Actually it depends. The FM-synth is built into the SAM9233. I'd say that some old AdLib games like Wolfenstein and Keen sound decent on the Maestro 32/96, yet a bit different than AdLib, some newer games like Duke3D sound a bit strange compared to the Yamaha OPL3 but still OK IMO. Of course you can use the General Midi part with the newer games so for me it is a non-issue. It is also nice that the Maestro 32/96 routes the FM signal through the SAM8905 effects processor and gives the FM some subtle reverb.
But both the Maestro 32/96 and Tropez Plus have the Crystal CS4232 Codec which is very nice in terms of SB Pro and WSS quality. Both are very decent cards when you just HAVE one slot available.
I did a review of both cards on my website and put also wavetable recordings online. You can compare them, if you want:
Maestro 32/96 review with wavetable recordings: http://www.amoretro.de/2011/09/terratec-maest … -soundcard.html
Tropez Plus with wavetable recordings: http://www.amoretro.de/2013/06/turtle-beach-t … l#comment-24373
Even more wavetable recordings (you can listen to 16 different synths right now but I will add more the next weeks and month): http://www.amoretro.de/soundkarten-und-wavetable-recordings
Its written in German but if you have questions I would of course answer them here.
If you ask me for the "perfect ONE card sound solution" I would ask back: What kind of games do you want to play? You have to cut a line somewhere between before 1993 and after 1993 or somewhere where the transition between MT-32 to General Midi happended. In the MT-32 era also AdLib OPL2 FM sound was much more popular so IMO there is no need for a really decent or genuine OPL3 synth if you want to play games after 1993. The same applies to the GUS to some degree. Older games tool real advantage while newer games don't profit from a GUS at all.
All games from late 1993 have General Midi options and most of them also (patched) AWE32 options so they profit from a decent wavetable card like one of the mentioned above.
Budget users can start with a good AWE32 card (like model CT3900 or CT3980 with a real OPL3 circuit built into the CT1747 IC) and later expand the card with a wavetable daughterboard when the budget and or the craving is there 😀 .
But we all know that the perfect card is non existant. Any card has its flaws.
Best regards
Fabian
www.AmoRetro.de Visit my huge hardware gallery with many historic items from 16MHz 286 to 1000MHz Slot A. Includes more than 80 soundcards and a growing Wavetable Recording section with more than 300 recordings.