Inexpensive sound card

[tboneuls]

Looking for a relatively inexpensive sound card that is not a complete piece of junk. I was looking at this or this from newegg. Looked nice, and included an optical output. Any recommendations for a "good" but not completly junk card under about $50?

 

[Megatomic]

TBSC
Talk about staying power... I love these cards.

 

[Dantzig]

Soundblaster Audigy

Newegg has them for $46 shipped. A few other places on Pricewatch.com are a little cheaper.

 

[tboneuls]

I need some more opinions here... anyone?

 

[caz67]

Soundblaster Audigy

I agree

 

[Jeff7181]

I got an Audigy 2 ZS refurb for like $65 from newegg... ended up being completely sealed in retail packaging with all the goodies. It's a nice card, I've never had any problems with it even with all the people who say Creative drivers suck.

 

[Cerb]

I third the Audigy, as much as I'd like to recommend others.

 

[robcy]

I use a SB Live 5.1, and I have no complaints. You can get one for less than $30 at newegg. Usually your speakers are the limiting factor in sound reproduction, not the card.

 

[Todd33]

Ya, depends on your speakers and your ear. The Live would do most people fine, though the Turtle Beach is probably a better deal. The Audigy isn't much more than the Live with EAX 2.0 support.

 

[Megatomic]

This must be how Creative manages to stay so far ahead of the competition. It's sure not the products themselves. I despise the SB Live! 5.1 in my system at work.

 

[Brian48]

Originally posted by: tboneuls
Looking for a relatively inexpensive sound card that is not a complete piece of junk. I was looking at this or this from newegg. Looked nice, and included an optical output. Any recommendations for a "good" but not completly junk card under about $50?

The two cards you've listed are essentially clones of each other. Based these reviews of the Gainward, I'm not really impressed.

Review at Hexus.net

Review at nordichardware.com

If you really want a VIA ENVY24HT-S based sound card, I recommend you spend just a little more and get the Mad Dog Entertainer ($60 MSRP). Turtle Beach will be releasing a reference design ENVY24HT-S as well, but I think it's a bit overpriced at $80. Other than that, the cards mentioned by everyone else are a viable, low-cost solution.

 

[AIWGuru]

Originally posted by: Brian48

Originally posted by: tboneuls
Looking for a relatively inexpensive sound card that is not a complete piece of junk. I was looking at this or this from newegg. Looked nice, and included an optical output. Any recommendations for a "good" but not completly junk card under about $50?

The two cards you've listed are essentially clones of each other. Based these reviews of the Gainward, I'm not really impressed.

Review at Hexus.net

Review at nordichardware.com

If you really want a VIA ENVY24HT-S based sound card, I recommend you spend just a little more and get the Mad Dog Entertainer ($60 MSRP). Turtle Beach will be releasing a reference design ENVY24HT-S as well, but I think it's a bit overpriced at $80. Other than that, the cards mentioned by everyone else are a viable, low-cost solution.

Uh...the mad dog doesn't even use 24 bit converters and it's COMPLETELY host based unlike the read envy. It's a POS>

 

[Brian48]

Uh...the mad dog doesn't even use 24 bit converters and it's COMPLETELY host based unlike the read envy. It's a POS>

Yeah, re-read what I wrote. If you HAD to get an ENVY24HT-S, that's probably the best one out right now on the consumer market. I didn't it say it was a great sound card, but it's certain better than either the Chaintech or Gainward.

 

[tboneuls]

Thanks brian48 for the reviews of the envy chip... decided not to get one of those cards.

 

[tboneuls]

Just another question for anyone reading this thread, how bad are the USB sound card options? I'm not planning on getting one, but I am wondering how they perform.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Usually USB soundcards are intended for laptop users who obviously cannot install a PCI soundcard in their machine, or users who don't feel comfortable opening up and installing any compontents no matter who easy it may be.

I'm currently using the Audigy 2 NX (USB) and it's got a ton of functions and operates nearly as if it were an internal card. It only lacks a few functions the PCI cards have but the penalty for USB 2.0 connection is price, it isn't cheap; retails for $129 I believe but $30 MIR set me back $100 for the card. Only downside IMHO is that it requires external power. Hercules MUSE pocket USB soundcard doesn't require external power but its very basic (only 5.1) and quality is lacking in sound and construction but it still costs $60, pretty steep but that's the price of USB convenience.

 

[Texun]

I've used the SB Live 5.1's for a very long time and never had a problem, but I did leave out the bloat-ware. Thinking I was missing out on something I bought a TBSC but really didn't notice a huge difference. They both work quite well for the money I paid, but the TBSC has been 100% problem free since it was installed well over a year ago so I would have to say it gets my vote for a good but inexpensive card.