First of all, I have some HD 558s by Sennheiser, would it be worth it to get a sound card? My sound quality is decent but I'd like to make it better. I was considering a DAC as well but I'm sorta lost on that one too. I'd like to keep my budget at or below $100.
What is the cheapest sound card worth buying?
- Thread starter jpugh99
- Start date
Solution
- Sep 8, 2015
- 8,440
- 632
- 49,290
a dedicated sound card will be better then the onboard. it will have dedicated processors and other circuitry that the onboard audio processor does not.
Do you only listen on the headphones?
http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-omni-surround-5-1
it's portable and you can use it on the road with a laptop and not sacrifice your ears
Do you only listen on the headphones?
http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-omni-surround-5-1
it's portable and you can use it on the road with a laptop and not sacrifice your ears
I use the headphones for gaming/teamspeak and other basic stuff. How much would this increase the sound quality and is there anything else that I could get that would perform better for around the same cost? I'm currently using the onboard audio on my Asrock H97m pro4.
- Sep 8, 2015
- 8,440
- 632
- 49,290
the only difference between this and an internal add-in sound card is that this is external, away from all the electronic RF interference that can go on in a PC case.
it has a dedicated sound processor, just like an PCIe card, but it rides the USB bus. the onboard ASrock has a sound processor but it requires the CPU and RAM to do the lifting, while not a problem for the CPU nowadays, they are not made for audio and cannot do it as well as a dedicated audio processor can. the omni is and does.
as for internal add-in cards
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G2KG1917
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G37P8676
these are 2 Audigy cards, I have personally used the 5.1 audigy card and it is great.
the 7.1 card has 2 more channels and gold plated plugs everything else is the same, more or less.
I have been a Creative User for ever it seems.
it has a dedicated sound processor, just like an PCIe card, but it rides the USB bus. the onboard ASrock has a sound processor but it requires the CPU and RAM to do the lifting, while not a problem for the CPU nowadays, they are not made for audio and cannot do it as well as a dedicated audio processor can. the omni is and does.
as for internal add-in cards
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G2KG1917
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G37P8676
these are 2 Audigy cards, I have personally used the 5.1 audigy card and it is great.
the 7.1 card has 2 more channels and gold plated plugs everything else is the same, more or less.
I have been a Creative User for ever it seems.
The sound from my wife's laptop is rubbish - flat, uninvolving, thin, poor stereo imaging.
The sound from my PC and my daughters PC are both surprisingly good - obviously not as good as my expensive Hi Fi CD player, but close enough to be able to really enjoy listening to music played from either PC through my proper Hi fi system.
Since neither motherboard was over £100, I wonder if it is worth spending £100 on just a sound card.... especially if you are only using it for gaming and speech. Try getting one for £25, and see how you get on...
The sound from my PC and my daughters PC are both surprisingly good - obviously not as good as my expensive Hi Fi CD player, but close enough to be able to really enjoy listening to music played from either PC through my proper Hi fi system.
Since neither motherboard was over £100, I wonder if it is worth spending £100 on just a sound card.... especially if you are only using it for gaming and speech. Try getting one for £25, and see how you get on...
I made a thread a while back and somebody told me it wasn't worth it getting a cheaper sound card. Do you think a $25 sound card be even a slight upgrade? I listen to music pretty much all the time as well and I was hoping it would make it sound better. I am a complete noob when it comes to sound cards so I have no idea. Just assumed it would boost the audio quite a bit with a higher end sound card.
- Sep 8, 2015
- 8,440
- 632
- 49,290
most of the cheaper sound cards are just an onboard chip on a pci. may of them are exactly the same chips that are on motherboards. realtek/alsa/etc they are all software driven.
tutrle beach and the Creative cards are an entirely different animal.
look at the components on the audigy card, either of them. compare to this
http://images10.newegg.com/ProductImage/A4UB_130511974130156250rJ74lrSjvu.jpg $23.84 newegg
http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/29-132-020-Z01?$S640$ $26.99 newegg even this looks formidible until you realize the chipset is the exact same one found on motherboards
the most advanced card under 25 bucks only samples at 48Khz vs 192Khz for the audigy
tutrle beach and the Creative cards are an entirely different animal.
look at the components on the audigy card, either of them. compare to this
http://images10.newegg.com/ProductImage/A4UB_130511974130156250rJ74lrSjvu.jpg $23.84 newegg
http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/29-132-020-Z01?$S640$ $26.99 newegg even this looks formidible until you realize the chipset is the exact same one found on motherboards
the most advanced card under 25 bucks only samples at 48Khz vs 192Khz for the audigy
TRENDING THREADS
-
Question Using cloning software for a dying HDD which shows only 10% health ?- Started by Mashuumatics
- Replies: 1
-
Question Wifi card speed fluctuating on my Lenovo Ideapad pro 5 16APH8- Started by sirdariush
- Replies: 6
-
News Windows 11 will reportedly display a watermark if your PC does not support AI requirements- Started by Admin
- Replies: 24
-
Question Recovering an old version of a Notepad file in Windows 10 ?- Started by MC72
- Replies: 2
-
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram