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Author Topic: PCI card teaser for DIGITAL output ONLY! ( Lynx E22 v. JCAT v. Regen v. Wyrd )  (Read 3187 times)

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DaveBSC

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Re: PCI card teaser/impressions/review ( Lynx E22 v. JCAT v. Regen v. Wyrd )
« Reply #20 on: September 20, 2015, 07:33:10 PM »
In my experience, consumer level gaming soundcards are pretty meh. Better than straight motherboard optical and coaxial digital outputs sure, but not by all that much.
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Priidik

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Re: PCI card teaser/impressions/review ( Lynx E22 v. JCAT v. Regen v. Wyrd )
« Reply #21 on: September 20, 2015, 07:57:34 PM »
Quote from: Thad E Ginathom on September 20, 2015, 05:32:37 PM
I had an RME
I had one too. It was bested by a freakin' Yulong D100 in D-A.
I never got to try its digital outs (dogma here) other than to D100. It did make it sound slightly better.

Anax could you throw in something like a Raspery Pi or similar with LPS or battery juice?
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Luckbad

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Re: PCI card teaser/impressions/review ( Lynx E22 v. JCAT v. Regen v. Wyrd )
« Reply #22 on: September 20, 2015, 09:07:10 PM »
RE: X-Fi Titanium HD

Nevermind, it has mini-TOSLINK, not an RCA out.

And now I'm adding my Creative Sound Blaster ZxR and X-Fi Titanium HD to my For Sale list. Gotta get rid of something before the 1st.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2015, 09:45:11 PM by Luckbad »
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juanchotazo99

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Re: PCI card teaser/impressions/review ( Lynx E22 v. JCAT v. Regen v. Wyrd )
« Reply #23 on: September 21, 2015, 06:50:11 PM »
Quote from: DaveBSC on September 20, 2015, 07:33:10 PM
In my experience, consumer level gaming soundcards are pretty meh. Better than straight motherboard optical and coaxial digital outputs sure, but not by all that much.

Sure, but how does such a card compare to a decent, external DAC? It would be a nice question to have some definite answers to. For example, how does an STX/STXII's (pretty much a "top of the line" consumer internal sound card) analog out compare to, say, a Modi 2's when fed to a decent amplifier to drive the headphones?

At least on paper it has more than competitive specs... but that doesn't guarantee anything, considering the SMPS noise and multi-GHz noisy environment inside a typical PC case that an external DAC doesn't suffer as much, if at all from.

« Last Edit: September 21, 2015, 07:32:28 PM by juanchotazo99 »
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Azteca X

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Re: PCI card teaser/impressions/review ( Lynx E22 v. JCAT v. Regen v. Wyrd )
« Reply #24 on: September 21, 2015, 08:09:33 PM »
Quote from: DaveBSC on September 20, 2015, 07:29:56 PM
I don't think PP had any direct hand in the design of the JCAT USB card. The JCAT USB, LAN, and SATA cables are all directly based off of Paul's own cables, but I think the JCAT USB card was a development between the JPlay devs setting down what they wanted, and Adnaco doing the actual engineering work.

Paul's own USB card is based on a largely off the shelf USB card which he then heavily modifies with an external power input and clock.

Yep yep, you're right. Adnaco it was. I'm curious because JPlay seems like such nonsense but the card gets love. Costs quite a bit more than the SotM. I feel like I could stomach the SotM cost, not so much Jplay. Too many other weak points in my chain.
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Thad E Ginathom

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Re: PCI card teaser/impressions/review ( Lynx E22 v. JCAT v. Regen v. Wyrd )
« Reply #25 on: September 21, 2015, 08:25:36 PM »
Quote from: juanchotazo99 on September 21, 2015, 06:50:11 PM
Sure, but how does such a card compare to a decent, external DAC? It would be a nice question to have some definite answers to. For example, how does an STX/STXII's (pretty much a "top of the line" consumer internal sound card) analog out compare to, say, a Modi 2's when fed to a decent amplifier to drive the headphones?

At least on paper it has more than competitive specs... but that doesn't guarantee anything, considering the SMPS noise and multi-GHz noisy environment inside a typical PC case that an external DAC doesn't suffer as much, if at all from.



Lynx, RME, and that sort of stuff, is "top of the line."

But yes, it is quite possible that it is my biases talking there. But those companies do sell to pros.
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Anaxilus

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Re: PCI card teaser for DIGITAL output ONLY! ( Lynx E22 v. JCAT v. Regen v. Wyrd )
« Reply #26 on: September 21, 2015, 08:58:43 PM »
Quote from: velvetx on September 20, 2015, 05:27:46 PM
The Asus Essence STX II has coax.  The only reason why I would like it added is because I am kind of curious as a gamer does it make the most sense to have a 2nd sound card or could one card be used for both audiophile and gaming applications.

Let me know if you need one and I'll send out mine once I get it.

Sure, let's do that. I've never actually messed around with the Asus cards.
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DaveBSC

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Re: PCI card teaser/impressions/review ( Lynx E22 v. JCAT v. Regen v. Wyrd )
« Reply #27 on: September 21, 2015, 09:00:30 PM »
Quote from: juanchotazo99 on September 21, 2015, 06:50:11 PM
At least on paper it has more than competitive specs... but that doesn't guarantee anything, considering the SMPS noise and multi-GHz noisy environment inside a typical PC case that an external DAC doesn't suffer as much, if at all from.

Paper specs are very easy, and there's a million ways to game them to your advantage. I've never heard any Soundblaster or Asus or whatever that's even been competitive with a low-end M-Audio studio card. That's not what they're made for.
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DaveBSC

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Re: PCI card teaser/impressions/review ( Lynx E22 v. JCAT v. Regen v. Wyrd )
« Reply #28 on: September 21, 2015, 09:10:54 PM »
Quote from: Azteca X on September 21, 2015, 08:09:33 PM
Yep yep, you're right. Adnaco it was. I'm curious because JPlay seems like such nonsense but the card gets love. Costs quite a bit more than the SotM. I feel like I could stomach the SotM cost, not so much Jplay. Too many other weak points in my chain.

I haven't done any direct comparisons, but several folks have reported that JCAT > Adnaco > SoTM, so take that for whatever it's worth. I can tell you that in order to make the JCAT really worthwhile, a dedicated box preferably with dual linear power supplies is pretty much a must. The JCAT just plugged into an otherwise standard PC being fed off an ATX PSU is likely to lose to something like the Uptone Regen or iUSB3.0, at least that would be my guess.

As for the JPlay software, some people really like it, but I've never really understood the idea of paying all that money, plus paying even more money for Win Server 2012 if you want to go "extreme" with it, paying still more money for the Win Server Optimizer, and then running TWO computers, one for control, and the other to operate in hibernate mode. All of that to fix Windows? Why don't I just not use Windows?
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DaveBSC

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Re: PCI card teaser/impressions/review ( Lynx E22 v. JCAT v. Regen v. Wyrd )
« Reply #29 on: September 21, 2015, 09:27:29 PM »
Quote from: Thad E Ginathom on September 21, 2015, 08:25:36 PM
Lynx, RME, and that sort of stuff, is "top of the line."

Supposedly the Merging Tech Mykerinos was the "God card" for computer audiophiles, but that was back when computer audiophiles were still using sound cards. I believe that Merging now only makes interface cards for connection with their external hardware. Cramming everything onto a PCB small enough to be able to work on a PCI-e slot really isn't practical anymore, and so the single card Lynx and RME stuff should really be considered more "entry level" by studio standards. They have a few cards which use several expansion slots for additional I/O, but most serious studios are likely to be using rack mount external hardware with interface cards.

http://www.merging.com/uploads/assets/Merging_pdfs/Brochures/HorusBrochure-2015.pdf
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