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Sound card for ALtec Lansing MX5021 speakers

A

ash4640

Member
I have a MSi RS480ML-IL2 motherboard with 6 channel support, Iam planning to get Altec lansing MX5021.
1. Can i use the onboard audio for these speakers or should i get a sound card, will a sound card make a difference for a 2.1 system.
2. If so what creative sound card should i get.
Ash.
 
Originally posted by: ash4640
I have a MSi RS480ML-IL2 motherboard with 6 channel support, Iam planning to get Altec lansing MX5021.
1. Can i use the onboard audio for these speakers or should i get a sound card, will a sound card make a difference for a 2.1 system.
2. If so what creative sound card should i get.
Ash.
Click to expand...

1. Yes, you can use the onboard sound. If you get a soundcard, it will be better.
2. For 2.1 I would suggest a Chaintech AV710. If you really want a creative card, an audigy2 value or Audigy2 zs would be good.
 
yes i did but i found that its better to use the onboard audio unless you got a surround speaker system not a 2.1 like i the one i have so it wont make a big diffrence
 
Yeah thanx but you said using a sound card it would be better ...better in what way....
1. My speakers has THX certification using a souncard will it help that.....or is onboard audio enough....for THX
2. Will using a sound card with EAX, DTS or Dolby(i dunno if a sc supports DTS or Dolby iam srry if iam wrong) will it improve my speakers quality and will it implement all these audio formats to the speakers even if the spkr dont support it(dumb ques but i wanna know).
Anywayz is somebody using MX5021 cause i seen many forums saying it has some hiss at high volume is it true.
Ash.
 
1. THX Certification for PC speakers really doesn't mean too much. It just means that the company paid THX for testing and passed (you basically need something like a 125Hz LFE crossover and easy setup to pass, I think). For example, the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 are considered to be tops when it comes to PC speakers and they are NOT certified.

2. EAX is just an algorithm to simulate different environments. Whether or not it sounds better depends on the application that uses it and doesn't matter with speakers. Creaitve Labs has EAX 5.0 with the X-Fi and EAX 4.0 with the Audigy cards. Non-Creative cards have EAX 2.0.

Dolby Digital and DTS are just digital compression techniques used for DVDs. The Audigy cards can decode Dolby Digital EX and the Audigy 2 ZS and above can decode DTS as well (the X-Fi can decode DTS:Neo6). Many DVD players, like PowerDVD, WinDVD, and the nVidia Decoder, can decode DTS and DD in software. Media Player Classic, which is free, can also decode those. The Audigy cards have a hardware decoder, I think.
 
Originally posted by: The J
1. THX Certification for PC speakers really doesn't mean too much. It just means that the company paid THX for testing and passed (you basically need something like a 125Hz LFE crossover and easy setup to pass, I think). For example, the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 are considered to be tops when it comes to PC speakers and they are NOT certified.

2. EAX is just an algorithm to simulate different environments. Whether or not it sounds better depends on the application that uses it and doesn't matter with speakers. Creaitve Labs has EAX 5.0 with the X-Fi and EAX 4.0 with the Audigy cards. Non-Creative cards have EAX 2.0.

Dolby Digital and DTS are just digital compression techniques used for DVDs. The Audigy cards can decode Dolby Digital EX and the Audigy 2 ZS and above can decode DTS as well (the X-Fi can decode DTS:Neo6). Many DVD players, like PowerDVD, WinDVD, and the nVidia Decoder, can decode DTS and DD in software. Media Player Classic, which is free, can also decode those. The Audigy cards have a hardware decoder, I think.
Click to expand...

DTS:Neo6 isn't something you decode. It's like the DTS equivalent of Dolby's Prologic technology. (Turning a 2 channel source into surround)

Otherwise :thumbsup:
 
Originally posted by: ash4640
Wow that was more info than i req anywayz that helped....so in layman terms shld i get a sound card or not
Click to expand...

How about: Try it with onboard and see if it sounds good to you. If you want to try to improve things later, add a soundcard.
 
Originally posted by: ash4640
I have a MSi RS480ML-IL2 motherboard with 6 channel support, Iam planning to get Altec lansing MX5021.
1. Can i use the onboard audio for these speakers or should i get a sound card, will a sound card make a difference for a 2.1 system.
2. If so what creative sound card should i get.
Ash.
Click to expand...

1. Yes, and probably.

2. There are options other than Creative.

3. What do you use your pc for? Work, games, music, all of the above?
 
I use it mainly for playing games and music......but my budget for the card is not much its around 60-100$
I just bought the speakers they are rockin.............
I have a 6 audio channel out from my mb, I want to know if i can connect the two 2.1 systems to it.....Can i fix a splitter which splits the one output into two and can i use it to power both my 2.1 systems.....
 
Originally posted by: ash4640
I use it mainly for playing games and music......but my budget for the card is not much its around 60-100$
I just bought the speakers they are rockin.............
I have a 6 audio channel out from my mb, I want to know if i can connect the two 2.1 systems to it.....Can i fix a splitter which splits the one output into two and can i use it to power both my 2.1 systems.....
Click to expand...

Set it to 4.1 and then plug the better set into the front output (green usually) and then plug the other set into the rear/surround output (black usually). The colors may be different though if you had to reassign the jacks to get multichannel out.
 
Originally posted by: ash4640
I use it mainly for playing games and music......but my budget for the card is not much its around 60-100$
I just bought the speakers they are rockin.............
I have a 6 audio channel out from my mb, I want to know if i can connect the two 2.1 systems to it.....Can i fix a splitter which splits the one output into two and can i use it to power both my 2.1 systems.....
Click to expand...

The chaintech AV-710 is an awesome soundcard. I have one. It beats Audigy2 for music playback. However it lacks hardware acceleration support for DirectSound. This will hurt your gaming sound quality DRAMATICALLY. I know, because I first planned to use the AV-710 for everything when I sold my soundstorm motherboard. Then my games sounded really bad without the soundstorm. I found out that I was unable to enable hardware acceleration in DirectSound. I bought an Audigy2 Value, and my games sound great again.
The audigy2 sucks for music though. At first it was ok, but now it often has static while playing very high pitches. AV710 has none of these issues.
 
Actually there is no motherboards that can beat using onboard sound the Creative Audigy2!!
Even with 2.1 The difference is so pronounced the add on sound card such as the Audigy2 kills the onboard sound!!

There really is NO comparison onboard vs add on sound card...no contest!!
Creative wins hands down!!

Chaontec AV7 also can`t stand up to the Creative Audigy2!!
The chaintech AV-710 is an awesome soundcard. I have one. It beats Audigy2 for music playback. However it lacks hardware acceleration support for DirectSound. This will hurt your gaming sound quality DRAMATICALLY. I know, because I first planned to use the AV-710 for everything when I sold my soundstorm motherboard. Then my games sounded really bad without the soundstorm. I found out that I was unable to enable hardware acceleration in DirectSound. I bought an Audigy2 Value, and my games sound great again.
Click to expand...

What you describe isnt a sound card issue!!
Also you need to configure the Audigy2 for sound playback!!

 
Set it to 4.1 and then plug the better set into the front output (green usually) and then plug the other set into the rear/surround output (black usually). The colors may be different though if you had to reassign the jacks to get multichannel out.
Click to expand...

Yeah thanks...but
1. Can i connect two of my speakers to the single sound card....my audio out from the motherboard has one light green line out (i have connected my speakers here), dark green (line in) and pink output(mike) i dont have an black out here and one spdif (i donno abt that) so where shld connect my other spkrs....

2. What is the best placement to get a surround effect from a 2.1 spkrs....is there anything specific for mx5021 if a links showing photos....it would be better i saw a link which shows getting surround with just 2 spkrs but it was months before and forgot the link.....
 
Originally posted by: ash4640
Set it to 4.1 and then plug the better set into the front output (green usually) and then plug the other set into the rear/surround output (black usually). The colors may be different though if you had to reassign the jacks to get multichannel out.
Click to expand...

Yeah thanks...but
1. Can i connect two of my speakers to the single sound card....my audio out from the motherboard has one light green line out (i have connected my speakers here), dark green (line in) and pink output(mike) i dont have an black out here and one spdif (i donno abt that) so where shld connect my other spkrs....

2. What is the best placement to get a surround effect from a 2.1 spkrs....is there anything specific for mx5021 if a links showing photos....it would be better i saw a link which shows getting surround with just 2 spkrs but it was months before and forgot the link.....
Click to expand...

1. I thought I covered this already... if you don't have a black jack, reassign your output jacks in your sound utility program to 4.1 Your line-in or mic will then become rear out. I'm not sure which, check your motherboard manual.
Not all boards can reassign like that, but most modern ones can.

2. Uhh... you're not really going to get surround from a 2.1 set. Keep them in front of you to the left and right.

If you add another 2.1 set, put that set's L and R speakers to the sides of you or in back of you.
 
If you have 5021's, then you have a speaker set probably better (reproduction wise) than what most mobo's soundcards will drive cleanly. In short, you WILL hear just how restricted even good on-board sound is.

But don't spend your money on an Audigy. Creative really speciallizes in multichannel sound for gamers, and both the Audigy and Audigy2 are great at that.

Your speaker system excels at clean, stereo sound (I know, I own them). Get a home studio quality card like the M-Audio 2496, which will actually cost you less than an Audigy2, but has MUCH better signal-to-noise, better linearity of the DAC converters, etc. It's the preffered soundcard for people doing budget home audio work (like myself). You can find it on the usually on-line stores for about $100. It also supports sound inputs, which you can ignore if you want. It also games well enough - I use it to play FarCry and the rest, and have no problems with drivers or anything. You do lose the positional audio (well, you knew that when you bought those speakers!), but that's what good headphones are for...

Future Shock
 
Wow thanx man....Iam now a happy owner of mx5021...i give a damn abt positional audio...i would prefer clear stereo sound rather than cluttered surround....(thats why i bought mx...)

" If you have 5021's, then you have a speaker set probably better (reproduction wise) than what most mobo's soundcards will drive cleanly. In short, you WILL hear just how restricted even good on-board sound is. " I did not understand what u meant by the above...do u mean to say that having onboard sound card will restrict my spkr performance....? if so by how much is it marginal or a huge difference....(cause mx just burnt a hole in my pocket and it will take time before i bought the audigy which i was planning). Moreover i planning keep my old creative 2.1 and set a 4.2 system and my onboard card has support for channels...

1. How many years are u owning a mx5021....does the sound quality or the subs detoriate over time...(might be a dumb question but just want to know that...cause i luv the clarity on these and i would do anything to preserve this....)
2. Iam not all that an audiophile so i did not understand what u meant by "better signal-to-noise, better linearity of the DAC converters" can u pls explain....would be greatfull if u can....in short what can m-audio do to my mx5021....
3. I just read a review...of M-Audio 2496 it surely sounds better than creative sound cards in its price range....iam from india...problem here is we dont get much except creative...thats the reason ive never heard of m-audio....i think i will be getting it....but as mentioned earlier will it support 4.2....system....

One last question how have u placed your sattelites i heard you can get a surround effect by proper placement of 2 speakers itself is it true....

I am a newbie sp pls understand......if some questions are dumb.....pls ignore them....

man iam loving my speakers.....they are the best......
 
I actually auditioned speakers for about a year, and did recently get the 5021s to go with the 2496. So I really can't say much about how they sound over time...although in every place that I auditioned them in NYC the demo pair still sounded excellent, so that might be a good indicator.

Signal to noise is basically a measure of how much background noise there will be, as a percentage of the actual audio signal. Better ratio = less ability to hear background hum, hiss, etc.

The linearity of the DAC converters is what measures how acurately the soundcard convertes the digital signal to an analogue signal to send to the speakers. Manufacturers can do it cheaply, or expensively. The M-Audio does it expensively, using converters that cost a fair amount - and sound it.

If you absolutely CAN'T get the M-Audio, then Creative has just introduced a new card that replaces the Audigy, called the X-Fi. It supposedly addresses some of the issues the Audigy had playing music, uses good quality DAC converters, etc. It comes in several versions, from basic soundcard to deluxe gaming model with external mixing module. The basic will probably be a bit more expensive than the M-Audio 2496, but if that's all you can find, then I would buy a basic Creative X-Fi over the Audigy. There are a few threads here on the X-Fi, with review links.

Future Shock
 
Oh, yes, speaker placement - ideally you would like them at ear level (use the wall mounts if you can), but first measure their side placement. Move them apart so that they are nearly as wide as you can without developing an audio "hole" in between the speakers. Use a good music source when trying to locate the speaker placement, like a clear jazz or classical album, and you will hear the placement better. Usually, you will have about a 45-55 degree angle between the speakers.

FS
 
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