the ever popular sound card problem....

**RedGTiVR6** · 12-14-2004, 05:28 PM

Ok, I know that some people have posted questions concerning sound cards...but this isn't your tyical sound card question (IMO).

I have a few criteria that I need to have met with this sound card:

1) I need a true optic (TOS-LINK) out, not just SPDIF RCA level
2) I need it to be small, if it's PCI then I need it to be short (the Chaintech that I have is too tall)
3) If it's USB I need it to turn on one it's own (with the computer)
4) If it's USB I prefer for the sound signal to not run down the USB with the power (I worry that it will cause the signal to not be as clean as it could be)
5) I would like it to be 24bit if at all possible (I know that most music CDs are recorded at 16bit, but I believe that the discs that are used for sound quality competition are recorded in 24bit)

anyone have any recomendations?

**judoGTI** · 12-14-2004, 11:05 PM

I just got the E-MU 0404 for 99 bucks at www.compusa.com (I think) it's PCI but Im not sure by what you mean by 'tall'? It's a standard PCI card? But it has SPDIF In & out (It's actually got 3 different types of optical in and out, but you asked for SPDIF), 24 bit, yada yada yada.

I love it.

**RedGTiVR6** · 12-15-2004, 12:42 PM

ok - well I ended up getting this:

http://www.creative.com/products/pro...&product=10769

with this adapter:

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...t%5Fid=15-1584

since my board (MII12000) has a PCMCIA slot! should work! came out to be right at $100 with rebate and recently discounted price at Circuit City.

**judoGTI** · 12-15-2004, 12:45 PM

Interesting. How come you insisted on a true SPDIF in, if you are just going to convert it with an adaptor? Just curious...

**RedGTiVR6** · 12-15-2004, 01:50 PM

I insisted on a true OPTICAL output, which this card provides. Not the SPDIF digital (which some companies refer to as optical, when it's not actually true optical)

I emailed Creative and asked them about the card. Under the connectivity options for this card it says Optical in and out. when I asked them about it they told me that the actual connection is true optic. That the sides of the plug were metal for a 1/8" headphone jack. They pointed me in the direction of that adapter. It's not converting anything, it's 100% optic from the card and 100% optic out of that adapter, it's just letting me use the DAXX R05 Tos-link cable that I have coming to go from the computer to the Alpine PXA-H700 31 band processor (which has 3 optical ports - or AInet if you speak alpine). I wanted the optical because of the signal quality (or the less chance for signal degredation if you will).