DigitalDude
Skilled
After a long time (since 2017 lol) I was looking into the new mother boards and wondering particularly about the audio situation with different chipsets esp. the Realtek ALC4080/82 in modern high end and mid end mobos.
The thing is ALC 897 is the low end budget option. ALC 1220 variants used to be mid to high end option with the high ends having better isolation, amps, capacitors, circuitry etc. Currently, we have the ALC 4080 variants slowly replacing the 1220 variants. but it not a successor or next version but just a different implementation. The spec are same but ALC 1220 uses the traditional HDA connection to the CPU while the ALC 4080 uses a USB 2.0 connection to the motherboard chipset. More details can be read here: https://www.igorslab.de/en/the-old-...ied-and-the-differences-from-alc1220-insider/
The issue here is there are many complaints on reddit and motherboard manufacturer forums about various issues with the ALC 4080 chipsets. like sudden cutoff, hissing, sudden full volume static, flaky SPDIF output etc. So I have a few question regarding this. So please reply if you know this issue and/or your experience with the new chipset in your mobos along with your mobo model name.
My questions are:
- is this an inherent flaw with the Realtek ALC 4080 audio chipset? if so has it been solved in the 2023/2024 motherboards like the Z790/Z890/X870 etc?
- should we avoid the 4080 chipset mobos and stick with the 1220 ones if we are not going to use a USB DAC/AMP?
- how is this situation with Linux?
- or is this just a issue with the motherboard implementation? if so, how can we find out?
- does the ALC 4080 have any technical advantages compared to the ALC 1220 or is it just the mobo manufacturers cheaping out?
For context, I currently have a Asus Strix Z370-G MATX board that has Realtek ALC S1220A chipset with decent audio circuitry. It is pretty good with no issues. Used a basic pair of speakers for a long time and then upgraded to a JBL 104. It was good even with a Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro.
Folks might advice to just use a USB DAC+AMP as that is going to be far better than the onboard audio. Yes, agreed but it is a proxy indicator. Like if they cheap out on audio chip and circuitry then they would have cheaped out on many other things.
The thing is ALC 897 is the low end budget option. ALC 1220 variants used to be mid to high end option with the high ends having better isolation, amps, capacitors, circuitry etc. Currently, we have the ALC 4080 variants slowly replacing the 1220 variants. but it not a successor or next version but just a different implementation. The spec are same but ALC 1220 uses the traditional HDA connection to the CPU while the ALC 4080 uses a USB 2.0 connection to the motherboard chipset. More details can be read here: https://www.igorslab.de/en/the-old-...ied-and-the-differences-from-alc1220-insider/
The issue here is there are many complaints on reddit and motherboard manufacturer forums about various issues with the ALC 4080 chipsets. like sudden cutoff, hissing, sudden full volume static, flaky SPDIF output etc. So I have a few question regarding this. So please reply if you know this issue and/or your experience with the new chipset in your mobos along with your mobo model name.
My questions are:
- is this an inherent flaw with the Realtek ALC 4080 audio chipset? if so has it been solved in the 2023/2024 motherboards like the Z790/Z890/X870 etc?
- should we avoid the 4080 chipset mobos and stick with the 1220 ones if we are not going to use a USB DAC/AMP?
- how is this situation with Linux?
- or is this just a issue with the motherboard implementation? if so, how can we find out?
- does the ALC 4080 have any technical advantages compared to the ALC 1220 or is it just the mobo manufacturers cheaping out?
For context, I currently have a Asus Strix Z370-G MATX board that has Realtek ALC S1220A chipset with decent audio circuitry. It is pretty good with no issues. Used a basic pair of speakers for a long time and then upgraded to a JBL 104. It was good even with a Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro.
Folks might advice to just use a USB DAC+AMP as that is going to be far better than the onboard audio. Yes, agreed but it is a proxy indicator. Like if they cheap out on audio chip and circuitry then they would have cheaped out on many other things.