Tom's hardware does some interesting tests

[SSL]

I think the Tomshardware article debunks what Teksyndicate were saying. They were suggesting you need a high quality headphone amp like an O2 made by Mayflower and matched impedance otherwise the sound quality would be impacted. Whereas this review all but said that this isn't the case, that the Realtek chipsets are almost perfect for this. Admittedly there was some discernible difference but it seems to have been very slight. But as many others have mentioned they didn't test classical music, which is the one example that everyone else uses as the case where there is a more noticeable difference. Still its a great article for what it does.

 

But what I really really want is binaural surround sound testing. This is really needs in depth testing with blind directional testing being done so they can check the accuracy and such of the algorithms they are using.  I hope that Toms intends to do this as well.

 

Binaural surround?

[Deedot78]

Where's mayflower at now? They basically suggest the Realtek is on par with solutions many more times expensive. Especially with most of mid to high end board using quality headphone amp chips along with that. It basically pissing in the eye of all of these audio manufactures. 

[MayflowerElectronics]

Where's mayflower at now? They basically suggest the Realtek is on bar with solutions many more times expensive. Especially with most of mid to high end board using quality headphone amp chips along with that. It basically pissing in the eye of all of these audio manufactures. 

 

I'm right here? I never left.

 

People will always want to upgrade, so that's where we (amp/DAC manufacture's) come in. Yes, onboard is sufficient for most headphones/people, but people (myself included) will always want that extra. That's why I swapped out my 770 to get my 780. Is it really worth it? No, but there are tangible benefits, and when you are trying to get that last 30,20,10% ect ect, it will end up costing a bit of money.

 

Although on-board is good, don't forget some people will still get interference. Again, the inside of a computer is an electrical hell hole for audio signals. Most boards do a good job of blocking out all of the audible noise but sometimes configurations in hardware, and murphy's law poke their head in and say otherwise. You'll need to get an external solution to fix that most of the time.

[ShearMe]

Where's mayflower at now?

 

edit: well nevermind

[mr moose]

Where's mayflower at now? They basically suggest the Realtek is on bar with solutions many more times expensive. Especially with most of mid to high end board using quality headphone amp chips along with that. It basically pissing in the eye of all of these audio manufactures. 

 

Well, just to add to what mayflower has already said,  For the most part in these forums mayflower has never actually recommended people spend money on an o2 when their onboard is working fine and their headphones are not hard to drive.  Given  that his o2 amp has tangible befits over the e10, when advice calls for something bigger/different than onboard then like most other users the o2 is recommended.

 

I could probably search and quote a half dozen posts where mayflower has recommend you don't upgrade your audio and stick with onboard.

[h264]

Where's mayflower at now? They basically suggest the Realtek is on bar with solutions many more times expensive. Especially with most of mid to high end board using quality headphone amp chips along with that. It basically pissing in the eye of all of these audio manufactures. 

 

Tom's Hardware did nothing revolutionary here, in fact:

 

http://www.theaudiocritic.com/cwo/Back_Issues/

 

It contains almost entirely tests of audio equipment and explanations by professors and professionals from back in the 90's.  Different decade, same myths.  Some things never change.  Also funny cartoons.

[rhyseyness]

I read every word of that article, it's fantastic.

So happy I haven't spent thousands of pounds on expensive audio equipment

[wpirobotbuilder]

I wish they had also tested one of Realtek's lower-end chipsets, the one they used is designed to be high quality. If the argument goes that a dedicated sound device is better than onboard sound, they ought to have tested the more common chipsets as well, not just those that are used for onboard hi-fi audio solutions (they used the Rampage III, which comes with decent audio). Still, fantastic job, Tom.

 

 

Fantastic article.

 

Do you see this changing the way you recommend sound devices?

[mr moose]

I wish they had also tested one of Realtek's lower-end chipsets, the one they used is designed to be high quality. If the argument goes that a dedicated sound device is better than onboard sound, they ought to have tested the more common chipsets as well, not just those that are used for onboard hi-fi audio solutions (they used the Rampage III, which comes with decent audio). Still, fantastic job, Tom.

 

 

 

Do you see this changing the way you recommend sound devices?

 

To be fair they had to, they were comparing it to a supposedly high end sound card and to a high end dac.  If they had used a run of the mill gigabyte or asus board with an 892 and found it to be little lacking, then everyone would have said of course it is and either dismissed article or missed the point about cost/performance.

 

EDIT: having said that, of course I think the results would have been the same with a run of the mill board and an 892, so long as it was all working properly.

[wpirobotbuilder]

To be fair they had to, they were comparing it to a supposedly high end sound card and to a high end dac.  If they had used a run of the mill gigabyte or asus board with an 892 and found it to be little lacking, then everyone would have said of course it is and either dismissed article or missed the point about cost/performance.

 

EDIT: having said that, of course I think the results would have been the same with a run of the mill board and an 892, so long as it was all working properly.

Their testing methodology does make sense, but it doesn't much help the average person with a mid-range audio chipset.

 

It's nice they outlined that there are reasons to buy better sound devices, if only for the features.

[Kyl3]

Linustechtips sound card roundup!

[ShearMe]

Linustechtips sound card roundup!

 

What would even be the point?

[Scionyde]

So this backs up TekSyndicate's point?

There are still those furrowing their brows in a vein attempt to understand this.

 

You said it, Principal Skinner!

 

But yeah, I really enjoy it when TH does one of their full reviews/articles like this. Good read.

[Ertman]

You said it, Principal Skinner!

 

But yeah, I really enjoy it when TH does one of their full reviews/articles like this. Good read.

Nice! I was hoping someone would catch it.

[Kyl3]

What would even be the point?

The point would be to either support or disprove the point that this article made.

[MayflowerElectronics]

The point would be to either support or disprove the point that this article made.

 

It already has been by many people.

[ShearMe]

The point would be to either support or disprove the point that this article made.

 

As already stated by others in this thread, the article is not drawing some revolutionary idea. There's already plenty of supportive evidence out there, not that I'm really against more being pumped out if it'll make a dent in the numbers of audeejewfiles...

[EmoRarity]

The point would be to either support or disprove the point that this article made.

The article did that on it's own. And linus is pretty much done with audio as he is probably sick of the shit we give him for doing it wrong

[BrightCandle]

The fact its repeating tests already done hundreds of times is kind of disappointing to me as its also not really audience appropriate. Their readership is by and large gamers and hardware enthusiasts and I would have thought testing the cards for gaming would have been a far more important area of concern than music.

 

There is quite a difference anyone can hear between the different binaural surround simulators in the different cards, and in software, and there really hasn't been a good study/review of that at all. Since Vista wrecked the sound card world and destroyed innovation in the area we haven't seen much progress in this particular area, and yet I suspect most gamers do play with headphones and not 5/1/7.1 speaker setups.

 

So rather than testing something we already knew would be nice to test something that is audience appropriate and something we don't know.

[Kyl3]

It already has been by many people.

 

 

As already stated by others in this thread, the article is not drawing some revolutionary idea. There's already plenty of supportive evidence out there, not that I'm really against more being pumped out if it'll make a dent in the numbers of audeejewfiles...

 

 

The article did that on it's own. And linus is pretty much done with audio as he is probably sick of the shit we give him for doing it wrong

But, coming from Linus it might have some weight.

[MayflowerElectronics]

But, coming from Linus it might have some weight.

 

How...He reviews computer hardware on youtube? What weight does he carry?

[Kyl3]

How...He reviews computer hardware on youtube? What weight does he carry?

More than a forum regular.

[mr moose]

More than a forum regular.

So, it sounds to me like you won't believe anything unless Linus says so regardless of who says it or what evidence there is to support it.  Come on man, Linus is good and all but if you need him to confirm everything that TH does then you need to stretch out a bit.

[Kyl3]

So, it sounds to me like you won't believe anything unless Linus says so regardless of who says it or what evidence there is to support it.  Come on man, Linus is good and all but if you need him to confirm everything that TH does then you need to stretch out a bit.

Just saying, i would rather get my information from a person or source that i can trust. Not saying you or anyone else is wrong.

[TheProfosist]

Just saying, i would rather get my information from a person or source that i can trust. Not saying you or anyone else is wrong.

But Tom's Hardware is known for being very good when it comes to their in depth reviews and articles for longer than Linus has been doing this Gig.