Worth the upgrade from onboard?

[bullwinkel]

Should I bother upgrading my onboard sound to a dedicated board like the HT|Omega Striker 7.1? My audio usage is mostly music with BF3 and GW thrown in there every once in a while. I only own a pair of HPA2 headphones from TB (Most likely moving onto SS Siberia V2s in the near future, unless somebody has any other suggestions. Pads are getting worn on my current set and are thus becoming uncomfortable). My mobo is currently the ASRock P67 Extreme4.

The main question being asked here is whether or not it is justifiable to spend ~$74.99 on a dedicated sound card.

 

[gary1]

It'll definitely sound better, but I don't really care as onboard sound is more than sufficient for gaming and itunes.

 

[rolli59]

It all depends on what you are hooking up to the sound. High quality sound card would be a waste with cheap generic computer speakers.

 

[bullwinkel]

I use headphones only. I posted the current pair (HPA2) and potential future updates (SS Siberia v2) because my current pair is getting worn out.

I should have said "Is it justifiable to spend ~$75.99 on a sound card if I'm using HPA2s or Siberia V2s?"

If those aren't sufficient... Does one need to spend ~$180+ for headphones/headsets to hear a significant difference in sound quality in higher bit rate music and games from a dedicated vs onboard audio chip?

 

[rolli59]

With those you will notice the difference if you have ear for it! For gaming I do not think it matters that much but for music it would!