Author Topic: Replacing M-Audio Audiophile 2496 (Read 15134 times)

tapeworm48 · « **on:** January 20, 2012, 09:43:20 PM »

Today I have been transferring my DATs from a DA20 via coax to the Audiophile digital soundcard.

My new PC does not have a PCI slot for the digital soundcard. What options are out there for replacing the 2496? I imagine there is an external soundcard that captures via coax and then transfers tot he PC via USB.

Any thoughts/recommendations?

TIA

Drgiggles1 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 20, 2012, 09:53:04 PM »

Anyway you can go from the DA20 into the R09 in your sig ??

hi and lo · « **Reply #2 on:** January 20, 2012, 10:05:03 PM »

Quote from: Drgiggles1 on January 20, 2012, 09:53:04 PM

Anyway you can go from the DA20 into the R09 in your sig ??

That's an analog transfer. Not recommended.

Are you sure you don't have a pci slot? Almost every motherboard has them. More likely there are not drivers that are 64 buy and/or support beyond win xp.

Plenty of cheap usb options if the audiophile really isn't compatible.

F.O.Bean · « **Reply #3 on:** January 21, 2012, 12:31:02 AM »

I went from an FW Soundcard to a Firewire audiophile

anr · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2012, 03:28:41 AM »

[/quote]

Are you sure you don't have a pci slot? Almost every motherboard has them. More likely there are not drivers that are 64 buy and/or support beyond win xp.

[/quote]

I have a DIO2496, bought in about 1999, and it uses the same Windows 7 driver. Works great except for one bug whereby when using optical input you have to click "select optical" twice in the control panel (i.e. switch it off, then on again). I actually gave away a barebones PC I'd inadvertently bought without a PCI slot, as I wanted to retain the 2496.

tapeworm48 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 21, 2012, 10:17:16 AM »

Quote from: hi and lo on January 20, 2012, 10:05:03 PM

Quote from: Drgiggles1 on January 20, 2012, 09:53:04 PM
Anyway you can go from the DA20 into the R09 in your sig ??

That's an analog transfer. Not recommended.

Are you sure you don't have a pci slot? Almost every motherboard has them. More likely there are not drivers that are 64 buy and/or support beyond win xp.

Plenty of cheap usb options if the audiophile really isn't compatible.

Yeah i was pissed to learn that there was no PCI slot.

Can you enlighten me on what some of the cheap usb options are? Thanks.

Teen Age Riot · « **Reply #6 on:** January 21, 2012, 02:33:59 PM »

I've had my M-Audio Audiophile USB since 2003. It's got bit-perfect coax in/out and works fine with Vista and Windows 7.

You can get them for about $40 on ebay, sometimes even less.
Here's one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/M-Audio-Audiophile-USB-/290659968981

Gordon · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2012, 10:46:31 PM »

Quote from: tapeworm48 on January 21, 2012, 10:17:16 AM

Quote from: hi and lo on January 20, 2012, 10:05:03 PM
Quote from: Drgiggles1 on January 20, 2012, 09:53:04 PM
Anyway you can go from the DA20 into the R09 in your sig ??

That's an analog transfer. Not recommended.

Are you sure you don't have a pci slot? Almost every motherboard has them. More likely there are not drivers that are 64 buy and/or support beyond win xp.

Plenty of cheap usb options if the audiophile really isn't compatible.

Yeah i was pissed to learn that there was no PCI slot.

Can you enlighten me on what some of the cheap usb options are? Thanks.

what pc/board is it? I find it hard to believe there's no pci slot.

tapeworm48 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 27, 2012, 08:59:02 PM »

Quote from: Gordon on January 21, 2012, 10:46:31 PM

what pc/board is it? I find it hard to believe there's no pci slot.

not sure, but its an HP box that I purchased. I checked again, there are no white PCI slots in there. I see a black slot, which I am told is for a video card, its longer than the PCI slot would be. Not sure if that helps explaining it.

Gordon · « **Reply #9 on:** January 27, 2012, 09:12:27 PM »

that would be a pcie. is there just that? what model hp?

morst · « **Reply #10 on:** January 29, 2012, 05:37:43 PM »

you can get a soundcard for a PCIe slot. I don't know if any of 'em are any good, but Creative makes soundblasters for PCIe.

Weirdness · « **Reply #11 on:** February 03, 2012, 10:43:40 PM »

I have had the same dilemma recently, it's hard to find a PCI-E card with digi ins.

The Asus Xonar D2X seems to be one of the few that is available, the Xononar Essence is really well regarded in the Audiophile world so the D2X is likely suitable though I can't find any info on bit perfectness for this device.

Other than that, USB sound cards or transferring to a deck with digi ins then transferring to PC seem to be the only options.

http://www.asus.com.au/Multimedia/Audio_Cards/Xonar_D2X/#specifications

F.O.Bean · « **Reply #12 on:** February 03, 2012, 11:02:14 PM »

Hey Wierdness, long time no see

Ummm, look into getting a Firewire Audiophile like I did. All you need is 1 FW port on your PC/Laptop

Had mine about 3 months now and LOVE IT

Gordon · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2012, 12:25:10 AM »

many computers/motherboards these days (besides mac) don't have firewire either. so you'd have to get a pci or pcie firewire card as well.

F.O.Bean · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2012, 01:15:37 AM »

Quote from: Gordon on February 04, 2012, 12:25:10 AM

many computers/motherboards these days (besides mac) don't have firewire either. so you'd have to get a pci or pcie firewire card as well.

Yeah, thats true. I did have to buy a PCIE card for my mini tower

leehookem · « **Reply #15 on:** February 19, 2012, 06:02:44 PM »

do they make an adapter from pcie > pci? dealing with the same issue too.

Gordon · « **Reply #16 on:** February 19, 2012, 07:44:39 PM »

pcie bridge

something like this to go from pcie 1 to pci

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815158165

never used one and no idea how well it would work but.......

tapeworm48 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 04, 2012, 12:40:03 PM »

Thanks for the adapter recommendation. Will the audiophile card work with this adapter? my concern is the depth.

HEre is the adapter: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0024CV3SA/

And here is the soundcard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=100006640&isNodeId=1&Description=audiophile+2496&x=0&y=0

Is this soundcard considered half-height or low profile?

The tech details say:
The unique bracket design allows a low profile/half-height PCI card to work seamlessly in a PCI Express-based expansion slot
Innovative bracket design adapts and secures the existing half-height/low profile bracket of the PCI Card

TIA

Chilly Brioschi · « **Reply #18 on:** March 14, 2012, 06:27:20 AM »

There are MB less expensive than that PCI-E / PCI Bridge !

Some have bit perfect digital audio to 96/24 built in.
The analogue side is probably lesser in performance, however.

Be sure that memory, HDD, I/O, and all are compatible.

Gordon · « **Reply #19 on:** March 14, 2012, 10:20:46 AM »

Quote from: 0x328 on March 14, 2012, 06:27:20 AM

There are MB less expensive than that PCI-E / PCI Bridge !

Some have bit perfect digital audio to 96/24 built in.
The analogue side is probably lesser in performance, however.

Be sure that memory, HDD, I/O, and all are compatible.

true but he has a brand new store bought pc. why in the world would he want to replace the motherboard? his version/key of windows likely won't work if he does that either.

OOK · « **Reply #20 on:** March 14, 2012, 12:49:14 PM »

I was in the same boat at the begining of last year. I bought a new computer and my computer no longer supported PCI. Its now PCIe. After an exhaustive search I settled on this card from E-mu:

http://www.creative.com/emu/products/product.aspx?category=505&pid=19169

I am very happy with this card. It has performed flawlessly....digi in and outs on both coax or opti... plus balanced in and outs.... I run the balanced outs right to a set of KRK RP6's.... Again I am very happy with the performance and sound I am getting......

Peace OOK

tapeworm48 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 30, 2012, 02:56:40 PM »

Any other recommendations in the sub-$100 area? I haven't had any luck scoring an Audiophile USB, the the PCIe bridge did not work out for me. Would appreciate additional suggestions that anyone has. Thanks.

tapeworm48 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 07, 2012, 04:10:28 PM »

Any idea if this is bit perfect:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FireWireSolo.html

could be a good solution as an external firewire soundcard.

Thanks.

tapeworm48 · « **Reply #23 on:** October 23, 2012, 10:25:51 AM »

I came across this soundcard as a potential solution. Its a PCIe card that can handle digital sample rates as low as 32kHz.

http://www.esi-audio.com/products/maya44xte/

Anyone have any experience with this one?

bhadella · « **Reply #24 on:** September 25, 2014, 09:29:16 AM »

Finally upgraded my old desktop and have run into the same issue (only have PCIe slots). I was running Audiophile 2496 > iBasso D10 Cobra (coax in, headphone out) > Grado sr60i (hot rodded). The iBasso has USB in but only accepts 16/48.......just looking for a cheap bit perfect PCIe soundcard that can output 24/96 via coax or optical. Any suggestions?

Looks like cards have gotten much cheaper. I'm spying a ASUS card for under $40 shipped.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132052&cm_re=asus_soundcard-_-29-132-052-_-Product

Fried Chicken Boy · « **Reply #25 on:** September 25, 2014, 05:01:29 PM »

^^ I don't have any experience with that sound card (or many recent sound cards at all since I've been using an outboard USB-connected unit for years) but it's hard to beat for the price. There's also a $10 rebate on the ASUS now so it will wind up being less than $30.

tapeworm48 · « **Reply #26 on:** September 26, 2014, 12:44:49 AM »

i gave up trying to find a replacement, and purchased a microtrack 2496. transferring from DAT to the microtrack via an s/pdif cable.

capnhook · « **Reply #27 on:** September 26, 2014, 12:47:21 PM »

Quote from: OOK on March 14, 2012, 12:49:14 PM

I was in the same boat at the begining of last year. I bought a new computer and my computer no longer supported PCI. Its now PCIe. After an exhaustive search I settled on this card from E-mu:

http://www.creative.com/emu/products/product.aspx?category=505&pid=19169

I am very happy with this card. It has performed flawlessly....digi in and outs on both coax or opti... plus balanced in and outs.... I run the balanced outs right to a set of KRK RP6's.... Again I am very happy with the performance and sound I am getting......

Peace OOK

The specs don't mention 16bit......is this one 24bit only?

Chuck · « **Reply #28 on:** September 26, 2014, 04:55:18 PM »

Quote from: tapeworm48 on September 26, 2014, 12:44:49 AM

i gave up trying to find a replacement, and purchased a microtrack 2496. transferring from DAT to the microtrack via an s/pdif cable.

Yeah, that makes sense.

I use my Tascam DR-680 for doing DAT and cassette transfers now. It's just so easy to set-up. No need for the computer anymore when doing transfers.