would this be a step up compared to onboard realtek 1220?

newls1

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thinking about replacing my on board sound with something that I can get to sound a litle better. Looking at this https://www.microcenter.com/product/497549/xonar-ae-pcie-sound-card-with-sonic-studio and was wondering if this would be an "Upgrade" over the onboard realtek 1220 audio and most importantly, Will I loose and performance in games running something like this? obviously ill will disable the onboard before I install this
 
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Well, the ASUS might sound a little better; it might not. Really depends on how well the Realtek is implemented, as Realtek makes a competent DAC and decent software.

What I'd be most worried about is the drivers in terms of support and stability.

Another option would be a USB sound card (perhaps from Creative) or an optical DAC/Amp, but generally speaking you're going into higher pricing territory there.
 
its the realtek software that is giving me my issue. On this MSI MEG ACE board, for whatever reason you have to DL the realtek audio app from the MS Store, and it doesnt launch/work for shit. Its a highly known issue, and even tho MSI has come out with a new audio driver with the hopes of a fix, its still doesnt work and without this app I have no equalizer, and everything just sounds flat. Ive used a few free win10 free based equalizer apps, and not happy with them, so was just gonna bite the bullet and get a nice mid range sound card that I can bring with me to future builds as well, and just get away from the realtek crap. Thing to is, my audio does go thru a home reciever via Digital audio cable so having a better sound card might really be benefical for me. But like you said, im worried about bloatware drivers and BS from asus drivers.... If I disable the onboard sound, the board should free up a pcie 1x lane im assuming, and this new card (if I choose to get it) will populate a free pcie1x lane correct? I do not want to have my GPU scale down to 8x just so I can use a soundcard... if this makes sense..... Or maybe im thinking of this wrong, maybe the 1x pcie slots pull from the chipset and not cpu lanes, so i think ill be okay.... damn im confusing myself....!
 
You don't need an equalizer you need better speakers if your sound is flat.
 
So why aren't you running a digital signal to the receiver? HDMI or optical would be a better bet than line-out.
 
jesus christ... i am. who said i was usig line out? can replies please stay on topic.
 
pretty sure i dont need better speakers as these are extremely good for the mid rrange price https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=12K-00FY-00068&ignorebbr=1 so thanks for your unhelpful reply. would you care to see the subwoofer too? Sound is flat without the equalizer, and my reciever can take up the slack, but not all the way to my liking
Sorry but if your sound is flat with a flat eq, your speakers are not up to task. Simple as that. I never need eq in any of my systems. If you get no bass using those speakers, check speaker polarity (swap + and - only in one speaker and then check if the bass got improved).

Then again if you get no highs, check that your speakers are pointing towards you and the tweeter is about ear level. Tweeters are directional so if they point away from you the sound is attenuated by 12-20db typically depending on the type of tweeter and the listening angle. If that doesn't help and it still sounds 'flat' which I gather means dull, you've probably burned your tweeters.
 
What does it mean "everything just sounds flat" ?
I thought "flat" response was the holy grail.
 
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Also try to reverse the terminals from one speaker to check for a phase mismatch. That automatically kills your bass response.
 
What does it mean "everything just sounds flat" ?
I thought "flat" response was the holy grail.
A truly falt response is far from what people would describe as flat. In reality it's vivid, dynamic and extended. When people describe flat they usually mean an acute lack of bass and/or treble.
 
they are there.... and to answer above, I like to boost my 5k and above range to add a little extra vocal in. You think that sound card i linked would be worthwhile sir, or should I just wait for realtek to "MAYBE" fix their software problem?
 
they are there.... and to answer above, I like to boost my 5k and above range to add a little extra vocal in. You think that sound card i linked would be worthwhile sir, or should I just wait for realtek to "MAYBE" fix their software problem?
For music that card will be fine. For games, probably you're going to get more problems than going with Creative (as much as I dislike Creative).
 
i refuse to buy a creative card! Their drivers are absolute bloatware and so is their software. IF you say that asus card wont be a good overall performer, ill just stay put with my onboard, and wait for msi/reealtek to fix this damn issue. thank for all your help, much appreciated
 
i refuse to buy a creative card! Their drivers are absolute bloatware and so is their software. IF you say that asus card wont be a good overall performer, ill just stay put with my onboard, and wait for msi/reealtek to fix this damn issue. thank for all your help, much appreciated
It won't have things for games like Creative Alchemy so you'll lack direct3D in older games. Probably some other quirks too. But neither will your Realtek for that matter.
 
By the way if you need to boost treble over 5k check your speaker placement and direction like I said at the above. Those speakers should not need any boosting of treble unless you've mounted them wrong (either pointing away from your ears, speakers in the corner or even worse, both).
 
The Creative software that ASRock shipped with my board is working quite well- but it's also simple, and works through the ALC1220.

I put it out through the optical to a DAC, for stereo speakers and cans. Works great.

Also got to ask- anything preventing you from using PCM over HDMI out?
 
Teach me something please, you seem extremely knowledgable in this area..... Im currently using a toslink digital audio cable ( https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics...ns&keywords=optical+digital+audio+cable&psc=1 ) from the onboard sound to my receiver, is this not a preferred connection anymore? The sound is 500% CLEARER using this as apposed to rca connections, such a huge difference. Am I doing this wrong? Just so you know, this is only a 2.1 setup.... not surround sound
 
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Teach me something please, you seem extremely knowledgable in this area..... Im currently using a toslink digital audio cable ( https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics...ns&keywords=optical+digital+audio+cable&psc=1 ) from the onboard sound to my receiver, is this not a preferred connection anymore? The sound is 500% CLEARER using this as apposed to rca connections, such a huge difference. Am I doing this wrong? Just so you know, this is only a 2.1 setup.... not surround sound
For stereo you're not doing it wrong. Optical is only a "problem" if you're looking for surround sound since it can only handle 2 channels without compression (I want to say Dolby and DTS streams are the only way to get surround from optical, but I've never tried and could be wrong.) The reason any digital output (optical, HDMI, or coax) is 500% clearer is because you're bypassing the onboard sound and using your receiver to convert the digital stream to analog.
 
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Also- not sure how it is for MSI, but you should be able to download the Realtek drivers direct from Realtek. I've done this many times in the past, especially when whatever the board maker ships is missing something.
 
Also- not sure how it is for MSI, but you should be able to download the Realtek drivers direct from Realtek. I've done this many times in the past, especially when whatever the board maker ships is missing something.
I have, I even tried these drivers from that source ( https://forums.laptopvideo2go.com/topic/24364-latest-realtek-audio-codecs/?page=29 ) and has something to do with windows 1803/1809 versions where you can use the UAD version driver, or other version of the driver (cant remember what it is called) and either version will not allow end user adjustments via software control panels. All realtek software for audio device is now thru windows store apps... Fucking crazy! I actually just DL'ed the version driver in that link I pasted, and am now allowed to use the Nahimic Software app and adjust basic items, but the realtek app still is a no go, BUT IM GETTING CLOSER! Think at this point i will not get a add on sound card, as I was able to adjust bass/treble via the software app, so I think im okay now, but jesus christ realtek, get the program together, your software blows ass!
 
Eh, I have three systems that use Realtek, both on 1803 and now on 1809. I know that at least two have seen installations on 1803.

Including drivers from Realtek's site. Could you link the Realtek drivers that you're using?
 
Have you tried enabling Equalizer in the device properties window? I've never installed realtek's software, just the drivers.
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equalizer... im tell ya buddy, realtek has big software issues, which is amazing cause 4857367495 people use their audio codecs so you would think this wouldnt be an issue and their software team would be top notch.... nope!
 
I haven't upgraded to latest Windows build so can't comment on that but I'm currently using an ASUS driver with my ASRock motherboard and it works completely fine (in case that's not an option you've tested, I don't blame you for it but I like to do strange logical decisions). I didn't know there even existed external apps for Realtek but haven't had any use for them as software EQing tends to sound bad most of the times (except perhaps minor +/- 2~3dB adjustments it works decent for) but when I'd need it I'd opt for:

EqualizerAPO + PeaceGUI.

EQ is applied onto the whole audio chain in Windows so it's enabled for whatever sound is output, let's you specify exactly at which frequency you want to make adjustments too.
 
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Three things
1)You said you like to add a bit more in the vocal range from 5khz and up. That’s not the vocal range.

2)If you disable your onboard sound card and plug a graphics card into one of your PCI-E slots it will generally use what that slot is designed to use, not what is available from the disabled sound card. (Motherboard, CPU, and chipset depending)

3)As to sound quality. IMO, when driven by an AVR over toslink or HDMI audio out, you’ll gain absolutely nothing by moving to a different sound card, because the AVR is deciding the sound and doing the work in both cases. It’s really only the analogue out you see a difference in. (Or I guess if you are manipulating the source sound via effects of EQ). The AC1220 is actually a nicely specced sound card. If you like EQ use it, but I always prefer to “disable all enhancements” in my sound card and make any EQ changes through the AVR.
 
Teach me something please, you seem extremely knowledgable in this area..... Im currently using a toslink digital audio cable ( https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics...ns&keywords=optical+digital+audio+cable&psc=1 ) from the onboard sound to my receiver, is this not a preferred connection anymore? The sound is 500% CLEARER using this as apposed to rca connections, such a huge difference. Am I doing this wrong? Just so you know, this is only a 2.1 setup.... not surround sound
As Capt_cope said for stereo the toslink is probably the best option since optical breaks the galvanic connection between your computer and your amp (that causes 99% of interference usually). But for multichannel toslink/spdif won't cut it. It's already decades old and only designed to transfer cd quality stereo signal. I wish a new higher bandwith optical standard would come out.
 
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