A soundcard question

[laozi]

Hi there!

now I am using a Creative soundblaster 2zs soundcard only as a digital out through coaxial spdif to an external DAC. Is it worth to change the soundcard to M-audio audiophile 2496 to using it in the same way? Does it make any SQ improvements?

thanks.

[nat8808]

I would doubt it would all being equal.

There was once though an issue with soundblaster cards where they would always re-sample to output at 48KHz. If your 2zs is modern and it does 96KHz then they probably left that issue behind with the old Live!

The Audiophile 24/96 is a pretty old card too - first around back in 2001 ! I'm not sure it has change or been improved since, is just a solid seller. There might have been IC swaps as some parts in the construction became obsolete but essentially the same card (and hence you might be able to pick one up off ebay for about £15 or so?).

I wonder if there is much difference in spdif output quality between the different cards - and I think a solid PCI card is a better idea than a USB -> spdif convertor. Then again, I've never done any listening tests - perhaps someone can give some practical experience.

[nat8808]

Keep an eye on this one for example: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAUDIO-AUDIOPHILE-2496-/171203804180

Probably will go cheap - so might as well see the difference for yourself if you can sell it on again for the same price..

[Rothchild]

Careful, that card on ebay doesn't have the breakout cable with it (which has the SPDIF breakout on it) so even if it is cheap you still need to find a breakout cable for it too.

[Mark Grant]

Building your own D plug SPDIF cable or buying one is better for that Maudio soundcard,

All it needs is a 9 way D plug with the core of a digital coax cable to Pin 3 and screen to Pin 8.
A bit of hot melt glue to make it robust inside the D plug and heatshrink etc and you have a good cable made to a length that fits your system and gets rid of the extra connections on the low cost factory breakout cable.

I made lots of them when that card was popular.

[laozi]

yeah, i know it has no cable - i got a different auctions on eye - but what about my question?

thanks

[Rothchild]

IMO Nat nailed it first time, I don't expect there to be any significant difference between the spdif out of 2 different 'pro-sumer' sound cards (notwithstanding that the SB doesn't do the resample thing as already mentioned), but at the prices you have very little to lose by trying it out.

Although the 2496 is getting on a bit the upside of that is that the drivers are very mature and well tested, so it should give you a very stable platform and as a simple (minimal even) design it should stand you in very good stead.