Computers needs Audio Reciever...
- Thread starter Caladin2
- Start date
How much money?
Onkyo makes nice 5.1 receivers for $250 - $350 (502 and 602), check prices at www.jr.com and onecall.com. J&R (jr.com) also sells factory-refurbished versions cheaper.
Onkyo makes nice 5.1 receivers for $250 - $350 (502 and 602), check prices at www.jr.com and onecall.com. J&R (jr.com) also sells factory-refurbished versions cheaper.
well what is the budget. It makes a big difference when coming to audio equip. What kind of speakers are you looking to get? Again, what budget?
The Boston Dangler
Lifer
- Mar 10, 2005
- 14,647
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$800 is the magic number for recievers. Much less, you get a stripped-out reciever. There's little point in spending more until you hit about $5000 for the deluxe models. Look for plenty of fiber in/outs and coaxial digital or two. On screen config menus are a must-have. You'll want close to 100 Watts per channel, but read reviews of the models you're looking at, to see if they match rated output.
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
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Yeah, onkyo makes nice stuff. Also in this range is the Pioneer 1014 or 1015... very powerful with lots of features.
Also check shoponkyo for refurbs... may have to login to see prices and as far as I know shipping is still free.
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
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Oh, and I forgot to say check out AVSforum and hometheaterforum. There are thousands of threads about receivers over there.
In this price range, I'd probably get the Pioneer or an Onkyo new or look into refurb units from Harman Kardon, Denon, etc.
EDIT: oh, and how are you planning on connecting the soundcard to your receiver? Stereo analog, multichannel analog, digital coax, digital optical?
In this price range, I'd probably get the Pioneer or an Onkyo new or look into refurb units from Harman Kardon, Denon, etc.
EDIT: oh, and how are you planning on connecting the soundcard to your receiver? Stereo analog, multichannel analog, digital coax, digital optical?
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
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I use optical and I'm very happy with it.
The downside is that in games you don't get surround sound (except for 7 or 5 channel stereo mode on your receiver, pro logic, etc.)
I'm solving this problem by getting the only card that supports real time DD encoding right now, the HDA X-Mystique.
I currently have the Chaintech AV-710 in my computer. It's a great card for digital out and even comes with an optical cable at its $25 price. You don't need an expensive card to get great digital quality. It's a great card for music and movies.
If you want surround sound in games (not just movies like any digital card should be able to do), then you can either set up a regular soundcard (like you planned audigy) with 6 (or 8 for 7.1) 1/8" to RCA adapters and run into a 6 (or 8) channel direct input on your receiver. Not all receivers have this option, so if you're planning on doing this, make sure you get one that supports it. You will bypass the receivers DAC's and use the ones in your soundcard. The receiver will basically just be acting as an amp for your speakers.
OR
You can get an X-Mysitque and get surround through digital. I don't have mine yet, so I'm not going to give it a glowing recommendation yet, but everything I've read has been pretty positive about its quality.
So... in summary...
If you're doing music and movies, then get the Chaintech card and run optical
If you're doing games too and need surround sound, then get an audigy2 (or some other card) and run analog to your receiver or get the HDA X-Mysitque.
Again, there are plenty of other opinions over at AVSforum in their HTPC area.
I'd go with the Pioneer line. Having preouts is a HUGE plus if you ever decide you want to get more power to your speakers.
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
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Mid-level HK units will also have this feature. I got an HK AVR-325z last year for $360 shipped and it has both 8 channel input and 8 channel pre-outs.
I think you have to get some pretty serious stuff before you start worrying about more power than these $300 to $400 refurb (or the 110watt/channel pioneer) are going to be putting out though.
My speakers get plenty loud now and they're only 86dB efficiency. I'm looking to upgrade sometime this summer and my top runner right now is Ascend with efficiency in around 90dB. If you have reasonably efficient speakers (couldn't find a rating on the site), I think you'll have more than enough power from any of these options, but it is a nice option to have someday.
just so you know, unless your mobo supports Dolby Digital Live, you're not going to get 5.1 while playing games. Movies yes, games NO
I don't care if you buy the most expensive Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Card..... they don't support Dolby Digital Live so your games will not play in 5.1
Your movies.... well you don't need a sound card for that.... as your DVD Software App handles all of the decoding and passes it on to your Reciever through your mobo's SPIDF Out. I have mine connected to my Harmon Kardon. I'm waiting to order my X-Mystique so that I can play my games in 5.1 Dolby Digital.... right now I can only play them PCM Stereo 2 channel. My movies play in 5.1 using TheaterTek
BTW: I have my HTPC hooked up to my 50" DLP HDTV and my Harmon Kardon AVR225 Reciever so I'm not blowing smoke up your butt but giving your real world experienc/advise
I don't care if you buy the most expensive Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Card..... they don't support Dolby Digital Live so your games will not play in 5.1
Your movies.... well you don't need a sound card for that.... as your DVD Software App handles all of the decoding and passes it on to your Reciever through your mobo's SPIDF Out. I have mine connected to my Harmon Kardon. I'm waiting to order my X-Mystique so that I can play my games in 5.1 Dolby Digital.... right now I can only play them PCM Stereo 2 channel. My movies play in 5.1 using TheaterTek
BTW: I have my HTPC hooked up to my 50" DLP HDTV and my Harmon Kardon AVR225 Reciever so I'm not blowing smoke up your butt but giving your real world experienc/advise
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
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How do you know his motherboard has digital out?
You don't have to wait for the X-Mysitque, it's here now.
As I described above, you can get surround sound from an Audigy with analog connections.
I'm also not blowing smoke and speaking from personal experience.
Chaintech AV-710 hooked up to my HK AVR-325
Speakers are Fluance SX-HTB and SV-6s (to be upgraded this summer as I've described in my thread)
Sub is an SVS PB-10
4 aura bass shakers hooked up to a Sherwood stereo receiver
Display is an Infocus screenplay 4805 on a 76" screen
Oyeve
Lifer
- Oct 18, 1999
- 22,076
- 887
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I use a 7.1 Denon receiver and use the digital out from my SB Audigy 2 ZS. My speakers are JBL Studio Monitors 4208 for the fronts, an Infinity Entra Center II for center and Infinity Reference 2001.1 for the rears and sides. For the Sub I have a JBL (forget the model) 250watt front firing speaker. My neighbors hate me. 
Yes. I don't know if his mobo has SPIDF out.... but if it does than he can save himself some money and use his mobo for sound out instead.
I know the X-Mystique is out, I was on thier mailing list since February and it came out just recently. $99.... I plan on ordering it. This is the way to go from everything I have read.
also beware the audigy digital outs. They're notorious for doing lots of internal resampling of digital streams, so the digital track on the dvd (or whatever) will NOT be the digital track the card outputs. I don't know if they've fixed this in recent models, but I know it was an issue at least through audigy 1.
Yeah, Denon is pretty much the benchmark these days. Although I have a Pioneer VSX-D811 (6.1, 2 years old last december) that was only about $300 at a time.
I don't have that many components, so this, as one poster would refer to it "stripped down" receiver was perfect for me and Pioneer is always pretty solid. But make sure you hook it up by optical TOSlink, otherwise you're probably going to get feedback no matter the receiver.
I don't have that many components, so this, as one poster would refer to it "stripped down" receiver was perfect for me and Pioneer is always pretty solid. But make sure you hook it up by optical TOSlink, otherwise you're probably going to get feedback no matter the receiver.
I went through the great 5.1+ sound card search myself. I would be able to play movies, 5.1 encoded videos perfectly. For games EAX is only done (at this moment) through analog. So if you want movies and games you are looking at a seperate set of speakers, unless the receiver has analog 5.1+ connectors.
Honestly I would just find a nice receiver with analog connections, along with of course digital input for a DVD player if you are on a budget. I was really disappointed that EAX is only analog, as my receiver was an el cheapo special and didn't carry 5.1 analog.
You can run digital for games, but you won't get true EAX output which in my testing offers the purest clarity in 5.1 game sound. IE hear the people sneaking up behind you.
Honestly I would just find a nice receiver with analog connections, along with of course digital input for a DVD player if you are on a budget. I was really disappointed that EAX is only analog, as my receiver was an el cheapo special and didn't carry 5.1 analog.
You can run digital for games, but you won't get true EAX output which in my testing offers the purest clarity in 5.1 game sound. IE hear the people sneaking up behind you.
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
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Originally posted by: TGS
I went through the great 5.1+ sound card search myself. I would be able to play movies, 5.1 encoded videos perfectly. For games EAX is only done (at this moment) through analog. So if you want movies and games you are looking at a seperate set of speakers, unless the receiver has analog 5.1+ connectors.
Honestly I would just find a nice receiver with analog connections, along with of course digital input for a DVD player if you are on a budget. I was really disappointed that EAX is only analog, as my receiver was an el cheapo special and didn't carry 5.1 analog.
You can run digital for games, but you won't get true EAX output which in my testing offers the purest clarity in 5.1 game sound. IE hear the people sneaking up behind you.
If I understand the HDA X-Mystique, this is the answer to your problems. It doesn't have the hardware EAX processing like HL2, but you'll still be able to get it through digital.
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