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A few things...

1) Does anyone know of a good sound card for a Mac? Or, should I say, one that's actually an improvement over the built-in audio (which I've generally found to be pretty good)?

2) My old machine is/was a PowerComputing PowerCenter Pro 210. Recently I picked up a blue & white G3/400. The audio *output* is significantly better, but I'm curious as to how the *input* compares. Personally, I hear very little, if any, differences between the two. However, Fellow Members (TM), I'd like *your* opinion.

Below are two files, each with two clips of the song "Touch Me", taken from the aforementioned Quad "The Best Of The Doors". Each file contains one clip of the song recorded using one computer and another clip using the other computer. Since the levels were slightly different, I level adjusted them; the "loud" file has the more quiet clip brought up in volume to match, while the "quiet" file has the louder clip brought down in volume to match. This is to (hopefully) avoid any anomalies level matching might produce.

http://lukpac.org/mp3/samples/touch_me-loud.mp3
http://lukpac.org/mp3/samples/touch_me-quiet.mp3

For each file, let me know which clip you like better - the first or second. Reasons would be good. If you can't hear any differences, that's fine too. Also, keep in mind that the versions may or may not be in the same order in the two MP3s. Thus the "old computer" clip might be first in one file and second in the other. Or it might be in the same place. I'm not telling. At least not until I get a few responses.

Let me know what you think...

I find the loud one more pleasurable and less straining to listen too, but no difference in quality was detected by my ears.

lukpac wrote:1) Does anyone know of a good sound card for a Mac? Or, should I say, one that's actually an improvement over the built-in audio (which I've generally found to be pretty good)?

I went through this two or three years ago, and couldn't come up with anything. I was trying to find a digital soundcard for cheap that was Mac-compatible, but I don't think they exist. You could get a pro card, like the Digidesigns, but you'll pay. I wound up using a Zoltrix Nightingale on PC, and did a little modification so it would do digital coax in (SPDIF is standard).

britre wrote:I find the loud one more pleasurable and less straining to listen too, but no difference in quality was detected by my ears.

Er...do you mean you didn't find any difference in the two clips *within* the loud file?

I'm inclined to say the 2nd example in the 'loud' file is better.

Patrick M wrote:I'm inclined to say the 2nd example in the 'loud' file is better.

Any preference in the "quiet" file?

BTW, I'd think that Mac sound cards would be a bit more common today, since a few years went by where all the new machines didn't have audio in. That said, I haven't really looked at all...

lukpac wrote:Any preference in the "quiet" file?

I'm going with the 2nd example there as well.

If you find any reasonably-priced Mac sound cards, let me know. I'd prefer one with digital in.