do I really need a dedicated sound card?

[swapjim]

Right now I'm using the on-board sound card and everything seems to be working nicely. I just finished Crysis 1 (I'm a laggard, what can I say) I don't do anything specialized related to sound -- only simple audio editing in Cool Edit (ancient, I know) and video editing. I use headphones (I'm so lazy that I haven't bother to buy speakers yet), so no need for surround.

I can easily plug my ancient Audigy 2 but since I'm only using two speakers, will it provide anything that the on-board can't?

Will I see a difference when I buy speakers?

 

[DigDog]

no; a modern onboard, such as a ALC1150 sounds just as good as a dedicated soundcard (which is in itself, nothing more than an onboard - just on a different board).
the dedicated might be louder, will probably come with a software suite which can color your audio (you don't really want this) and other fancy post- stuff like EQ and reverb, but nothing that you can't get as a standalone for your onboard, should you want your audio to sound like it's coming out of a toilet.

 

[swapjim]

but nothing that you can't get as a standalone for your onboard, should you want your audio to sound like it's coming out of a toilet.

Hahah! I remember that the Audigy had some interesting but useless filters.

 

[moonbogg]

I like my ZxR because it is an all in one unit for me. It has a decent headphone amp and dac, more powerful than most onboard solutions for higher resistance headphones (which I recently bought actually, 150ohm cans).
It has surround sound virtualization which I strongly prefer for gaming and movie watching. It has an EQ if needed and microphone features for chatting. You can get all those things in separate packages or elsewhere but I am happy with the sound card personally.
But no, you certainly don't need one to do any of that stuff. You might need to buy an amp and or dac instead though depending on the headphones you use.

 

[JeffMD]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=do+i+need+a+sound+card

 

[DesiPower]

I agree, if you have ALC1150, a dedicated card will not make any difference, maybe the high end Essence will make some difference, but it's definitely not worth extra $$$. Although if you are using a high or high-ish end headphone you could definitely use the inbuilt amplifiers these cards offer, but then many of today's mobos, specially the ones that have ALC1150, will have on-board amplifier too.

 

[ControlD]

I don't know, my board has ALC1150 built in and I just put a Soundblaster Z in a couple of months ago. I can notice a marked improvement with positional audio over the built in sound. The headphone amplifier is certainly better on the Soundblaster as well. I wouldn't say a sound card is a must-have these days on any modern system, but I still believe the dedicated card gives an overall better experience than the built-in solutions. I got a good deal on my card so I sort of made an impulse buy. I don't regret it, but at the same time I probably wouldn't drop huge money on a sound card these days. Still, I'm glad I made the purchase.

 

[moonbogg]

I discovered something critical with these kinds of issues. I remember when I realized it. When I bought my ZxR, I tested out my 5.1 speakers with it and I was all amazed and everything because I thought it sounded so much better. The truth is, it didn't sound better. It sounded DIFFERENT. That's the thing right there.
A sound card might sound a little different from onboard audio, and you will tell yourself it sounds better. You tell yourself it sounds more like its supposed to sound. Same with headphones. You get new headphones, they sound different from your last ones, you interpret that as "better".
If your audio is clear without any pops, hissing or static sounds, then IMO, your audio is about as good as it will get, although it can always get different depending on what you want to spend.

 

[DesiPower]

I guess it would also depend on your amp and speaker. I have old Sony Avr working just as amplifier with small 5.1 Yamaha speakers 3.5 inch driver, between alc1150 and xonar DX, I couldn't feel any significant difference.

 

[biostud]

For gaming I think the 1150 is fine, but for hi-fi a dedicated soundcard/DAC is better. But it depends on the rest of your setup.

 

[Anteaus]

I can tell the difference between my Sound Blaster Z and my X99 onboard audio. It's not a big difference but it is noticeable. I think it's less about overall quality and more about the wave shaping that the crystallizer does. Whether the quality comes from the card itself or the drivers, the important thing is whether the user hears the value.

I don't think a dedicated sound card is required, but if you have the money and simply want to cover all of the bases....go for it.

 

[DigDog]

are you telling me that a 1150 can't manage to reproduce a waveform 100% ?

 

[Anteaus]

are you telling me that a 1150 can't manage to reproduce a waveform 100% ?

No. It's just that Creative software does some fancy EQ work that can subjectively increase the quality of the audio. If we were to compare the Sound Blaster Z to onboard audio with a flat EQ and no post processing, I bet there is zero perceivable difference; however, I think the combination of high SNR and SBX Pro Studio post processing really make it work the jump. That's my .02.

I think with some third party software and some effort, you can accomplish much the same thing with on board solutions.

For what its worth I've been using a Sound Blaster card in every build I've ever had literally all the way back to the Sound Blaster 2.0, which replaced my Adlib before that. Maybe I'm a little biased.

 

[DigDog]

exactly.

i understand that people who experienced soundblaster vs onboard a few years ago, think they cannot live without dedicated soundcard.

but mostly, soundcards make their business to sound *better than they should*, but using all sorts of digital trickery.

and i grant, they are objectively louder - although some mobos now have taken care of that aspect as well.


i like my sound plain - just like mama make!! or simply, not changed by postprocessing. if i want post-, i will do my own post.

but as far as DAC, we've come near perfection - you really need a five grand stereo to hear that an onboard is inferior.
if you have just a set of headphones, or a pair of commercial speakers.. onboard is fine.

i'm repeating myself here, but i play a FLAC of Jeith Jarrett's Mozart (on EMC), through two shitty phillips speakers, and i can hear the wooden floor reverb on the winds.

it's fine.

 

[MongGrel]

You don't need one of course, but even bought a PCIe-PCI adapter to install a Auzentech XFi Prelude I had in the main, for 7.2. The Mobo had no PCI slots.

I just love that card for sound myself, still.

Is a licensed Creative XFi, without many of the drawbacks they had on their cards at the time.

It is old though, looking for one of those wouldn't be worth it, and I'm *guessing* on board is more advanced these days.

 

[truckerCLOCK]

the truth is, it didn't sound better. It sounded different. That's the thing right there.
A sound card might sound a little different from onboard audio, and you will tell yourself it sounds better. You tell yourself it sounds more like its supposed to sound. Same with headphones. You get new headphones, they sound different from your last ones, you interpret that as "better".
If your audio is clear without any pops, hissing or static sounds, then imo, your audio is about as good as it will get, although it can always get different depending on what you want to spend.

100% correct !!!

 

[thesmokingman]

I can tell the difference between my Sound Blaster Z and my X99 onboard audio. It's not a big difference but it is noticeable. I think it's less about overall quality and more about the wave shaping that the crystallizer does. Whether the quality comes from the card itself or the drivers, the important thing is whether the user hears the value.

I don't think a dedicated sound card is required, but if you have the money and simply want to cover all of the bases....go for it.

That is a processor and it's only adding muck to the original sound, in fact its overprocessing to give you that brightness.

 

[DigDog]

omg guyze. i love you guyze. trucker & smokingman. where have you been all this time.

 

[swapjim]

Thank you guys! I'm going to stay with the onboard sound card for now.

 

[Auric]

A simple quality test is turning up the volume without anything playing to hear how much noise there is.

 

[swapjim]

A simple quality test is turning up the volume without anything playing to hear how much noise there is.

Owww... That's a nice idea. The speaks' quality will also play a part in the noise I'll hear, yes?

 

[moonbogg]

I cranked the volume up to max and I heard absolutely nothing, although I was terrified that someone would log onto steam and blast my ears out, so that test was kept short.

 

[videogames101]

no; a modern onboard, such as a ALC1150 sounds just as good as a dedicated soundcard (which is in itself, nothing more than an onboard - just on a different board).
the dedicated might be louder, will probably come with a software suite which can color your audio (you don't really want this) and other fancy post- stuff like EQ and reverb, but nothing that you can't get as a standalone for your onboard, should you want your audio to sound like it's coming out of a toilet.

I was coming from an X-Fi on my last build (Don't worry, I had all of the bullshit "smiley face" EQ software turned off) and expected onboard to be fine on my new skylake board (based on the same common sense expressed in this thread that "modern" onboard has "improved".)

Jesus Christ the onboard sound on my Asus z170 ranger was awful. I mean REALLY awful. So much hissing and interference, especially on the mic port. (I'm using a Seasonic platinum PSU, the power is clean.)

I was forced to upgrade, choose an Essence STX. Well worth the cost. Maybe the actual audio through my HD598's sounds better, maybe not - I'm not a snake oil power cable guy or anything. But the improved isolation alone is absolutely worlds better. NOTICEABLY better.

Although the Asus driver crashes my PC sometimes. Such is life. =/

My advice is this: Actually listen to your onboard chip. If you think it sounds like garbage, then upgrade. Otherwise, stick with onboard.

 

[Hi-Fi Man]

Get a JDS Labs O2 amp for your headphones if you paid over $50 for them. As for speakers, if you have a real speaker setup (amp/receiver+speakers) just make sure you're using a line level output (not the front jacks) or S/PDIF.

 

[MrSquished]

I have a nice audiophile DAC and you certainly hear the difference in quality. Great not just for music and movie listening but also for gaming. It's just a bit pricey.