So I found an old SoundBlaster Audigy...

[Morbus]

I was using the onboard sound card on my Z87-A (Realtek ALC892) for gaming, music and movies, ever since my old SoundBlaster SE gave up the ghost a month ago.

I can't say I noticed much of a difference sound-wise, but it was nice to have speaker fill on the onboard, which the SB didn't have...

And today I was disassembling on old PC with a nForce 2 motherboard, AGP, DDR1-age computer, when I found an old (and huge) soundcard... all covered in dust, forgotten and laid aside. A 10 year old soundcard, a SoundBlaster Audigy SB1394, complete with 5.1 output, mic and line-in, plus all sorts of interfaces (MIDI, CD in, joystick...).

I put it in my PCI slot. It fit. It installed easily on Windows 7.

And WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!

I know some people will never suffer anything from Realtek, but honestly, I didn't notice any difference between it and the SE, but the Audigy, this old tired beast of a soundcard, is a real improvement. It's much crisper, much clearer, and just sounds that much better.

Now, the reason I made this thread: to discuss how to run these old soundcards on newer OSs. The problem is the drivers don't work. The official ones anyway. So I found out about PAX Audigy ALL OS Driver, and it works perfectly, complete with the control panel and everything.

I'm chuffed!

The micophone doesn't seem to work though... I can't figure it out, so I'll just use the onboard mic-in.

 

[homebrew2ny]

I put an Audigy in every PC I build for damn near a decade. Not sure how much relevance it has now, but for the time(s) it was great!

 

[evident]

I have an EMU 0404 USB external audio sound card i've been using since the windows XP days. the problem is this card's audio drivers have been in "beta" since windows 7 came out, and looks like support from creative has been discontinued. it sounds great, but there are some situations where it's buggy.

creative labs are a bunch of pricks who won't support their old hardware, and from what i remember, they went after and tried to sue some developer who tried to come up with drivers for some of their older x-fi cards.

 

[DesiPower]

First let me say, sorry OP, I don't have any answer to your question..

But yes the high end add on sound cards are so much better than on-boards. I bough ASUS Xonar DX refurbished a while back for ~$50 and it sounds amazing, big step up from on-board realtech. My plan is to use the HTPC as a pre-amp, I got hold of old AVR from CL and going to use it as amp. In process of setting everything up.

BTW, why don't make high end sound cards anymore? I guess ASUS's models are back from 2008-2010 days, creative's might be same or older. So are the demands low, nobody buys them anymore? so they stopped building new ones? just milking the older models?

 

[Morbus]

Didn't a new audiophile oriented just come out last week? From Creative. I seem to remember reading something about it.

 

[Number1]

What are you using for a speaker system?

 

[Morbus]

I have an old Creative 5100 5.1 set. It sounds like new, to be honest.

I also have a Roccat Kave 5.1 headset for gaming and music listening (when there's people around me). They're not that great for music, but if I dip the high end a bit on the EQ, it's totally fine. I usually listen to music and game at low volume anyway.

Anyway, I can't notice that big of a difference on the headset, but on the speakers, it's really noticeable, as I said, it was like buying a new set of speakers, really.

 

[DesiPower]

Eventual Andrew Jones tower pair and center for front. Currently have Yamaha NS-AP2600BL with 8 inch Yamaha Sub, using them for testing purposes. Will keep those for rear and middle surround (in 7.x) along with Pioneers. Maybe add a sub or two later too

 

[Raduque]

I still use a Chaintech AV710 in my gaming rig. I only use the two Wolfson-driven channels.

It's a PITA to install on Windows 7 x64.

 

[Zorander]

I had an Audigy 2 ZS and did not like it. Just too cold and harsh in comparison to the M-Audio Revolution I was using. Assuming the 2 ZS is an improvement over the original, seems SQ of onboards still have gone nowhere from last decade.

 

[TheUnk]

Because of this thread I'm going to put in a new sound blaster z today. I've been using onboard for gaming for years. Hope I can actually hear an improvement!

 

[moonbogg]

Didn't a new audiophile oriented just come out last week? From Creative. I seem to remember reading something about it.

Asus and Creative both have brand new, very recent models to choose from. I got the soundblaster ZxR and think its great.

 

[DesiPower]

Because of this thread I'm going to put in a new sound blaster z today. I've been using onboard for gaming for years. Hope I can actually hear an improvement!

you will hear things you never heard before, make sure you have some decent speakers though.

Although I hear couple of ticking sounds from the sound card itself every time I turn on or off the computer or even when it goes to sleep (ASUS Xonar DX). It's almost like its turning itself on and off, it sound similar to what I hear from my avr, just not that loud. Do the SoundBlasters do that too?

 

[TheUnk]

you will hear things you never heard before, make sure you have some decent speakers though.

Although I hear couple of ticking sounds from the sound card itself every time I turn on or off the computer or even when it goes to sleep (ASUS Xonar DX). It's almost like its turning itself on and off, it sound similar to what I hear from my avr, just not that loud. Do the SoundBlasters do that too?

I have the Logitech Z906 system. Should be decent enough =p

 

[Morbus]

Because of this thread I'm going to put in a new sound blaster z today. I've been using onboard for gaming for years. Hope I can actually hear an improvement!

Do tell us about it!

Although I hear couple of ticking sounds from the sound card itself every time I turn on or off the computer or even when it goes to sleep (ASUS Xonar DX). It's almost like its turning itself on and off, it sound similar to what I hear from my avr, just not that loud. Do the SoundBlasters do that too?

Yeah, it's the same with my Audigy. It was the same with my old SoundBlaster SE.

It's a normal thing.

I have the Logitech Z906 system. Should be decent enough =p

It should indeed

 

[lamedude]

You underestimate the crab.

 

[biostud]

Changed from on-board to USB DAC, which doesn't require special drivers. Much better sound and doesn't take up space inside the computer.

 

[DesiPower]

You underestimate the crab.

Good read, supports my line of thinking, thanks!

 

[pyjujiop]

Any dedicated sound card that isn't total crap is going to sound better than onboard. The Audigy might be old, but it is real hardware. I'm not a fan of Creative and haven't used one of their cards in probably 15 years, but they are way better than using onboard if you want good sound.

 

[yhelothar]

You underestimate the crab.

:thumbsup:

 

[MongGrel]

I've an old Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 I even bought an adapter card for because the P6T7 uses all PCI-e slots and it was in the wifes being wasted.

Dedicated sound cards can be very nice, though many seem to differ opinions on that these days.

Pardon the pics but have recently revamped things a bit and the sound system a part of it, even though much of it very old.

Please disregard the mess, though I'm not that neat usually anyways been doing things, still have to transfer the L5639 to the bedroom HTPC.

The bottom amp runs the two old Kenwood trip 777's Ive had for years of a splitter as dual subs, are a 4 small stacked ones in the rear for satellites, two on a side linked.

I like concerts in the living room.

:thumbsup:

 

[TheUnk]

Are those from the 80s?

 

[MongGrel]

The Trip 7's are yeah, I bought them brand new in 1981 while in the Marines.

The JVC's about 1986ish I imagine, the woofers in those are still original, but the others were replaced and sound very good actually.

The Pioneer center channel a brand new one to me lately, but I like it a lot.

They are Andrew Jones, he does Yamaha also ?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882117404

My bad sorry, I read up and you said eventually.

They are pretty frigging nice for the money.

*edit* btw the only reason that the two copper coolers on the right is in the picture I pulled it out to look at them, they haven't been in a computer in 20 years probably

 

[MongGrel]

Shamelessly bumping it once, just because I've put the time in to make it work.

 

[mmntech]

I'm still rocking the SoundBlaster X-FI XtremeMusic, which I've had near a decade now. Pretty sure I got it shortly after they came out. Still sounds great to me.

Good audio hardware does make a difference if you're running an analogue setup. The DACs they use in onboard sound just aren't very good. Especially in cheaper motherboards.

In my case, all the HDMI ports are full on my receiver and the computer doesn't have TOSLINK. So audio output is completely analogue. The speakers I have don't do it justice but I can tell the difference if I have my headphones on (Grado SR60s). I have a pair of old Koss speakers as the two fronts, and three (lol) Centrios filling out the rest. Sony sub. If I had the money, I wouldn't mind getting a pair of reference monitors for the FL and FR channels. Very low on the priority list though.