Is a sound card really needed?

[aneesh kalra]

I have an altec lansing mx 5021 and belive me it is actually very good but it is more of a home theatre replacement rather than a comp. speaker replacement but still a good speaker with well pronounced highs and lows(much beterr than the atp3) although it distorts at max volume.One query do I need a thx certified soundcard for this.At presen tI run it on 865 onboard soundmax.

 

[deathvirus_me]

OK deathvirus_me. i hav attached 2 screenshots of my onboard realtek and cmi8738 sound card 3d studio test results.

Hmmm , take a look at my review of an Audigy 4 here : *www.techtalkz.com/member-reviews/5125-review-creative-soundblaster-audigy-4-oem.html

If u notice carefully ... while using 16 samples at 44.1 KHz , with the Realtek HD Audio , the CPU usage was 8% using EAX ... and with the CMI card , it was over 1% .. though it makes hardly any noticeable performance difference for general OS usage ... think of this : a card that lets u use maxed effect , and keeps CPU usage below 0.5% ??

PS : Why didn't u post the graph ??

 

[goobimama]

CMSS I have found reduces fidelity in the sound quality and on researching the net, it is true. Dolby ProLogic II is much better at upmixing.

As for a good soundcard, the creative soundcards don't stand a chance when compared with an Auzentech X-Meridian or even its lower counterparts.

A good soundcard:
- produces high signal to noise ratio
- improves low quality mp3 files (X-Fi crystalizer, Auzentech has something of their own)
- Reduces CPU usage
- Decodes DD and DTS signals much better than a software decoder
- provides for EAX sound effects in games..(5.1, 7.1)
- Has the power to output/input sound at high resolutions (192Khz/24bit)

You will NOT feel the difference in a blind test on an average speaker system as onboard soundcards have grown quite a bit. But plug in something good, and yes, I can tell the difference.

 

[techno_funky]

Hmmm , take a look at my review of an Audigy 4 here : *www.techtalkz.com/member-reviews/5125-review-creative-soundblaster-audigy-4-oem.html

If u notice carefully ... while using 16 samples at 44.1 KHz , with the Realtek HD Audio , the CPU usage was 8% using EAX ... and with the CMI card , it was over 1% .. though it makes hardly any noticeable performance difference for general OS usage ... think of this : a card that lets u use maxed effect , and keeps CPU usage below 0.5% ??

PS : Why didn't u post the graph ??

How much did you get that Audigy 4 OEM for and where do I stand with my ATP3 and onboard audio (Relatek ALC882 HD 8-Channel) I mean should I really go for a high end sound card.

 

[deathvirus_me]

Well , it's definitely recommended to put in a good sound card .... And , i got my Auidy 4 for just under 4k's ... its an OEM one , so it misses out some features from the Pro , but overall , its a real bang for buck ..

CMSS I have found reduces fidelity in the sound quality and on researching the net, it is true. Dolby ProLogic II is much better at upmixing.

Hmmm , i quite like to use CMSS 2 along with "Acoustic" audio effect ... sounds really better than the original ..

 

[goobimama]

^^ I've got the Audigy 2 ZS. Maybe something has improved in the Audigy 4... Acoustic effect is also my favourite...

But Creative has left us like dogs when it comes to Vista drivers.... the sound card just about works...

 

[deathvirus_me]

Who cares about Vista anyway ?? Plus , they said they're gonna charge for the Alchemy driver for Audigy , lol .. how long would it take to get the drivers over the net .. Plus , why move to Vista anyway ?? The uber crappy driver support .. lol ..

 

[aneesh kalra]

Do I need a thx certified soundcard to run my thx certified 2.1 altec lansing mx5021.What I had heard that souncards should only be considered if one wants accurate poisitional sound from one's 5.1 speakers.

 

[thrash_metal]

Got it for 14.5k ... !

@aneesh kalra : Dude THX is a very crazy certification , to have an optimum THX sound u not only need your Speakers + sound procssing + music/movies to be THX certified but also the room in which you are listning in !!! You can check the specifications (google THX)

 

[blackleopard92]

how much does mx5021 costs?

 

[aneesh kalra]

I got the mx5021 for 8.1 k
@thrashmetal
I knew that thx is more of a quality standard that assures the sound being played by the speakers is same as what was recorded in the recording studio but I wanted to know wheteher a soundcard would really improve the perfomance of the system;i.e; would I be able to experience greater detail in the sounds I hear from the system.

 

[blackleopard92]

from what i have read about MX5021 reviews, that all said that it should be paired atleast with a audigy ZS to utilize it to full potential.

i suppose this thread would help u out.

*forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=174494

 

[vivekbabbudelhi]

me too having mx 5021 & audiligy 2
but i use mx 5021 with my old thompson hi fi with an inbuilt amplifier.(hifi has no speakers they were damaged)
hifi's amplifier sounds much better than audiligy .so was its price when i bought it long 7 yrs back

 

[aneesh kalra]

so between the audigy 2zs and audigy 4 which one is better.

 

[ashnik]

comimg back to the topic,
I think nowadays, onboard sound chip r enough if u r going use 2.1 speakers only ( or pseudo 4.1). If u need a proper 5.1 spk experience, little investment could generate wonderful and much more satisfying results.

BTW which mobo has got best onboard sound chip within 6 K price?

 

[AcceleratorX]

There's no better onboard audio chip on the market than SoundMAX, PERIOD. You want a good onboard audio chip, go for any motherboard which has soundmax onboard audio (usually Asus motherboards have it but you'll need to check anyway).

 

[gxsaurav]

There's no better onboard audio chip on the market than SoundMAX, PERIOD. You want a good onboard audio chip, go for any motherboard which has soundmax onboard audio (usually Asus motherboards have it but you'll need to check anyway).

Realtek & Via Vinyal Audio anyone? Support full 24bit audio in onboard audio segment.

 

[damnthenet]

suggest sound cards having good signal to noise ratio with reasonalble price

 

[deathvirus_me]

There's no better onboard audio chip on the market than SoundMAX, PERIOD. You want a good onboard audio chip, go for any motherboard which has soundmax onboard audio (usually Asus motherboards have it but you'll need to check anyway).

Eeer .. i think some mobo's feature Creative sound chips ..

 

[techno_funky]

Realtek & Via Vinyal Audio anyone? Support full 24bit audio in onboard audio segment.

I would really like to hear more on this.