Is any sound card better than any internal sound card ?

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjelloYou have good headphones / speakers already?

This is a very important point. Unless your have good quality terminal transducers (eg., spkrs/headphones) it won't make a lot of difference. On board audio with good speakers will sound better than the best sound card with crappy speakers.

 

[NiKeFiDO]

Originally posted by: corkyg

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjelloYou have good headphones / speakers already?

This is a very important point. Unless your have good quality terminal transducers (eg., spkrs/headphones) it won't make a lot of difference. On board audio with good speakers will sound better than the best sound card with crappy speakers.

But there is the issue of performance rather than just the issue of sound quality (using on-board resources for sound vs a separate card)

 

[corkyg]

When it comes to accurate audio reproduction, sound quality IS performance. I am not referring to gaming sound - which is all artificial anyway.

And nothing you said counters my proposition - good quality speakers will sound better with on-boards sources than lesser quality speakers with the best sound card available. Sound performance is judged by what your ears perceive.

However, if the speakers are of good quality, i.e., capable of discerning the difference, the sound will be better from a sound card than from on-board.