Choosing beetween Mia Midi and Delta 44

[Tobiah]

I happen to own both, and both work solidly
in my system. I will actually leave both
installed, but I want to choose one to do
my everyday stereo recording.

What I care about is transparency (fidelity) and low
noise level. My general impression is that
the Mia Midi has lower noise and sounds "better".
I'd like to know others' experience with the
cards, and recommendations as to how to test
them objectively for relative sound quality
and noise levels.

Thanks,

Tobiah

[Mike Rivers]

On 8/21/2011 12:38 PM, Tobiah wrote:

> What I care about is transparency (fidelity) and low
> noise level. My general impression is that
> the Mia Midi has lower noise and sounds "better".

Then that should be the one you should use. Are you thinking
that perhaps someone else's concept of "better" is better
than yours? You did your test, you made your observation, go
for it and don't worry.

Having not heard either one of those cards for years, I
would say that the Echo might sound a little better, but I
probably wouldn't care. If there's THAT much difference,
then something's probably wrong with the one you like least.


--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be
operated without a passing knowledge of computing, although
it seems that it can be operated without a passing knowledge
of audio." - John Watkinson

http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com - useful and
interesting audio stuff

[Tobiah]

On 8/21/2011 10:32 AM, Mike Rivers wrote:
> On 8/21/2011 12:38 PM, Tobiah wrote:
>
>> What I care about is transparency (fidelity) and low
>> noise level. My general impression is that
>> the Mia Midi has lower noise and sounds "better".
>
> Then that should be the one you should use. Are you thinking that
> perhaps someone else's concept of "better" is better than yours? You did
> your test, you made your observation, go for it and don't worry.

I guess I'm imagining that there is an objective 'best' here, although
I don't trust my ears to pick it out. I get strongly biased in
non-blind A/B tests by prejudice. One of the cards is electronically
and provably better in terms that can be tested scientifically.
I want to make sure I go with that card.

I have a monitor calibration tool that lets me A/B the results.
Most monitors show some difference after calibration, some quite
a bit. But if I were to show the two side by side, there would
be disagreement as to which monitor looked better. Yet one is
delivering color that is in compliance with a standard, and which
ultimately comes closer to replicating the original source material.
I guess I'm looking for reliable opinions about the two cards, and
perhaps a 'tool' (method) for objectively comparing the two.

I can't tell by looking in a hardware store which brand of
square has the straightest edge, or is the closest to 90 degrees
or has the most accurate inch markings, but when I begin work,
I want to know that I have chosen the best one. Parenthetically, I
just tossed one that differed from my other measurement tools
by about 1/16" per foot.

Tobiah


> Having not heard either one of those cards for years, I would say that
> the Echo might sound a little better, but I probably wouldn't care. If
> there's THAT much difference, then something's probably wrong with the
> one you like least.
>
>

[Arny Krueger[_4_]]

"Tobiah" > wrote in message
...
>I happen to own both, and both work solidly
> in my system. I will actually leave both
> installed, but I want to choose one to do
> my everyday stereo recording.
>
> What I care about is transparency (fidelity) and low
> noise level. My general impression is that
> the Mia Midi has lower noise and sounds "better".
> I'd like to know others' experience with the
> cards, and recommendations as to how to test
> them objectively for relative sound quality
> and noise levels.

Why not do your own listening tests?

Loop some of your most revealing music through each device and compare the
before and after recordings using one of the many Sofware Double Blind audio
file comparators?

If you can't hear any differences, loop the file again and again until you
do. Be sure that the files you compare are level-matched and time
synchronized, which is easy enough to establish using DAW sofware.

[Arny Krueger[_4_]]

"Tobiah" > wrote in message
...
> On 8/21/2011 10:32 AM, Mike Rivers wrote:
>> On 8/21/2011 12:38 PM, Tobiah wrote:
>>
>>> What I care about is transparency (fidelity) and low
>>> noise level. My general impression is that
>>> the Mia Midi has lower noise and sounds "better".
>>
>> Then that should be the one you should use. Are you thinking that
>> perhaps someone else's concept of "better" is better than yours? You did
>> your test, you made your observation, go for it and don't worry.
>
> I guess I'm imagining that there is an objective 'best' here, although
> I don't trust my ears to pick it out.


Use the RMAA freeware test software to easily and conveniently do your
technical tests.

Report the results here.