Halo

Comment:
Easy installation, no driver issues and outstanding sound quality from the headphone amp.Blows all other soundcards out of the water, very best I've ever had! Crisp highs, really clean mid-range, booming lows, specifically with premium audio sources. Makes my Sennheiser eh350 headphones sound like audiophile excellent. Optical speaker outputs are a important plus for speaker systems like the Logitech Z-5500 or greater-end property systems.I also like the headphone extension cord that comes with the card and y-adapter for a line-in source like my turntable which I plan to use for converting my vinyl collection to digital format. None. Like every person else, this soundcard is that good and worth the price! I'd virtually forgotten how considerably I love music, getting spent most of my time the last numerous years creating web sites. It's as if I were back in a sound production studio when I worked in radio.@Ryan: if you want to crank up the volume for headphones, max out all the levels in the mixer tab of the control panel, tune your EQ, turn on 7.1 Virtual Speakers & Dolby Headphone, pick your preferred environment & proper frequency and turn off FlexBass. For me, it sounds like I'm at a live venue.Seriously, the Claro Halo does not deserve anything much less than 5 eggs!For those who are running numerous dual slot GPUs in SLI/Crossfire and based on your motherboard, you may well will need to take away the backplate off the second GPU to accomodate the Claro Halo and not bend/break one particular of its capacitors. I had to do this with an EVGA 8800GT Akimbo. It's also very best to leave the front headers disconnected from your computer system case and plug headphones directly into the soundcard.

Comment:
This card is the greatest soundcard I've ever owned, and I've had quite numerous. I set the jumper to high, set it to 24 bit, 192 khz and connected my AKG K240 600 ohm headphones to it. I then stepped into a great world of high high quality audio. I play lots of games also, and when you make use of the virtual surround, man, it's excellent, specifically in COD 5 WAW. Installation on 64 bit Vista was perfect and simple. none so far If your thru with the shananigans of Creative and their small difficulties and politics, then choose up any fine card from HT Omega. The competitors has been pwnt.

Comment:
Installation of the HT Omega was really straightforward, and the Manual provides detailed instructions, if essential. I utilized the most recent Drivers from the HT Omega Web page, and was amazed to find that the sound card worked beautifully on Windows 7 x64 without any hassle, as opposed to Creative X-Fi cards I've had in the past. The sound was perfect: no a lot more pops, cracks, or electrical interference 'whines' from my Video Card (even with a giant gtx280 sitting directly subsequent to the HT Omega, no interference!).The Claro Halo sounds great. I didn't understand what I was missing in Pc Sound until I heard this card: it's tricky to describe. I use headphones fairly typically whilst at the Pc, and this card has been a dream come true for my utilizes. None. Seriously, what you see is what you get. I was not disappointed. I have struggled with a fussy Creative X-Fi card for the last year that in no way completely worked due to Driver troubles with Vista x64 and Windows 7 x64. The Inventive Card lastly bit the dust last month (good riddance), and my onboard sound was not content with the new Windows 7 operating System, and under no circumstances totally functioned. I started to wonder if I'd ever find a card that would perform properly with Windows 7 x64, and was desperate for outstanding Computer Sound quality that I had been missing for so long.The HT Omega Sound Cards have develop into the new King in Computer Audio for me. Very Advised.

Comment:
I was impressed the moment I unboxed it! It installs in seconds, computer software is minimal and has no conflict with Vista. Consumer support is responsive, curtious and valuable. I purchased this model specifically for the headphone amp which tends to make my Sennheisers a joy to listen to. absolutely none

Comment:
Clear, crisp, authentic sound. Effortless set up...no complications with drivers. I am overjoyed. WOW! Not even a single. A good upgrade from my HT Omega Striker (which is now in one of my Shuttle SD30G2 PLUS boxes. I'll order the XT daughter card as soon as I finish setting up my multi-speaker setup.

Comment:
see cons For these of you preparing to get the 7.1 expansion card. You will not be able to adjust person speaker voulme control beneath vista with the present driver. I have contacted HT Omega on this oversight. They stated Cmedia really should have a fix for it soon.

Comment:
Clean sound.Drivers function excellent,with no crashing other applications or the process.Very good high quality inputs/outputs plugs(jack's).Effortless to install/uninstall.IT IS NOT A UNIVERSAL CARD,WICH Signifies THAT WILL Fit ONLY ON Typical 32 BIT PCI SLOT. The sound is clear but it sounds like is coming out of some box,i mean like the recrding was performed thru the microphone.It has a eco to it.It does not matter what seting you opt for,it is not doable to get rid of this eco.The greatest setting is "paded cell".To be a lot more to the point,music sounds like it was recorded in the church.The control panel is poor.The help braket does not fit suitable, so i had to play with it,in order to be able to fit the card in the slot.Poor warranty(ASUS HAS EITHER 3 YEARS OR LIFE TIME ON Components +LABOR).The assistance phone quantity is outdated and does not exist.What sort of worth thrusty firm is a firm without a telephone quantity? How can you get in toch with them, to get enable? Most of the time the e-mail does not assist and it takes to extended to comunicate. Overall,it is the only card in the industry that will give you a much better sound than on board audio.I tested ASUS XONAR XENSE, Inventive SOUND BLASTER X HI FI TITANIUM PRO,Creative X HI FI TITANIUM HD,AND ALL SOUNDED HORIBLE, COMPARED TO THIS card.I was attempting to replace my Sound Blaster Audigy two,that i had for 4 years, but i am unable to discover a card to match that sound.I am giving a shot to ASUS 90 QUONZOO AND ASUS XONAR ESSENCE ST.Will come back.

Comment:
The sound is outstanding. Purchased it for the head telephone amp. Was not certain what to anticipate based on other sound cards I have applied. I have Sennheiser 555 headphones and have in no way realy heard how good they can sound plugged into a personal computer. I have some classical guitar and some classic rock in FLAC files that sound like I am sitting on stage. I can hear some muted strings and buzz on the bass strings, in some classical pieces I in no way heard ahead of. The entire mid range is complete. No system buzz!!! My daughter can pick up sounds I can't ᡊK that she did not hear ahead of either. The headphones I use are rated at 50 ohms - big coil on the speakers compared to tiny earbuds. The sound card has low (ថ ohms) and high ࿀ ohms -600 ohms) impedance output you can adjust with 2 jumpers. In other words this sound card puts out adequate wattage to drive the headphones without distorting the sound. The Xear 3D software and 64bit drivers are good - lots of possibilities. none I am thinking about saving up to buy a ni$e 7.1 sound technique since of how excellent my cans sound. Not that I ever will, but you can swap out the OP amps on this board.

Comment:
OK, this is nonetheless my Uber Headphones card...hooked up to a set of Audio-Technica ATH-A700s. Smooth, cool, complete sound. Flat sound...no coloration. I have created a lot of good sound purchases, but this 1 shines head and shoulders above them all.Their Assistance is superb for all of their products. e-mail responses are fast and valuable. U had some troubles setting up my one particular of my Strikers 7.1 systems with a receiver with 7.1 and the tech exchanged over 20 e-mails with me, walking me by means of each and every single step of the course of action, which can be complex. Now THAT is Help! Tends to make my elderly 128 Mp3s sound like garbage. But, 320 Mp3s and FLAC defy description. The only con is operating about recoding stuff.OK, you can Seriously damage your hearing if you listen on enclosed cans with extreme high output volume. Shield your hearing...use sane volume levels and you will be fine.To paraphrase Jimi Hendrix excellent quote about surf music, "You'll never ever hear Crapola Labs once more." OK, think me or don't, but I do a lot of sound perform and all 6 of my laptop or computer setups run HT Omega...five Striker 7.1s and this Claro HALO. I tell you this considerably...Get HT Omega, or be sad that you didn't. Sooner or later you will invest in one of their wonderful cardsAnybody who gives this much less than five-eggs is either deaf, inept, or a hopeless Crapola Labs fanboy/girl.

Comment:
clear sound, amp for hi impedance is truly great, you can ear all sounds in music and games, I am gamer, come from xfi titanium, I can say this a superior than xfi, software package uncomplicated use, not distorsion, not blue screens. five.1 with optical output, you can ear 7.1 virtual, come with cables and accesories. incredible sounds with hd650 sennheiser. not have this a excelent product. go for this product....... you can feel the diference.

Comment:
If you mainly used headphones, this is the sound card you want. My senhessiers sound Wonderful on this card. High-priced, and doesnt come with a female to female audio jack coupler. You will possibly need to have to invest in one particular if you want to use the RCA ports(and if you are spending 200$ you most likely will) With an extra 30$ you extend the warranty to 3 years. So its a terrific purchase

Comment:
Simple to install. Driver devices loaded appropriately for Vista 64-bit by download. HEADPHONES Review: Quality sound, a lot greater than Creative X-Fi boards I've employed. I'm able to hear a lot much more background vocals, background sounds not intended for the average listener, much additional music is presented that I have never heard prior to, WOW. THE VOLUME LEVEL SUCKS!!! I can\'t crank the music as high as the Creative X-Fi sound cards. WHY? The Creative soundcards sound just as great at the very same Headphone LOW level that HT Omega puts out. Very disappointed. I tried every single software player from Windows Player to Winamp with out good results. Max Audio volume is way too low. Yes, the sound quality is better. But I love to hear all of my music cranked high in my headphones. If you like LOUD music right after a long day of perform to blow some steam, this card is NOT worth the income. Creative soundcards will do a superior job. If you like classical music, this card is for you.

Comment:
Phenominal sound. headphone amp is excellent with my Denon 5000's. Easy to use and comprehend interface. Has DTS and Dolby headphone as nicely for those that watch movies and game. HT Omega has wonderful customer service! None that I can believe of other than none I have also tried the Asus Essence which is also a quite very good card, but does not have DTS and Dolby Headphone. At this cost range factors like that make all the difference and you can truly uncover the XT card for this if you genuinely want to. I have utilised the Striker card for other builds and it is also a fantastic card. appear at the Newegg reviews for this card and all the Claro cards and note they are all 5 eggs. What other sound cards have that? Only the Essence from Asus and none of the Creative cards as they have horrible drivers. I am employing W7 Ultimate 64 bit and no driver difficulties. I would get this card once more and once again and once again.

Comment:
Great sound top quality, simple installation using XP and Linux. The card was recognized suitable away by Linux Mint, and the driver under Linux sounds terrific. Quite solid construct good quality. Amazing imaging. Rivals the sound excellent of a well-known brand firewire based breakout box on my Mac that expenses a lot more than twice as considerably. I have found none. I'm utilizing the card with a pair of high excellent close to field monitors and it sounds like absolutely nothing - which is specifically how a great piece of audio gear need to sound.No coloration, extended frequency response, transparent. I would also like to mention the excellent support I received from HT Omega. I did NOT have an issue with the card, just a question, and they responded very swiftly and had been a pleasure to deal with. Great card, great company.

Comment:
Includes high high quality headphone amp that can drive any cans up to Sennheiser HD650. Preserve in mind that the default setting is restricted to low impedance output enough only for 32 ohm headphones (perfect for Grados). You must locate and switch the jumper setting to boost output. This card is also set up to output to both the front channel/headphone and the RCA outputs, an additional jumper mutes other outputs when headphones are plugged in to the front panel.When appropriately set up, this card brings the very best out of stereo recordings. It eliminates any noise triggered by method components and renders sound with incredibly low distortion. Swappable Opamps enable modders and audiophiles to easily customize the tonal excellent of analog outputs.Supports a wide array of Dolby technologies and five.1 channel digital output. The reference CMedia drivers are rock solid on XP/Vista and allow for fast, uncomplicated management of outputs and post-processing effects. Analog 7.1 output requires acquire of โ XT daughterboard. Does not support XLR output.When paired with reference speakers or headphones, you will notice every single flaw in a recording. This transparency makes most compressed audio (e.g. mp3) sound noisy and muffled :( Don't spend the extra funds on this card if all you need is superior sound excellent for movies and games.

Comment:
Good quality style, amazing efficiency, lightweight drivers, sound high quality, features, and anything else. Absolutely None! I do expert sound engineering and was researching a quality sound card for my gaming/high def house theater Pc. Soon after reading all the hassles, troubles, and issues with Creative Lab's Audigy and X-Fi cards (specifically their drivers), I started wondering what else was out there. I looked into the Asus ones but found them lacking in what I wanted; A truly high quality sound card that could handle movies, music and games, but specifically through headphones and surround sound. When I read about the Claro Halo, I had to try it. Now I can't picture having anything else! The built-in headphone amplifier genuinely makes my pro 'phones sing sweetly! I can't advocate this sound card sufficient. Don't even assume about acquiring a Creative Labs sound card (they've turn into the Microsoft of the sound card business--they've gotten lax because they're so dominant in the market) Look at the Claro Halo rather. Not only will you be blown away by the sound, but you'll save oneself a globe of hassle!

Comment:
Excellent Sound in head phones. None

Comment:
Can't complain, and various audiophiles have stated very good items about the sound card's components and style, and only a single individual on head-fi complained that she was not too impressed by the headphone amplifier. There is restricted EAX assistance (don't blame HT Omega, EAX is copyrighted by Creative Labs). Nothing else truly worth mentioning... but if you use DSP like crossfeed or virtual surround, you may locate plug-ins for winamp/windows media player/foobar to give far better outcomes. Also, they don't write in gigantic font that the four inexpensive JRC4580 front output opamps are intended to get replaced. Check the manual or webpage on claro halo, exactly where it is Very Suggested that the opamps are replaced. A good set of 4 dual channel opamps would price among ฟ-100+ (warning, counterfeits exist, opt for where you acquire from cautiously), depending on what you want out of the sound card. I myself just got four lm4562's which cost ฤ following shipping. I ordered this from newegg the very first day it came out (I was that pleased with my claro+) and it was perfect until I fried some components by putting new opamps upside-down on browndog dual-to-single IC adapters just two weeks ago (don't be like me swapping opamps -_-). I contacted the company HT Omega to ask if they could send me their schematics (lol) but they could not, but they stated they would see if they could get me a new sound card replacement. I got the RMA number in the similar day I contacted them. Free of charge replacement card and no cost shipping EVEN Following admitting that I murdered my sound card, how much much better does client support get?

Comment:
Excellent constructionNice interfaceExcellent sound good quality None

Comment:
Awesome sound excellentTons of selections in the program you can download None I can believe of This is the 1st sound card I have bought in a long time, and they are awesome! There are so numerous selections in the software for Dolby 7.1, DTS, or if you are wearing headphones or have a 7.1 or just 2 speaker set up. I have some good headphones and my music is infinitely far better now. You can hear every thing that is going on and with some of the options you can't even tell you are wearing headphones. When i clicked the headphone choice i had to take them off to make confident my speakers weren't on. Purchase this sound card with some decent headphones and get pleasure from.

Comment:
Excellent sound good quality without having the unnecessary doodads of the competition (e.g. metal RFI "shield" with a goofy tiger on it). Drivers are good with a uncomplicated, clean control panel. Tech support has some broken English, but they're incredibly fast to reply. Wish it was PCIe just for some extra future-proofing and coolness factor, but PCI isn't dead but so it's a wash. Have to spend at least ฤ to get some decent op-amps, but it was a fun thing to investigation. Make certain you disable dithering in WinAmp. I didn't even know it was on (no problems with prior soundcard), but with this new 1 it was causing distortion with some files.

Comment:
Pros:PCB board layout:AnalogɈ (interchangeable) dual op amps comprise the filter and I/V acquire stageAnd one incredibly high excellent amplifier chip for just the two channel!two for DAC summing (signal is separate + and -)two for the I/V acquire to the TPA6120A2, possiblyThe TPA6120A2 is a high fidelity audio amplifier built.00014% THD + N on present-feedback architecture.Some typical Characteristics consist of򍺴 V/µs Slew Rateŋ.five W in to 32 Ohms!Higher than 120 dB of Dynamic Range!The quantity genuine estate and occupants thereof dedicated to analog 2 channels stereo are not disappointing at allPower supply filteringthree reasonably substantial value 񢌘 micro farad caps)Digital:DAC AK4396 (Asahi Kasei) ?SOxygen HD CM8788(C-Media Xear3D EX technology gives a total,And totally backward compatible 3D audio interface for Windows Vista.///I've run out of room//// Cons:As soon as upon a time the manufacturing procedure was so expense conscience, omitting even, yes, even higher good quality active and passive electricalComponents from PC audio, whilst video cards enjoyed significantly additional attention to HQ performance. Is audio going to finally have its day?lolThe Delta-Sigma (?S; or sigma-delta, S?) modulation is a strategyFor encoding high resolution signals into lower resolution signals employing pulse-density modulation.Delta sigma converters have to run with sampling frequencies a lot higher than twice the maximum signal frequency///i've run out of room/// Other thoughts:SQ:Extraordinary S/N ratio very quiet even in the noisy desktop PC with all its clocking circuits, EMI, fans, etc.Analogous to a thunderstorm whose preceding ought to confirm the presence of certain giftsOpinionᚲ-V STEP RESPONSE (figure 22) ofTPA6120A2's datasheet (TPA6120A2) gives information about this ampThat rival some 񙖰 high finish power ampsI applauded the PCB designers and directors who initiation shunned all comprises AFIK and chose extremely good active componentsAnd PCB layout of the analog and digital sections.I could say the SQ is quite great, which it is, but of course that depends as every thing is dependent on its weakest link.But I can say that the HT Omega did generate a item the is a pleasure to listen toa lot more so to my ears than other sound solutions I've encounteredfive eggsOperating Program Microsoft Windows Vista UltimateGigabyte GA-P35-DS3L Ɠ PCI, 3 PCI-E x1, 1 PCI-E x16, four DDR2 DIMM, Audio, Gigabit LAN)Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce 88

Comment:
Superb sound with headphones, noticeable distinction in between this and onboard sound card Expensive The headphone output for my card died a little over a year right after buying this card. Soon after contacting Omega and sending in my card they replaced it with no concerns asked. An awesome corporation that I would certainly do enterprise with once again!

Comment:
I commonly don't review hardware the initially day I own it, but I truly can't help myself in this scenario. I'm going to maintain this simple and sweet:I had no idea music could sound so extraordinary. I have a pair of Sennheiser HD595s, and music sounded decent coming out of my SB Live! 24-bit sound card. All of my audio is lossless, and I've been a tad OCD about keeping my whole library high quality. I can lastly enjoy music the way it's supposed to sound: phenomenal.I normally don't buy myself points I don't need to have, but I really feel definitely extremely superior about this obtain. If you have any respect for music and high-excellent audio, the Claro Halo should be your subsequent investment. It will be one of the finest you've ever made. I'm probably going to be deaf in 5 years. I like my music loud, and this card will allow you to blow your eardrums out if you're so inclined.

Comment:
Definitely one of the best sound cards for Hi-Fi music. No external power required. Compatible with Win7 64-bit. Certainly it's quite pricey.