastic wrap myself. Works well - nice and uniform restoration vs streaking.

Do you bath it in 12% or dilute it at all?

I dilute it with water since it's a little pricey.

That was what caught me of guard reading 12%! As it is ~ £15 for 500ml from my search.

I found some at only 7€ for 1L. But if you do like me, even 500ml is enough since it's not a real bath, you don't have to submerge your yellow parts.
And if you use if pure, you can put it back into the bottle for the next time.

I didn't realize my new case was a celebrity! He even got a role in the game Black Mesa!

Miphee wrote on 2020-08-01, 18:45:

I didn't realize my new case was a celebrity! He even got a role in the game Black Mesa!

I have one too:
AMD 5x86@160mhz., Media Vision PAS16. ( Win 95 )

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent 🤣

Might post even more boxed stuff later...

kixs wrote on 2020-08-01, 22:01:

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent :lol: […]
Show full quote

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent 🤣

Might post even more boxed stuff later...

classic "Re: Bought these (retro) hardware today" post

Warlord wrote on 2020-08-02, 00:11:

kixs wrote on 2020-08-01, 22:01:

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent :lol: […]
Show full quote

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent 🤣

Might post even more boxed stuff later...

classic "Re: Bought these (retro) hardware today" post

Great stuff ! Dare I ask how much you paid ?

kixs wrote on 2020-08-01, 22:01:

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent :lol: […]
Show full quote

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent 🤣

Might post even more boxed stuff later...

A boxed Sound Blaster 1.5, very nice. I assume the contents of the box are complete?

Horun:
I usually pay below normal eBay prices... but sometimes I just want something 🤣

pan069:
Yes. As far as I know it's complete. But not every box is CIB. At least the cards are all working 😀

MMaximus wrote on 2020-08-01, 14:53:

Good job on the retrobrighting. In my experience unfortunately the yellowing comes back after a while (a year more or less, depending on the plastic)

Still a satisfying thing to do, but too bad the results are short-lived!

Can't be otherwise, the yellowing often is a combination of yellowing in the sun and degradation of the plastic itself.

That is why black gear is better. 😉

kixs wrote on 2020-08-01, 22:01:

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent :lol: […]
Show full quote

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent 🤣

Might post even more boxed stuff later...

Amazing!

kixs wrote on 2020-08-01, 22:01:

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent :lol: […]
Show full quote

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent 🤣

Might post even more boxed stuff later...

I remember that Fahrenheit 1280° Plus... 😀
Very nice. Especially dig the GrafixStar 600. I was on the lookout for one for years but couldn't find a boxed example which was decently priced. Also a sealed ISA Mach64. That's just decadent. People are going nuts over regular ones without accessory already. Just imagine what people would do for a boxed one and then... wrapped with cellufane. Dear god... 😁

kixs wrote on 2020-08-01, 22:01:

Some random boxed purchases from my top shelf - some recent & some not so recent 🤣
Might post even more boxed stuff later...

Holy balls!!!

Today the mailman brought me a few hard disks.

- 4,3GB WDC 14300, 1999. This seems like the only one that is fragile :p
- 6,8 GB Samsung SV0682D, 2000
- 8,4GB WDC 28400, 1999. big brother of the first one 😀

Now there rises another problem: which computers to put them in? Need some more I guess 😉