Anyone use a sound card?

[Muse]

I'm still using my old Hercules Game Theater XP because it has a breakout box with lots of connectivity. Needs a PCI slot and they are getter more and more scarce. It's in my HTPC, which has a PCI HDTV card (MyHD) and daughterboard, plus I need my PCI modem in there, so mobos with several PCI slots are the thing but they are hard to find. Do some of the newer mobos have connectivity that rivals the GTXP card's?

PS I also have a PCI Santa Cruz sound card (highly respected), but have never used it.

 

[Throckmorton]

I don't think the Santa Cruz has Windows 7 drivers

 

[thelastjuju]

PCI slots are really only getting rare with the budget motherboards at like $60.. where they either come with one, or none and only a pci-express mini port.. I've never seen a $120+ mobo that didn't have at least a few PCI ports though.

I do hate how they phase out "old" technology though.. like the IDE port, which I would simply convert to 2x more SATA ports with an IDE to 2x SATA adapter.

Windows 7 drivers ARE going to be your biggest issue though with older sound cards .. but it really depends on your equipment.. anyone with quality speakers or headphones will benefit from a sound card.. rinky dink satellite speakers and entry level ear buds will be fine with onboard sound though.

 

[vbuggy]

Just get a new soundcard. You failed to say what connectivity you needed from the card itself.

 

[billyb0b]

I have a Auzentech Forte in a PCI-E 1x slot and it's quite lovely.

 

[AE-Ruffy]

currently on onboard sound
might eventually get a asus xonar pcie.

 

[RavenSEAL]

Yes

 

[Anubis]

i run an Asus Xonar STX. PCIE 1x

 

[GoStumpy]

Creative Fatal1ty Titanium PCI-E x1

LOVE IT

 

[Muse]

Just get a new soundcard. You failed to say what connectivity you needed from the card itself.

Um, let's see if I remember. The GTXP breakout box is really cool. It has headphone jack and volume, has SPDIF in/out, I have my cassette deck's output connected to it so I can record digitally from cassette. Right now I'm using SPDIF over an RCA cable (it supports both kinds of SPDIF cabling), to my receiver, but it also supports separate 5.1 analog connections, which I might do when I get around to it. The breakout box just has a ton of stuff. Actually, it's a little dodgy at this point, I've had it over 10 years, and the headphone connection cuts out one channel sometimes, so I'm using an alternate connection for that, from the back of the breakout box. IIRC the GTXP has the same chip as my Santa Cruz PCI card.

 

[richaron]

I use a roland ua-55.

I guess modern equivalent of a pci card & "breakout box" is a usb/firewire audio interface. If you want something sitting on your desk with lots of connections & knobs, that's the way to go. There's a decent range around, but you'll be paying for it..

 

[Smartazz]

Using an old X-Fi Fatal1ty from back in the day, still kicking but I'm worried about how it basks in intense heat from my video card.

 

[Bryf50]

I recently threw my old Audigy 2 zs back in my system. I have to say even with my modest sound setup(t-amp & $50 bookshelfs from newegg) there was a definite improvement.

 

[GrumpyMan]

i run an Asus Xonar STX. PCIE 1x

Asus Xonar Essence ST PCI, I love it to death, so much better than the Realtek onboard mobo sound, for me at least. Hopefully the PCI lane won't die totally on new mobos. :whiste:

Edit: Asus Xonar Essence ST, not the STX.

 

[Anubis]

i didnt think they made a normal PCI version of the STX

 

[vbuggy]

Um, let's see if I remember. The GTXP breakout box is really cool. It has headphone jack and volume, has SPDIF in/out, I have my cassette deck's output connected to it so I can record digitally from cassette. Right now I'm using SPDIF over an RCA cable (it supports both kinds of SPDIF cabling), to my receiver, but it also supports separate 5.1 analog connections, which I might do when I get around to it. The breakout box just has a ton of stuff. Actually, it's a little dodgy at this point, I've had it over 10 years, and the headphone connection cuts out one channel sometimes, so I'm using an alternate connection for that, from the back of the breakout box. IIRC the GTXP has the same chip as my Santa Cruz PCI card.

Well - something like this (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...G&A=details&Q=) might be a starting point.

 

[GrumpyMan]

i didnt think they made a normal PCI version of the STX

You are correct, I meant the ST and not the STX which is PCI-e.

 

[pyjujiop]

I recently threw my old Audigy 2 zs back in my system. I have to say even with my modest sound setup(t-amp & $50 bookshelfs from newegg) there was a definite improvement.

Same here. Sound from a T-amp and a set of Radio Shack Momentus XT's that I recapped. Replaced the onboard with a $30 ASUS Xonar DG and saw a major improvement.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Same here. Sound from a T-amp and a set of Radio Shack Momentus XT's that I recapped. Replaced the onboard with a $30 ASUS Xonar DG and saw a major improvement.

I'm gonna get one

 

[PhoenixEnigma]

Xonar DG here as well, mostly because onboard was a little weak for driving my headphones. Definitely sounds somewhat better, and having roughly twice the connectivity (onboard + card) has come in handy a couple times.

I have my cassette deck's output connected to it so I can record digitally from cassette. card.

I'm quite honestly curious - are you still using cassettes on a regular basis??

 

[RaistlinZ]

Haven't used a sound card in at least a decade.

 

[cantholdanymore]

I feel my maximus iv have very good audio.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2226311&highlight=

 

[Muse]

Xonar DG here as well, mostly because onboard was a little weak for driving my headphones. Definitely sounds somewhat better, and having roughly twice the connectivity (onboard + card) has come in handy a couple times.


I'm quite honestly curious - are you still using cassettes on a regular basis??

Not so much, but yes I do use them. Two things:

I have a mini-stereo in my kitchen (replaced it's satellite speakers with larger better Yamaha speakers), which has AM/FM, 60 CD slots, 2 cassette slots, one of them records (from radio, if wanted, either on command or scheduled). I use all of its capabilities, plus I run audio into it from my network, playing MP3s.

I also have hundreds of cassettes, mostly of radio shows, most of which with me as the DJ (I am a college radio DJ). I've converted some of those cassettes to MP3, plan to convert the rest, but it's a project that needs my attention, I have to set up one recording at a time from a pair of cassettes (my shows usually took up most of two cassettes). I can do this with my dual cassette deck, don't do it with the mini-stereo, which couldn't do it anyway because it doesn't have continuous sequential playback from the two cassette wells. I used to record those shows on that deck, which was connected to an AV receiver. Nowadays I record my shows directly to MP3, right in the air studio, although I'm set up to record MP3s at home off the receiver. I do it in the studio because the sound is cleaner off the board than off my receiver.

 

[itzbiff]

I use a Xonar DG to power my HFI-580s. Definitely a great buy. Its really cheap at around 30 dollars. A decent upgrade from onboard sound. And takes a PCI slot. Plus the built-in Amp is a plus

 

[thelastjuju]

I recently threw my old Audigy 2 zs back in my system. I have to say even with my modest sound setup(t-amp & $50 bookshelfs from newegg) there was a definite improvement.

I keep telling people that if they want a cheap soundcard, to pick up a used Audigy 2 ZS off ebay or something for around $30. One of the best purchases you can make if you have halfway decent speakers or headphones, and a good ear for detail.

Its an excellent improvement over onboard, and I'd even argue its superior to anything Creative is putting out NOW. Because that was when they had a HARDWARE approach (high quality DAC, DSP, opamps) instead of their SOFTWARE approach (X-fi, Crystallization, EAX emulation) to produce quality sound.

Any X-Fi chipset card should be avoided really, they are the weakest performers, have the most plaguing driver issues, and rely heavily on marketing gimmickry with their "f4tal1ty", "EAX", and "THX" nonsense..

The Asus XONAR models are pretty good, but nothing compares to any card with the CMI8788 chipset.. the holy grail of sound cards thanks to its glorious DAC.. They want $200 for the HT Omega cards with this chipset, but if you're lucky you can find a used Auzentech x-meridian, a very rare card, which has the same exact chipset. I was lucky enough to pick one up for $80 in mint condition.