PCI soundcards

[Per]

About the Audiotrak HD2.........

......triple OpAmp design for audio output with three high quality Fairchild NE5532 OpAmps on separate sockets   

Replace them for 2xLT1364 ans 1x LT1361 great improvement.
I do have the DDDAC1543 but with the Audiotrak HD2 card I have at least a similar sound quality and it gives me more possibilities using XX.
I have used the opa627 on browndog  (the best!? and expensive) but what is lacking is the life and ejoyment factor!

See : http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f46/audiotrak-prodigy-hd2-opamp-configurations-list-322497/

Thanks a lot JohanZ for the suggestions and the link. I might start out cheap then with the standard HD2 and the opamps you suggest. It would be fun to AB listen to the Burson modified HD2 and the standard HD2

Per

[JohanZ]

I think the NE5532 are there for a reason: low noise. The Audiotrak and .......  

The HD2 Gold uses OPA2134 on the buffer stage while maintaining JRC5532 on differential stage. So there we go...There are a lot of people experimenting with these opamps. Look on the internet.

[Fidelio]

Look on the internet.

I'm already here

[Fidelio]

It seems there are Korean versions of the Audiotrak with better specs. Different caps and different opamps.

[mojave]

The HT Omega Claro Halo is another card to consider. The Claro Halo XT adds a 6 channel board with RCA jacks for a 7.1 channel solution.

Chipset: C-Media Oxygen HD CMI8788 Audio Processor
DAC: 24-bit/192kHz AK4396VF
SNR: 120dB (2Ch Analog Out)
Swappable OPAMP sockets

Edit:  I just found out from HT Omega that this card resamples 88.2 and 176.4 to either 96 or 192 kHz. 

[Telstar]

Because I want a multichannel solution, I plan to get the Asus Essence ST with the H6 DAC expansion board.

I didnt know the opamps were swappable on the extension board as well. This makes it really good. There is only ONE problem with the Asus drivers and it is that they dont change sample rate on the fly... yet.

Another option would be the Omega Claro Halo XT, but I prefer the BB dacs on the Asus card.

[Robscix]

I have done a great deal of testing with many opamps on many different soundcards including discretes.  I also build custom units for my testing so if you have any questions that I may be able to answer please feel free to ask.

Any of the cards with replacable opamps offer you "tunability" That other cards do not have.  You can use your favorite opamps that improve the sound quality or change it more to your liking or making the card a better match with your phones/speakers.

[AUDIODIDAKT]

How about this one,

http://www.lcaudio.com/index.php?page=6

take analog output from DAC chips and feed in this anlog endstage the ZAP-Filter with seperate shunt-psu.

[AUDIODIDAKT]

I have done a great deal of testing with many opamps on many different soundcards including discretes.  I also build custom units for my testing so if you have any questions that I may be able to answer please feel free to ask.

Any of the cards with replacable opamps offer you "tunability" That other cards do not have.  You can use your favorite opamps that improve the sound quality or change it more to your liking or making the card a better match with your phones/speakers.

Welcome and join the club (of other nutcases),

Aways nice to have people around with some skills.

 

[Telstar]

Because I want a multichannel solution, I plan to get the Asus Essence ST with the H6 DAC expansion board. All the opamps are swappable and I already have a 1ppm TCXO to install when I get the card.

I did some more search last night and IMO the Essence ST seems the best bet for internal cards to be used as DAC.
Do you know if the opamps are swappable also on the H6 board?

This card has its own Molex power connector for the audio output section.

Yep, this means that the power can be filtered before going to the card (i'm thinking of a small but effective shunt regulator). A better shielding all around both cards should allow us to put them in the same case of the PC, which if is already fanless and not very polluting should be sufficiently quiet to not pollute the card HF.

[Fidelio]

Yep, this means that the power can be filtered before going to the card (i'm thinking of a small but effective shunt regulator). A better shielding all around both cards should allow us to put them in the same case of the PC, which if is already fanless and not very polluting should be sufficiently quiet to not pollute the card HF.

This does not work. Some guys over at Head-Fi tried this, but the power connection is a bit more complex than that. The card draws power from both the molex and the PCI slot. I think they concluded that it was near impossible.

[Telstar]

Yep, this means that the power can be filtered before going to the card (i'm thinking of a small but effective shunt regulator). A better shielding all around both cards should allow us to put them in the same case of the PC, which if is already fanless and not very polluting should be sufficiently quiet to not pollute the card HF.

This does not work. Some guys over at Head-Fi tried this, but the power connection is a bit more complex than that. The card draws power from both the molex and the PCI slot. I think they concluded that it was near impossible.

It's been awhile since i didnt check headfi, my bad.
That leaves probably only one other option to pursue, which is the pci-e to pci adapter that I once pointed to Peter. I dont know if it uses the pci-e power as well.

I mean this one:
http://www.virtuavia.eu/shop/pci-express-to-pci-adapter-p29855.html

For small cases (such as mine), a pci riser card is also needed. To have 3 slot adapters do not sound too nice in my book. But well, it's so cheap  that we can try.

Of course the black external box that was considered would allow for a better PS to the card(s), but at almost 400 euros I do not find it cost-effective to implement for a card such as the Essence.

[GerardA]

Hi Telstar,
that's a nice thingy, PCI-e to PCI, that's what I need too.
Will be nice in the future for a lot of people when they buy a new motherboard.
But on the same site there is a PCI-e to 4PCI adaptor-box for  199 euro!

BTW, I'm looking for a PCI-e soundcard with good SPDIF too, but I only want it if it supports 88 and 172kHz.
So I guess the ASUS is out of the Question for me.

And when Peter's Dac comes out, we can throw away our new soundcards??

[Fidelio]

BTW, I'm looking for a PCI-e soundcard with good SPDIF too, but I only want it if it supports 88 and 172kHz.
So I guess the ASUS is out of the Question for me.

Audiotrak or Onkyo.

[Telstar]

Hi Telstar,
that's a nice thingy, PCI-e to PCI, that's what I need too.

I dont need it, i have 2 pci-e slots, but it could allow to be powered separately and therefore provide more isolation for the soundcard power.
Just a though, not sure.

BTW, I'm looking for a PCI-e soundcard with good SPDIF too, but I only want it if it supports 88 and 172kHz.

Check also the Claro Halo (pci), one guy got bnc out from it and bnc carries spdif with much lower jitter.

And when Peter's Dac comes out, we can throw away our new soundcards??

I have 2 other computers, they sure will have a new home