SB Live! or nForce2 sound ?

[Achilles97]

With an nForce2 mobo, should I install my SB Live! or just use the onboard sound? Which is better?

Thanks!

 

[Tripleshot]

OB works fine, if you have a fast CPU and plenty of ram, preferably DDR. Audigy is better than SBlive if you have that choice, but I have built many systems with nforce2 and they have done a pretty good job. it even has 5.1 and digital output.

 

[Pariah]

The Live! is a really old card. Avoid any potential headaches and use the onboard.

 

[zayened]

ok, so onboard sound or audigy 2?

 

[Adul]

comparing it on headphones you can hear a bit of his from the bnforce 2 OB sound. that is prob more to do with the output circutry. but the quality of the sound is very good.

this is what we gather so far from the leadtek nforce 2 MB

 

[Darien]

I like my nforce2 audio over the sb live 5.1 I had. As for comparing it to the audigy or audigy 2...can't comment. audigy 2 is probably superior.

 

[Shockwave]

I would say depends what your using it on. If its headphones / crappy cpeakers, go onboard. If you have a pretty decent speaker setup or outputting to a reciever, I'd so the SB probably.

 

[MichaelD]

I have a SBlive XGamer 5.1. I HAVE it, but I'm no longer using it. I have Klipsch Promedia 4.1s...IMO, they qualify as good speakers.

The Live! sounded great, but it's drivers gave me headaches. Typical BSOD BS. :| <--bite me, Creative!

I was very skeptical about how good the NForce2 would sound in comparison to the Live.

I hear no almost no difference. The NF sounds slightly (very) more "compressed" to me; I dunno, maybe it's dynamic range isn't as high as the Live. But, the frequency response of the card as well as it's feature set is just as good if not better...very friendly user interface. Nice setup with "Tabs". Easy to navigate.

I game a lot and listen to a lot of music (256kbps MP3s) as well and the onboard sound is very good. Not just "passable" or "it's ok" as in typical onboard sound, but it sounds GREAT!

AFA as headphones go, I have crappy headphones (don't use them that often) but it sounds good thru them as well. I plug the HPs into the jack on my speakers, if that makes any diff. I don't hear any hiss. I'm sure that if you muted all the inputs and cranked the volume to 11, you'd hear hiss on ANY soundcard/system. In typical everyday use, I don't hear any.

I don't have an Audigy 2, so I can't comment on that, but I CAN tell you that anytime you get rid of Creative's drivers, you're doing a very good thing.

I use the NForce2 onboard sound (Epox 8RDA+) and am VERY happy with it.

 

[dpopiz]

yeah I unfortunately notice some lack of dynamic range like you said on nforce2 coming from an sblive...sort of flat sounding. but I deceided not to use the sb live because I'd heard it has a lot of noise in the output

 

[jeffrey]

Originally posted by: zayened
ok, so onboard sound or audigy 2?

Audigy2 would probably get the nod, but it is also the difference between free (included with motherboard) or $200.

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: jeffrey

Originally posted by: zayened
ok, so onboard sound or audigy 2?

Audigy2 would probably get the nod, but it is also the difference between free (included with motherboard) or $200.

You must be dealing with funny money (canadian) b/c an SB Audigy 2 can be had for as little as $85+tax AR in the US. Audigy 2 is definitely better than Nforce2 onboard, particularly for gaming. I've tried both and I've found no reason to use onboard over Audigy 2.

Chiz

 

[MichaelD]

But the Audigy2 still uses Creative Drivers! <---Eeeeviillllllllll

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
But the Audigy2 still uses Creative Drivers! <---Eeeeviillllllllll

LoL! Yah, there's no doubt releasing my OS of SBLive! drivers was like ditching a 600lb. gorilla. All my "weird" issues stopped occurring. But I haven't had any indication of problems with my A2, I know up even with A1 there were still some pretty bad stuff goin on with Creative drivers. A2 has run flawlessly in both a VIA :Q and an Nforce2 based set-up.

Chiz

 

[jeffrey]

Originally posted by: chizow

Originally posted by: jeffrey

Originally posted by: zayened
ok, so onboard sound or audigy 2?

Audigy2 would probably get the nod, but it is also the difference between free (included with motherboard) or $200.

You must be dealing with funny money (canadian) b/c an SB Audigy 2 can be had for as little as $85+tax AR in the US. Audigy 2 is definitely better than Nforce2 onboard, particularly for gaming. I've tried both and I've found no reason to use onboard over Audigy 2.

Chiz

Haven't looked at Audigy2 prices since launch of Audigy2 Platinum. That thing has fallen pretty fast! I stand corrected.

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: jeffrey

Haven't looked at Audigy2 prices since launch of Audigy2 Platinum. That thing has fallen pretty fast! I stand corrected.

Oh heheh, you were talkin about Platinum, yah thats still around $200 msrp; most e-tailers have it for ~$181. It can still be had though with a rebate and coupon (10% from BB, $15 off buy.com, $10 off Amazon etc.) for ~$150-$160 AR and coupon. Its a bit overkill for the average user, and offers no other enhancements other than the 5 1/4'' bay drive.

Prosumers will want to look at the Platinum EX, but at an msrp of $250-$300 (not sure), its definitely pricey.

Chiz

 

[Achilles97]

My speakers are pretty cheap - Altec Lansing 295's (old). But with some games I like to use headphones (decent).

So with this said, should I use the nForce2 sound or my SBLive! card? I just want to have all the effects of EAX.

Thanks!

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: Achilles97
My speakers are pretty cheap - Altec Lansing 295's (old). But with some games I like to use headphones (decent).

So with this said, should I use the nForce2 sound or my SBLive! card? I just want to have all the effects of EAX.

Thanks!

Nforce2, definitely. Both support vanilla EAX, neither support EAX HD. And you can ditch the SBLive! drivers

Chiz

 

[thraxes]

Hmm I'm in the same boat, gonna get my N-Force2 setup at the end of February... guess I will have to try it out what sounds better. My Brother is eagerly awaiting a better soundcard than his K7S5A onboard POS so he might just get lucky.

 

[ShowdOWN]

nforce 2 onboard sound is very good quality. beats having to pay for sblive or audigy. if you are not an audiophile then you wont notice the difference.