Confused about the veracity of laptop sound cards

[Bob A (SD)]

I'm new here and have been doing a lot of reading regarding REW. The help files (#3) plainly says that microphone inputs are NOT suitable and shouldn't be used. Yet I find posts where folks say no sweat if you switch the control panel options from mic in to line in. BTW I have a Dell Vostro 1000 with a built in ATI AC'97 IXP SB600 sound controller with Sigma Tel software. Will such a computer sound card yield satisfactory results with REW or not?

I have used my tripod mounted analog Radio Shack SLM with appropriate correction tables already in conjunction with a Stereophile Test CD and have obtained the following after a LOT of experimenting with subwoofer positions, sub volume settings, and AVR settings. This with an Outlaw LFM-1EX corner loaded and an Outlaw LFM-1c in near field position in a 30' x 16' x 8.5' room.

200 Hz 75 dB
160 Hz 76 dB
125 Hz 73.5 dB
100 Hz 70.75 dB
80 Hz 72.75 dB
63 Hz 71.75 dB
50 Hz 73.75 dB
40 Hz 75.5 dB
31.5 Hz 71 dB
25 Hz 72.5 dB
20 Hz 73 dB

= 20-200Hz +/- 2.625dB

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Welcome to the Forum, Bob!

The help files (#3) plainly says that microphone inputs are NOT suitable and shouldn't be used. Yet I find posts where folks say no sweat if you switch the control panel options from mic in to line in.

Well sure, if the mic input can be switched to a line input, then it's now a line input and as such it can be used for REW.

BTW I have a Dell Vostro 1000 with a built in ATI AC'97 IXP SB600 sound controller with Sigma Tel software. Will such a computer sound card yield satisfactory results with REW or not?

If the card has a line input, either dedicated or one that can be switched from a mic input, then it can be used.

Regards,
Wayne

[Bob A (SD)]

Thanks Wayne. I appreciate the sanity check here. Now I need to locate some long run RCA cables to connect the AVR to the laptop. My listening position is 16' from the Mits WS-65315 screen.

[robcart65]

Thanks for your sharing