Edirol DA2496 or an M-Audio 2496?

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 11:26 am

I've been offered a used Edirol DA2496 for a similar price to a new M-Audio 2496.

Am I right in thinking the Edirol would negate the need for my Seck 1282?

More importantly, sound quality-wise, how do they compare?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 10:06 am

I have the Edirol DA-2496 and am quite pleased with the results. The soft mixer is a litle clunky but it is an M-Audio driver and probably is exactly the same one that the M-Audio uses.

The DA-2496 has been extremely stable on my XP system and as far as I can tell the converters are as good or better as the ones in my Focusrite Trakmaster A-D card.

I use outboard preamps into the DA-2496 (ART Pro MPA with ART Pro VLA) plus the Focusrite and they are slightly better than the preamps and Hi-Z input in the DA-2496. The DA-2496 makes a nice "converter central" that you can use to plug in a whole mess of stuff and it works.

Now as to whether Edirol will continue to produce drivers for it or not, that's another question.

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 10:08 am

Sorry, I forgot to answer one of your questions. I still use a Yamaha MG 12/4 mixing board for monitoring and premix of line level synths before they go into the DA-2496.

However, I find that my other outboard preamps sound better than the ones in the mixer so they go direc to the DA-2496.

I'm not familiar with the board you're talking about, but I would not necessarily get rid of it yet. You will have a lot of flexibility at your disposal if you keep your analog board.

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:42 pm

the audiophile 2496, goes for about 60 GBP (british pounds that is.) for that kinda money the card is absolut unbeatable superb!! absolut nothing around a 100 to 120 GBP even touches this stunning little card.

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:20 pm

Thanks Hawkeye, axel, you've both given me some things to think about.

Cheers.

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