Sound Card Choices...

[MarxUNR]

.

 

[imported_PanicAttack]

I'm curious why you ruled out an Audigy. Price, drivers? Did you check to see which has the lowest CPU usage of the two you mention? Maybe not a concern if you don't play games though.

 

[Taejin]

He's listening to music, not gaming.

Audigy is no good for music. I mean, its better than onboard sound but..

Go check out www.head-fi.org, and look under Computer-As-Source or something^^. Lots of people talking about audiophile sound cards.

 

[Zap Brannigan]

The Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 I use is the best of the bunch in my opinion.

 

[Zap Brannigan]

A review to read.

 

[CSMR]

Originally posted by: MarxUNR
If there are any other cards in this same price range or below bring those up as well. I have pretty much ruled out Audigy cards. I prefer to have music sound quality over gaming. Thanks guys!

In that case you won't need 5.1 or 7.1 cards, just stereo, won't you?

 

[MarxUNR]

.

 

[Zap Brannigan]

I have the Cambirdge Sound Works 5.1 MegaWorks THX 550's. I replaced the front two satellite speakers with a pair of Cambridge Sound Works MC-300 satellites.

Stereo (music) sounds best in a 2.1 format so this works very well for me as I game and listen to music.

5.1 for games/DVD and excellent 2.1 for CD's.

 

[beatle]

Originally posted by: MarxUNR
Also, seeing as how this is the peripherals section (sorry about starting this thread in the wrong place) I should ask a little about speakers. What's good out there? How much of a difference will the speakers really make?

Speakers will make a much bigger difference in sound than a soundcard will. Since you only seem concerned with music, I'd pick up a high end 2.1 set or even the Swans. Later, you can add a sub if you like. The only reasons to buy a better soundcard, IMO, are to squeeze every last bit of quality out of high end speakers and you like to play games with multichannel audio.

 

[Zap Brannigan]

A bad sound card will make a good set of speaker sound bad. A good sound card makes a world of difference.

 

[Algere]

Originally posted by: Zap Brannigan
A bad sound card will make a good set of speaker sound bad. A good sound card makes a world of difference.

And a good sound card paired w/ a bad set of speakers = wasted money.

 

[Algere]

Originally posted by: MarxUNR
Do any of you guys have any experience with the 0404?

It's a great sound card. Sound quality is way better than the Revolutions & the Prodigy & no it's not an exaggeration. If you plan to pair the 0404 with computer/multimedia speakers you may need to purchase a dual RCA (male) to stereo miniplug (female) Y adapter or connect it digitally to an external DAC & the like. The Patchmix DSP software which is required to run for the 0404 to work @ all may be too complicated to work with for the novices out there as the 0404 is aimed more towards music production than it is as a consumer playback only type of sound card like the Revolutions, Audigys, etc.

 

[beatle]

Originally posted by: Zap Brannigan
A bad sound card will make a good set of speaker sound bad. A good sound card makes a world of difference.

Noooo. Assuming the worst soundcard we're talking about here is onboard AC'97 stuff, speakers are where you will get your biggest return.

If by "bad soundcard" you mean this, then all bets are off.

 

[Jolt2]

This may help.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb...php?s=&threadid=364771

It has about every sound card that uses the Envy24 chipset like the M-Audio Revolution 7.1 has. It has a ton of links to reviews and a lot of user feed back about the cards. You may be surprised by how little money you have to spend to get a good sound card.

 

[MarxUNR]

.

 

[Zap Brannigan]

Originally posted by: Algere

Originally posted by: MarxUNR
Do any of you guys have any experience with the 0404?

It's a great sound card. Sound quality is way better than the Revolutions & the Prodigy & no it's not an exaggeration. If you plan to pair the 0404 with computer/multimedia speakers you may need to purchase a dual RCA (male) to stereo miniplug (female) Y adapter or connect it digitally to an external DAC & the like. The Patchmix DSP software which is required to run for the 0404 to work @ all may be too complicated to work with for the novices out there as the 0404 is aimed more towards music production than it is as a consumer playback only type of sound card like the Revolutions, Audigys, etc.

Have you ever heard the Prodigy?

Are we talking stock or modded 0404?

There are those who scoff at the 0404 and throw in the 1212.

Having heard neitther Emu offering I reserve my judgement.

Worth noting is that those Emu cards are not game worthy from what I have read.

 

[Zap Brannigan]

Originally posted by: beatle

Originally posted by: Zap Brannigan
A bad sound card will make a good set of speaker sound bad. A good sound card makes a world of difference.

Noooo. Assuming the worst soundcard we're talking about here is onboard AC'97 stuff, speakers are where you will get your biggest return.

If by "bad soundcard" you mean this, then all bets are off.

8 bit rocks! LOL

I noticed a world of difference between my old Audigy 2 and my Audiotrak Prodigy with the same set of speakers. I also noticed a significant difference between my Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 and the M-Audio Revolution 7.1 on the same set of speakers.

The M-Audio Revo was not my cup of tea but far superior to any Audigy to my ears.

 

[Algere]

Have you ever heard the Prodigy?

I believe we both know the answer to that

Are we talking stock or modded 0404?

Stock

There are those who scoff at the 0404 and throw in the 1212.

& vice versa

Worth noting is that those Emu cards are not game worthy from what I have read.

From a SQ standpoint, they'll kick an Audigy 2 ZS's a** in games. From an environmental FX & system performance POV, you've got a point.

 

[Zap Brannigan]

Cool part is that newer games like HL-2 use their own 3d software in the game itself. No EAX and HL-2 (Half-Life 2)has the best sound in a game I have ever heard by far.

I was never impressed with EAX. A3d was where it was at back when I partied like it was 1999.

 

[MarxUNR]

.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: beatle

Originally posted by: MarxUNR
Also, seeing as how this is the peripherals section (sorry about starting this thread in the wrong place) I should ask a little about speakers. What's good out there? How much of a difference will the speakers really make?

Speakers will make a much bigger difference in sound than a soundcard will. Since you only seem concerned with music, I'd pick up a high end 2.1 set or even the Swans. Later, you can add a sub if you like. The only reasons to buy a better soundcard, IMO, are to squeeze every last bit of quality out of high end speakers and you like to play games with multichannel audio.

Ditto. Swans with the AV-710 would be great. It's what I'm using.