Supplied by M-Audio
Audio is usually the last item on the priority list for a computer buyer. Consumers typically invest in processor, ram and video card before thinking about audio. This is especially true for laptop users. The laptop user may be packing a powerful computer but the audio may be very poor or even non-existent. M-Audio has one solution with the external Sonica USB audio card. This simple device delivers 24 bit/96kHz audio in analog or digital straight to the desktop speakers or home theatre system.
M-Audio says that Sonica is a external USB audio card with digital and analog connectors. Look at what it has to offer:
- Portable 24-bit/96 kHz audio upgrade for laptops and desktops
- Digital connector for surround sound receiver or MiniDisc
- Analog connector for powered speakers or stereo receiver
- Supports Dolby Digital 5.1 (AC3), Dolby Pro Logic and DTS.
- The easiest upgrade for pro-quality digital audio and surround sound
Turn your laptop or desktop into a high-quality home theater. Sonica’s digital output supports all popular surround sound formats, such as Dolby’ Digital 5.1 (AC3), DTS’, and Dolby Pro Logic’. Sonica turns your laptop or desktop into the ultimate home theater component. Don’t have a surround sound receiver or 5.1 speakers? No problem. Sonica’s built-in TruSurround XT’ technology gives you simulated surround sound over your existing powered stereo speakers. Using patented TruBass’ technology, Sonica can even increase the perceived bass output of your existing speakers.
Specifications
Contents
- Sonica external USB audio card
- Six-foot USB cable
- Installation CD
- Sonica Install Guide
- Free MPowered Artists Audio CD
Minimum Requirements (PC)
- 200 MHz Pentium with MMX
- 64 MB RAM
- CD-ROM Drive
- Available USB 1.1 port
- Windows® 2000, ME, XP
Minimum Requirements (Mac)
- Apple Macintosh® G3, G4, iBook, or PowerBook with available built-in USB port.
- 64 MB RAM
- CD-ROM Drive
- Mac OS 9.2.2 or later
- Mac OS X version 10.1 or later
Audio Performance Specs
- Dynamic Range: 97 dB (typical, -60 dB input, A-weighted)
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 97 dB (typical, A-weighted)
- THD: -87 dB (typical)
- Completely USB bus powered (no power supply required)
Recommended Requirements (PC)
- 500 mHz Pentium III
- 128 MB RAM
- DVD-ROM Drive and DVD Player application (For Dolby Digital Playback)
- Available USB 1.1 port
- Windows® 2000, or XP
Recommended Requirements (Mac)
- Apple Macintosh® G3, G4, iBook, or PowerBook with available built-in USB port.
- 128 MB RAM
- DVD-ROM Drive
- Mac OS X version 10.1 or later
Technical Features
- USB-to-S/PDIF Optical Out and 1/8″ Mini-Analog Line Out
- S/PDIF Optical Out can transmit Linear PCM, AC-3, or DTS
- Sonica supports the following output formats:
- 24-bit Linear PCM
- 16-bit Linear PCM
- 16-bit AC-3 over optical connector
- 16-bit Dolby Pro Logic over optical connector
- 16-bit DTS over optical connector
- Windows 2000 or XP, or Mac OS X version 10.1 required for multi-channel output
- Sonica supports the following sampling frequencies (Hz) – 8000, 9600, 11025, 12000, 16000, 22050, 24000, 32000, 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000
The Sonica USB audio device can be used in Mac or PC for the laptop or desktop. All that is necessary is the supported operating system and an available USB port. It also doesn’t require an external power adapter because it draws power from the USB port. Don’t make the mistake that the Sonica will power speakers. It will not. It must connect to an amplifier or powered speakers. This is not a device designed for headphone usage. The Sonica has insufficient power to properly drive headphones therefore headphones will distort at higher volume levels. This distortion is not present when the Sonica is connected to powered speakers or an amplifier.
What you get
The Sonica is a very simple device and requires only a USB cable, software and the Sonica device itself but for $69.95 US you get the box.
The Sonica USB audio device.
A 6 foot USB cable.
The installation CD.
And the manual.
Installation
Installation was straightforward but it is recommended to download the latest drivers from the M-Audio site and install them before connecting the Sonica to a USB port. After software installation when the PC is restarted with the Sonica connected the device will be detected and a few more clicks will finish off the installation process. The Sonica will now be ready to use.
Software
The main and only software interface is brought up by either double clicking or right clicking on the M-Audio icon on the taskbar. The control panel is useless for analog output as all the settings are for the digital connection.
There are several settings available for Windows but not all work for Mac. 5.1 Cinema mode is for Windows only and the manual states that Mac OS 9 will not allow sending of a digitally encoded surround signal, such as Dolby Digital (AC3) or DTS, from a digital audio port such as the Sonica’s optical digital output. Mac OS X is expected to support this capability sometime in the future.
The settings are to fine tune the audio signal to user preference and it’s a matter of experimentation for what suits individual users best.
Decoding Technical Jargon
Technical specifications are more a matter of what isn’t printed instead of what is. Audio specifications are a combination of either larger numbers or very small numbers. A stereo sounds more impressive if it is listed at 500 watts. That same stereo may also have an impressive listed THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) of less than 0.01%. The consumer thinks big power with very little distortion therefore it MUST be good.
This couldn’t be more wrong. Audio specifications are determined by measurement of signals. It all boils down to how accurately the device can reproduce a given signal. The 500 watt stereo may be able to produce 500 watts of power…on one channel…in an ice cold room. In reality when the stereo is in 5.1 mode it may only be able to deliver 30 watts per channel. The small THD may be been produced by measuring the best result which may be a specific frequency at a low volume (dBa). In other words no where near how the buyer may use it since audio is a combination of many frequencies at many different signal strengths.
Manufacturers have gotten into the habit lately of delivering specifications with larger numbers. One may say 90 dBA while another may say 96 then 97. Consumers don’t really know if these numbers are an indication that the product is better but they assume bigger is better. This is one area that we’d like to see regulated to a standardized series of tests.
Under the hood of the Sonica is simplicity.
M-Audio’s Sonica boasts 24 bit/96kHz audio which is pretty good on paper and it’s all driven by this little guy.
The Japanese company Asahi Kasei produced the AK4353 96kHz 24-bit DAC which is at the heart of the Sonica.
- Stereo DAC
- S/(N+D): 90dB@5V
- DR: 102dB@5V
- S/N: 102dB@5V
- Multiple Master Clock Frequencies: 128fs/192fs for Double rate 256fs/384fs for Half/Normal/Double rate 512fs/768fs for Half/Normal rate 1024fs/1536fs for Half rate
- Data Input Formats: LSB justified/MSB justified/I2S selectable
- Selectable Function: Soft Mute Digital Attenuator (256 Steps) Digital De-emphasis (44.1kHz/48kHz/32kHz)
- Output Mode: Stereo, Mono, Reverse, Mute
- On-chip Digital Audio Interface Tramsmitter Compatible with S/PDIF,IEC958, AES/EBU&EIAJ CP1201 consumer mode
- Input Level: TTL/CMOS Selectable
- Output Level: 3.0Vpp@5V
- Control mode: 3-wire Serial / I2C Bus
- Low Power Dissipation: 80mW
- Small 24-pin VSOP Package
- Power Supply: 2.7 to 5.5V
- Ta: ä40 to 85°C
- Evaluation Board: AKD4353
You’ve got a good eye if you’ve caught the differences in specifications. M-Audio conservatively puts the Sonica at 97 dB for Dynamic Range (DR) and Signal to Noise Ration (S/N) while Asahi Kasei have theirs set 5 dB higher. The 5 dB loss is most likely due to different measurement practices and the fact that Asahi Kasei may have measured just the chip instead of the entire M-Audio device. The PCB, cables and other such in-line components may have degraded the final signal a few dB.
A keener eye will have caught that this is a STEREO DAC (Digital Audio Convector). Where then does M-Audio get the idea that the Sonica supports all popular surround sound formats, such as Dolby™ Digital 5.1 (AC3), DTS™, and Dolby Pro Logic™. Sonica turns your laptop or desktop into the ultimate home theater component?
The answer lies in the two outputs and the the second part of the previous statement. There is an analog and digital output. The Sonica does not actually process Dolby™ Digital 5.1 (AC3), DTS™, and Dolby Pro Logic™ audio. Only the digital connection passes the audio through to be decoded by an external device or a software based decoder processes the signal that is again passed through the digital connection to a powered speaker setup. In either case the Sonica only passes the signal from the computer to the device or speakers.
The analog output on provides left and right stereo. Any of the M-Audio software control panel functions do not affect the audio output. The second part of the previously mentioned statement gives another interesting detail away.
Don’t have a surround sound receiver or 5.1 speakers? No problem. Sonica’s built-in TruSurround XT™ technology gives you simulated surround sound over your existing powered stereo speakers. Using patented TruBass™ technology, Sonica can even increase the perceived bass output of your existing speakers.
Combine this with a statement in the manual:
NOTE: When playing a digitally encoded surround sound signal from your Sonica (that is not decoded within your computer), you should listen only to the Sonica’s digital output. Listening to the Sonica analog output while playing a digital surround signal will give undesirable results.
M-Audio’s included software control panel can allow for simulated effects to be added to the digital signal but not the analog signal.
A second chip by Texas Instruments drives the stereo USB audio interface. The manual is 114 pages and who would have thought that so much could be written on something so small. The TAS1020A chip supports only two DMA channels which confirms that the Sonica is only a stereo device with digital pass through for AC3 or DTS signals.
What this all boils down to is a simple rule; analog output produces only the left and right stereo tracks while the digital output can deliver up to 6 audio channels with a small amount of effects such as Dolby Surround and bass management enhancement. All 5.1 or DTS decoding will either by software based in the computer or by the external home theatre amplifier.
Conclusion
The M-Audio Sonica is ideally suited for laptop users who want a portable external device to provide higher quality audio reproduction from what laptops are capable of. Desktop PC users may not benefit from the Sonica especially with the introduction of higher quality audio onboard desktop motherboards or purchase of PCI devices such as M-Audio’s Revolution which deliver even more functionality up to 7.1 signals.
In either use headphones should not be used with the Sonica. There is not enough power in the unit to properly drive the headphones and users will find headphone audio too quiet at non-distorted levels and very distorted at higher volume levels which aren’t that loud at all.
24 bit/96 kHz Sonica audio is clean and clear when heard through a stereo system or powered speakers. I personally prefer frequency management (treble and bass) on a stereo amplifier compared to software equalizers. WindowsXP does have a limited equalizer in Media Player 9. It would have been a good feature if M-Audio included a software driven 10 or 15 band equalizer with the Sonica software.
The Sonica is not for gamers who require hardware driven game audio support. It is for users who want very good quality stereo analog audio or digital audio. The digital connection will allow for DVD audio to be software decoded and fed to an external device or passed through to be decoded by a Dolby Digital and/or DTS equipped amplifier.
The USB cable is very convenient but at 6 feet is adequate for areas where laptop and digital speakers are at a desk but may not be long enough for use with a home theatre system.
The Sonica is, in a word, convenient. There is no need to open up the PC to install the hardware. The Sonica is small and travels very well in a laptop case. It is a convenient and easy way to upgrade PC audio especially for the laptop. It is an ideal solution for laptop users with self-powered digital speakers or a home theatre system with an optical digital input. Analog users will have good sound but without the fancy surround effects. The Sonica may soon reach the end of its useful life as more and more new desktop and laptop computers are coming with higher quality audio processors but for the moment the Sonica still has the ability to give new life to “old” computers. For something superior in the 5.1 external USB audio support department the Sonica Theatre would be a better choice or internally with the M-Audio Revolution.
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