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Warm. Santa Cruz Turtle Beach 6-speaker DSP sound card

If you need an inexpensive card that's nice, then go for it 🙂 Just for kicks, we got that MadDog 5.1 when it was cheap, and I put both cards in one computer and switched around the speakers and the active card a little while, and the Santa Cruz definitely sounds more rich, crisp, and bassier (if that's a word) 🙂
 
Love my TBSC. I use it for cassette tape to CD conversion. Very problem free and great sound quality. It is not a 24-bit card, but it is better than 16 bit cards as it actually allows 18-bit recording.
 
Originally posted by: DaRock42
anyone else has other opinions about this sound card...i'm not sure if i should buy it or not????
Click to expand...

tbsc is one of the best sound cards ever.... though it is getting a bit old and can't really compare to the audigy 2 or nf2 soundstorm sound....

however some ppl still prefer the tbsc over those... so its your own preference
 
Mainly because the software package / control panel is so nice. SB installs / bogs down my system with so much crap, I don't go near them anymore. I just want something that sounds good, works, and is elegant with different configurations I can store, and TBSC with their control panel fulfills all that in one nice package at a reasonable price.
 
This deal is better than warm. Maybe not scorching but it is still an excellent price. The price beats any online retailer and I have had good luck, so far, with rebates through Circuit City. My last one arrived in only 3 weeks!

Sounds cards don't get much respect anymore. I feel sorry for the manufactures who have to be scrambling with many mobos now coming with excellent sound chips. Since so many people swear by Audigy 2, which is a lot more expensive than the Santa Cruz, it's too bad some site doesn't do a review comparing the different cards. I've been happy with my Santa Cruz/Klipsch 2.1 combination. Until I find somewhere with a demo of the Audigy 2 in a silent enviroment I'm going to stay with what I have. It always works, the control panel is extensive if you want to play around with different settings, and the price is/was right.
 
I've had my TBSC for a long time now, and still wouldn't think of switching to a Creative card.
I had even bought an Audigy couple months back to try out, and ended up taking it back and putting the
Santa Cruz back in. I really like the built in equalizer for music and the newest drivers work great in all my games. 🙂
 
wow, nice responses people. Thanks alot. I was deciding between getting this or payin almost 2x more for the sound blaster audigy LS...it was the name that was attrcating me towards the audigy, but I guess i'll lean towards the TBSC. anyone else has other opinions???
 
29 is a tad much for such an old card like this. i still use it, but thats because i bought it what? err 3? 4 years ago i forget now.

newer cards have more features these days.
 
Originally posted by: cchen
Originally posted by: DaRock42
anyone else has other opinions about this sound card...i'm not sure if i should buy it or not????
Click to expand...

tbsc is one of the best sound cards ever.... though it is getting a bit old and can't really compare to the audigy 2 or nf2 soundstorm sound....

however some ppl still prefer the tbsc over those... so its your own preference
Click to expand...

TBSC > Soundstorm.
 
Thanks, I'm going to grab one tommarow hopefully. If you're a big game player or have a $300 speaker set, I can see spending the $50-$100 on a SB but for just playing music, this should be fine. I haven't heard of many tech advances in playing 2.1 music.
 
Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
29 is a tad much for such an old card like this. i still use it, but thats because i bought it what? err 3? 4 years ago i forget now.

newer cards have more features these days.
Click to expand...

True.
I won't be jumping on this card since it is a $30 deal.
Maybe if it was the $20 or less deal.
I should've jumped on those really good TBSC deals.
 
Originally posted by: Warder45
Thanks, I'm going to grab one tommarow hopefully. If you're a big game player or have a $300 speaker set, I can see spending the $50-$100 on a SB but for just playing music, this should be fine. I haven't heard of many tech advances in playing 2.1 music.
Click to expand...

yea, i just have the logitech z-640n jus listen to music n movies. just want the best sound for moderate usage.
 
Originally posted by: DaRock42
Originally posted by: Warder45
Thanks, I'm going to grab one tommarow hopefully. If you're a big game player or have a $300 speaker set, I can see spending the $50-$100 on a SB but for just playing music, this should be fine. I haven't heard of many tech advances in playing 2.1 music.
Click to expand...

yea, i just have the logitech z-640n jus listen to music n movies. just want the best sound for moderate usage.
Click to expand...

Then you won't regretting getting this card. Like I said before, it's an awesome card even if it's several years old.
 
Originally posted by: usernamemax20charact
Then you won't regretting getting this card. Like I said before, it's an awesome card even if it's several years old.
Click to expand...

People constantly think "older" means "inferior". They're dead wrong.
 
Originally posted by: Maleficus
Originally posted by: cchen
Originally posted by: DaRock42
anyone else has other opinions about this sound card...i'm not sure if i should buy it or not????
Click to expand...

tbsc is one of the best sound cards ever.... though it is getting a bit old and can't really compare to the audigy 2 or nf2 soundstorm sound....

however some ppl still prefer the tbsc over those... so its your own preference
Click to expand...

TBSC > Soundstorm.
Click to expand...

Anything to back that up? I always thought the nf2 soundstorm was almost on par with the audigy2.
 
NF2 takes some performance hit on systems using it, but there is no other solution that on the fly converts to Dolby Digital output.

Honestly, I wish the Turtle Beach guys had taken Nvidia up on the offer when they were approaced for making a standalone Soundstorm card (considering I'm only connected through s/pdif, so don't have surround sound gaming). However, Turtle Beach is exiting the pc card market (as you can see from their product line) so turned them down. I'm sure Creative acquisition of Sensaura will only make things worse....

Personally, I have a great deal of respect for those that designed the TBSC card. It's elegant, and has great quality of hardware / software (which shows when we still talk about buying it today).
 
Considering I can't use an Audigy card without it crashing my system. (HT Northwood Processor)
My only real choice has been the Santa Cruz. So far it doesn't seem like too bad of a card. It's better than the crappy onboard sound my board has.
 
Originally posted by: sumrtym
NF2 takes some performance hit on systems using it, but there is no other solution that on the fly converts to Dolby Digital output.

Honestly, I wish the Turtle Beach guys had taken Nvidia up on the offer when they were approaced for making a standalone Soundstorm card (considering I'm only connected through s/pdif, so don't have surround sound gaming). However, Turtle Beach is exiting the pc card market (as you can see from their product line) so turned them down. I'm sure Creative acquisition of Sensaura will only make things worse....

Personally, I have a great deal of respect for those that designed the TBSC card. It's elegant, and has great quality of hardware / software (which shows when we still talk about buying it today).
Click to expand...

actually that's not true. the Philips Acoustic Edge has done on-the-fly dolby digital encoding for years now, it was just never very popular.
 
Originally posted by: sumrtym
NF2 takes some performance hit on systems using it, but there is no other solution that on the fly converts to Dolby Digital output.

Honestly, I wish the Turtle Beach guys had taken Nvidia up on the offer when they were approaced for making a standalone Soundstorm card (considering I'm only connected through s/pdif, so don't have surround sound gaming). However, Turtle Beach is exiting the pc card market (as you can see from their product line) so turned them down. I'm sure Creative acquisition of Sensaura will only make things worse....

Personally, I have a great deal of respect for those that designed the TBSC card. It's elegant, and has great quality of hardware / software (which shows when we still talk about buying it today).
Click to expand...

I've tried heavy gaming with the NF2 soundstorm and found it lacking. Often have stuttering sounds when loading games or changing maps. I assume this is due to it's integrated use of MB resources. I've found the TBSC card to be very reliable and stable. Sound quality for music is excellent and gaming is adequate. The Creative Sound Blaster Live and Audigy line of cards have always been the best for gaming.
 
Excellent deal. Circuit City & Turtle Beach run this rebate every couple of months and I'm always tempted to buy another as "backup" although I have no need for it. If you use your computer for music this card is light years ahead of Creative's ones in terms of sound quality.

My rebate came very promptly when I did this. Highly reccommended.
 
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