Auzentech Prelude Discussion Thread

[nam]

Originally Posted by Mufflore

Heh, you're right, oops!
You should see how hard it is to set up deep bass in this room.
Anything from 30Hz down literally evaporates through the wooden walls.
Luckily my main speakers are good to near 30Hz so I set the subs crossover to 30Hz and boost it a bit, then turn the Preludes subwoofer level down and give +15dB for music.
This is a great way to compensate for the bloody wooden walls.
Yeah, it seems I forgot I have to do this so my settings wouldnt suit anyone else probably :blush:

I use Analogue for everything except Blu Ray.
Hi Def audio on Blu Ray needs a soundcard with a PAP (Protected Audio Path).
Luckily my gfx cards HDMI audio has a PAP

i do use an Aurlex Gramma as i have a wood suspended floor but i do have an old school house,them New builds can be a pain to EQ, mostly watch the Hi-def stuff on my Blu 760/Xe1 hd-dvd players.

[kimosabi]

Anyone got any recomendations on a nice affordable external DAC for this soundcard BTW? My poor minijack is starting to feel a bit strained having an adapter and two fatty signal wires hanging from it.

[ROBSCIX]

Originally Posted by kimosabi

Anyone got any recomendations on a nice affordable external DAC for this soundcard BTW? My poor minijack is starting to feel a bit strained having an adapter and two fatty signal wires hanging from it.

Guru3D did a review of the Beresford TC-7520 DAC and it has excellent sound quality. Here have a look, TC-7520 Review
Not sure what your budget is though. There are many lower priced DAC's around that have great sound quality for the price.

[lukas_1987_dion]

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX

Guru3D did a review of the Beresford TC-7520 DAC and it has excellent sound quality. Here have a look, TC-7520 Review
Not sure what your budget is though. There are many lower priced DAC's around that have great sound quality for the price.

So with Beresford TC-7520 DAC will my Prelude + Z-5500 sounds better? Beresford TC-7520 can only send digital sound right? I use now my analog's on my Prelude.
No, this is not for my setup :/

[ROBSCIX]

No, you connect the card or other digital source to the DAC. You then connected your speakers or headphones to the DAC but it is only stereo as 99% of the external DAC out there are.

When you ask for a recommendation for a DAC for your soundcard, what do you mean?

To note, you could always use digital for connection to your speakers if your mini jack is failing. but it will be a downgrade over analog on the Prelude as the Z-5500's have a mediocre internal DAC.

Why don't you just prop the wires up so they are not putting weight on the card?

[lukas_1987_dion]

Now i understand. When i connect prelude to z-5500 over analogs, then prelude doing all works (as it should be, because prelude have's better DAC's), and when i connect prelude to z-5500 digital optical (spdif jack to prelude & toslink to z-5500) then my z-5500 doing all work. But why, when i enable (without DTS ON all effects is not working on digital connection) DTS encoder in sound card control panel and effects like eax, crystalizer, EQ etc. then all this effect's is working over optical digital connection... this suggest that prelude doing all job on digital con. too... One more thing, yesterday i read that DAC on prelude (analog) have 120db S/R, and that ADC (digital) have 123db S/(N+D), so it better? Maybe i must try and go digital over good coaxial cable? I don't know... this is so much complicated. Thanks for your reply!

[ROBSCIX]

Originally Posted by lukas_1987_dion

Now i understand. When i connect prelude to z-5500 over analogs, then prelude doing all works (as it should be, because prelude have's better DAC's), and when i connect prelude to z-5500 digital optical (spdif jack to prelude & toslink to z-5500) then my z-5500 doing all work.

Yes, that is about right. The speakers aren't doing any "worK' they are just doing the Digital to Analog conversion.

Originally Posted by lukas_1987_dion

But why, when i enable (without DTS ON) all effects is not working on digital connection) DTS encoder in sound card control panel and effects like eax, crystalizer, EQ etc. then all this effect's is working over optical digital connection... this suggest that prelude doing all job on digital con. too...

Without DDL or DTS-C you will only have stereo over digital. You need the encoder to produce surround sound. The Prelude is doing the Encoding and any processing Yes, but the DAC in the speakers is still doing the conversion.

Originally Posted by lukas_1987_dion

One more thing, yesterday i read that DAC on prelude (analog) have 120db S/R, and that ADC (digital) have 123db S/(N+D), so it better? Maybe i must try and go digital over good coaxial cable? I don't know... this is so much complicated. Thanks for your reply!

DAC is for the cards output.
ADC is for cards input.

The ADC really has nothing to do with your speakers or digital output.
With your system it is better to go analog but it is your system so do what you want.

Hope that Helps.

[kimosabi]

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX

Guru3D did a review of the Beresford TC-7520 DAC and it has excellent sound quality. Here have a look, TC-7520 Review
Not sure what your budget is though. There are many lower priced DAC's around that have great sound quality for the price.

That one looks mighty interesting. I've read through some threads at my fav AV forum and it seems this one is a great investment. Remaining thing to do is to find a retailer. Might have to buy it from Beresford directly?

Thanks!

[bodean]

Are we ever going to see GOOD drivers for this card? The latest drivers, when used in Windows 7 x64, I get static a lot when playing music, and it is very irritating.

[nam]

Originally Posted by bodean

Are we ever going to see GOOD drivers for this card? The latest drivers, when used in Windows 7 x64, I get static a lot when playing music, and it is very irritating.

Been using theses for a while and had no issues http://forums.creative.com/t5/Sound-...010/m-p/550638

also has the Heatsink come loose on the Xfi chip?, they can run hot you no and cause static ect, i even have a side fan on low Rpm pointing towards the card, but Manley for the 480.

[nam]

Fit a OPA2277PA other day there good but just i fell not as good as the original LM4562, i also have some OPA2107AP 8-dip(which i forgot i had) going to try theses OPA2107AP 8-dip next, as i read good things about them.

[GenClaymore]

Yea I enjoy the OPA2107APs my self which i have in my STX's.

[nam]

nice to no can not believe i have had them over a year and forgot i had them lol,

i can get the OPA637/627Ap in dip 8 so i can just fit them out of the box, auzen are selling them as AU (2 separate chips) will there be any difference between the two different types, but there the same chips?

[ROBSCIX]

Some LME49720HA opamp make a great upgrade to the Prelude 7.1 over the stock opamps. There are many opamps that can give you great sound quality.

I build opamps for many people around the audio community. If you are interested drop me a line and I will tell you what I have.

[ROBSCIX]

Originally Posted by nam

nice to no can not believe i have had them over a year and forgot i had them lol,

i can get the OPA637/627Ap in dip 8 so i can just fit them out of the box, auzen are selling them as AU (2 separate chips) will there be any difference between the two different types, but there the same chips?

OPA627/637's are single channel and will not drop right in out of the pack. You have to use an adapter.

[nam]

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX

Some LME49720HA opamp make a great upgrade to the Prelude 7.1 over the stock opamps. There are many opamps that can give you great sound quality.

I build opamps for many people around the audio community. If you are interested drop me a line and I will tell you what I have.

i did last time but you was not keen on sending to the Uk.

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX

OPA627/637's are single channel and will not drop right in out of the pack. You have to use an adapter.

dam i checked the dip 8 ones there are single channel. http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...A627&x=17&y=22

[ROBSCIX]

I can hook you up in the UK. Let me know...

[lukas_1987_dion]

Hello again.
So Prelude is not support DTS-HD over analog? 'I' can't by-pass analog conversion on my prelude, and DTS 96/24 is not working on Digital... So i don't have real DTS on analogs - only conversion from DTS to analog? Perhaps I must sell my Prelude... This card is not support Digital I/O too.
If i may be have HD6970 (with HDMI 7.1 192/24) then i can connect it to my amp with HDMI and play all sounds from PC? Not only sound in movies? :-/

[GenClaymore]

The Auzentech X-Fi HDMI and Xonar HDAV 1.3/h6 board are the only two sound cards which does full blu ray audio over analog.

your GTX570 should beable to do it as well when your use the DVI-HDMI adapter which came with the card that was made to do that.

[lukas_1987_dion]

Thanks for your reply GenClaymore.
So finally my question is; Is Auzentech HomeTheater have's better DAC's than Prelude? (Auzen HT HDMI have 115db DAC and Prelude have 120db DAC and ADC at 123db).

[ROBSCIX]

Many times reported specs are the parts spec....the DAC is rated for 120db but in the real world would be about 117db.

[lukas_1987_dion]

But DAC's on Prelude are still better right?
Sound quality are better on HomeTheater or Prelude?
Anyone knows?

[GenClaymore]

The prelude was the only auzentech X-Fi card I used, I dont know about the Auzentech X-Fi HDMi Rob should.

Tho the plus of the X-FI HDMi is it has a headphone amp if you every need it. Tho the main reason of the Auzentech X-Fi HDMI is for its blu ray audio and Full blu ray analog output.

[ROBSCIX]

Originally Posted by lukas_1987_dion

But DAC's on Prelude are still better right?
Sound quality are better on HomeTheater or Prelude?
Anyone knows?

The cards sound very similar but the HTHD supports everything the Prelude does and many options it does not.
If you do not want the BD audio features, I doubt you would notice a major difference in those cards.

[lukas_1987_dion]

THX.
I'm looking for the best sound card for my pc. Anyone can help me choose the right one? Or meaby i should stay with my 2 years old Prelude?