Following up on my testing from yesterday, got a chance to test a Core 1, also made some recordings of all consoles. These are my last findings after testing all console models except a TG16.
TLDR: SD card access buzz noise was NOT properly fixed on rev. B, possibly not on external bypass either. Audio fix was optimized for SuperGrafx and was not properly tested by TO. All Japanese non-SGX consoles produce buzzing noise in CD games virtually throughout all gameplay.
All of these 6-7 second clips were taken during silent moments in a game. Unfortunately, these are phone recordings, but I think they do the job well enough to show the problem very clearly.
CoreGrafx 1, CD game while SD card is being read (i.e. basically all the damn time):
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1eHyZ5 ... heLhK4tvYP
CoreGrafx 2, CD game:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rwWnf ... 5E04bcYV3L
PC Engine, CD game:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=15RpsJ ... iPYs_tB3qf
SuperGrafx, CD game:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UmiWK ... X2JEOADK1J
Take aways:
-Core 1 and 2 have the same level of buzzing, which is certainly present enough to be disruptive not only during silent moments. I am confident these two units are representative of how all Core models perform.
-PCE is the worst, but this recording may not be indicative of how all white PCEs perform, since this one has a history of modding and may be in particularly bad shape.
-The SGX has ZERO SD card read buzz. The difference is insane. The only sound is the baseline pitch common to the Core consoles also.
-Still need to test TG16, which may perform close or equal to the SGX given its larger/different PCB layout.
Now, some HuCard game silence recordings:
CoreGrafx 1 HuCard:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ZiaMo ... VVRHsBT-NL
SuperGrafx HuCard:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BFsB7 ... Yb2fObPTjK
PC engine HuCard:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oC1fA ... o19jVi9kqV
Take aways:
-ZERO buzzing on HuCard games across Core 1, Core 2 (recording omitted), and SGX, all of which only have the usual baseline pitch.
-This PCE is once again horrible, perhaps even worse than on CD games since it combines both a buzz and a high pitch sound.
-TG16 most likely performs the same as the Cores and Super.
My own take on this is that it’s utter BS for this product to be released like this under the claim that the SD noise was fixed, given that it is clearly not fixed for the vast majority of console models. All other issues in audio and video were indeed fixed, but not this one.
-But fernan1234, maybe you’re just really unlucky and all of your non-SGX consoles are crap?
I highly doubt it. The PCE maybe, probably, and it is unfortunate that it happened to be the one I sent to FBX and that informed his assessment, and he may have jumped the gun. But the Cores 1 and 2 I have here were each acquired from different sources, and they both appear to be in fully adequate condition.
-But Mobius posted earlier that he tested all of these models too with earlier revisions and external fixes and, though not an audio expert, he surely must have noted this SD card buzz?
Maybe. Like FBX suggested, either the external fix did get rid of SD noise for all models and rev. B doesn’t, or the SD noise slipped by in testing and most people willing and able to spend extra money on them were using an SGX (or maybe TG16), or simply noted all the other improvements and failed to notice or accepted the remaining SD noise. More testing is needed to settle this question, but the latter is what I’m inclined to believe.
-But maybe those consoles just need another PSU, recap, voltage regulator, etc.?
Highly doubt it. Covered this on my previous testing report.
Please note: I’m not really blaming anyone other than TO here. What I just did in a total of an hour across two days is what TO should have done when they received the audio fix samples, and all they had to do was get back to FBX and say “hey my guy, thanks for all you’ve done but would you mind testing on something other than your SGX, because on our other consoles here we still get a lot of SD buzz.” That was all that was needed for us to not be where we are now.
Alright, I think that’s all I have on this. Both happy that I found a (very expensive) solution to this, and frustrated that it takes this much and that so many users will still have to deal with imperfect audio for CD games (the whole point of the SSDS3 really, we already had an Everdrive for HuCard). Won’t buy a TG16 to test. If anyone has a beat up TG16 stashed in their closet and is willing to send it to me for testing let me know, I’ll pay for shipping both ways. I hope this is of service to SSDS3 users and PCE fans.
tldr: see top