Sound Card, little help here please!

[spillbert]

Here is my new build so far, my first as a noob.



ViewRenameEditDeleteTotal: $1371.05
My question is in regards as to a sound card, was considering a ASUS XONAR ESSENCE STX, OR ST. Which one is compatible with my build, please, THANKS...

CPUIntel Core i5-2500 3.3GHz Quad-Core$206.97CPU CoolerCooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing$20.63MotherboardGigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 ATX LGA1155$122.99MemoryG.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333$39.99Hard DriveSamsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$149.99Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" SSD$107.95Video CardEVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB$227.55CaseCooler Master Storm Sniper ATX Mid Tower$102.17Power SupplyCorsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V$100.88Optical DriveLite-On iHAS424-98 DVD/CD Writer$22.99MonitorAsus VH238H 23.0"$168.95Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 7 Home

 

[BoomerD]

What's the primary use of the computer going to be?

For gaming, why not just use the on-board sound? It's not the best available, but it's come a long way towards being as good as most mediocre sound cards.

Now if you're an audiophile...maybe a high quality sound card would be warranted...otherwise...??

http://www.htomega.com/

 

[spillbert]

Yes, guilty, I am a bit of an audiophile and would like to listen to my music, so I want some good sound. Have a guy here that makes hand made speakers, so it should be a good card. Just want to make sure these cards are compatible with the rest of my sys.

 

[mfenn]

Can you fix the formatting of your post a bit? I can't really tell what's what.

If you have "audiophile-grade" speakers, you will want to avoid using an internal sound card altogether. Get an integrated AMP/DAC or even a straight-up receiver for best quality. The general rule of thumb is that your solid state equipment (receiver, amps, dacs, etc.) should cost about as much as your analog equipment (speakers).

 

[spillbert]

Intel Core i5-2500 3.3GHz Quad-Core
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing
Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 ATX LGA1155
EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB

This is the heart of the build that I am looking to add a sound card. One of the two I mentioned in my first post. THANKS
amsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$149.99Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" SSD
G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333
G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333
G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$149.99Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" SSDSamsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$149.99Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" SSD
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$149.99Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" SSD

 

[Spikesoldier]

heres what i roll with:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829132007

PCI-e version is cheaper, $61 AR/FS: not a bad deal at all.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829132006

 

[Googer]

Personally, I would not get a samsung hard drive, for one that drive is almost a year old. Two, Samsung's HDD division was canabalized by Seagate in a buyout. Seagate used Samsung's tech to build their 1st single platter terabyte drive. Three, The newer Hitachi 7K1000.D is capable of 160MB/s reads or greater if you have a dedicated hardware HBA, which is close to SSD territory (albeit an older SSD). It's much faster than my two WD 2.5" WD raptors (not in raid) which have been re-purposed to a swapfile and downloads/temp-folder drive (50% capacity).


As for the sound card, all the others mentioned above this thread are nice and I know creative has had a bad rap but the latest X-FI Titainum HD is a real XONAR killer. Mind you it's analog output is 2 channel and this card was designed with high end headphones in mind like Sennheiser HD650, AKG K701/K702/Q702, and higher end beyerdynamic DT990 headphones in mind (all are about $400). The 7.1 part of the X-Fi Titanium HD is digital output only. Which leads me to my second recommendation: A high quality pair of headphones as mentioned above, use the integrated motherboard sound chip for DIGITAL OUT, and a dedicated DAC-AMP like a Grace Design M902 or M903 connected via COAX (#1 choice) or Toslink (spare the USB as a last resort). This is probably the ultimate solution in PC audio and if you go this route, you'll probably never have to buy another sound card or any sort of sound upgrade for any device (ipod, home stereo, xbox, ps4, etc) you own now or in the distant future.

And if you are into games, there's still noting quite like having that X-FI chip onboard. Even if it uses alchemy.
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/creative_sound_blaster_x-fi_titanium_hd_review

If you don't plan on using a quality set of headphones, then getting a superfluous sound card is kind of pointless, In that case I would just stick with onboard sound or look in to a Gigbyte motehrboard with built in X-FI or an ASUS with the ROG Thunderbolt sound and network addon. That's not to be confused with Intel's Lightpeak aka Apple Thunderbolt.

 

[biostud]

get the STX since it's PCIe

 

[Googer]

If you have "audiophile-grade" speakers, you will want to avoid using an internal sound card altogether. Get an integrated AMP/DAC

I agree with that statement, but I disagree with the selection. Getting a DAC-AMP with only one connection is a recipe for limited use and planned obsolescence. A DAC should have at least a second analog input along with a basic SPDIF input. Second, USB audio is high latency and 9 out of 10 times is limited to 44khz 16bit audio. An SPDIF input will allow for 24bit 192khz. There's better choices out there which can double as a pre-amp for speakers as well as an amp for headphones.
http://www.headphone.com/headphone-amps/headroom-desktop-amp.php
http://www.headphone.com/headphone-amps/peachtree-musicbox.php

 

[mfenn]

I agree with that statement, but I disagree with the selection. Getting a DAC-AMP with only one connection is a recipe for limited use and planned obsolescence. A DAC should have at least a second analog input along with a basic SPDIF input. Second, USB audio is high latency and 9 out of 10 times is limited to 44khz 16bit audio. An SPDIF input will allow for 24bit 192khz. There's better choices out there which can double as a pre-amp for speakers as well as an amp for headphones.
http://www.headphone.com/headphone-amps/headroom-desktop-amp.php
http://www.headphone.com/headphone-amps/peachtree-musicbox.php

Those are nice but also cost over twice as much as what I recommended and the first one is for headphones whereas the OP specifically mentioned speakers. Also, the Onkyo I posted is not lacking for inputs, it has 4 S/PDIF and a bunch of analog.

 

[mfenn]

use the integrated motherboard sound chip for DIGITAL OUT, and a dedicated DAC-AMP like a Grace Design M902 or M903 connected via COAX (#1 choice) or Toslink (spare the USB as a last resort). This is probably the ultimate solution in PC audio and if you go this route, you'll probably never have to buy another sound card or any sort of sound upgrade for any device (ipod, home stereo, xbox, ps4, etc) you own now or in the distant future.

Agree 100%.

 

[mfenn]

Intel Core i5-2500 3.3GHz Quad-Core
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing
Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 ATX LGA1155
EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB

This is the heart of the build that I am looking to add a sound card. One of the two I mentioned in my first post. THANKS
amsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$149.99Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" SSD
G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333
G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333
G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$149.99Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" SSDSamsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$149.99Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" SSD
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$149.99Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" SSD

The links are still jacked up, but the parts look OK for the most part except for the HDD as mentioned by Googer.

Basically, what we are telling you is that once you throw the word "audiophile" into your post, you are talking about a whole 'nothing class of solution.

 

[Googer]

Those are nice but also cost over twice as much as what I recommended and the first one is for headphones whereas the OP specifically mentioned speakers. Also, the Onkyo I posted is not lacking for inputs, it has 4 S/PDIF and a bunch of analog.

Yea, but your's is a one trick poney limited to PC audio only. In the long run, your recommendation has lower audio performance, that will cost him more $$$ and provide less functionality (or flexibility). Being USB 2.0, it may have a 10 year lifespan at best before USB is replaced with LIGHTPEAK or a new fangled format or driver issues with a future OS or something else and he will be forced to go out and replace it with another $400 DAC-amp which wont compare in quality to the ones I have linked. Using SPDIF over eliminates any driver compatibility problems with future devices.

In the short term, the solution you recommend is cheaper. But he will be back in 5 years or so asking this same question again in this forum when he cant get drivers or it no longer works with his devices. The ones I recommend are units which will probably last a lifetime (20-30+ years of use) and to me that's the ultimate in value.

A little google shopping, bargain hunting (patience*), local dealer hunting, and ebay searching will reveal lower prices on some of the Peachtree audio devices I suggested and bring them closer to $500 or less. Same is true for the NASA quality Headroom Dac-AMPs.

*wait till the end of 2012 and get it on clearance as last years model.

 

[Googer]

At $300 these aren't in the same class as Beyerdynamic T1 or Sennheiser HD800 (i want both) but they are B&W and anything made by Bowers and Wilkins is worth mentioning.

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Headphones/Headphones/P5/Overview.html

 

[mfenn]

Yea, but your's is a one trick poney limited to PC audio only. In the long run, your recommendation has lower audio performance, that will cost him more $$$ and provide less functionality (or flexibility). Being USB 2.0, it may have a 10 year lifespan at best before USB is replaced with LIGHTPEAK or a new fangled format or driver issues with a future OS or something else and he will be forced to go out and replace it with another $400 DAC-amp which wont compare in quality to the ones I have linked. Using SPDIF over eliminates any driver compatibility problems with future devices.

In the short term, the solution you recommend is cheaper. But he will be back in 5 years or so asking this same question again in this forum when he cant get drivers or it no longer works with his devices. The ones I recommend are units which will probably last a lifetime (20-30+ years of use) and to me that's the ultimate in value.

A little google shopping, bargain hunting (patience*), local dealer hunting, and ebay searching will reveal lower prices on some of the Peachtree audio devices I suggested and bring them closer to $500 or less. Same is true for the NASA quality Headroom Dac-AMPs.

*wait till the end of 2012 and get it on clearance as last years model.

Two points:
- The OP is looking for something to drive speakers.
- The Onkyo I listed, while a bit larger, addresses all of those concerns.

 

[Googer]

Two points:
- The OP is looking for something to drive speakers.
- The Onkyo I listed, while a bit larger, addresses all of those concerns.

The Peachtree I link can drive speakers, has a tube, and sounds great. Second, all the products linked also double as a pre-amp.

PLEASE Note, I'm not knocking ONKYO; as I have owned a few of their products and it's also a good second choice for it's superb value. But there's still better stuff out there.

At about the same price point, I would suggest the A-5VL,(or A-9555, A-9070) for it's higher quality construction and superior sound over a muti-channel reciever.

http://onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=A-5VL&class=Amplifier&p=i

 

[mfenn]

The Peachtree I link can drive speakers, has a tube, and sounds great. Second, all the products linked also double as a pre-amp.

You are correct, I missed that in your original post. My apologies.

 

[Googer]

Yes, guilty, I am a bit of an audiophile and would like to listen to my music, so I want some good sound. Have a guy here that makes hand made speakers, so it should be a good card. Just want to make sure these cards are compatible with the rest of my sys.

Stick with motherboard audio and a high quality external SPDIF SOLUTION. It's probably the best money spent.

 

[spillbert]

Putting it all together now and have run into a bit of a problem. Corsair Scout Sniper case and a Gigabyte MB GA-Z68A-D3H-B3, the conector for the fans seems to be a 4 pin molex that there is no where to plug it onto the mother board, which has 3 receptors for fans, not including the CPU. Also, there is a 1394 wire for the plug on the front of the case, can't find a place on the MB to plug it into........... HELP!!!

THANKS!

 

[stahlhart]

Putting it all together now and have run into a bit of a problem. Corsair Scout Sniper case and a Gigabyte MB GA-Z68A-D3H-B3, the conector for the fans seems to be a 4 pin molex that there is no where to plug it onto the mother board, which has 3 receptors for fans, not including the CPU. Also, there is a 1394 wire for the plug on the front of the case, can't find a place on the MB to plug it into........... HELP!!!

THANKS!

SYS_FAN1 at the bottom in the middle looks like four pins. But you appear to be SOL on the Firewire, unfortunately, unless you can fit an internal card that supports case wiring.

 

[spillbert]

True the sys 1 fan is a 4 pin but not a molex, it's a small 4 pin, is there a converter cable avaliable?

 

[Googer]

True the sys 1 fan is a 4 pin but not a molex, it's a small 4 pin, is there a converter cable avaliable?

Yes, you can get a molex to 4 pin header adapter cable. As for the Firewire, i need to see a picture of your case wiring and your case model number. Not every motherboard supports a front panel firewire. There may or may not be a compatible header on your motherboard. If not, you need a PCI addon card for 1394 or simply ignore the lack of connection.

 

[Remobz]

Personally, I would not get a samsung hard drive, for one that drive is almost a year old. Two, Samsung's HDD division was canabalized by Seagate in a buyout. Seagate used Samsung's tech to build their 1st single platter terabyte drive. Three, The newer Hitachi 7K1000.D is capable of 160MB/s reads or greater if you have a dedicated hardware HBA, which is close to SSD territory (albeit an older SSD). It's much faster than my two WD 2.5" WD raptors (not in raid) which have been re-purposed to a swapfile and downloads/temp-folder drive (50% capacity).


As for the sound card, all the others mentioned above this thread are nice and I know creative has had a bad rap but the latest X-FI Titainum HD is a real XONAR killer. Mind you it's analog output is 2 channel and this card was designed with high end headphones in mind like Sennheiser HD650, AKG K701/K702/Q702, and higher end beyerdynamic DT990 headphones in mind (all are about $400). The 7.1 part of the X-Fi Titanium HD is digital output only. Which leads me to my second recommendation: A high quality pair of headphones as mentioned above, use the integrated motherboard sound chip for DIGITAL OUT, and a dedicated DAC-AMP like a Grace Design M902 or M903 connected via COAX (#1 choice) or Toslink (spare the USB as a last resort). This is probably the ultimate solution in PC audio and if you go this route, you'll probably never have to buy another sound card or any sort of sound upgrade for any device (ipod, home stereo, xbox, ps4, etc) you own now or in the distant future.

And if you are into games, there's still noting quite like having that X-FI chip onboard. Even if it uses alchemy.
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/creative_sound_blaster_x-fi_titanium_hd_review

If you don't plan on using a quality set of headphones, then getting a superfluous sound card is kind of pointless, In that case I would just stick with onboard sound or look in to a Gigbyte motehrboard with built in X-FI or an ASUS with the ROG Thunderbolt sound and network addon. That's not to be confused with Intel's Lightpeak aka Apple Thunderbolt.

When you say Xonar killer do you mean the Xonar Stx?

Seems like mixed results when I did a google search. Besides, doesn't the Xonar Stx have a built in DAC?

 

[Googer]

When you say Xonar killer do you mean the Xonar Stx?

Seems like mixed results when I did a google search. Besides, doesn't the Xonar Stx have a built in DAC?

Both have a built in DAC. But I would be happy with either, the XONAR STX or X-Fi Titanium HD for his build. If he's at all in to games, the creative card is going to be best choice and it's great for music too due to a high signal to noise ratio and support for headphones up to 300ohms. Also keep in mind these cards are desnigned with headphones in mind, if you plan on using 7.1, that is supported but you will need a reciever, external DAC, or a nice Pre-amplifier/processor combo (adcom).

 

[Remobz]

Both have a built in DAC. But I would be happy with either, the XONAR STX or X-Fi Titanium HD for his build. If he's at all in to games, the creative card is going to be best choice and it's great for music too due to a high signal to noise ratio and support for headphones up to 300ohms. Also keep in mind these cards are desnigned with headphones in mind, if you plan on using 7.1, that is supported but you will need a reciever, external DAC, or a nice Pre-amplifier/processor combo (adcom).

I am planning to buy a new gaming computer sometime within the next few months. I do not use speakers and ONLY use headphones.

For my birthday last year, I treated myself to a Sennheiser 595 headphones. It lasted me roughly 4 months then the left ear went dead. Its just collecting dust now. I am weary of spending a lot of money again on "quality" headphones I am not living in North America and its not easy for me to have things shipped here and also VERY expensive (customs duties etc.) as well.

I am thinking of getting the Razer tiamat ---> http://www.razerzone.com/tiamat/en

I hope the reviews are good when it hits the market.

What do you think?