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Topic: High quality sound for a laptop (Read 4046 times) previous topic - next topic
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High quality sound for a laptop

http://electronics.cnet.com/electronics/0-...311.html?tag=sd

"This PC Card was designed to send laptop audio to two sets of headphones, and it does so perfectly."

You can also, just plug in a set of speakers into the headphone port.

I'll be looking into this, it looks promising.









High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #1 –
It really depends on what laptop you have. I have a IBM T22 which has pretty decent sound system. I just returned my Indigo today.

High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #2 –
You may want to consider the M-audio Sonica for laptop use (via USB):
M-Audio Sonica

It is reasonably priced as well ( <$100 US, typically about $80-$90 I think).
Was that a 1 or a 0?

High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #4 –
Does Sonica supply enough power to shake serious cans?  I've got SH HD250.

In general, how do I tell that an audio adapter has enough power for headphones?

High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #5 –
Well, I'll be ordering this within the next two days; anything I should know(with windows XP)? This and the Sennheiser 497s(best one in "street" series) haveta be an improvement over the internel sound and the $20 Sonys I have.

High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #6 –
Differenciam, I am contemplating buying the Echo Indigo myself.  One of the reasons I have been waiting is that it does not work with Win 9x, so I need to upgrade my notebook to XP first and with only 128 mb of RAM, I've been reluctant to switch to XP.  Please post your experience (good or bad) once you get it up and running.  I am sure I am not the only one on the fence with this 

High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #7 –
Quote
Does Sonica supply enough power to shake serious cans?  I've got SH HD250.

In general, how do I tell that an audio adapter has enough power for headphones?

I use a sonica connected to a  Meta 42 headphone amp to drive my Sennheiser 580's. Without the amp, I experience clipping even at relatively low volumes. It may be OK unamped with a pair of eggos or one the Sennheiser PX series and maybe even the lower end Grados, but with big Sennheisers, AKG's etc, you'd want an amp.

High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #8 –
Quote
Differenciam, I am contemplating buying the Echo Indigo myself.  One of the reasons I have been waiting is that it does not work with Win 9x, so I need to upgrade my notebook to XP first and with only 128 mb of RAM, I've been reluctant to switch to XP.  Please post your experience (good or bad) once you get it up and running.  I am sure I am not the only one on the fence with this 

Get 2000, XP's not as good, in my opinion, I've used both for a while, and the activation muck makes it worse.

I'll report back when I get it. Yet I'm ordering the Sennheiser HD 497s at the same time, so I won't rate the sound until I have both, rating that sound card with $20 sony headphones wouldn't exactly be fair. 

High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #9 –
Quote
I use a sonica connected to a  Meta 42 headphone amp to drive my Sennheiser 580's. Without the amp, I experience clipping even at relatively low volumes.

I find this somewhat strange. The HD580 are very high impedance headphones, so the current requirements for them are very low, so distortion due to lack of current should'n happen on headphone outputs. In fact,  they would work quite well even on many line-out outputs. The only problem you could have with those cans is low sound levels due to this same high impedance.

If you really heard clipping, it was because the output of the card was clipping itself due to voltage limitation, but I find this quite strange in case of decent sound cards. If this was the case (voltage limitation), an external amp could help, by reducing the output of the card below clipping and then amplifying this output externally to get suitable levels.

Edit: more comments added.

High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #10 –
Quote
In general, how do I tell that an audio adapter has enough power for headphones?

In general, headphones are quite easy to drive from headphone outputs, because headphones don't need much power. The problem happens when the card does not have headphone output, just a line-out. In this case there can be problems due to lack of current or too high output impedance.

High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #11 –
Quote
Quote
I use a sonica connected to a  Meta 42 headphone amp to drive my Sennheiser 580's. Without the amp, I experience clipping even at relatively low volumes.

I find this somewhat strange. The HD580 are very high impedance headphones, so the current requirements for them are very low, so distortion due to lack of current should'n happen on headphone outputs. In fact,  they would work quite well even on many line-out outputs. The only problem you could have with those cans is low sound levels due to this same high impedance.

If you really heard clipping, it was because the output of the card was clipping itself due to voltage limitation, but I find this quite strange in case of decent sound cards. If this was the case (voltage limitation), an external amp could help, by reducing the output of the card below clipping and then amplifying this output externally to get suitable levels.

Edit: more comments added.

Heh! it's Ironic that it should be you questioning my comments. Last night I had my first try at ABX testing using WinABX. After seeing my results and reading your explanation of possible causes for clipping,  there's a good chance it was all in my mind.    I had trouble identifying an --alt-preset 128 against the original! Although, in my defense, I wasn't really sure what I was listening for... maybe I need to take some listening training.

High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #12 –
I ordered it today, and the Sennheiser HD 497s(needed headphones that were somewhat portable from them, but not meant for portable so they don't sound good), and when they all come I'll report back B)

High quality sound for a laptop

Reply #13 –
Two things of note:  I have never tried an Indigo, but I must admit that the Mia (also an Echo audio card), which I have owned for about a year now, has offered me incredibly good sound.  If the Indigo is anything like the Mia, then you've made a solid purchase.  Also of note is that Echo has more than adequate tech support, with good response times.  Their cards are well-made, as well.  Tell me what you think of the card when you get it, I'd be very interested.  Shame it's only for output, no?