E-MU 0204 in 2023, RMAA measurements, and some modifications

[Rustin]

E-Mu's pots unlike it's rest of materials where always it's weak spot.
Imagine after 13 years!
Your guess is as good as mine,I only did it cause I remembered where H2 was when it was fairly new and a friend of mine measured it back then.

Thing is I have seen crazy stuff messing with it,once (just once) I got a loopback SINAD of 107db out of the blue when H3 decided to go to -110db when warm from soldering.
Temp is a thing for it,whether it gets warm by itself or extreme room fluctuations.Best when normal temp after some time using it.

Edit:Measurement is a loopback,unbalanced L output (E-MU doen't have balanced outputs) > balanced L input (shorted cold and ground at the output).
I just let Multitone to play both channels for convenience so I swap them on the fly.

Very strange indeed, I looked at the measurements of the e-mu, which were made back in the 2000's when the device was practically new, and the measurements were absolutely identical. So with the years nothing happens, I think it depends on the conditions in which the device was used, but in this case what you measured with a decrease in 2 harmonics is definitely not a matter of the age of the device. And to unsolder the input potentiometer I would say is not a good option for me. I think even if you replace the old potentiometer, with a more expensive one, nothing will change and the harmonic will return again, maybe it's because of the noise it catches, as a normal constant value resistor is not so prone to them.

 

[Sokel]

Very strange indeed, I looked at the measurements of the e-mu, which were made back in the 2000's when the device was practically new, and the measurements were absolutely identical. So with the years nothing happens, I think it depends on the conditions in which the device was used, but in this case what you measured with a decrease in 2 harmonics is definitely not a matter of the age of the device. And to unsolder the input potentiometer I would say is not a good option for me. I think even if you replace the old potentiometer, with a more expensive one, nothing will change and the harmonic will return again, maybe it's because of the noise it catches, as a normal constant value resistor is not so prone to them.

You're absolutely right about the conditions,it has made the round of the world 3 times maybe,in every climate there is.
Also consider that carrying it with me got every single bump of planes,cars,etc.

So,not the best sample out there.
As long as H2,it does have some variation 2-3db up and down but not in the previous level.
Pot is something like 4-5$,it's not like a nice big motorized one.
It's only for fun thought,I don't conciser my measurements anything more than a hint or troubleshooting my gear,so...

 

[Emu Ostrich]

Hi, new on the forum, no audio geek, but I've been visiting the site from time to time, mostly reading about things I know nothing about.

I own E-MU 0204 "since forever", and I've been thinking, like for 2-3 years, whether I need to replace E-MU with proper DAC, or not.

My source is simply desktop, replaced about 1 year ago. I managed to install E-MU interface on Windows 10 (before it was on Win 7). Then I have it connected from R/L Outputs to AUX in integrated amp (Marantz PM-78), then to passive speakers (Acoustic Energy Aegis Evo One).

I've been wondering what I really have in the form of E-MU 0204, how it would stand against very well measuring current days DACs. Lately I was thinking about purchasing Topping DX3 Pro+, wanting to have DAC and headphone amp combo (I also considered Topping E50 alone, if not with L50). BUT - reading what you, Rustin and Sokel, wrote above about E-MU, that it measures quite well for 15 year old equipment - it made me thinking whether I really need a DAC or not. I'm I satisified with E-MU 0204? Yes, mostly, but it's a worthless statement - unfortunately, I don't have any possibility to compare, I have no one who has any Topping or any other good around. But maybe I would hear "new worlds" of sound jumping from such measuring E-MU 0204 (no mods of course) to Topping DX3 Pro+?

I would appreciate any suggestion (and yes, I should be able to compare the graphs by myself... I promise to do my homework how to interpret them.)


On the ending note, let me give an input to the topic regarding functioning of E-MU 0204 and a specific issue I have. From time to time, when I watch streamed movie (or You Tube clip) on a desktop, or - less frequently - listen to a song from a streaming app, a movie/a song stops, picture of a movie is moving by mili-seconds every second or so (start-stop-start-stop), no sound during that - and I figured out that I may overcome this temporarily by switching off and then on E-MU 0204 by Power pot on the right of front panel, then reset sound icon on a computer by clicking off/on - and then a movie starts going with a sound! Sometimes - if, rarely, it doesn't work - I open volume mixer by right-click, don't close it, but only minimize the mixer screen, and a movie/a song starts going. I know - it's pure craziness to operate like that, but I have no idea how to fix it for good, I don't have enough technical insight into computers. It happens, like 2-3 times a day during extensive computer usage for a few hours.
Well, it looks like - in the end - I have not managed to install E-MU 0204 software fully and optimally on Windows 10...

So if you help me in that anyhow, it would be great... unless replacing this old gear to new DAC (say, that Topping DX3 Pro +) is what you recommend in my case. (Any other suggestions to the equipment etc. are much welcome.) Thanks.

 

[Sokel]

Hi, new on the forum, no audio geek, but I've been visiting the site from time to time, mostly reading about things I know nothing about.

I own E-MU 0204 "since forever", and I've been thinking, like for 2-3 years, whether I need to replace E-MU with proper DAC, or not.

My source is simply desktop, replaced about 1 year ago. I managed to install E-MU interface on Windows 10 (before it was on Win 7). Then I have it connected from R/L Outputs to AUX in integrated amp (Marantz PM-78), then to passive speakers (Acoustic Energy Aegis Evo One).

I've been wondering what I really have in the form of E-MU 0204, how it would stand against very well measuring current days DACs. Lately I was thinking about purchasing Topping DX3 Pro+, wanting to have DAC and headphone amp combo (I also considered Topping E50 alone, if not with L50). BUT - reading what you, Rustin and Sokel, wrote above about E-MU, that it measures quite well for 15 year old equipment - it made me thinking whether I really need a DAC or not. I'm I satisified with E-MU 0204? Yes, mostly, but it's a worthless statement - unfortunately, I don't have any possibility to compare, I have no one who has any Topping or any other good around. But maybe I would hear "new worlds" of sound jumping from such measuring E-MU 0204 (no mods of course) to Topping DX3 Pro+?

I would appreciate any suggestion (and yes, I should be able to compare the graphs by myself... I promise to do my homework how to interpret them.)


On the ending note, let me give an input to the topic regarding functioning of E-MU 0204 and a specific issue I have. From time to time, when I watch streamed movie (or You Tube clip) on a desktop, or - less frequently - listen to a song from a streaming app, a movie/a song stops, picture of a movie is moving by mili-seconds every second or so (start-stop-start-stop), no sound during that - and I figured out that I may overcome this temporarily by switching off and then on E-MU 0204 by Power pot on the right of front panel, then reset sound icon on a computer by clicking off/on - and then a movie starts going with a sound! Sometimes - if, rarely, it doesn't work - I open volume mixer by right-click, don't close it, but only minimize the mixer screen, and a movie/a song starts going. I know - it's pure craziness to operate like that, but I have no idea how to fix it for good, I don't have enough technical insight into computers. It happens, like 2-3 times a day during extensive computer usage for a few hours.
Well, it looks like - in the end - I have not managed to install E-MU 0204 software fully and optimally on Windows 10...

So if you help me in that anyhow, it would be great... unless replacing this old gear to new DAC (say, that Topping DX3 Pro +) is what you recommend in my case. (Any other suggestions to the equipment etc. are much welcome.) Thanks.

To cut the long story short,I have tried lots of DACs all this time I have E-MU.
I now have a Khadas Tone1,the E-MU and a nice looking one.
SINAD is in the same order 110db (Amir),101.9db (E-MU and me and a gazillion others) and 108db (Stereophile)

Can't tell them apart in a blind test.
Other than obvious problems like the one you described and is probably USB ports that go to sleep (try another one or deactivate the it's power save options) you will not hear any improvement with a high SINAD one.

 

[SSS]

To cut the long story short,I have tried lots of DACs all this time I have E-MU.
I now have a Khadas Tone1,the E-MU and a nice looking one.
SINAD is in the same order 110db (Amir),101.9db (E-MU and me and a gazillion others) and 108db (Stereophile)

Can't tell them apart in a blind test.
Other than obvious problems like the one you described and is probably USB ports that go to sleep (try another one or deactivate the it's power save options) you will not hear any improvement with a high SINAD one.

Since my E-MU 0204 and my E-MU Tracker are not really supported under Win10 I use asio4all. This was for a measurement set. Sound is well OK with these devices. For my audio listening setup I choose a dedicated DAC without recording facility. Sound is not better but works perfect with Win10 and the WASAPI driver using Audirvana. For test and measurement I still use the E-MUs since I cannot afford an Audio Precision measurement device. This works with almost all measuring software which I use. It is RMMA, audiotester, ARTA mainly. Further I can use Audacity for recording and editing.

 

[2go]

Not trolling: e-mu 0204 or Apple dongle? I used it before but got tired of drivers issues.

 

[Sokel]

Not trolling: e-mu 0204 or Apple dongle? I used it before but got tired of drivers issues.

The one that is trouble free and does not mess with the listening experience obviously.
E-MU is nice if you don't have issues but if you do go for the dongle and just keep E-MU for sanity measurements.

 

[2go]

Does it worth modding like one the topic starter did? Unfortunately by the looks of the board and schematics of the mod it's not clear what I should remove/rewire. I also do have topping d10 balanced and not sure should I replace it with 0204.

Thanks!

 

[Sokel]

Does it worth modding like one the topic starter did? Unfortunately by the looks of the board and schematics of the mod it's not clear what I should remove/rewire. I also do have topping d10 balanced and not sure should I replace it with 0204.

Thanks!

Judging by the measurements of the modded and my unmodded one shown definitely not.
There's a thread in diyaudio about extensive modding for measurement use and at some point it maybe worth it.
For listening,no,at -15dB (where music bangs) distortion is almost absent with unmodded,so...

Stick to d10 if it's trouble free,after all is 15yo younger at least!

 

[2go]

I just wanted to have XLR microphone connected and hate already having tons of boxes like vtv purify, speakers, d10 and now emu so wanted to replace d10 with it not a lot of space saving though ;( thanks for responses and advices, I really appreciate that.