OnBoard sound or Santa Cruz

[jonMEGA]

I bought a new motherboard Asus P4B533 and it has 6 channel audio with digital output. I have a Turtle beach Santa Cruz installed and I'm wondering if I still need it due to the fact that this motherboard has a pretty good onboard audio.

Do you think that I should remove the Santa Cruz (CS4630) and switch to the onboard C-Media 8738-mx?

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

omfg...

onboard sound is NEVER as good as a seperate PCI slot sound card - much less a SantaCruz. If you had the option of a SantaCruz sound card or the exact same model onboard, I would still go for the card itself.

I'm not too fond of onboard anything.

nik

 

[Dragnov]

Hmm don't know much aobut onboard sound, but I'm pretty sure no onboard sound is better than a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz. I might be wrong. Unless you need the Santa Cruz for another computer, why not keep it in?

 

[Kaervak]

Santa Cruz by far. I've got a C-Media onboard SC on my current mobo and it's complete garbage. Anytime I played a game massive static and distortion. The TBSC will pummel an onboard SC any day of the week.

 

[jonMEGA]

But I'm under the impression that this isnt your average onboard sound, no cheap AC'97 junk. But I dont know. Is anyone using this C-Media 8738-mx based sound?

The Santa Cruz isnt very new comparred to the SB Audigy, SB Audigy2, etc.

 

[Derango]

Originally posted by: jonMEGA
But I'm under the impression that this isnt your average onboard sound, no cheap AC'97 junk. But I dont know. Is anyone using this C-Media 8738-mx based sound?

The Santa Cruz isnt very new comparred to the SB Audigy, SB Audigy2, etc.

Who cares if its new? It still sounds better than 99% of the consumer grade sound cards out there.

 

[Cyco]

Santa Cruz r0x0rz!

 

[amdskip]

Originally posted by: cyco5150
Santa Cruz r0x0rz!

I used onboard on my Soyo Dragon + and then upgraded to a Santa Cruz, sooo much better

 

[dolph]

hmm, not that it matters or anything, but what kind of speakers do you have? that could make a little bit of difference...

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Kaervak
Santa Cruz by far. I've got a C-Media onboard SC on my current mobo and it's complete garbage. Anytime I played a game massive static and distortion. The TBSC will pummel an onboard SC any day of the week.

You need to set the IRQ delay in the Bios and make sure you have 639 or 641 drivers and you will not have this problem.

The C-Media sound card is GREAT. I have had 3 boards with the C-M sound and they all worked good after makeing some setting changes, like the IRQ.
My current board uses the AC97 sound (2 Ch) and its ok, but is not the same as a C-M

 

[Jmman]

I agree about the use of a souncard versus onboard sound. I have a new KT400 board with onboard sound, and even a spdif output, and I have had nothing but problems. I got some speakers that have a DTS/DD decoder, and the digital stream didn't work well enough to use by the decoder. I got a new soundcard today and I am watching a movie in true DTS right now....it ROCKS!!

 

[flavio]

I wonder if there is actually a place called Turtle Beach in Santa Cruz?

 

[jonMEGA]

Originally posted by: dolph
hmm, not that it matters or anything, but what kind of speakers do you have? that could make a little bit of difference...

Altec Lansing AC56 w/ coax digital input

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Use the TBSC. Just because the C-media is 6 channel doesn't mean it's good. Btw, TBSC is better than SB Audigy etc, according to audiophiles.

 

[0roo0roo]

santa cruz = good stuff. i like how the versa jack can be used for headphones quick switch. i just keep an extension cord hooked up to it.

 

[slpaulson]

I can't tell much difference between my built in C-Media on my Soyo Dragon+ and my Philips Acoustic Edge on my Klipsch speakers.

 

[NewSc2]

Originally posted by: cRazYdood
I can't tell much difference between my built in C-Media on my Soyo Dragon+ and my Philips Acoustic Edge on my Klipsch speakers.

yeah... i have *good* equipment hooked up to my TBSC.. but the onboard sound on my P4S533 is just barely better. If i didn't listen to them side-by-side i really wouldn't care for the difference, however side-by-side i notice a difference.

...

never mind i just listened to Radiohead's Everything in Its Right Place... and you can definitely tell the difference.. however still if you didn't have a side-by-side comparison you can pass the difference off.

 

[hans007]

i bought a cmedia 87xx series card from an online store for $2 a while back. it sounded great. its the same chip used inthe maxi gamer muse, the mx version is used in much more expensive cards.


on board sound is getting very good now. my intel ac'97 sound has no hiss on my soltek board, but on my asus with sis ac'97 it had a ton of hiss. its much more a manufacturer problem than the chipset.

nforce audio btw is probably the best sound out there, and its integrated only.

 

[Brutuskend]

I love my Santa Cruz!

On Board anything is for SH!T IMO.

 

[TNTrulez]

Originally posted by: cyco5150
Santa Cruz r0x0rz!

I can definitely tell an improvement going from onboard to SC. There's much more bass and driving power on the SC.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: jonMEGA
But I'm under the impression that this isnt your average onboard sound, no cheap AC'97 junk. But I dont know. Is anyone using this C-Media 8738-mx based sound?

The Santa Cruz isnt very new comparred to the SB Audigy, SB Audigy2, etc.

and the SC still puts out a cleaner signal. creative makes trash.

 

[Sid59]

if you can't hear or care for the difference then don't get the Turtle Beach Card.

i've had intergrated sound and shitty speakers = shitty setup. Even line-out to my hi-fi reciever and still was shit.

Have the Turtle Beach card and it's waaaay better.

 

[LuDaCriS66]

Anyone think going from a Live! value card to a TBSC is a good idea at all? I'm using Logitech z560's

 

[0roo0roo]

possibly, depends how anal u are , i didn't like my live

 

[hamburglar]

my 1001th post!