Holy wow...

Ok, system info:
Sony VAIO Pentium-D 2.8GHz
1GB 4200 RAM
Windows XP Media Center
Dedicated DAW, nothing else..
M-Audio Profire 2626
Cubase SX3/5

Ok guys, wanna hear a cute story? Bought my Profire last July because I wanted to record 16 XLR inputs at 88.2k (I pair it with a DIGIMAX FS). Worked beautifully with Media Center despite what EVERYONE told me. Never had a single problem that wasn't plugin related. About three weeks ago I start getting multiple critical errors from Cubase and it was freezing my computer up. I called Steinberg and the only thing they could suggest to me was to re-install (that wasn't hardware related). I knew my hardware was fine because nothing else on the computer ever had a problem. Then, iTunes started freezing up my system. Really? iTunes? I noticed a pattern and thought it might have been my Profire drivers. I update and no difference.

Here's where it gets good.. A month ago I open up my control panel for the Profire and the window is all convoluted and totally messed. I completely reinstall everything (Cubase and all) and hope for the best. After about 48 straight hours of working on all of this I go to open up my latest project. Cubase freezes from a critical error. Enraged, I restart and try to open any of the files from my latest job (current job). All freeze. All critical errors saying the files were corrupt. I wanted to upgrade to System 4 for a while, so I used this as an excuse and bought System 5 last Thursday. I spend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday all without sleep refreshing my computer and setting everything up with Cubase (3 and 5) and all of my drivers, plugins, etc.

Same junk.. Critical errors from corruption on EVERY file I ever used the Profire with for the past 2 months or more. Even NEW projects I opened in 5 had ridiculous latency issues and froze randomly. I flip a gasket and tear the Profire out of my rack. I guess it's a good thing my current job (band) broke up and didn't need the recordings anymore or I would owe a lot of free recording time or $300... Still enraged, just to test my perfectly running PC, I install my old system: E-MU 1820m.

Now: Everything runs AMAZING. Cubase 3 has some issues, but I think it's because the reinstall after the PC restore knocked me back to 3.0.1 w/o a version update. But 5 is so streamline and smooth! I'm in love. Not only that, but I hated the Octane pres anyway. Plus I find the overall playback quality of the E-MU WAY higher than the Profire.

Problem: I am done with consumer grade crap. I only paid $430 for my Profire and I think the problem lies within that. I want to call M-Audio and tell them to shove this one and send me a new unit so I can sell it or use it as shooting range target. But what pro-sumer (or even pro) PC system can give me either dual S/MUX inputs in a PCI (I'll buy another DIGIMAX) or 8-XLR plus a single S/MUX input? I know about the Onyx, but I hear that it operates much better as an ADAT bus than a firewire system. If possibly, I'd like to stay PCI if I can help it. My system seems to respond to it much better. Let's cap the price at $2000 if possible.