I recently learned that the 0404 USB comes with a "dirty" power
supply. It converts AC to 5 Volts of fluctuating DC. I found an old
power supply from a zip drive I had that puts out 5 V of real DC, or
linear DC. After converting the Zip drives power supply to work with
my EMU, I hooked it up and gave it a listen to my music in my library
again. This is what I found;
Sound was much smoother, especially in the high frequencies.
The EMU seemed to be able to resolve more as well.
Also, the quiet passages were, um, quieter
This was an easy upgrade that improved the sound of my 0404
significantly!
For all you budget audiophiles out there who can't quite justify a
DAC1 or a DA10, you should really give this 0404 with minor upgrade a
try.
A minor note on power supplies: it would be very easy to replace the
non linear power supply with another non-linear one. I have found that
some zip drives came with linear PSes and some didn't. Make sure to
get a Linear one. They're the bigger, classic wal warts and get warm.
The non linear ones are smaller.
Here is a typical linear PS;
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/21...showimage.html
Switching, non linear ones are smaller, like this;
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/51...showimage.html
Make sure to get a linear PS, and enjoy the music!
CD