Has anyone listened to a PCI-slot based amplifier ?

humblebee

Active Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2010
Messages
336
Points
43
Location
Realm of The Immortals
Hello!

I remember that some time back Computer PCI (or PCIx) slot based amplifier cards were introduced in the market.
AMD too was behind one if I remember correctly.

Has anyone heard them?
If yes then which one and how was it ?

Could you also please point me as to where I can buy one from ?

I am able to find only one here

Regards
 
They say,

The CARDamp is a whole new concept of digital amplification.

Which may be why you can't find any others.

I've been owning and browsing sound cards and interfaces since about 2002, and I don't remember anything with sufficient output to drive speakers. Headphones, of course yes, but not speakers. Of course, I might have just not looked in the right place :)

This is a baffling product. DAC? It doesn't say anything about it. Very curious!

EDIT... Well, yes, I was looking in the wrong place all those years. I got this completely wrong: it is not a new product, but an archived, old product. Google finds a mention back in2005.
 
Last edited:
Bus powered devices are risky to run IMHO with sudden power change requirements.

The one you have shown runs on 12 V supply (?) not PCI/E if I am not mistaken.
 
I found one here
Its Tripath based. Has a line in at the front.
The only other major issue perhaps would be a good volume control and perhaps that can be given by foobar or other good software bypassing windows volume control.
What do you think?

I am really tempted to buy this one but I guess sourcing from China will involve customs hassles :-(

Oh my MB's PCI slot is busy ...
<Muttering:Gotta consider the other card on PCIe>
 
Last edited:
Why do you want to go for such devices ?

I want to try.
I figure that that board is all there is in a Topping Amp.
If so, why not this?
And it will be same functionality but much cheaper.
Maybe it will work out. Maybe it wont.
In either case I will learn many things.

Unless of course before trying, I learn that its risky in some way.
 

Interesting manufacturer :)

This device is only an amplifier. it needs an analogue input from a sound card. Functionally, it is doing the same thing as an external power amp but located inside the case. theoretical purists will at once hear the EMI, etc, as soon as they hear those words. On the other hand, and assuming the devices are deigned for the environment, and fed by a decent power supply, then perhaps here is a solution for a single-box audio PC. It all adds to the options for building dedicated media computers.

About the purist thing, I am not sure. I really do believe that it is overstated, but, on the other hand, it is just as easy to put those components outside the box and, currently mine are.

By putting this amplifier inside a pc, one is certainly loosing one thing: flexibility.

The desktop world is headed towards active speakers. Line-level (or even direct digital in some cases) input is all that is needed.

But there will be someone, somewhere, with a pair of small passive speakers, who wants to make a PC single-box mini-system. This amp will do them nicely :)
 
By putting this amplifier inside a pc, one is certainly loosing one thing: flexibility.

Actually I look at this as a design choice.

When I thought of setting up a Media Center PC some time back, I perceived that the concept of it was that The PC would have all the processing part to it. No point in duplication of this processing effort. This is not just a good design, but in a way is also a fulfilment of what a 'Computer' is.

It follows that the external devices are just reproducing what the PC is feeding them. Thus the audio part outside it would consist of only the Speakers. And the Video part of only the Screen. Here it may be noted that LCDs these days have processing in them. An ideal would be a kind of Monitor that is just good at displaying a picture that it is fed (not with its own Viera or Bravia processing).

Now, every company will try to include 'Most' of the functionality in their product - for obvious reasons - more profit + survivability.
But seen from a designer or even a consumer's (our) perspective, this doesn't make sense & neither does duplication of processing effort (which causes more wastage & more cost). Additionally few companies have the expertise in 'all the areas' that are required to make a Media Center PC both versatile & truly capable.(Remember Microsoft's attempt some time back at making a Media Center PC? It consisted of what it does best - A Software - Windows Media Center + lots of marketing hype !)

The desktop world is headed towards active speakers.

I don't know about that. I think there are two factors here:

1) As stated above lets say for e.g. AudioEngine, they would love to bundle an amp + a DAC with its speakers - "hey we make more profit while ensuring that our speakers perform at their required level". Viola. We have the A5. Never mind that they don't have expertise in building an amp.

2) Isn't this just a convenience thing? And as soon as the 'convenience' part is handled, people would love to have more quality however it comes to them.
 
Last edited:
Actually I look at this as a design choice.

So did I, when I suggested the one-box idea --- which turns out to be more or less what you are thinking :)

Isn't this just a convenience thing?

Very far from it! And once one moves away from domestic, entry-level stuff, it is not even an economy thing. It is about two or more drivers in a box each being separately amplified by matched amplifiers, inside the box. The people who make monitors for studios do that very carefully, and that is what you will find in studios. Spend a few hours googling, and research this sector of the market. I don't know about you, but many of those companies do not make anything that my budget even approaches, so much of my research is academic. Also known as dreaming ;). The particular pair of small, active speakers, that I sometimes visualise on my desk cost around UK3,000. Dreaming is free... but, one day, I may well spend equivalent of Rs.50,000 to 1 Lakh on such speakers

It's a different approach, but no, it is not at all a worse approach.
 
Last edited:
Check out our special offers on Stereo Package & Bundles for all budget types.
Back
Top