Bub


Thanks for the explanation Mike.

I've read about rail voltage and design but didn't realize that's how in depth you were thinking. I was thinking more basic than that.

Which leads me to ... most everything now days is designed to run off USB 5VDC, or have a separate wall wart as well as being powered by USB. My Fast Track Ultra is that way. I can use 2 inputs without phantom power if I just use the USB port. So I'm assuming, when I do plug it in to get access to all the inputs and phantom, they are still only running on 5VDC. And IIRC, the power pack (sorry, wall wart bugs me so I'm going to stop saying it) is only 9VDC, not a huge difference anyway.

I'm curious as to which unit you ended up going with?

Hi Bub,
 I run a pair of MOTU 896HD... they are the 2nd generation, they have massive torroidial power transformers built inside. They have the hardware switch on each input that bypasses the mic preamp and it makes an appreciable audible difference to be able to get around them.

 I'd like to move up to an Apogee or the Lynx Aurora 16 because they have nicer sounding low ends but I have other priorities. The 896s got me to a plateau that is better than anything I had before... they are good enough that I can actually hear the differences in all my preamps and that is something I appreciate. ;-)

 I also have a MOTU traveler that can run off bus power... I use it's low powered wall pack... it sounds pretty generic either way.

 I got the MOTUs because the drivers are kinda good and the sound was good for the price.


best regards,
mike

 

Hi Rain,

 I just wanted to follow up and clarify a couple things.

 I do not feel that I derailed your thread. You have asked for thoughts about converters...

 I read a few statements that suggested that all the appliances use the same chips.

 I read a few statements that suggested that all the the appliances sound the same.

 



 They don't all sound the same.

 There's a reason and the reason explains quite a bit about why devices using the same converter chip sound different:

 Power supplies.




 The Apogee Ensemble 18x18 gets 40 watts and the MOTU Traveler 18x18 gets 12watts.

 I'm not just making this stuff up. :-)





 I hope you enjoy what ever you end up with.


 best regards,
mike 

mike_mccue


Hi Rain,

I just wanted to follow up and clarify a couple things.

I do not feel that I derailed your thread. You have asked for thoughts about converters...

I read a few statements that suggested that all the appliances use the same chips.

I read a few statements that suggested that all the the appliances sound the same.





They don't all sound the same.

There's a reason and the reason explains quite a bit about why devices using the same converter chip sound different:

Power supplies.




The Apogee Ensemble 18x18 gets 40 watts and the MOTU Traveler 18x18 gets 12watts.

I'm not just making this stuff up. :-)





I hope you enjoy what ever you end up with.


best regards,
mike 

YES!
Our entire conversation would have been avoided if you had said that instead of saying: 

Does one 12vDC wall wart have more head room than that other 12vDC wall wart?

it's not the wall wart itself that causes the unit to have more headroom and you've stated that definitively here, but that's not what you said in the post which prompted me to issue a snark award.

Ok! That did it!

Jonbouy ... go to your room!

Beagle ... get outside! Bad dog! BAD DOG!

Mike ... stop being smart! Now Mr.!

May as well talk to the table.
 
Like I said even if there were differences that were audible how would you quantify which one sounded better?  What would be the definition?  Why would I have bothered to qualify it that way if I suggested they all sounded the same?
 
Then he says he was paying attention and acccuses me of sparring with him for the sake of it.
 
 

Bub


Ok! That did it!

Jonbouy ... go to your room!

Beagle ... get outside! Bad dog! BAD DOG!

Mike ... stop being smart! Now Mr.!

Sanest post since the wall warts first appeared...

Jonbouy

Bub

Ok! That did it!

Jonbouy ... go to your room!

Beagle ... get outside! Bad dog! BAD DOG!

Mike ... stop being smart! Now Mr.!

Sanest post since the wall warts first appeared...

I didn't mean "smart" as in cocky, I meant, stop being so intelligent. :-)

I'm real dissapointed. Some of my favourite forumites carrying on like school girls in this thread. I know you guys are better than this so start acting like adults please.

We need a forum area just for people that want to argue with each other. It would be highly useful and we could put Bapu's giant monster, everyone's everything threads there as well.

ampfixer


I'm real dissapointed. Some of my favourite forumites carrying on like school girls in this thread. I know you guys are better than this so start acting like adults please.

We need a forum area just for people that want to argue with each other. It would be highly useful and we could put Bapu's giant monster, everyone's everything threads there as well.

He started it...

it is what it is.