If you are using onboard audio, Im going to go to your house and....

[yhelothar]

I'm guessing you looked through the audio control panel by going to playback devices -> properties. If you don't see it there, you probably need to download specific software for your onboard audio. A lot of onboard audio have their own control panel.

 

[Zap]

It is and always will be flat, one dimensional, crap. Lacking clear highs and defined lows it sound like just a bunch of midrange noise.

Ahhh, so YOU are the one that is always turning the bass and treble up all the way in the rental cars. :hmm:

Creative makes their sound cards sound a certain way through tuning their OpAmps. They aren't made to output accurate sound.

Real audiophiles use SB cards & I pity the foo who thinks otherwise.

The fail is strong in this statement.

Audiophiles that consider themselves "real" are still listening to vinyl records with tube amps and speakers that cost more than your car.

More modern audiophiles who have graduated to using Flac audio containers for their music and want accurate sound will use whatever sound card is in their computer, as long as it has an SPDIF output so they can hook up their external DAC, which is hooked up to their discrete amplifier which is hooked up to speakers that cost more than your computer. If they desire more snobbery, they will use higher end Auzentech or Asus sound cards.

Professionals that need to use computers for their work in processing audio will use "audio interfaces" from companies such as M-Audio.

Hanging on to your ancient SoundBlaster cards is like hanging on to your CRT monitor. It is fine if you are still playing CS 1.6, but most of us have evolved.

If your headphones/speakers cost under $200, I can almost guarantee you that if you spent the money that you spent on the sound card into better headphones/speakers, you'd hear a DRASTICALLY greater sound improvement over spending it on the sound card.

This is 99% true. The missing 1% is from people accustomed to the particular sound that Creative Labs sound cards make, and nothing else will sound good to their damaged ears.

People have experimented with taking the Op Amps off a SB X-Fi Titanium and putting it on other sound cards (like an Auzentech) which suddenly sounds EXACTLY like the original SB card.

 

[Ichinisan]

The fail is strong in this statement.

Audiophiles that consider themselves "real" are still listening to vinyl records with tube amps and speakers that cost more than your car.

More modern audiophiles who have graduated to using Flac audio containers for their music and want accurate sound will use whatever sound card is in their computer, as long as it has an SPDIF output so they can hook up their external DAC, which is hooked up to their discrete amplifier which is hooked up to speakers that cost more than your computer. If they desire more snobbery, they will use higher end Auzentech or Asus sound cards.

Professionals that need to use computers for their work in processing audio will use "audio interfaces" from companies such as M-Audio.

Hanging on to your ancient SoundBlaster cards is like hanging on to your CRT monitor. It is fine if you are still playing CS 1.6, but most of us have evolved.



This is 99% true. The missing 1% is from people accustomed to the particular sound that Creative Labs sound cards make, and nothing else will sound good to their damaged ears.

People have experimented with taking the Op Amps off a SB X-Fi Titanium and putting it on other sound cards (like an Auzentech) which suddenly sounds EXACTLY like the original SB card.

THIS.

Like I said before: Even audiophiles have no real use for a dedicated soundcard. The only practical use is capturing high bit-rate audio samples. How many "gotta-have-a-dedicated-soundcard" guys are actually capturing and producing their own reference-quality audio samples?

 

[gevorg]

Onboard audio got much better in recent years to the effect that its more than sufficient for casual music listening, youtube, gaming, etc. But if your music collection is lossless then you really are missing on high quality audio by not using dedicated internal or external audio device which doesn't have to cost a fortune. Just a few hundred dollars can improve your audio experience for many years to come. And if OP is a true audiophile, he would use an external DAC rather than shitty creative sound card which is barely better than onboard audio.

 

[ShadowOfMyself]

Im still rocking the good old Audigy 2 but I agree with everyone here, speakers are WAY, WAY more important if you want high quality sound

 

[Ichinisan]

... But if your music collection is lossless then you really are missing on high quality audio by not using dedicated internal or external audio device which doesn't have to cost a fortune. Just a few hundred dollars can improve your audio experience for many years to come. And if OP is a true audiophile, he would use an external DAC rather than shitty creative sound card which is barely better than onboard audio.

This is untrue. If your speaker system has a digital input, it doesn't care what kind of sound device you have.

 

[Blitzvogel]

Onboard audio has considerably increased in quality in the past few years, especially with focus on integrating major components into chipsets, mobile systems and creating cheaper single board computers.

It's not too difficult to get a reasonably priced microATX mobo with 192 KHz capable sound (useful for Blu-ray). The desktop I used to have in parallel with my current one had an MSI AM3 mobo with 192 KHz capability, 7.1 support, and even supported lower forms of Creative EAX for games that supported it. It was a bit pricey ($80), but it was an excellent mobo, especially considering it's extremely fast boot time.

I do have an Asus Xonar DS for my main system, since my main computer has sucky onboard audio, and the Xonar DS works pretty well, with 192 KHz support, much cheaper than any Creative solution with that feature, and supports EAX through emulation halfway decently. To me, EAX is the only reason to have anything Creative, but they are still pricey compared to Asus solutions, while the Asus cards are clearly superior for non-gaming functions, which I like for music and movies.

 

[HeXen]

Who in the world would use onboard audio? Thats messed up if ax me. Ive been using Creative cards faithfully and reliably since 1993 and have NEVER looked back.

Sure I tried onboard audio once, I even have it on my laptop. It is and always will be flat, one dimensional, crap. Lacking clear highs and defined lows it sound like just a bunch of midrange noise.

Dont even try to defend your onboard audio. You cant.

wait,wait...why do you care what others use? Were not allowed to have preferences or indifference's? You "think" all onboards must sound flat and you care so much about how we hear our games that you....no wait...just WTF is wrong with your brain??

 

[Blitzvogel]

wait,wait...why do you care what others use? Were not allowed to have preferences or indifference's? You "think" all onboards must sound flat and you care so much about how we hear our games that you....no wait...just WTF is wrong with your brain??

A better question is why is this in the off-topic forum?

 

[pontifex]

onboard for me

 

[yhelothar]

Here's my hierarchy of the greatest factors in maximizing sound quality.

1. Headphones/speakers.
In my experience, the difference between various brands and models of headphones are HUGE. Even between headphones that cost a lot. You'd think there would be a reference sound, but there isn't. Each brand has their own sound signature. Speakers sound a lot more similar between brands than headphones. However, the difference between a good set of bookshelf speakers and a satellite/sub system is still much more drastic than any of the factors below.

2. Recording quality
There's not much you can do on your end regarding this, but a good recording will have amazing instrument separation, it will give you a good sense of the soundstage/imaging of where the sound was from.
I typically enjoy a good live recording the most as they typically have a very wide soundstage. Unfortunately most recordings now have details clipped from the ongoing loudness war.

3. EQ
As shown in #1, there is no reference sound but different audio gear has their own sound signature. You can use EQ to tweak any audio gear's sound signature to your own preference.

4..
5..
6..
7.. skip a few to emphasize, comparatively, just how small of a difference the below factors have on sound quality.

8. File format and bitrate
Face it, unless you're listening to youtube, just about any mp3 now is pretty much transparent for 98&#37;+ of the population. And even if you are in the <2% than can hear the difference, it's going to be a relatively small difference.
9. DAC
Even the shittiest of onboard audio is decent now, even if you buy a really good DAC, you might hear a marginal improvement at most.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Self-proclaimed audiophiles are hipster faggots. This is an incontrovertible truth.

 

[gevorg]

This is untrue. If your speaker system has a digital input, it doesn't care what kind of sound device you have.

As I said, speakers with digital inputs go into "external audio device" category, and yes, in this case onboard or sound card doesn't matter (unless you're such as picky audiophile that you open the can of warms called "jitter" ).

 

[CurseTheSky]

Good speakers / headphones >>>>>>> good sound card.

I guess I'm a bit of a hypocrite, though. I have "mediocre" (AKA, still a ton better than your average Logitech / other computer-brand speakers) AudioEngine A5 powered speakers, and a sound card that cost nearly as much as the speakers did. Still, I love the sound quality that I get out of this setup.

If I was going to go higher end than this, it would probably be a $500+ speaker setup and an external receiver. Too rich for my blood at this stage in life.

 

[Demo24]

I'm using my Audigy 2 ZS with Windows 7 64-bit and it works just fine...

Yep I do this as well. I had to switch to onboard once a few weeks ago because it suddenly stopped working. I could tell a noticeable difference. Switching back to the A2 and everything is good again. :thumbsup:

 

[Zap]

A better question is why is this in the off-topic forum?

Probably because minor trolling is somewhat tolerated here, but this shit won't fly in the tech forums.

Here's my hierarchy of the greatest factors in maximizing sound quality.

1. Headphones/speakers.
...
2. Recording quality
...
3. EQ
...
...
8. File format and bitrate
...
9. DAC

Nice.

I think Bose puts EQ at #2, since their speakers are obviously #1. :whiste:

Self-proclaimed audiophiles are hipster faggots. This is an incontrovertible truth.

:awe:

 

[zinfamous]

are you trolling in a nerdly direction today?

 

[Bateluer]

. . . I don't think I've had a dedicated sound card in . . . 8 years? The onboard audio from my last few motherboards has been the equal of my old SB Live card.

 

[StrangerGuy]

LOL, you gotta love "audiophiles" complaining about onboard while using Creative instead of a proper USB DAC.

 

[SP33Demon]

OP, go onboard sound and save the money for beer and strippers, for you will enjoy those far more than the effort exerted for the thought process of this topic.

 

[Mike Gayner]

OP, go onboard sound and save the money for beer and strippers, for you will enjoy those far more than the effort exerted for the thought process of this topic.

That wouldn't work for OP - he's a fanatical Christard.

 

[sao123]

creatives cards are terrible and their drivers are shit.
i'd much rather use an onbaord sound than the pure unadulterated garbage creative creates.

 

[yhelothar]

Good speakers / headphones >>>>>>> good sound card.

I guess I'm a bit of a hypocrite, though. I have "mediocre" (AKA, still a ton better than your average Logitech / other computer-brand speakers) AudioEngine A5 powered speakers, and a sound card that cost nearly as much as the speakers did. Still, I love the sound quality that I get out of this setup.

If I was going to go higher end than this, it would probably be a $500+ speaker setup and an external receiver. Too rich for my blood at this stage in life.

You could always sell the STX and get a subwoofer
Or sell both and get some floorstanders and a receiver.

I recently got an old set of JBL floorstanders... the L5 which are decently acclaimed. The soundstage is so much wider and open than my Swan M200. It truly upgraded the listening experience to a whole nother level.

I recently also upgraded from my Intel HD Audio to an Auzentech Prelude 7.1. It did just about nothing to the sound. I'm thinking about selling it and getting a good amp for my Etymotic ER4P.

 

[Tristicus]

Motion to ban OP.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Precisely.

I was going to reply, but Ive been wanting to rant about onboard audio for the longest and you gave me the gumption to do it.

Way to go, sonny.

In that case, you should have made this rant in 2004, when onboard audio actually sucked...