Why does every mobo have on-board audio? Even enthusiast boards.

[Fox5]

People with high quality speakers use digital output most of the time.
Though if you want to do an all in one setup with the PC, I guess a high quality sound card is worthwhile. In that case though, I'd think you'd be interested in something like the media live diva boards, and cut out the av receiver entirely.

 

[C1]

Yes. Most people (and I mean 99&#37 are not audiophiling. (I do not consider home theater as audiophile, although it could be. From everything I have seen, it is a substantially different idea. Mainly use of surround sound and processors to achieve special effects which usually includes/involves exaggeration (eg, bass response). Ideas related to quality of sound regarding accuracy/fidelity of instrument sounds & voices including stage acoustics, noise levels, etc. are pretty much non-considerations. It is more important that a simulated bomb noise shakes the room or that a racing car sound pans. No one cares if the Stradivarius is accurately renditioned or if Anne Murray's voice is as if she were singing literally right in the room.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/business/media/10audio.html?partner=EXCITE&ei=5043

In fact, among younger listeners, the lower-quality sound might actually be preferred. Jonathan Berger, a professor of music at Stanford, said he had conducted an informal study among his students and found that, over the roughly seven years of the study, an increasing number of them preferred the sound of files with less data over the high-fidelity recordings.

“I think our human ears are fickle. What’s considered good or bad sound changes over time,” Mr. Berger said. “Abnormality can become a feature.”

 

[alyarb]

It is more important that a simulated bomb noise shakes the room or that a racing car sound pans. No one cares if the Stradivarius is accurately renditioned or if Anne Murray's voice is as if she were singing literally right in the room.

heh. so true. hey who's drinking today

 

[0roo0roo]

cuz sound chips are almost free.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.9723
$2.78 for a usb soundcard there u go

 

[HendrixFan]

I am in the extreme minority here with two soundcards in my system.

 

[Locut0s]

I am in the extreme minority here with two soundcards in my system.

Do you produce music. Would make sens if so.

 

[HendrixFan]

I record with the Audiophile 2496 card. The Revolution card is a legacy that still works fine for my 5.1 setup, at some point I'll make the jump to a PCIe card. I may go external USB for recording, as I have been hearing good things about it. Windows 7 works very well with two soundcards, but getting a motherboard with multiple PCI slots (usable and not blocked by video card fans) is tough.

I think the quality of onboard audio is good enough for most people, so much so that it actually is a selling point for a motherboard. The first company to put out an enthusiast board without onboard audio would probably struggle to sell them.

 

[Howard]

I have decent speakers and couldn't tell any real difference between my Xonar DX and the onboard audio.

 

[sandorski]

Just Upgraded to rig in sig and have noticed a difference in the newer Onboard vs my older Onboard. Using RCA here.