METHODS:
-Before recording the actual song, I recorded a test tone and matched its volume to the output volume within 0.1dB so the volumes are the same.
-Do "loopback" test---play the soundclip through a soundcard's output and record with the input. I loopbacked 20 passes to magnify the differences so that it's easier to notice and to see how "clean" each soundcard is. You only need to compare the result of 1st pass for normal use. A "clean" soundcard keeps the quality close to the original. A "colored" soundcard changes the sound right away; and sometimes this is a good thing if you like the new sound.
-I only used .WAV format throughout the test to retain quality, but I upload all final clips as mp3 @192kbps.

List of soundcards being tested:

For Laptop and External units:
-Dell vostro 1400 onboard sound
-SoundBlaster X-FI GO (usb)
-SoundBlaster X-FI Surround (usb)
-SoundBlaster Notebook Express (PCMCIA express)
-Echo Indigo IOX (PCMCIA express)
-M-audio MobilePre (usb)

For Desktop:
-Asus P6T motherboard's onboard sound
-SoundBlaster X-FI XtremeAudio (PCIe)
-SoundBlaster X-FI Fatal1ty Pro (PCI-e)

I also have a couple of really high-end "soundcards" like Apogee Rosetta, Mytek, and RME, but I could not get the loopback test to work on them so I left them out.





RESULTS:


ORIGINAL CLIP:




I. OUTPUT and RECORDING quality on the same soundcard:
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______________________________________________________________________________________________

I use the Asus internal soundcard as a standard for these following tests because I think it's clean enough.


II. RECORDING quality





III. OUTPUT quality





MY FINDINGS:

1. X-FI GO, Surround, and Notebook Express dramatically distort the original sound after only 1 pass. I believe they compress the audio signal too much.

2. I personally like the Indigo IOX. I can hear deeper and tighter bass. It does an excellent job of recording too. However, it's the most expensive.

3. X-FI XtremeAudio and Fatal1ty Pro produce a bit tighter bass than onboard soundcards. Recording quality is very clean. I think any desktop X-FI will give the same quality here for karaoke. (I cannot comment on Gaming capabilities).

4. MobilePre adds the most noise to the audio. (If anyone has this MobilePre and wants to prove my test wrong, then please post another recording. Thanks). I'm prety sure I did a bad job of presenting this unit. I used a 1/8" cable to connect "stereo line out" to "stereo mic in" (instead of XLR and 1/4" cables). I didn't want to use XLR and 1/4" because it involves going through the mixer. I will do another test later to compare onboard sound to Mobilepre ...going through the mixer...playing and recording live karaoke.

5. Onboard Asus and Dell soundcards are surprisingly not as bad as I thought. The recording quality is fairly clean. Sound output is good, but kind of boring; the bass isn't very tight but decent enough.

I also have an Echo Mia soundcard in my desktop that I have been using to record vocals for the past 7 years. It's on the same level with M-Audio Audiophile 2496. Loop recording of the Echo Mia produces a very high-pitch sound by the 3rd pass; I still don't know what's wrong. It sounds as good as the Echo Indigo IOX though.

CONCLUSION:
Judging quality of other soundcards while using your soundcard is like judging colors while wearing sunglasses. I suggest that you play them through different computers and CD players to see if you can still hear the same differences every time.

The sound quality of these soundcards become more obvious when you hook it up to a karaoke system. The karaoke mixer will contribute significantly to the overall sound. However, most of you on this forum have a different mixer than what I have...so it would not be a valid comparison if I had hooked it up to my karaoke system.

For the most part, I couldn't tell the difference unless I listen very closely. Personally, I'm happy with the onboard soundcards. If I need to upgrade, I would buy:
-Echo Indigo IOX for laptop
-cheapest X-FI soundcard for desktop (I don't care about gaming audio)
-X-FI Surround just because it colors the sound, looks cool, has USB connectivity, and has RCA outputs.


Edited May 22: Put all songs into Flash player, added findings and conclusions.

Edited by user 15 years ago  | Reason: Not specified

Thanks anz for such a complete testing/report. Any conclusion you can draw from these tests? I'm interested in the M-Audio Mobile's result.

Very good efforts! - Thanks AZN.

Why don't you go directly from 3.5mm to 1/4" in one cable? Keep the mixer at least 1/2 meter away from any power source.