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Topic: Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard (Read 5483 times) previous topic - next topic
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Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Truth is that I need to do some stereo A/D conversion from cassette or phono and I would like very good quality stereo conversion.

I considered just getting a card for doing that, i understand the e-mu 404 is very good.

But i also want to power up my 5.1 analog computer speakers, so i would like a card that is able to do that. So far i have come across, in preferential order

1) Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT
2) M-Audio Revo 7.1
3) Terratec Aureon Space
4) Soundblaster Audigy 2

I want to keep the price under $150 and preferably <$100

If you have any other suggestions I would appreciate to hear them.

Thanks
JJ

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #1
You could also try the Maudio Revo 5.1 to save a few bucks.
"You can fight without ever winning, but never win without a fight."  Neil Peart  'Resist'

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #2
Also Revo 5.1 is supposed to have superior DACs to Revo 7.1. You would have to ask the experts on details though.

Also I would say except for the Audigy all of the cards you mentioned are probably very good for your purpose.

EMU 0404 of course would be an excellent choice, but if you need 5.1 playback indeed not the right thing for you.

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #3
Creative should be your choice if gaming support EAX is important. If not, forget the Audigy. I can't express opinion about M-Audio cards because I never had one but I can for two others.
I own a TerraTec Aureon 7.1 Space myself. It has terrific sound quality combined with a MegaWorks 550D set. Actually AFAIK all of these cards are an excellent choice.
The TerraTec Aureon Space and the Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 (not LT) are 99% hardware identical so sound quality difference should be minimal.
Just in case you decide on the TerraTec, you could flash it into a Prodigy to use Audiotrak's drivers. They are much better than TerraTec's. That's what I've done. It works great.
Actually why did you list LT version whereas a more appropriate competitor for the other cards should be the regular Prodigy 7.1, not the lite version.

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #4
just get the damn Chaintech AV-710, its 99% the same some of the others on the list and like $27
Chaintech AV-710

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #5
if you plan on using win x64 forget about the revo 7.1 because there's no estimate time on drivers for it, it's ok if you plan on only using win 32-bit

edit:
i just looked at m-audio's page and there's a beta driver for x64
Allegari nihil et allegatum non probare, paria sunt.

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #6
Do I feel screwed sometimes!

Took peoples recommendations, did some more research, and when you think you might have the solution ... read on

First the replys
@ssjkakaroto  - No need for x64 drivers - everything i've read says 64 is not ready yet and no real gains over 32. but good to know

@bubka - yeah and the 1% difference is the A/D converter which is one of the main reasons to get the soundcard. But i am keeping it a consideration.

@_Raziel-BG - Thanks this was helpful - As far as I can see the Prodigy 7.1 has basically been discontinued and the only one left is the LT. I could find no stores with the non-LT, the LT seems widly available so I can only assume the non LT is obsolete now.

@everyone else - I'll look at the Revo 5.1 - thanks

I came across a review of the Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 vs. Terratec Aureon Space and they seemed to the conclusion that the Aureon was better, not a whole lot but still better. Anyways I thought i would choose the Aureon but i just was looking for it in North America (i'm in Canada) and the card does not seem to be available at all in any online store in the US or Canada. Really i don't feel like ordering a sound card from europe and dealing with all the import duties and delays. If anyone knows where I can get one of these cards in NA i would appreciate if you could post a link here. The same is true of any store in NA with the Prodigy 7.1 (non LT) in stock.

Any other suggestions on which to get would be appreciated.
Thanks

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #7
this might be off topic, but i mistakenly bought an audigy 2 zs w/out much research thinking it would fit my needs.

then while @ work recently i was reading up on m-audio revo stuff; as a friend of mine who's into audio told me his "was the shit."

Wow can you say buyer's remorse? im tryin to pawn off my audigy 2 for like 50 so i can get a revo 5.1

no need for 7.1 in my case cuz im only using logitech z-2300 2.1 speakers.

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #8
Well I found the terratec! It doesn't seem it is available in any online stores in North America but I found one on ebay.

So it should be here in a few days and i just wanted to find more about flashing it to a AudioTrak Prodigy.
I am looking at AudioTrak's website and they list the drivers for the Prodigy and ProdigyLT but i don't see any BIOS or firmware for the card.

So 2 questions;

1) Where can i find the bios or firmware to 'flash' the terratec Space to a Prodigy

2) Should I flash and use the drivers for the Prodigy or ProdigyLT?

Thanks

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #9
You'll probably have a hard time finding any such hacks due to some form of brand loyalty. Wouldn't want to kill Audiotrak's sales, Creative is already doing a bang-up job of killing everyone's sales.

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #10
Quote
just get the damn Chaintech AV-710, its 99% the same some of the others on the list and like $27
The AV-710 has 1 good WM DAC and the rest are lousy AC-97 Via DACs. It's not a good card for anything but 2 channel.

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #11
Quote
The AV-710 has 1 good WM DAC and the rest are lousy AC-97 Via DACs. It's not a good card for anything but 2 channel.[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=324835"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Well, the OP stated that stereo is his primary concern:
Quote
Truth is that I need to do some stereo A/D conversion from cassette or phono and I would like very good quality stereo conversion.[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=323531"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
So the Chaintech may be excatly what he is looking for.

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #12
Quote
Just in case you decide on the TerraTec, you could flash it into a Prodigy to use Audiotrak's drivers. They are much better than TerraTec's. That's what I've done. It works great.


I've tried this with version 2 drivers, but it doesn't work completely. If you buy Terratec stay with original drivers, sound quality will be the same; if you need the extra features of Audiotrack drivers look for Audiotrack hardware.

Aureon Space 7.1 sounds really great  in comparison to my old Audigy Platinum!

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #13
Well I did some googling and i did track down some stuff for flashing the card over to a prodigy. I guess now i have to wait.

Quote
I've tried this with version 2 drivers, but it doesn't work completely

Could you elaborate more on this - what exactly is not working?

As for the Chaintech - as i said it is the ADC (not the DAC) which i'm concerned about, and as i understand it the ADC is the weak part of the card

Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #14
Quote
I've tried this with version 2 drivers, but it doesn't work completely


I've Flashed my terratec aureon space 7.1 to the prodigy 7.1.
Running fine for 8 month now. No problems at all. And the audiotrak drivers are MUCH better...


Help with choosing a 7.1 soundcard

Reply #16
Quote
So the Chaintech may be excatly what he is looking for.
The WM chip is a DAC, not an ADC. He also stated he wanted to use 5.1 speakers, another area where the AV-710 is lacking.