help w/ IDing Ensoniq PCI card

Dave Purcell

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Mar 2, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/2/98

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I just got an Ensoniq PCI card and I have a bad feeling it's not the one I
want. The Ensoniq page says "Ensoniq cards will have "ENSONIQ" etched into
the board itself along with a date." Ok, so far, so good -- mine says
Ensoniq 1997.

Next, the Ensoniq FAQ says:
***
Look on the board for an "assembled in USA" sticker, there will be a number
on that
card beginning with the letter "S." This will give us the actual model
number. It will be
either S2016, S3016, S4016, or S5016. "S2016" cards use Legacy Soundscape
drivers. "S3016" refers to OPUS cards, which are not supported directly by
Ensoniq.
"S4016" cards use the Vivo series drivers. "S5016" denotes the AudioPCI
soundcard.
***

Ther is no number beginning with S on my "assembled in USA" sticker. Here's
everything it does say:

E1320133 AudioPCI 9802
6000566
ASSYNO 01 REV: E

Any clues as to what this is? I specifically asked for a S5016 from Design
Group Systems (found them thru one of the price watch engines), and I'm
going to be steamed if this isn't what I got.

Thanks much,
Dave

***
remove x from email address for replies

Alan J. Wool

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Mar 3, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/3/98

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The S5016 label would be on the front (component) side of the board. It is
obvious that the label was removed from my AudioPCI. The label on the back
of my board is the same as yours and had a Serial Number. I bought my
AudioPCI from PC Club in San Diego over the counter. It came with the
Official AudioPCI by Ensoniq Version 1.12 Install CD and the CD patch cable
with 3 different types of connectors at each end. I only get a one year
warranty from the store. If you buy an Audio PCI directly from Ensoniq you
get a three year warranty. I'm guessing that the S5016 labels are removed
because of the difference in the warranty time and who handles the warranty
for the customer, Ensoniq or the OEM dealer.

The key to an advertisement is whether or not the card is called an AudioPCI
which is a trademark. I don't believe that the Clone's can use the AudioPCI
trademark only Ensoniq ES1370 which is the Controller that they use on their
boards.

Al

Marc Wilson

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Mar 6, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/6/98

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On Tue, 03 Mar 1998 05:51:11 GMT, "Alan J. Wool" <alw...@connectnet.com>
wrote:

>The S5016 label would be on the front (component) side of the board. It is
>obvious that the label was removed from my AudioPCI. The label on the back
>of my board is the same as yours and had a Serial Number. I bought my
>AudioPCI from PC Club in San Diego over the counter. It came with the
>Official AudioPCI by Ensoniq Version 1.12 Install CD and the CD patch cable
>with 3 different types of connectors at each end.

One of mine had 1.09, the other had 1.12. Both of mine have all the
appropriate tags and serial numbers... what I didn't get with either of mine
is the single-page flyer that supposedly comes with OEM cards.

>If you buy an Audio PCI directly from Ensoniq you
>get a three year warranty. I'm guessing that the S5016 labels are removed
>because of the difference in the warranty time and who handles the warranty
>for the customer, Ensoniq or the OEM dealer.

Shouldn't make a difference... the OEM should be offering the same warranty as
the company does. All they're going to do is send the card back to Ensoniq,
after all.

>The key to an advertisement is whether or not the card is called an AudioPCI
>which is a trademark. I don't believe that the Clone's can use the AudioPCI
>trademark only Ensoniq ES1370 which is the Controller that they use on their
>boards.

That's not stopping good ol' PC Club. I've bought two real AudioPCI's from
the Kearny Mesa store over the last couple of months... both were real OEM
cards. Went in the other day to get a third and found that the "AudioPCI"
they're now selling (admittedly doesn't say so on the BOX, but does on the
shelf and is represented as such by the sales staff) is the same cheap Chinese
import card that ComLogic and most of the other retailers here in San Diego
are pushing. Has the Ensoniq chip on it, and that's about it. Cheap
fiberglass (thin), no bypass caps at ALL, traces so thin you need a magnifying
glass, and a higher price... no thank you. Needless to say, I did NOT buy
one.

Confronting their salespeople, as always, leads to nothing but ulcers. Gods,
are there REALLY people that stupid in the world? Of course, I know better.
You NEVER buy from those idiots if you are expecting ANY kind of coherent
answers to your questions.

-----
Marc Wilson
Comic Con Intl. '98 Volunteer Coordinator
mwi...@cts.com (preferred) -or- marc....@juno.com
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1148