Hey guys I need a sound card because for some reason my new onboard isnt compatible with xp pro so I need something with optical out for my digital amp. I dont really want to spend more than $150 if possible.

I tried a creative audigy 2 but its an older version so the digital I/O extension for them doesn't work. (I'll sell it cheap to someone if they really want it if I can't use it)

from auspc

im sure you can find it cheaper elsewhere, auspc just have a great website.

http://umart.com.au/pro/products_listnew.phtml?id=10&id2=32&bid=2&sid=20274

this thread will self destruct in 5 minutes (subject typowned)

fmi trog

why does it matter that much if there is a typo ?

cause spelling a word wrong is worse than making a word up

sif < is that word?

making a word up like typowned ?

This thread got me thinking - about how much I really couldn't give a s*** about sound cards these days. Putting aside that Creative Labs have just become utterly evil, here's the way I kinda see it with "what's new":

So years ago we have the 8-bit Sound Blaster.
Then we go the Sound Blaster 16 followed by the Sound Blaster AWE32 (yay for programmable sound banks/programmable MIDI). Before then if you wanted funky s*** like that you needed a Roland or similar card.

So eventually we go the Sound Blaster PCI64 - now we're into Windows 95/98 land.
We then startd getting cards like the 128, followed by a very empty patch until the Audigy and when nVidia released the nForce, which did Dolby surround.

Since then we've got slightly better Dolby, and EAX... wait, EAX? So now I've got a glorified hardware equalizer to make it sound like I'm in a stadium instead of a small room?

Seriously, WTF has EAX actually given us. Slighly lower procesor usage? maybe.

But since then, honesly, what's actually improved in sound cards? Seriously, why the f*** aren't we seeing on-card MP3/Vorbis decoding? Really, why are we still decoding MP3 frames into AU frames via the CPU and then passing that uncompressed data via the bus? (Come on people, PCIe bandwidth really isn't that expensive that we can't pass a 6 (or 60)MB MP3 file to it and let dedicated hardware process it.

So yeah, it got me thinking: How comparatively s*** audio hardware is these days.

There's a damn good reason we don't pass a prerendered video backbuffer to the video card for presentation anymore.

last edited by Raven at 14:40:51 20/Jun/08

why does it matter that much if there is a typo ?

its a quality control measure; if you're not prepared to take 5 seconds to make sure the thread titles are right then it doesn't bode well for the rest of your post!

normally whining about typos/grammar is discouraged because its often so pointless, but I don't think its a lot to ask that the summary be correctly written and accurate

Don't buy an ASUS xonar, they sux0rs.

i am going to buy one of these when it comes out
http://www.soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=17813

Don't buy an ASUS xonar, they sux0rs.

o'rly? I thought they were the best thing to get now instead of creative? cause creative drivers suck in vista

looking at an auzentech or something called bluebottle or whatever..

first, sorry trog for typo.

Secondly I agree sound cards are pretty pointless unless you have your pc or HTPC hooked up to high end audio gear (better than the logitec speakers or decent headphones most of you would use)

raven- 7.1 channel surround sound, 96khz sound, digital I/O, DTS,DD decoding support are some good things decent sound cards can offer.

first, sorry trog for typo.

its ok, I don't take it personally, but if you could fix it that'd be swell

first, sorry trog for typo.

So am I, but there's nothing we can do about him.

88, I got myself one of these a few months back and I'm very very happy with it.
Souround sound headset and USB sound card. $129

Uber comfy, uber sound.

http://www.umart.com.au/newindex2.phtml?bid=2

Xonar's are supposedly the s***! That meaning they are great.
Since the reviews and the Creative debacle, I have been split on whether to buy a Xonar or something from Auzentech. Needs to be <$150.
The Xonar's do EAX2.0 and fake everything above that up too EAX5.0 exceedingly well, apparently. But then what use is EAX5.0?

last edited by Lynx at 19:30:23 20/Jun/08

raven- 7.1 channel surround sound, 96khz sound, digital I/O, DTS,DD decoding support are some good things decent sound cards can offer.

Like I said, slightly better dolby (surround, 96kHz, DTS, DD).

Oh wow, gigital I/O. Big whoop, so they replace an DAC with a Optical plug/DAC or alternative digital converter. Increasing the audio bit depth or frequency is hardly worthy of making large noises about, and reducing the SNR is just down to no longer using s*** wiring/shielding.

Sorry for the bum link.

Its this one.
SteelSound 5H Professional Gaming Headset USB
Internet Price: $129.00


like I said, I'm very happy with it.

Oh well here is why you need a good sound card;

Sound Blaster X-Fi is Fatal1ty's Choice for Audio!

"When I'm competing, I need top-class performance and the most realistic sound to help me know where my opponents are. Sound Blaster X-Fi really delivers for me...there is nothing faster or better."

As much as I hate iTunes compared to, say, Winamp, I'm not sure that I'd call it "my opponent". Nor, despite the wide range of music (not all of which I like) would I call the Spice Girls "opponents".

thats cos you secretly like them lots

ahahah steelsounds are utterly terrible. you got suckered in.

i know because i did too =( they are horrible.

Um, did you read the part where I said I'm really really happy with it?
Maybe yours wasn't setup right..?

can't beat the ac'97 for overall quality and performance.

A1
10/10

Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit ftmfw

I like my SB Live 24-bit...

sure it's the same cheap and nasty as the Britney Spears lookalikes that offer gobby for $25 a pop on Hollywood Blvd after 9 at night, but for the money it delivers.

I am a little disspointed that it seems to sound crisper in Vista and *nix than it does in XP. I've never figured this out..

As far as gaming goes, the card runs bugger all differently in terms of sound quality compared to onboard offerings. It doesn't support the newer SB enironmental tech bought to us thanks to X-Fi, but then again not nearly enough decent games do either.

it's more a matter of music sound quality than that of gaming methinks.