Wow! M-Audio FW Solo vs. RME FF800 A/B Test
I bought an M-Audio Firewire Solo and then upgraded today to an RME Fireface 800 based only on the great comments on this forum. (I don't work for RME, I work for a big bank).
I was VERY pleasantly surprised. The M-Audio Firewire Solo was a still a great upgrade over the standard audio-in/out jack on my G5 Dual 2.0. I could hear the improvement in the M-Audio over the Mac IN/OUTs. Don't understimate what a Firewire digital in/out at 24 bits can do for for your sound, especially a mic input.
But when I ripped Brian Ferry "Mamouna" (Remastered CD edition mixed by Bob Clearmountain) with Apple lossless in iTunes and then A/B tested the M-Audio FW Solo vs. the RME FF800 I was stunned. I heard others on the Internet say "...it was like removing the blanket from in front of the speakers..."
They may have overstated it. But it was like removing a piece of cotton fabric that was laying over your speakers. The clarity and 3D/stereo improvement was really really impressive. I know the RME is over $1000 more. I'm saying the M-Audio is actually pretty good, but the RME is a quantum level above. The improvement in clarity was so noticeable, I feel like I got a free upgrade in my monitors. (I'm currently using the KRK 5's which are usually decently reviewed as pretty good medium priced monitors.) It went from slightly muddy to slightly bright. I'm thinking about getting some Dynaudio BM5A's tomorrow.
Just wanted to add my voice as very impressed with the RME FF800.
Happy camper this evening...
John Dee
Power Mac G5 2.0 Dual/MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo Mac OS X (10.4.8) Logic Pro
Power Mac G5 2.0 Dual Mac OS X (10.4.8) Logic Pro
I was VERY pleasantly surprised. The M-Audio Firewire Solo was a still a great upgrade over the standard audio-in/out jack on my G5 Dual 2.0. I could hear the improvement in the M-Audio over the Mac IN/OUTs. Don't understimate what a Firewire digital in/out at 24 bits can do for for your sound, especially a mic input.
But when I ripped Brian Ferry "Mamouna" (Remastered CD edition mixed by Bob Clearmountain) with Apple lossless in iTunes and then A/B tested the M-Audio FW Solo vs. the RME FF800 I was stunned. I heard others on the Internet say "...it was like removing the blanket from in front of the speakers..."
They may have overstated it. But it was like removing a piece of cotton fabric that was laying over your speakers. The clarity and 3D/stereo improvement was really really impressive. I know the RME is over $1000 more. I'm saying the M-Audio is actually pretty good, but the RME is a quantum level above. The improvement in clarity was so noticeable, I feel like I got a free upgrade in my monitors. (I'm currently using the KRK 5's which are usually decently reviewed as pretty good medium priced monitors.) It went from slightly muddy to slightly bright. I'm thinking about getting some Dynaudio BM5A's tomorrow.
Just wanted to add my voice as very impressed with the RME FF800.
Happy camper this evening...
John Dee
Power Mac G5 2.0 Dual/MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo Mac OS X (10.4.8) Logic Pro
Power Mac G5 2.0 Dual Mac OS X (10.4.8) Logic Pro
Power Mac G5 2.0 Dual, Mac OS X (10.4.8), Logic Pro
