need suggestion on sound card with onboard digital output

[$pade]

Obviously i would want one with good 3d sound, but high fidelity sound quality and digital onboard output (optical preferably) is a must. i think all the live cards either need anoter card or that live drive to get digital outputs. I will be connecting my pc to my system and was hoping that this will do instead of getting a seperate cd player.

 

[Auric]

The Live! does not come with optical out on-board the card but you do not have to take up a card slot with an add-on if that is what you are worried about. As I have suggested many times, you can get a $12 Hoontech coaxial/optical output add-on from audiencedp in Washington that fits in a connector port blank near the printer port and whatnot.

 

[Viper GTS]

The newer revision Live! Values come with a digital out, mine has it.

Viper GTS

 

[Auric]

Optical?

 

[$pade]

vipergts,

how do i know which live value is the second revision?

 

[Viper GTS]

You can tell by looking at the card, my digital connector is yellow & is labelled as such.

Viper GTS

 

[NicColt]

do you mean Optical or Digital, nearly all SBLive come with digital out, if you want Optical you will need the s/pdif out that come on a seperate I/O daughter card. I think Phillips has a sound card coming out that will have everything including a digital and optical out.

 

[$pade]

either optical or coaxial is fine as long as I get at least stereo sound when connected to the digital input of my receiver. It would be cool if the sound card could send 5.1 data through that output as well and then let the receiver do the decoding.

 

[BlueScreen]

Take a look at the Terratec DMX X-Fire 1024. Sounds great, has a3d, ds3d, eax etc, optical out and "professional grade" construction. Affordable too, similar to cheep soundblaster live.