Auzuntech SoundCard, a modders delight?

[DcibeL]

Hi,

I wasn't exactly sure where to post this so it's going here. I was shopping around for some computer parts, when I came across a SoundCard manufacturer by the name of Auzuntech, who are making a couple soundcards which have large parts on the PCB. In fact, they have all the op-amps in DIP sockets! All you have to do to swap an op-amp is pop it out and pop the new one in. No solder required. I found this to be very cool on a commercial product, so I am spreading the word. They look like a real solid product as well. Rage3D has a review of the X-plosion 7.1 card, with high resolution photos of the board. The op-amps installed are S4580P

[cotdt]

Dammit these guys stole my company's name! ARGH!!!! I had the name first, and I own the domain name. Those bastarrdds!

[DcibeL]

Woops, I spelled it wrong both times I types it. Should read Auzentech.

[cotdt]

it's still MY company's name

[Eva]

Indeed this card will be very well suited for those ones that enjoy swapping op-amps and coupling capacitors.

It employs a single-chip solution, with all DACs, ADCs, analog mixer, PCI I/O, digital I/O, etc... sharing the same package and supply rails like in $15 soundcards.

And it also has DIP sockets to allow modders to play their favourite game with exotic op-amps, each of which will cost far more than the own chipset of the sound card!

[DragonMaster]

It employs a single-chip solution, with all DACs, ADCs, analog mixer, PCI I/O, digital I/O, etc... sharing the same package and supply rails like in $15 soundcards.

Same for Creative cards, they're about 15x more than $15, but they should cost $15.

It's better than a Creative sound card for some parts! (If we don't consider the mostly unuseful EAX that almost all the processor power is dedicated to)

-There's live DTS and DD encoding, something that only expen$ive software would normally do, not even Creative cards... (Maybe live DD on the X-Fi tho)

-It seems like the only good alternative to Creative cards with SPDIF inputs(M-Audio doesn't have some)!

-Swappable opamps and dual supplies, can put almost anything in there!

-I think that it's not always re-sampling also. And it has hardware sound support, not M-Audio.

Cons :

-The bad thing is the 16/48 ADCs, but the SPDIF in supports 24/96.

- $140 - The X-Fi will give you Live DD I think, 24/96 recording(Dunno if it's more than stereo), 24/192 playback (With no more resampling in "music mode")

It would need a bit more I/Os, maybe hardware DD/DTS decoding, better ADC/DACs(Probably just a Crystal IC a few steps up would be able to do this), and other things like that to make me happy.

[neutron7]

they have a new card called meridian coming out "soon" with better spec all through

4 pcs 24-bit/192kHz AK4396VF (120dB-part spec.) DACs for 7.1channel output. (24-bit/192kHz in 7.1channel playback)

and swappable opamps for the outputs.

depending on the price, i might swap out my 0404 for this.

[Nordic]

wonder if its possible to cut traces leading to the power tags on the PCI card connector, and pipe in some clean power of your own....

[Bose(o)]

Auzentech is one step ahead of us. The meridian already has it's own regulated power supply.

Of course it isn't "pure" as a direct connection to the A/C source, but it does well with the original SMPS signal. If you can't already tell, I'm a big fan of these cards and can't wait for $$$ and slap my BBs in there.

[DragonMaster]

wonder if its possible to cut traces leading to the power tags on the PCI card connector, and pipe in some clean power of your own....

Can't you just pull out the 78xx / 79xx voltage regulators you find on about every sound cards on this planet? (Old SB16s got them, cheap $3 cards too)