My Gigaport Came Today!!!

Since this has already veered far from the original subject, I'll spin it a little more. Are there any USB sound cards with digital coax outputs. I'm currently using the soundcard that is built into my laptop's port replicator it has a digital coax output and sounds okay, but I'm sure a good aftermarket external card would sound better.

Here is what I have now.
http://www.portablecomponentsforall.com/dell-dport-port-replicator-p-26292.html

Very subjective topic...

I try to be as objective as possible in my tests of sound devices, but let's face it, the ears still feed the brain, and everybodies brain is different.

I use all studio grade reference equipment to test, and not "colored" DJ gear.

My findings (read my ears), show no difference between a Gigaport and a Behringer, given everything else being equal (the Gigaport is a bit hotter on the output though).

As to using on a hub, I would imagine the problem would rear its ugly head when using ASIO drivers, but not when using standard WDM drivers.



BTW, somebody mentioned the volume control on the Behringer -- that is used only for the headphone output, and has no effect on the main line outs.


Here's what I recommend to any customers that ask:

Try it first, and see if it suits YOUR needs. For example, I have one particular Dell laptop, who's built in sound card, sounds better than either of the above! The other Dell laptop sounds like crap... YMMV...

The sound device in my Denon HC-4500, blows everything out the door -- nothing even comes close to that one. Again though, it may sound different on your setup, and to YOUR ears...


So, given the above stuff, and I can buy 4 Behringers for the price of one Gigaport, and they basically sound the same -- no brainer on my part

Subjective indeed. Takes courage to go there.

Could you possibly elaborate on how the comparative tests were conducted?

Is the assumption to be made that hearing is perfect across the spectrum, there was no software or hardware enhancement/alteration products used or in-line, the test music media was of high or perfect quality, and this was all compared barefoot, yes?

Just want to get a more solid feel before springing $$ for new stuff.

Cap Capello said:

Subjective indeed. Takes courage to go there.

Could you possibly elaborate on how the comparative tests were conducted?

Is the assumption to be made that hearing is perfect across the spectrum, there was no software or hardware enhancement/alteration products used or in-line, the test music media was of high or perfect quality, and this was all compared barefoot, yes?

Just want to get a more solid feel before springing $$ for new stuff.

Click to expand...

Pretty simple on my end Cap...

I load the same song into each deck of my software for testing (I don't lock exclusive, so the same song can be in both, and both cache with independent buffers). Both decks are identical classes, and no sound processing is done, other than an identical decode.

Each deck is given a different sound device, and goes to a channel on a reference amp. The amp feeds a pair of reference monitors.

The test is duplicated 4 times, swapping the input channels on the amp, and the cables, just for the obscure possibility, that one input channel may "act" differently than the other, or one cable may be better performing.


As to going out and spending more bucks -- what's the point...? If you are happy with your output, then stay that way


My tests aren't done to qualify hardware -- they are done to qualify and better my decoder, and to help make suggestions to my customers when they ask.


If I were going to recommend big buck hardware, I would look into studio gear, and not DJ type gear. Frankly, there is not much difference between a $29 and $129 piece of equipment. Marketing mostly...


As for my hearing, I have incredible perception in the high ranges (I can hear light bulbs and TVs screaming at me, at ultra high frequencies -- very annoying at times -- I'm sorta like a dog), but not so good in the lower ranges.

Thank you, Rick. Confidence abounds.

Your tests are appreciated and the results totally trustworthy.

Ron Auger said:

Cap, and anyone else who have had trouble with a USB hub. If you plug the Gigaport directly to a USB but run a hub out of another USB (for other things like a mouse etc.) would you still have trouble running the Gigaport?.

Click to expand...

If you mean one of the "Main" USB connections on the computer then the answer is No Problem for me ..

As long as you don't bog the USB buss down with tons of do dads you should be okay, But I tend to give the priority on my Lappy to the music connections and just add a hard drive when necessary and or mouse that's it.

Recently I copied my music to the on board D: drive so I don't even connect the USB drive any longer.
I took this precaution when testing video files.

But being a little anal on this stuff I ultimately replaced the USB drive for a "Firewire" drive when playing video files.

Ron Auger said:

Cap, and anyone else who have had trouble with a USB hub. If you plug the Gigaport directly to a USB but run a hub out of another USB (for other things like a mouse etc.) would you still have trouble running the Gigaport?.

Click to expand...

Probably! Its best to have your path direct and not cluttered with other devices.

silver fox said:

If you mean one of the "Main" USB connections on the computer then the answer is No Problem for me ..

As long as you don't bog the USB buss down with tons of do dads you should be okay, But I tend to give the priority on my Lappy to the music connections and just add a hard drive when necessary and or mouse that's it.

Recently I copied my music to the on board D: drive so I don't even connect the USB drive any longer.
I took this precaution when testing video files.

But being a little anal on this stuff I ultimately replaced the USB drive for a "Firewire" drive when playing video files.

Click to expand...

One thing to note, and I've mentioned this before in other threads...

A USB mouse, is one of the worst of the bandwidth hogs! If possible, use a PS/2 mouse.

My main preference when possible, is to only use the USB bus for sound devices, and keep everything else off it. It has the least amount of bandwidth available, than any other bus on your system, so use it sparingly.

I notice a lot of new lappys, are now coming with e-SATA ports, which should help out quite a bit, to get all those USB drives off the system in the future...

Woo Hoo
You got the best of both worlds now!

Chuck The DJ said:

just saw a note on my bill that says.... "The Gigaport AG has been replaced by the Gigaport HD. The "HD" has higher quality audio processing and 2 independent headphone outputs for the same price as the old AG....

Click to expand...

I installed the Gigaport HD last week and used it this weekend without incident. As with the Gigaport AG, I hooked it up and did NOT download their drivers (too many tales of those who did download the drivers and lived to regret it). I run Windows XP, SP3 and the device was recognized right out of the box. -Z-

Well, I got my Gigaport HD. This is what I did...

- Uninstalled the old AG drivers and removed it.
- Connect the HD as is. Did NOT install the HD drives but use M$ own WDM.
- Setup/config ASIO4ALL at 128 latency.

VDJ is VERY happy. The sound quality is impeccable over the original AG. But then, I was using their WDM driver and ASIO4ALL over it.

So, while my 192L is doing nicely in the new rig, I *might* use this HD down the road. Auggggg. Decisions.

http://www.asio4all.com/ will cure what ales ya.

Get this... Reflex did NOT work via 192L's ASIO. It took ASIO4ALL to make it work.

Well, I tried on my main gig rig. It seems happier w/ the 192L.

Just as well. No room to stuff a large USB dongle in my case.

But WILL be useful for my backup system.