The CT2230 has the single-cycle DMA bug where it will crack and pop with older games that use this method to generate sound...386 you say.
The CT2940 does not have an OPL3 unless you are extremely lucky to find a version with a YMF289 (highly unlikely), and it has the hanging note bug,

Have a look:
Sound Blaster 16 Bugs and Deficiencies Summary

I know I am a fun destroyer but I think people should know what they get when they buy a SB16. 😎

You want a single card that does it all... Audician 32 on Ebay.

James-F wrote:

The CT2230 has the single-cycle DMA bug where it will crack and pop with older games that use this method to generate sound...38 […]
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The CT2230 has the single-cycle DMA bug where it will crack and pop with older games that use this method to generate sound...386 you say.
The CT2940 does not have an OPL3 unless you are extremely lucky to find a version with a YMF289 (highly unlikely), and it has the hanging note bug,

Have a look:
Sound Blaster 16 Bugs and Deficiencies Summary

I know I am a fun destroyer but I think people should know what they buy. 😎

Well, I spent 2$ on the 2940 and got the 2230 for free a long time ago so money isn't really a factor. I'm also getting a CT2950 and a CT2290 in a few weeks. NThe 2950 has DSP and an IDE interface. The 2290 seems to lack ASP / DSP but it also has an IDE interface. What about one of them?

Well if it must be a SB16, the CT2230 or CT2290 considered to be the best of the bunch.
No known games use the ASP/CSP chip hence its absence in most models.

James-F wrote:

Well if it must be a SB16, the CT2230 or CT2290 considered to be the best of the bunch.
No known games use the ASP/CSP chip hence its absence in most models.

I see. Then I'll stick to the 2230 until the 2290 gets here. Thanks for the advice!

I would have used an SBPRO but I lost my CT1600 and my CT2600 is in my 286 machine and that's where it will stay.

James-F wrote:

Well if it must be a SB16, the CT2230 or CT2290 considered to be the best of the bunch.
No known games use the ASP/CSP chip hence its absence in most models.

TFX supports CSP - I guess this is the only game that supports it 😐

Now look what you made me do... 😀

SBPro2 = A220 I7 D1
SB16 = A240 I5 D0 H5 P330.

James-F wrote:

Now look what you made me do. :happy: […]
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Now look what you made me do. 😀

SBPro + SB16.jpg

SBPro2 = A220 I7 D1
SB16 = A240 I5 D0 H5 P330.

You need a couple more cards before you break Cloudschatze' record!

It works really nice actually!
I can freely choose between the two and combine the the best from both.

No record breaking for me, I only have 3 ISA slots.

kanecvr wrote:

ct2940.jpg

Is this an actual picture of the card you're getting, or a stock pic? Because if this is the actual 2940 you bought, congratulations. It is one of the rare ones that has a real OPL3 (see the little square YMF289 chip, and its DAC YM513 nearby). I have one of those (with YM289) and a 2290 too. They both sound good, with the 2290 having a slight edge on the 2940 IMHO.

James-F wrote:

It works really nice actually!
I can freely choose between the two and combine the the best from both.

No record breaking for me, I only have 3 ISA slots.

You can always use a ISA riser to get more ISA slots. C'mon, you can do it. 😀

stamasd wrote:

kanecvr wrote:

The attachment ct2940.jpg is no longer available

Is this an actual picture of the card you're getting, or a stock pic? Because if this is the actual 2940 you bought, congratulations. It is one of the rare ones that has a real OPL3 (see the little square YMF289 chip, and its DAC YM513 nearby). I have one of those (with YM289) and a 2290 too. They both sound good, with the 2290 having a slight edge on the 2940 IMHO.

That's a stock picture. My cards are in the first picture in that post. Here:

Looking over them the 2950 looks identical to the one in the stock pic. The're extremely dirty so I can't see if it has the YMF chip tough...

My take:
YMF262, CT1747 > YMF289 > CT1978, Vibra integrated chipsets with CQM

kanecvr wrote:

That's a stock picture. My cards are in the first picture in that post. Here: […]
Show full quote

stamasd wrote:

kanecvr wrote:

ct2940.jpg

Is this an actual picture of the card you're getting, or a stock pic? Because if this is the actual 2940 you bought, congratulations. It is one of the rare ones that has a real OPL3 (see the little square YMF289 chip, and its DAC YM513 nearby). I have one of those (with YM289) and a 2290 too. They both sound good, with the 2290 having a slight edge on the 2940 IMHO.

That's a stock picture. My cards are in the first picture in that post. Here:

CT2290.jpg

CT2950.jpg

Looking over them the 2950 looks identical to the one in the stock pic. The're extremely dirty so I can't see if it has the YMF chip tough...

I was talking about the 2940 you said you got (first post of this thread), not the 2950. That's a different card, and doesn't have OPL3.

gdjacobs wrote:

My take:
YMF262, CT1747 > YMF289 > CT1978, Vibra integrated chipsets with CQM

My take: YMF262=YMF289. I'm blessed with ears that aren't over-sensitive. :p

The one in the picture has a YMF289 low power OPL chip. I agree, the regular and low power cores are extremely similar in terms of sound output, 99.9% perhaps. Theoretically there's a difference, but you have to process the hell out of your audio to actually notice, so in regular use they're effectively the same.

stamasd wrote:

I was talking about the 2940 you said you got (first post of this thread), not the 2950. That's a different card, and doesn't have OPL3.

Oh that - here's a pic of the actual card:

Yes, it does have an OPL3 chip.. huh... My problem with it is the dent in the 46mhz oscillator. The card seems to work fine tough.

gdjacobs wrote:

I agree, the regular and low power cores are extremely similar in terms of sound output, 99.9% perhaps.

Wat? Forgive my ignorance, but what are you guys talking about?

This nice little source of controversy:
FM OPL3 frequency differences

kanecvr wrote:

Oh that - here's a pic of the actual card: […]
Show full quote

stamasd wrote:

I was talking about the 2940 you said you got (first post of this thread), not the 2950. That's a different card, and doesn't have OPL3.

Oh that - here's a pic of the actual card:

IMG_20161021_221650.jpg

Yes, it does have an OPL3 chip.. huh... My problem with it is the dent in the 46mhz oscillator. The card seems to work fine tough.

Wow, nice find. I was astonished to find last year that I had a CT2940 with OPL3 (just like yours) for years and never realized that it was one of the better SB16 models out there. Basically, if you have no intention of using external MIDI devices or waveblaster boards (due to MIDI hanging note bugs), this should be a great card.

Every single 2940 I've seen sold on eBay has been the other type with the larger squarish chip in the empty spot above the main chip. The OPL3 versions really are quite hard to find. I guess what makes them unique is that they are one of the last Soundblasters to actually have a real OPL3 chip installed. Only a couple of AWE32 cards have them, and pretty much anything else from Creative is either older than the CT2940 or uses CQM (which apparently sounds bad... I haven't actually listened to one).

Thanks for the info guys - witch one of these 4 cards would be better for use with an SC55mkII?