Winter Audio Reference: On-Board, Consumer, and Pro Solutions
by Derek Wilson on February 3, 2005 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
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Audio Quality: Qualitative Analysis
For our qualitative audio analysis, we would like to stress again that listening to analog outputs on PC audio cards is a very subjective and difficult task. Digital should be used where possible, but the majority of people still run analog. And so the quality of analog output is still of the utmost importance.
-- 16-bit/44.1kHz/2-Channel Test: The Mangroves Live at Tir na Nog
This recording was done using a DigiDesign ProTools LE Digi 002 setup on a G5 at a local bar in Raleigh. Though the 1 room + 2 vox + 5 instrument mic setup (for a three piece indi/rock band) left a little to be desired, and the mix down was less than stellar, this gig makes an excellent test track. On the Gina3G and Intel solutions, it's easy to separate the noise and the music, but on the Audigy 2, the audience sounded a little smashed into the band. This problem wasn't as bad on the Audigy 4, but the crowd noise on the other cards seemed a little less muddy and thick. It's likely that any 44.1kHz audio source with a lot of high end will produce a muddled low end on Audigy cards because of the poor IMD at high frequencies. Just because we can't hear the high fequencies that are interfering doesn't mean that we can't hear the product of their interferance.
-- 24-bit/96kHz/6-Channel Test: Creative Labs Demo DVD-Audio
It was hard to decide on what media to choose, so we just pulled a track that we liked from the Creative sample disk. We went with Mannheim Steamroller - Leonardo from their American Gramaphone album. The track fits their normal eclectic style and mixes intricate rhythms with walking melodies. The synth harpsichord on drums is quite interesting. We used PowerDVD to play back the DVD-Audio on all 4 cards, and didn't have any problems. The voicing was clear all around, and try as we might, we couldn't discern one card from another. If we really cranked the volume to painful levels, we could hear some noise on the Intel solution. Unfortunately, there is no way to play DVD-Audio out over a digital connection to a receiver. This makes the analog signal quality of the card of the highest importance if DVD-Audio listening is going to be performed on the PC.
-- DVD-Video Tests: The Matrix / Dream Theatre Live at Budokan
We wanted to test a movie and a live audio performance with our DVD test. The Matrix is always fun to watch, so we just couldn't help popping that one in. And who's better live than Dream Theater? OK, so that may be totally subjective, but they at least create a lot of sound, and being a drummer, it's hard not to want to sit and listen to Mike Portnoy for multiple hours. Both The Matrix and Dream Theater Live at Budokan took full advantage of our 5.1 surround system, though we preferred listening to Dream Theatre using the higher quality headphones in stereo while watching. And so, we listened both ways on each card just to cover the bases.
And what do you know, but we just couldn't find favor with any of these cards. Each did as good of a job as the last playing back these higher quality audio streams.
The only discernable differences in our listening tests came in at 16-bit/44.1kHz on the Audigy series of cards. Tying it back to RMAA, we can point to the poor IMD performance. On a design level, some sites point out that this problem could stem from the fact that the creative DSP is locked at 16-bit/48kHz, and 44.1 is not an even multiple of 48 (as 96 and 192 are). This odd multiple resampling could be causing the issues, but that seems likely only if the DSP were enabled (some EAX/EQ/filtering turned on). In our RMAA tests and during playback, we made sure to disable these features, so this shouldn't have been a factor.
It is possible to have your favorite media player upsample your 44.1kHz media up to 48kHz, which would cause less problems than forcing a native 48kHz device to operate at 44.1kHz. Check the help files for resampling options.
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PrinceGaz - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link
It's good to see soundcards and onboard audio being reviewed again here. The three products you chose were a good start (the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro and Audigy 4 Pro are so similar that the small differences measured are almost irrelevant, which is no surprise as Creative rarely updates their hardware).I was surprised that high quality extrnal DACs and ADCs hooked up to a reference card with SPDIF connections wasn't used for the RMAA tests, as the way it was done seriously compromises all the results. There's no way to tell how good the output-circuitry and input-circuitry of each card is, and as the input-circuitry is usually the weaker on all but high-end cards, it was probably the main factor in your results. The possibility of a ground-loop also throws a serious question-mark over their accuracy. Retesting all three (or four) cards with high-quality external DACs and ADCs hooked up to a second card is essential for good reference results that can be used with future tests (which must also use the same improved testing methodology).
The CPU utilisation results were more interesting and useful given the above, but why not use RightMark 3DSound to more thoroughly research the issue, rather than just the basic tests offered by RMAA?
Anyway I look forward to more cards being tested (Envy24 based solutions for the low-end certainly) as well as onboard audio. Onboard audio will vary from mobo to mobo so unless every mobo Wesley reviews also undergoes an audio test, the mobo audio testing will only apply to the few select boards chosen (another board using the same audio solution could be much better or worse because the choice and layout of the analogue circuitry is critical).
www.digit-life.com does some very thorough soundcard reviews covering almost every aspect (but unfortunately for only a lmited selection of cards) that are well worth taking a look at.
S0me1X - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link
Oh yeah, don't visit head-fi: its evil.SDA - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link
Nice article! I'd like to see more cards reviewed, but the fact that the article doesn't compare every single sound card ever made doesn't bother me so long as we'll be seeing more things like this in the future :DSpeaking of the future, I'd agree with #54 and whoever else said it: the E-MU 0404 and 1212m are definitely worth considering in future articles due to their excellent analog (stereo) sound output and wide feature set (well, mainly on the 1212m, but the 0404's not bad for the price). The cheap Chaintech AV-710 may also be worth a look, as its sound quality in "High Quality" mode (stereo only, again.. sigh) is surprisingly good for the price. Also, it has optical out. The Revo 5.1 and 7.1 are, of course, also worth considering.
I'd also say that you might want to try other speakers and headphones out. I'm not saying you should use really expensive high-end stuff, mind.. what I AM saying is that synergy occurs to a surprising degree with sound equipment, and besides, it wouldn't hurt to try out other pieces of gear that might be within the price range of the typical computer hardware enthusiast.
One last thing. I read this article while taking a break from building a power supply that just happened to use an LM1086. Creepy.
S0me1X - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link
While the Gina3G has an external DAC, it is doesn't look like it has its own power supply!? It is not a standalone DAC.I meant external DACs like this one
http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/catalog/product_info...
S0me1X - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link
Some very good cards for pure music playing are EMU0404 and EMU1212.External dacs can get quite costly, but you get the benefit of isolation from noisy power, and much better analogue output.
I think Benchmark DAC1 is one of the best DACs for use with PC because its very jitter resistant, has fantastic DAC performance, can be used in many different ways (it has a decent built in headphone amplifier, it can be used in a preamp-less speaker system, etc.).
Right now, I'm using a Benchmark DAC1 (toslink input from computer), Sennheiser HD650, Grado RS1, and a Dynahi amplifier (http://www.headamp.com/dynahi.shtml). The DAC1 sounds many magnitudes better than SoundBlaster.
vaystrem - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link
I understand people's concerns regarding subjectivity but lets have a go with that for a second. I use relatively high quality headphones with my laptop (Grado SR-225s) and I will be building another desktop system agian son.Something that I have noticed in my experience with audio is that some hardware is more 'fatiguing' than others.
This 'may' to some degree show up in tests, distortion in upper frequencies, poor crosstalk, etc etc. But simply listening to the "source" (the soundcard) for a long period of time with as a previous poster pointed out 'well made' cables (DIY stuff is fantastic if you have the knack, I don't :) and a revealing good quality speaker can reveal this 'subjective' element.
People see to varying degrees, I have poor sight others have very good sight. Some have good night vision, others have comparatively poor vision. Similarily audio sensitivity varies from person to person, and fatigue is important but subjective. Audio fatigue contributes to a negative music & gaming experience.
A brief rant on the 'source first' school of Audio thought. Essentially audiophiles seek information preservation. We want to be able to hear the conductor drop thier baton, the violin tuned improperly, the subtle ebb and flow of underlying melodies. If any of this information is NOT transmitted by the source, the AMP, Cables, Pre-amp, and finally speakers. All contribute to information loss.
The quality of the original information is therefore of the most importance, hence the importance of soundcard/source reviews in general. The other school of thought is that the source doesn't matter 'so much' or that all sources are roughly equal.
As you've demonstrated, already, with the measurements in this small sample of soundcards. There is a variance in the quality of the soundcards and their measurable performance, with some of those differences being audibly different.
So.... all to say. Subjective tests may be of some use. Especially if you begin, as I suspect you will, that soundcards will have a slightly different sonic character. In my own in house review of about 7 different CD players, determining what is different - was not a problem - determining which was BETTER, was.
DerekWilson - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link
CSMR is on the right track --though, I will say that we do want to find a balance between the audiophile and the computer enthusiast.
Our goals in reviewing PC audio cards are rooted in our history as a computer hardware site, but we aspire to more than simply spitting out RMAA numbers and benchmarks.
We do want to bring something for the audiophiles and musicians as well, so all feedback is appreciated. As usual, we will strive to bring coverage beyond what other computer hardware sites offer, so you can be sure that we will pay attention to what you guys have to say.
Derek Wilson
CSMR - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link
A subjective element to the tests, with better hi-fi equipment, is not appropriate. It is not a competence of AnandTech; the sites you mentioned have much more info and reviewers there have greater experience and expensive equipment; moreover their readers are entirely audio enthusiasts, unlike AnandTech's.For those interested in audio cards, Head-Fi and the audio asylum are good places to go for info.
lsman - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link
may be get your hands on those for less noise signal?http://www.kuroutoshikou.com/products/etc/no-pci+....
lsman - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link
may be get your hands on those for less noise signal?http://www.kuroutoshikou.com/products/etc/no-pci+....