Sound card suggestions/problem/speaker suggestions

**andlamv** · August 9th, 2004, 10:47 AM

ok lets start off with my problem, my built in sound card in my mobo is a soundmax card. everytime i play a song it makes a poping noise and it does not sound all to well. i tryed updateing my mobo and sound card but nothing is working. so im thinking of getting a PCI card for sound. but if you can fix my prob above that would be sweet.

what im looking for is a sound card that can play 5.1/2.1/2.0 have not got speakers yet but i got 2.0 sound so when im ready to get speakers it can play what ever i choose. but i like quailty. so i want a card that can do all that good stuff

have not decided on speakers yet or what type. but what ever good experience you guys had with ne speakers well help me chose or to avoid. and is 5.1 worth it though?

**GroundZero3** · August 9th, 2004, 10:49 AM

for the popping what os are you using?

what price limit are you looking at for a sound card and do you did you want one with those face plates in the front of the computer?

welcome to techimo btw

**andlamv** · August 9th, 2004, 10:51 AM

no i dont want a face plate, and maybe like 100$ on sound card and same for speakers so i guess 200$ well do wonders.

windows xp, sorry to mention that in the frist place (bonks head)

**andlamv** · August 9th, 2004, 10:57 AM

wow your located not far lol

**andlamv** · August 9th, 2004, 11:30 AM

my mobo is an intel d865perl motherboard. i use creative 2.0 speakers. if that information helps. this computer was built my self

**andlamv** · August 10th, 2004, 07:40 AM

*bump*

**Khallas** · August 10th, 2004, 08:09 AM

Well, I think that what you want is NOT the MOBO card. MOBO cards are cheap and easy, only stereo and notoriously bad quality.

What you want is a nice Creative Labs surround card. If you don't have too much money to spend get an OEM SB Live! PCI. It supports surround, quality is good and support and drivers is also pretty good.

If you want easy support, always go fo mainstream brands. They have the best consumer group platform that place a strong demand at the manufacturer for support and driver updates, so you'll get them.

If you are prepared to spend a lot and want extremely good quality sound in surround with all the extra's you can get and want top of the line stuff, I am sure Creative Labs also has a great and expensive card. I believe that Diamond also tried its hand at sound cards, but I am not very familiar with their quality. Gravis used to do soundcards, but once Creative Labs won the sound-war with the sound-blaster instead of the Gravis (first one with wavetable technology I believe) Gravis lost software (game makers)support and thus customers. I don't know if Gravis still does top-line sound cards, but I doubt it.

**BattleToad** · August 10th, 2004, 08:31 AM

Dang I'm close to you guys too.

But speaker wise I would go with the Logitech Z640s. You can get them off newegg for $55, has two rear, two front, a center channel, and an 8" subwoofer. With the sub they equal out to be some 134Watts. Provides for clear crisp sound, and when needed ridiculously loud volume, although turned down they sound just as good. They also look nice as well, and have a very easy setup.

Also my mobo has 6 channel integrated sound and it works perfect for me, although because its integrated, 3DMark03 wont use it as part of a test.

andlamv what high school did or do you go to? I have a lot of friends who live in newport news

**andlamv** · August 10th, 2004, 10:39 AM

i came from gloucester, so gloucester high

**andlamv** · August 10th, 2004, 10:41 AM

i was thinking about creative labs as well, but is that newer card good? and is that newer card good for 2.0 until i get better speakers

**BattleToad** · August 10th, 2004, 10:59 AM

should be, as long as it supports a higher channel amount. i havent come across a card that wasnt backwards compatible before.

**Khallas** · August 11th, 2004, 02:46 AM

I looked it up on the site of Creative,

They have two lines of SB, the old 16 bits Sound Blaster live, which is capable of 5.1 but of course also works well with 2.0

Their new Audigy 2 line is 24 bits and support either 6.1 (extra speaker directly behind) and 7.1 type.

The 7.1 series is newest and most expensive, it also comes with internal software to mix up 5.1 and 2.0 sound from applications to 7.1 sound, otherwise their 7.1 technology would be useless, since nobody programs their games, movies or music for 7.1 (yet).

These are of course also capable of playing 2.0 sound or 5.1 sound, it even has more power for less speakers, so each speaker gets more dB output than when you have 7.1 sound. But even the max dB with 7.1 is more than is healthy for your ears.

If you have low budget, go for the cheapest 7.1 version, not the even cheaper 6.1, cause as you see, they stepped up their technology to 7.1 and the 6.1 in teh weak in-between development, which will never get much support. If the cheaper 7.1 version is too expensive for you it's better to take a SB live! 5.1 soundcard. It at least has full current support and all later software will also supply 5.1 sound. Newer manufacturers in the future will probably offer software to upgrade 5.1 games/movies to 7.1, but not to 6.1 format. You'll have to rely on updates and patches for 6.1 from creative labs then and someday, probably too soon, they'll stop offering that support.