I use sensitive speakers and my sound card is the noisiest link in the chain. It's not only white noise but something that sounds like shot noise. My wireless mouse also causes issues.
I assume that this isn't so much the card but other extraneous noises within the computer. This is a PCI card.
Is there some recommended way of quietening the supply rails and shielding the card?
I assume that this isn't so much the card but other extraneous noises within the computer. This is a PCI card.
Is there some recommended way of quietening the supply rails and shielding the card?
Remove card from computer and shield with metal dust bin.
Replace with nice quiet card, or external card.
Nothing is going to get rid of white noise that is worth your time and effort.
If speakers are so sensitive, no way are you making use of card's dynamic range. Perhaps rework gain structure.
What card are you currently using?
Replace with nice quiet card, or external card.
Nothing is going to get rid of white noise that is worth your time and effort.
If speakers are so sensitive, no way are you making use of card's dynamic range. Perhaps rework gain structure.
What card are you currently using?
I'd probably say that the (white) noise floor has a good few -dB on the problematic spurious noise.
The gain structure is a little generous but I do play loud from time to time, and I don't think I'd want to ditch as much as would make it silent.
The card is nothing special. I swapped it in a while ago due to issues and forgot that I had.
My speakers are around 103dB@2.83
Do you think a more quiet PCI card can be quiet enough without shielding, and despite the computer/power supply?
The gain structure is a little generous but I do play loud from time to time, and I don't think I'd want to ditch as much as would make it silent.
The card is nothing special. I swapped it in a while ago due to issues and forgot that I had.
My speakers are around 103dB@2.83
Do you think a more quiet PCI card can be quiet enough without shielding, and despite the computer/power supply?
Don't think, try outboard attenuation. For loud just bypass. Also if this works, you can seek quieter, better card.
What is current card?
What is current card?
noise with internal sound cards are to be expected, just think about how many switching supplies are on motherboard and cards/addon components.
even known names like soundblaster are not flawless
even known names like soundblaster are not flawless
noise with internal sound cards are to be expected, just think about how many switching supplies are on motherboard and cards/addon components.
even known names like soundblaster are not flawless
even known names like soundblaster are not flawless
It's an 8738 (cmi). I think I have a Creative gaming card somewhere. Do you have any experience with synchronous USB cards?
in my life i did not owned much sound cards, i wrote based on info from others.
often usb soundc (cheaper ones). are usb1.1, they are limited to 16b/44-48k. some folks do diy soundcards, streaming i2s from such chip, and resampling to 96k or higher.
your card has very basic parameters, good idea to look elsewhere. integrated cards have similar quality
often usb soundc (cheaper ones). are usb1.1, they are limited to 16b/44-48k. some folks do diy soundcards, streaming i2s from such chip, and resampling to 96k or higher.
your card has very basic parameters, good idea to look elsewhere. integrated cards have similar quality
Visit a computer recycler. The two that I visited in the Big City had bins full of SB Lives and one Audigy 2 ZS, which I snapped up for $5 to have as a spare. To be honest, I'm not sure if I've ever used the analog I/O on the A2ZS, but I've seen some very impressive RMAA loopback measurements.
Another option: use an attenuator between the sound card and the speakers, or turn the gain down on the speakers and use the full output range of the sound card. Even horrid on-board sound should be almost tolerable if the gain structure is optimized.
Another option: use an attenuator between the sound card and the speakers, or turn the gain down on the speakers and use the full output range of the sound card. Even horrid on-board sound should be almost tolerable if the gain structure is optimized.
I still havent heard good sounding soundcard for a very long time...
Im still waiting for my DAC but my old version was with PCM2706
I ´t sounded pretty good with OPA27GP as preamp...
When i had my old crystal card that sounded horrible due JRC4558...
I removed it and also changed supply filters to bigger and with lower ESR ones, removed the JRC and changed to LM5532 got some serious bass and it sounded wonderful until i bought new card... sounded good but still dumped in trash and bought DAC.
Im still waiting for my DAC but my old version was with PCM2706
I ´t sounded pretty good with OPA27GP as preamp...
When i had my old crystal card that sounded horrible due JRC4558...
I removed it and also changed supply filters to bigger and with lower ESR ones, removed the JRC and changed to LM5532 got some serious bass and it sounded wonderful until i bought new card... sounded good but still dumped in trash and bought DAC.
I had just made crossover changes and reclaimed some sensitivity without reorganising the gain structure, yet the extent of the cr@p sitting on the sound card was enough to throw me...particularly the extraneous noise pushing through from other networks.
I'm hoping to build some new amps this year with two stages and S.E.(D.H.)T. outputs, or maybe 6v6's so I guess the nature of this noise was sapping the motivation from this.
I've since picked up a better card and the noise floor is a little less ugly, which is a good start.
I'm hoping to build some new amps this year with two stages and S.E.(D.H.)T. outputs, or maybe 6v6's so I guess the nature of this noise was sapping the motivation from this.
I've since picked up a better card and the noise floor is a little less ugly, which is a good start.
I tried a $50 SMSL DAC from ebay, that used optical toslink as connection between source (PC) and amp that isolated the amp from noise very well. It was dead quiet compared to my Lynx L22 $640 PCI card. The Lynx has some nice personality and warmth, but it is drowned in computer noise. I use compression drivers so I can hear the difference very easy.
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