E-MU 404 PC audio

[aquapiranha]

Does anyone have any experience of this card? I now have a PC with one fitted, and it appears at least on a brief inspection that I may be able to use it directly into the Rane crossover. Any experience would be helpful re. Vista / Windows 7 using FLAC files.

Many thanks!

[Labarum]

Does anyone have any experience of this card? I now have a PC with one fitted, and it appears at least on a brief inspection that I may be able to use it directly into the Rane crossover. Any experience would be helpful re. Vista / Windows 7 using FLAC files.

Many thanks!

The 404 USB is discussed at length here

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/co...#comment-21012

The PCI card is mentioned from time to time.

[aquapiranha]

Thanks Brian, I will have a good read of that later. I wanted to know if the card was a better option than say a streaming device.

[Labarum]

Thanks Brian, I will have a good read of that later. I wanted to know if the card was a better option than say a streaming device.

Better option for what? The card may have a better DAC than a Squeezebox or an Apple streaming device if you can tame Windows into bit perfect mode.

A Squeezebox completely bypasses the sound department of a computer, guarantees bit perfect transfer, runs silently and remotely from a noisy computer, acts as an internet radio tuner and has a remote control.

With a good external DAC like the Beresford 7510 or 7520 extremely high quality output can be achieved. If you need playback at very high bitrates and sampling frequencies, however, the Squeezebox will not serve, but most stuff is CD quality 16/44.1.

Explore Squeezebox here

http://forums.slimdevices.com/

[aquapiranha]

Better option for what? The card may have a better DAC than a Squeezebox or an Apple streaming device if you can tame Windows into bit perfect mode.

A Squeezebox completely bypasses the sound department of a computer, guarantees bit perfect transfer, runs silently and remotely from a noisy computer, acts as an internet radio tuner and has a remote control.

With a good external DAC like the Beresford 7510 or 7520 extremely high quality output can be achieved. If you need playback at very high bitrates and sampling frequencies, however, the Squeezebox will not serve, but most stuff is CD quality 16/44.1.

Explore Squeezebox here

http://forums.slimdevices.com/

What I meant was which is the better option..? either use the card straight into the crossover, or use a streaming device (and therefore not the card).

I can see the advantages you mention from the likes of the squeezbox, and as the PC is in the same room as the hifi I would not need wireless, I could use a cable (though I am not trying to infer that a cable would be better!)

I will have a look around, thanks again.