[alsa-devel] supported sound cards
I'm starting a business selling Linux-based computers, and I'm looking for a high-end sound card that works well under Linux. I don't have a specific use in mind; this would be for a wide range of end-users, from audiophiles to gamers.
Is there a particular high-end sound card that stands out as working well under Linux? If not, what cards should I consider?
I appreciate any information or suggestions.
Edward
HDA works nicely if it works. If you can test a specific motherboard that works, and then build a system based on it, great. Envy24 (ICE1712) and Envy24HT(-S) (ICE1724/ICE1721) cards work particularily well in Linux. Most of them are listed here: http://envy24.svobodno.com/ However, note that ALSA unfortunately doesn't support all of them (for example, Infrasonic Quartet isn't supported, and Maya 44 is supported only in Takashi's unstable git tree). Most of them are supported, though. Some newer models also offer extremely high quality DACs and ADCs. On the other hand, you have E-mu cards. They aren't fully supported, unfortunately, but they do work in day-to-day usage. They also have high quality DACs. However, I'm not sure about gaming cards. Maybe Aureal (:-P) or SB Live! / SB Audigy would qualify here. Somebody else might know this better.
2008/10/30 Edward Terry eterry@openboxbuilder.com:
I'm starting a business selling Linux-based computers, and I'm looking for a high-end sound card that works well under Linux. I don't have a specific use in mind; this would be for a wide range of end-users, from audiophiles to gamers.
Is there a particular high-end sound card that stands out as working well under Linux? If not, what cards should I consider?
I appreciate any information or suggestions.
Edward _______________________________________________ Alsa-devel mailing list Alsa-devel@alsa-project.org http://mailman.alsa-project.org/mailman/listinfo/alsa-devel
Edward Terry wrote:
I'm starting a business selling Linux-based computers, and I'm looking for a high-end sound card that works well under Linux. I don't have a specific use in mind; this would be for a wide range of end-users, from audiophiles to gamers.
The only chip where hardware mixing is supported is Creative's Emu10k1 (snd-emu10k1 driver), used on the SB Live!, most Audigy and certain low- end X-Fi cards. (Cards with the 'real' X-Fi chip do _not_ work well in Linux.)
Other supported chips are ICE1724 (M-Audio Delta 1010(LT), DiO 2496, 66, 44, 410, Audiophile 24/96; Digigram VX442; TerraTec EWX 24/96, EWS 88MT/D, DMX 6Fire, Phase 88; Hoontech SoundTrack DSP 24/Value/ Media7.1; Event EZ8; Lionstracs Mediastation, Terrasoniq TS 88) and VT1720/24 (AMP AUDIO2000; M-Audio Revolution 5.1, 7.1, Audiophile 192; TerraTec Aureon 5.1 Sky, 7.1 Space/Universe, Phase 22/28; Onkyo SE-90PCI, SE-200PCI; AudioTrak Prodigy 192, 7.1 (HIFI/LT/XT), HD2; Hercules Fortissimo IV; ESI Juli@; Pontis MS300; EGO-SYS WaveTerminal 192M).
The most high-end supported cards are probably the Asus Xonar cards. The D2/D2X have even slightly better audio quality than the best X-Fi, and, as the obviously most important feature, colorfully illuminated jacks. The various Dolby features are done in software in the Windows driver and are not supported in Linux. If you need a PCI-E card, the Xonar DX or D2X are your only choice.
HTH Clemens
On Thu, Nov 06, 2008 at 01:15:05PM +0100, Clemens Ladisch wrote:
Other supported chips are ICE1724 (M-Audio Delta 1010(LT), DiO 2496, 66, 44, 410, Audiophile 24/96; Digigram VX442; TerraTec EWX 24/96, EWS 88MT/D, DMX 6Fire, Phase 88; Hoontech SoundTrack DSP 24/Value/ Media7.1; Event EZ8; Lionstracs Mediastation, Terrasoniq TS 88) and VT1720/24 (AMP AUDIO2000; M-Audio Revolution 5.1, 7.1, Audiophile 192; TerraTec Aureon 5.1 Sky, 7.1 Space/Universe, Phase 22/28; Onkyo SE-90PCI, SE-200PCI; AudioTrak Prodigy 192, 7.1 (HIFI/LT/XT), HD2; Hercules Fortissimo IV; ESI Juli@; Pontis MS300; EGO-SYS WaveTerminal 192M).
Many of the above are ICE1712 (Delta 1010(LT), Audiophile 2496 etc.) not ICE1724.
The most high-end supported cards are probably the Asus Xonar cards.
`High end' means different things in different situations of course. RME HDSP series are probably the `highest end' cards supported, but they need external converters, so they're probably unsuitable here.
John
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