New sound card and speakers

[lollybo]

Please note that I am not very experienced at sound cards, I don't know waht all these complex terms like optical-in or SPDIF mean. I do know that my current video card (soundblaster live! 24 bit) has good quality but uses up WAAAAY too many system resources (it has no on board processor, and with EAX it drops my fps by like 50). My creative speakers are also mediocre.

Mainly I use this computer for gaming n such. I was looking at the logitech z 5300e's, I heard they aren't too bad and they aren't too expensive neither

However, i wanted theater quality sound through something like a Xmystique. But will I need a home theatre system to be able to do that? If I buy those logitech speakers, will a soundblaster xfi do? Again, I will be using this comp for gaming.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Welcome to Anandtech.

This is really dependent on your budget. If you want a theater quality experience, it's going to cost you

Something like z-5300s and an Audigy2 zs would be a good bet for gaming on a ~$150 budget.

You can use an x-mysitque, A2, X-Fi, and pretty much any soundcard you want with those logitech speakers.

EDIT: hmmm... looks like the A2zs deal ended at zzf, but there's still a good price on the A2 value: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=290232

EDIT2: newegg has a rebate now http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a...62&ATT=29-102-162&CMP=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r

 

[lollybo]

whats better, an audigy 2 zs platinum pro or a x-fi?

the audigy has Dolby DTS support, and its THX certified, so will I get better audio with DVDs?

 

[fire400]

For under a hundred bucks?

XA3021 from Altec Lansing and a Creative Audigy LS

This setup gives me the advantage that you'd see in setups for hundreds of dollars, crystal clear sound and very heavy bass adjusting options. I'm a trance mixer, and I don't have to setup a subwoofer to recognize bass control and no external EQ is needed to identify treble frequencies because the Audigy LS has a very powerful EQ adjuster compared to other sound card programs.

edit: x-fi is better

 

[lollybo]

is the audigy2 zs better than the x-fi? I heard there were problems with audigy 2 being compatible with only certain speakers, and other problems that I don't want to deal with. I also want cinematic sound, and from the looks of it only the audigy 2 zs has DTS-EX support

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I think the X-Fi has all the features the A2 cards have pretty much.

Unless you need specific features the platinum cards provide, I'd be deciding between

A2zs and the X-Fi XtremeMusic

The X-Fi was on sale for $75 AR a little while ago and that was quite a deal.

 

[JasonSix78]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Welcome to Anandtech.

This is really dependent on your budget. If you want a theater quality experience, it's going to cost you

Something like z-5300s and an Audigy2 zs would be a good bet for gaming on a ~$150 budget.

You can use an x-mysitque, A2, X-Fi, and pretty much any soundcard you want with those logitech speakers.

EDIT: hmmm... looks like the A2zs deal ended at zzf, but there's still a good price on the A2 value: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=290232

EDIT2: newegg has a rebate now http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a...62&ATT=29-102-162&CMP=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r

Is there much of a difference between those two cards?

-Jason

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: JasonSix78

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Welcome to Anandtech.

This is really dependent on your budget. If you want a theater quality experience, it's going to cost you

Something like z-5300s and an Audigy2 zs would be a good bet for gaming on a ~$150 budget.

You can use an x-mysitque, A2, X-Fi, and pretty much any soundcard you want with those logitech speakers.

EDIT: hmmm... looks like the A2zs deal ended at zzf, but there's still a good price on the A2 value: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=290232

EDIT2: newegg has a rebate now http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a...62&ATT=29-102-162&CMP=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r

Is there much of a difference between those two cards?

-Jason

No, they're very similar cards.