Anyone compare the Lynx Aroura 16 to Echo AudioFire 12?

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:49 pm

The prices are spectacularly different, but what about the quality. I'm sure the Lynx is great, but I've only heard one comment about the Echo which was very complimentary.
Anyone out who has used both?

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:59 am

Hi Paul -

I'm not sure how much I can help here since I don't have exact experiences - but here's my experience and what I know:

I owned an Aurora 8 for a long time and loved it. I only got rid of it for an RME Fireface as an effort to keep my rig even smaller than it was and because the mixer on the Fireface smokes the Lynx. However, the sound of the Lynx, IMO, was beyond reproach.

I also owned a Mackie 800R which uses the same AKM chip and a similar path (since Mackie and Echo have collaborated on some of these projects). The Mackie conversion sounded phenomenal especially given its price point. Did it get to the level of the Lynx? Not quite. However, it was almost there. I never hesitated to use the two units side by side.

I can also tell you that I've dealt with Echo for a while for other products of theirs and always been pleased with their service and support.

As for Lynx's service and support - they might be some of the best in the biz. Last year at this time, I put in the LT-ADAT card and went to use the device for the first time while in the field. Well, I didn't configure it correctly and I had 30 minutes to get it straightened out.

The only internet connection I had was on my phone (Palm 700W). I called Lynx - they sent the necessary files to my phone and then called me back when I could take the memory stick out of my phone, load it into my Audio PC (on location) and walked me through the update and configuration.

It took 29:30 so I had 30 seconds to spare.

I don't know of too many other companies that would go through this much trouble for a single user that owns only a single product.

Cheers-
Jeremy

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 12:12 pm

Quote:

However, the sound of the Lynx, IMO, was beyond reproach.

Did it get to the level of the Lynx? Not quite. However, it was almost there. I never hesitated to use the two units side by side.

Thanks Jeremy,
This is very helpful How would you describe what if anything is missing from the Echo sound?

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:06 pm

It wasn't quite as open as the Lynx. It was a minute difference and maybe totally related to the Mackie device versus the Echo.

I can tell you, I used (and still do) an Echo Mia for a VERY long time and the sound that this little inexpensive card gets is beyond anything that it should.

I wish they would start making a standalone unit or something that would convert Analog to lightpipe. I'd buy 2.

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:36 am

thats like asking to compare a lincoln to a ford focus

Scott
ADK

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:29 am

As I hate all ford products and always have it is a bad comparison, but I get your point.
As It turns out I was leaning toward the Audiofire and finally after years of looking made some sense of the RME fireface 800 and realized it was closer in quality to the lynx could record 10 distinct analogue channels at once and offered 4 extra pres plus other digital i/o options. At less than half the price of the Lynx and as 10 channels is about the max I do at once this is the right product.

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:36 am

Well, if it was up to the RME versus the others....

I own a Fireface800 and friggin love it.

Bear in mind, you don't get 4 preamps plus the other 8 inputs or 10 inputs...
You get 2 preamps and 8 lines or 4 preamps and 6 lines or 2 preamps, 6 discrete lines and 2 channels where both the line input and the preamp are recorded to the same channel.

BTW - it sounds friggin fantastic.

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:03 am

Thanks for the vote of confidence, I did figure out the pre setup and as I have 12 boutique pres I may never use them unless they have a particularly interesting or useful sound.
They could be hand for a mobile recording.
How do the pres sound ?

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:20 am

another vote for RME. perfect in the middle (toward higer end) answer.

however the lynx is still a better AD/DA

Scott

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:34 am

Scott-

I take a little issue with the rather unqualified answers.

To simply dismiss the Echo for example...on what grounds. Have you owned, used or experimented with it?

Your comment regarding the Lynx versus the RME is about as useless as any I've ever seen.

What makes a converter a "better" AD/DA?

I've owned and used extensively both the RME and the Lynx side by side (along with the Mackie 800R - which uses similar analog components and the same AKM chip as the Echo) and none of them were dramatically different from one to another. In fact, I'm finding that the RME, if anything, has the edge over all of them, but only by a little. The Lynx has a very extended top end but is a tad lean on the bottom. The RME has none of the leanness but also doesn't extend quite as much as the Lynx. However, the Lynx showed the potential of brightness due to these characteristics where the RME does not.

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:41 am

The discussion will undoubtedly continue which is fine, but I did make a choice and ordered the RME as well as my new computer setup so for me it's all moot unless I need to add more converters which is unlikely.
Thank you all for contributing, I also read extensively on other sites for reviews etc...
Since I won't ever hear them in the same room recording the same material I had to go with a combination of head, gut, and bank account.

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:16 am

glitchless wrote:

Since I won't ever hear them in the same room recording the same material I had to go with a combination of head, gut, and bank account.

Besides the ears and a wife, those are always good places to come up with such major decisions.

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:23 pm

The wife is funding this and trusts me to research it well.
Lucky Me!!!!

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:37 am

Cucco wrote:

Scott-

I take a little issue with the rather unqualified answers.

To simply dismiss the Echo for example...on what grounds. Have you owned, used or experimented with it?

Your comment regarding the Lynx versus the RME is about as useless as any I've ever seen.

What makes a converter a "better" AD/DA?

I've owned and used extensively both the RME and the Lynx side by side (along with the Mackie 800R - which uses similar analog components and the same AKM chip as the Echo) and none of them were dramatically different from one to another. In fact, I'm finding that the RME, if anything, has the edge over all of them, but only by a little. The Lynx has a very extended top end but is a tad lean on the bottom. The RME has none of the leanness but also doesn't extend quite as much as the Lynx. However, the Lynx showed the potential of brightness due to these characteristics where the RME does not.

1) i am talking about the Aurora AD/DA with the Lynx AES card (or RME AES) the AES does not do AD/DA
vs the RME FF 800

if you think the FF 800 compares to the Aurora well that tells me alot about your ears.

and i have near every audio interface (at least that counts) here in the store to compare side by side.

now if you are talking about the Lynx 2 vs RME ff thats another story.

Scott
ADK

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:56 am

That makes perfect sense - I'm used to people who have no f*cking clue resorting to insults and biased negativity without supporting facts or evidence. Thanks for not disappointing.

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