PowerColor Devil HDX Sound Card Review

Posted on: 12/30/2015 09:24 AM

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It's a ¼” TRS = exactly 6.35 mm, not 6.4 mm!

Posted on: 12/30/2015 12:02 PM

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How does it stack up to the Xonar D2X?

Posted on: 12/30/2015 12:04 PM

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What is this? Seriously? A Circus?

How one can review a sound card without doing RMAA tests? HOW? It is all BS that's written there.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 12:17 PM

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Oh, look, more people who will install Uni Xonar in the future! (Provided that they're compatible, of course.)

I do find it strange that RMAA tests aren't included, too.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 12:26 PM

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False advertising also... the board consists on Nichion FW series... those are standard audio series not MUSE... again nothing mentioned really... the photos taken are useless to figure out the element base.

2000h at 85C, not likely the stuff that i would use near GPU. Sound card asks for a industrial/military approach actually.They put them everywhere. There are signal coupling caps and caps meant for supply rejection - PSU, low esr, more rejection, less life span etc... The engineer who made this is an amateur.

People nothing to see here.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 01:34 PM

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What's this, a card for peasants? Jokes aside, when are you going to test the "soon dead due to lack of support" asus strix cards?

Posted on: 12/30/2015 01:36 PM

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Actually after reading the comments here we will never review a sound card again. Why spend days on a review if people only bitch, moan and complain. There's just no respect left from some of you guys.

Take care.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 01:37 PM

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You are comparing apples and oranges. This one looks like it's competing with the Xonar Essence series. I would take the Essence STX over this any day though.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 02:05 PM

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Actually after reading the comments here we will never review a sound card again. Why spend days on a review if people only bitch, moan and complain. There's just no respect left from some of you guys.

Take care.

Hilbert, I'm sorry if my comment hurt you. The first part was directed at the manufacturer, who's often quick to drop support — I'm looking at you, Asus.

That's not your fault in any way or shape, and I'm sure you'll mention a lack of driver support in future reviews of Powercolor soundcards, if said manufacturer does drop the ball indeed. You did point out that it was a rebranded card, after all.

The second part was simply asking for numbers. We have your opinion on games, music and movies, and, while I trust your word on those, there are things that only numbers can help with. Imagine a graphics card review with no FPS measurements...

tl;dr: moar numberz plz

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By the way, I've just thought about this . Since you do so many reviews, that could come in handy to take pictures with no background object or surface distracting the eye. That's just a suggestion, of course. =)

Posted on: 12/30/2015 02:36 PM

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Oh the reaction mainly was based on Ferrum's comment, after which the rest happily follows. Here's the thing, if you miss RMAA results ... just request it ? I would ask the author to check it out.

"How one can review a sound card without doing RMAA tests? HOW? It is all BS that's written there."

I mean seriously - what the hell is that for a reaction ? I mean a normal comment is fine, but the amount of stupidity of some people on the web is enormous these days. How about realizing that an editor (not me) worked for many days on this free content ? The guy works at the Conservatory of Music in San Francisco, he knows his stuff - not the best photographer sure. He didn't include RMAA results. Ok that can be fixed. But no, instead of showing some common courtesy apparently bitching and claiming the article is BS is the only thing that comes to mind ?

I mean sheesh, what the hell you guys. BTW I checked ferrets last 40 comments, well over 50% are negative. I guess it's a thing, that doesn't mean it's right though.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 02:52 PM

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http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/powercolor_devil_hdx_sound_card_review,6.html

Good review and yeah owning a Phoebus now (Which soon will reside in my sisters PC as I move to the Strix.) Asus (Though hopefully PowerColor will have a easier time with this.) has had major issues with driver releases for Win10 though they as I understood it cite C-Media for the slow progress although a week or so ago they (effing finally. ) got their Phoebus Windows 10 driver out of beta.
(Still has a few issues and they cut some functionality too from older drivers in the sound control panel as those are now exclusive to Strix or something.)

As for the comment above mentioning the uni xonar drivers they unfortunately don't work with the newer cards which I guess is the CM8888 chip and newer so that won't work for those hoping to use those drivers.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 03:31 PM

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Yes I still stand for those words firmly, yes I may sound rude, but it has to maintain some basic quality. I just cannot let readers pass that, it ain't a stuffed toy. You can't write things like bass shy or tonally dry, these are electronics not a poem. Everything has to claimed by measurements proving your words right, not your imagination. How one reading this will know it more less shy than his current for example Xonar DX? Well okay, we know from all the tests that is was conducted using one headphones... so a 62ohm load... one situation it is(actually in the article it is said those AKG's are 32... actually at AKG site they are told to be 62ohm, well... okay... then he says... and my hair stands up, and someone needs to introduced to the ohm's law, and what is needed for driving 600ohm load.

Much to do with these numbers come from the chips on the Devil HDX and its design. It appears that both the headphone output and RCA outputs are driven by the dedicated opamp, which is capable of driving up to 600 Ohm impedance headphones. To deliver current to this kind of load, you need an external power supply, which, as the Devil HDX would have it, it has it!


Audio world just works by that and it is sound engineering. And comparing to a reference as DIY mashup, that actually my distort to someones likeness. It has to be tested itself to work as reference, usually the more bright sound is simply high frequency oscillation and instability.

It has to include basic block diagram, basic part list. Durability, quality of components like caps and jacks.

It has to have measurements using certified audio equipment, spectrum analyzer using different sampling rates. At least RMAA using some good proven capture card... even GSMarena does that still for testing mobile phones and with and without load attached, to get some idea at least. Now we have a dedicated sound card review... and nothing... some random numbers overall the article.

It has to have tested software features. ASIO, SPDIF passthrough, auto sample rate conversion switching (the thing that CMI based things just don't do normally), WASAPI exclusive mode bit matched playback and their bugs using CMI devices when the shared mode still kicks in. Simple things that annoy usually Xonar users.

Sorry for the sour response, but this is a circus not a review.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 03:36 PM

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It's a review on a consumer grade gamers soundcard for PC Gamers, not a scientific paper that needs academic publishing. Anyway I have been checking your post history. Go find yourself a new home, I do not need pricks on my forums.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 04:06 PM

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It has to have measurements using certified audio equipment, spectrum analyzer using different sampling rates. At least RMAA using some good proven capture card... even GSMarena does that still for testing mobile phones and with and without load attached, to get some idea at least.

But if RMAA was used then stuff like this would not fly:

"The Devil HDX has a dynamic and detailed sound, with a very wide stereo field. Its very low noise floor makes sound very pure, while at the same time a little tonally dry. It’s bass output is also not the deepest, but impactful and enjoyable."



" about the fine differences between the Devil HDX and the Sparrow A, I think we can sum up the Devil HDX’s sound: It’s dynamic, detailed, with a wide stereo field, but just a little bass shy, at least on my setup."

If you find any modern DAC "bass shy" you should check your setup, or your ears, or AMP, or your headphones.
Any of these are more suspect to bringing in bass "shyness", than the DAC itself.

I mean really... who the hell would buy the card that can not deliver the frequencies its been asked to do?
That's the sole job of a sound card.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 04:24 PM

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tl;dr: moar numberz plz



Basically this.
That's the one and the only moment in the (audio) review where there is no subjectivity involved and yet skip it?
Just give us the measurements and then sing away your poem about USB audio cable


Actually after reading the comments here we will never review a sound card again. Why spend days on a review if people only bitch, moan and complain.

Come on H, don't go Unwinder on us now

Posted on: 12/30/2015 04:28 PM

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I'm glad we'll be able to have charts with numbers. They're very helpful for comparisons between different models.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 05:46 PM

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I agree that the article needed more numbers but I still found it insightful and interesting. Still, this doesn't excuse the rude comments by some of the members on here, it isn't constructive in anyway except if the intention is trolling.

Posted on: 12/30/2015 07:57 PM

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I like the article as is. To me audio is not about numbers but how you feel it

Posted on: 12/31/2015 02:16 AM

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Please don't. If you start testing equipement based on subjective criterias such as "feelings" you'll end up describing the audio benefits of $500 HDMI cables.

Posted on: 12/31/2015 03:09 AM

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Actually after reading the comments here we will never review a sound card again. Why spend days on a review if people only bitch, moan and complain. There's just no respect left from some of you guys.

Take care.

That would be a shame. Were it not for the fine folks behind guru3d I never would have taken the plunge into Hi-Fi audio. I check this website every day for new articles and I look forward to the audio articles the most. I know here you can get a good article without all the audiophile jerks around to rip something like today.

One off comments like that are not in any way constructive for anyone involved. I don't post too often but have been a long time reader. A couple things I can tell anyone looking into any piece of audio equipment is that the only thing that you can do as a potential buyer to ensure you like the product is to try it before you buy it (headphone meets etc.). Secondly, is that a sound card or amp should generally be just as the reviewer described it here:

"Most of the time, the Devil HDX just sounds like a sound card. It’s really pretty neutral, letting the sound source speak through it. "

I've been sporting my Xonar Essensce STX card for years now, only after finding it here, I listened to headphones within my budget range and found a good pair of cans that I like the way they sound. I own a few mostly budget minded cans (150-200USD). I went further down the rabbit hole recently and found a gem of a condenser microphone to boot (AT 3035). I tested it before I had purchased it as well as a few other mics.

But that is the very point of the article here, not everyone can test the equipment before they buy it. It isn't always about numbers and graphs, but did the article steer you in the right direction about the product? If you can't go out and test the product yourself do you have a better idea of what the product is about and what it is capable of? If I saw it on the shelf I would have assumed PowerColor would just have some half-assed attempt at a headphone amp card, but after reading the article, it seems like a good card.

Would love to see some graphs. But to my point - at least I know more about the card for having read the article.

Here's the thing, if you miss RMAA results ... just request it ? I would ask the author to check it out.


Seconded.

Posted on: 12/31/2015 04:22 AM

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Agreed. If we all bought our audio equipment based solely on numbers, most of us would have gone back to onboard sound and cheap 2ch speakers by now just due to cost. The numbers are meaningless without a reference point anyway and most gamers really don't care to learn THAT much just to buy a damn sound card. At the end of the day, as long as the audio output is pleasing to YOU, that's all that matters. The numbers aren't going to change whether or not you enjoy what you're hearing. What sounds good to one person, won't necessarily be pleasing to another.

For reference, I have a Creative Sound Blaster Z and Logitech Z313 2.1ch speakers and Superlux HD681 headphones..... I'm quite happy with the sound quality. I really don't care whether they look good on paper or not. I only care how they sound to MY ears.

Posted on: 12/31/2015 04:31 AM

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Actually after reading the comments here we will never review a sound card again. Why spend days on a review if people only bitch, moan and complain. There's just no respect left from some of you guys.

Take care.

I really hope you reconsider this decision. I quite enjoy reading the sound card reviews, when one comes up. Unlike the pricks that ruined this thread, I have no use for data that is ultimately irrelevant. I've come to depend on the few sound card reviews that get posted here when I decide to buy a new card and if you stop the reviews, I'll be stuck with this Sound Blaster Z until it finally dies.

Posted on: 12/31/2015 08:54 AM

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Nice review always hard to review soundcards as sound is very dependent on individual taste.

Look like a rebrand of this card tho "aimpro sc808" maybe this version will be cheaper is i cant really see a difference if you don't look at the emi shield.

Posted on: 12/31/2015 10:31 AM

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Well written article and a good fun read.

However, I would like more information such as:

CPU usage while playing back audio in movies and games vs onboard
Impressive Surround Sound quality comparison between the card and onboard specifically competitive FPS play such as Counter Strike, BF3/4, COD or whatever the author has.
Impressive Surround Sound quality in movies such as Live Free and Die Hard 4, Dark Knight, Fifth Element, Return of the Jedi, Predator 1, Saving Private Ryan opening beach attack sequence or Akira anime.
EAX or OpenAL, DirectSound compatibility

To me, 3D Surround Sound Immersion in the most important property for movies and games while quality is more important for music.

Everytime I test sound cards with friends, I still cannot get over how good that old classic Aureal 3D until EAX 4 came out. Gamers who had the privileged of playing Half Life with Aureal 3D back then know what I'm talking about.

Posted on: 12/31/2015 10:48 AM

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I certainly liked the review alot thx Mister Mitchell i also liked the humor in it a moment of zennnn .
That's what i like about guru3d reviews there is always a fun moment in reading them oh and mister Hagendoorn don't be bothered with some guy being rude he's not worth it.I sincerley hope you keep posting soundcard reviews most of us here understand the hard work you do for the community!