speakers/scard upgrade?

will11209

Distinguished
Apr 20, 2002
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hey everyone.

i have a soundblaster live (oem). i think it does have the digital output jack (yellow, the last one?) im not really sure cause it didnt come with a box. can anyone confirm this?

i'm using 2 small altec lansings (ACS33) and 2 generic philips speakers with the live oem. it doesnt have a digital output connection though. my motherboard is an ASUS P4S333-M which has onboard digital output. its not a headphone jack plug... looks like a black plug with three thin wires attached to it.

what should i do? buy a new sound card... (turtle beach or audigy) or get a 5.1 or 6.1 speaker system? i mainly listen to MP3s, CDs, etc. and play games.

my budget is kinda limitied, so i cant buy both a soundcard and the speakers. :) if you can recommend a good speaker system with digital, surround sound, good watt/bass, etc. i'd appreciate it!

thanks for your help!
 

Black_Cat

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Jan 11, 2002
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I find the SB Live! does a pretty good job with music but is far inferior when it comes to games. If the bulk of what you use your soundcard for is music then stay with the SB Live!. If you're looking for truly realistic game playing as well as good music then go for the TBSC. It's only about $60.

You may also consider the Altec Lansing 251. <A HREF="http://www.altecmm.com/product_details.asp?pID=251&sID=1" target="_new">http://www.altecmm.com/product_details.asp?pID=251&sID=1</A> This is probably the lowest priced 5.1 system around at $100. Granted, you won't be shaking the walls, but you will have a true 5.1 sound system which would be great for games. So for about $160 you can have a halfway decent sound system. Give us an estimate on what you're willing to spend. I'm sure you'll hear a lot of opinions if we had some more solid numbers.

To start press any key. Where's the "any" key? --Homer Simpson.