Following a discussion about the quality of on-board PC audio, we carried out a little experiment.

We played a digitally produced commercial CD track through a Denon CD player and recorded the analogue output into a modern PC. We did this first using a top-end USB digital interface and secondly through the computer's line-in using the Realtec on-board audio. We then took the first part of one track and the second part of the other track and spliced them together. The result was burnt to a new CD and played back through the Denon CD player, a Yamaha power amp and Tannoy monitors. The idea was that the quality of the equipment should not mask any differences in the audio.

We played the CD to twenty people and asked them to identify the point at which the track was spliced. No one got it right. Perhaps it's time to re-think where the budget is spent?

ROG.