Thinkin' about a soundcard..

[eldorado99]

If I bought a Audigy 2 ZS could I hook up my old Panasonic boombox as the rear speakers with the promedias for 7.1? and, would the ZS make mp3s sound better? I have been meaning to get a new soundcard for a LONG time but its always bumped down the list by something else so it never gets done. Does anyone know if the firewire port on the ZS is powered? I am getting my iPod soon but I have no firewire ports, and I want to be able to use the firewire on the soundcard to charge the iPod.

 

[Algere]

1)Personally I wouldn't connect boombox speakers w/ ProMedias so I could add more audio channels for the following reasons.

A) If the boombox is suppose to be 2 channels + 5.1 channels from ProMedias, the speaker placement of the boombox may be too close to each other for a proper 7.1 setup.
B) There isn't much improvement going from 5.1 to 7.1.
C) The combining of the 2 (boombox+ProMedias) may actually make your setup sound worse than with the ProMedias used alone.


2) Depends on what source your upgrading from. i.e. if upgrading from the cheaper Chaintech AV-710 to a A2ZS. You may be downgrading in terms of MP3 playback quality.


3) Yes if it's installed into a PC correctly while powered on & assuming everything is in working order. No, on it's own.

 

[pirred908]

I believe the answer to your first question is no, but I'm not sure. The only thing I do know for sure is that a good sound card and speakers won't necessarilly improve your mp3's quality, but it will appear to because whatever your useing now is probably botlenecking your music's potential. I don't know if that makes sense to you. It kinda depends on what your running now for audio. I'm just trying to say that most mp3's are 128kps and getting a better sound card wont make it, for example, 192kps. It will only seem better because you have a better sound card thats no longer bottlenecking the sound quality to the speakers. No sense in getting a new card if your not going to get nice speakers to match. I'm sorry if that was completly usless. I'm tired.

 

[eldorado99]

Originally posted by: pirred908
I believe the answer to your first question is no, but I'm not sure. The only thing I do know for sure is that a good sound card and speakers won't necessarilly improve your mp3's quality, but it will appear to because whatever your useing now is probably botlenecking your music's potential. I don't know if that makes sense to you. It kinda depends on what your running now for audio. I'm just trying to say that most mp3's are 128kps and getting a better sound card wont make it, for example, 192kps. It will only seem better because you have a better sound card thats no longer bottlenecking the sound quality to the speakers. No sense in getting a new card if your not going to get nice speakers to match. I'm sorry if that was completly usless. I'm tired.

Ok well then would it be a bottleneck to be using a Live! 5.1 with klipsch promedia 5.1 ultras for mp3s?

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: eldorado99
Ok well then would it be a bottleneck to be using a Live! 5.1 with klipsch promedia 5.1 ultras for mp3s?

You are grossly misusing the term bottleneck. An Audigy 2 ZS has far better sound quality than an SBlive. There are cards that are better for music than an Audigy 2 ZS. But your surround sound system lends me to believe you do more than listen to music, in which case, the Audigy 2 ZS is a great compromise.

 

[Pariah]

Originally posted by: eldorado99

Originally posted by: pirred908
I believe the answer to your first question is no, but I'm not sure. The only thing I do know for sure is that a good sound card and speakers won't necessarilly improve your mp3's quality, but it will appear to because whatever your useing now is probably botlenecking your music's potential. I don't know if that makes sense to you. It kinda depends on what your running now for audio. I'm just trying to say that most mp3's are 128kps and getting a better sound card wont make it, for example, 192kps. It will only seem better because you have a better sound card thats no longer bottlenecking the sound quality to the speakers. No sense in getting a new card if your not going to get nice speakers to match. I'm sorry if that was completly usless. I'm tired.

Ok well then would it be a bottleneck to be using a Live! 5.1 with klipsch promedia 5.1 ultras for mp3s?

Depends on the quality of the encoding. However, even if they are top notch, the answer is still "barely." Certainly not enough to go out and buy a new sound card if mp3 playing is your only requirement. Save the money and spend it on something more useful.