Problems monitoring Axe II through Duet or Quartet-loss of tone and detail

[BillyZeppa]

-10 is what I am using. Anyway, I have the same problem with USB. The Quartet headphone out sounds little like the Fractal headphone out. My concern is if this is just the headphone out or if this is actually being recorded this way. The headphone out on the Axe II is stunningly detailed, punching, great sound stage, great highs, a lot of that goes away when you send the signal through Quartet and Logic. Wondering about other solutions. If this a Quartet issue? Hard to imagine but could be.

So, if you have the same problem with USB, it's not the Quartet ADC converters. That leaves the Quartet DAC or the headphone circuit.

I recommend what iaresee suggested. Record a track via USB to DAW. Then playback that track to the AxeII via USB, and listen through the AxeII headphones.
If the AxeII headphones sound like they should (same on playback as when you were monitoring live) then the problem is with the Quartet - either the DAC or the headphones circuit.
Then using the recorded track from the previous step, use your studio monitors - compare A) the AxeII XLR output to your monitors (DAW to AxeII via USB) , to B) the Quartet analog output to your monitors (DAW to Quartet via USB) - if the Quartet still sounds different than the AxeII, then it's the DAC - if not it's the Quartet headphones circuit.

This sounds more complicated than it is, and it should let you get to the bottom of it. It would be valuable to know for sure.

I don't have a Duo or Quartet, but i did notice my Tascam 144 interface sounds very disappointing when compared to the AxeII headphones out, in the ways you describe but way more extreme than you report. I have since gotten a RME UCX (USB) interface and things sound way better. The UCX is designed to be neutral and not color the sound.