Invidiosulus Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 A couple of days ago I got really fed up with using my Playstation2 as a cd player due to the noise of it's cooling fan. Since I didn't have it in my budget(and won't for a while)to go out and buy a real cd player I started experimenting with what I had lying around the apartment. I realized that one of the CD-ROM drives in my computer had the extra play/track advance button on the front which would allow me to play CD's without it being hooked up to a computer. I decided I would try the straight digital output on the back of the drive assumung it was a standard 16/44.1 I now just needed an adapter that would go from the little flat 2 pin connecter on the back of the drive to an rca so I could plug it into the coaxial digital input on the back of my yamaha receiver. After an hour or so of drooling over all the junk in the local used/surplus electronics store I reemerged into the light with the following items. The red and black 4 pin connector was all I could find that was the right size for the back of the drive so I just cut it in half with my trusty spyderco and used one of the little crimp on phone splicers to connect the cables together(since I don't have a soldering iron). Right now I'm using a computer power suply to power the drive but seeing as how it runs on 12vdc and 5vdc I may try wiring up a battery pack and seeing how that sounds. Right now the sound itself seems noticeably better then my PS2. The CD-rom drive seems to have more clarity and a litle better definition with the sound overall not sounding as muddied, although before I made the switch I would have described the sound as anything but muddy. Now I just need to see how this sounds through a tube amp Peace, Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Ok, it's ingenious. But don't you have a CompUSA nearby where you can get one of those M-Audio Revolutions everyone is talking about for 65.00? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Howdy, Dave! What's an M-Audio Revolution? I hope ya'll are doing well! Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Erik: See the "Jeezopete Justin..." thread below on this forum. It's been discussed a bit here and Ken Johnson purchased one. I didn't spend much time with it, but certainly felt it was worth 65.00... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invidiosulus Posted April 9, 2003 Author Share Posted April 9, 2003 Dave, I'm sure the Revolution is a great deal at that price. However I still don't have that kind of money right now. If I had $65 I would have propably just gone ahead and bought a cheap cd player. As it is right now I'm living on student loans and my audio budget is made up of what I can bum off of people on the street. Hey mister, I haven't had a good meal in three days can you spare some change? If I get enough quarters I can get a pair of klipschhorns.(jk) The sound blaster live meets my needs for hooking up my pc to my receiver at this point(something I don't often do). One annoying fact about the sblive though is that with the digital output it converts everything(even cd audio) to 16/48kHz. My pc(the newest of three) is so loud that it measures 64dB at my ear level when I'm at my desk This is why I am thinking of going battery powered or perhaps using a powered external drive bay that marvel has sitting around back home. My whole point in doing the experiment with the cd drive was to have a quiet(er) cd player that would cost me nothing, all of the cables and connectors I bought cost me about $3.00 even though I bought double of what I needed. I'm thinking of taking the spares and trying it on the analog out. Besides, I enjoy tinkering. That's what makes this hobby great(that and listening to music). Peace, Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin_tx_16 Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 From my experience, the M-Audio revolution sounds better than CD players priced around and above it. That is at least on my system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foodshouldbefree Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 is it better than SB audigy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyclonecj Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Here is an option... it uses the USB connector to connect to your receiver optical in. Its a direct shot, using the D/A converter in the receiver. Xitel.com If you look around the page, they have a cheaper one that is designed for transfering files to a MP3 player. I am currently using the SBLive digital out. It is good enough for casual listening. I tried the analog out, & it was pretty bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khorn58 Posted April 10, 2003 Share Posted April 10, 2003 I Have the m audio 2496 audiophile card its ok but my old nak oms 7 sounds a lot smother. havent tested the card at 24 bit yet hopefully that will sound good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khorn58 Posted April 10, 2003 Share Posted April 10, 2003 I Have the m audio 2496 audiophile card its ok but my old nak oms 7 sounds a lot smother. havent tested the card at 24 bit yet hopefully that will sound good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjohnsonhp Posted April 10, 2003 Share Posted April 10, 2003 Greetings from Phoenix. See the "SOUND CARD" board on the Klipsch forums. There is a link to a review of the M-Audio Revo card which includes music tests and impressions. You can also read my initial impressions. It's a good audio card for $99 but the $350 DAL Card Deluxe and other more expensive cards sound better. I think it sounds very similar to my old sub $200 Toshiba DVD player with digital cable to my Outlaw 1050. I was more impressed when Dave hooked up his Card Deluxe PC but I would claim we have fairly tested the two...it's just that I noticed an improvement (less digital harshness w/the Card Deluxe) and I didn't hear much difference between by DVD and the M-Audio Revo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.