Audigy vs Turtle Beach vs EMU

[unearth01]

Who makes the best, I an getting sennheiser HD580 and need a New sound card. What is the best here. Also software cant lag and stuff up my system, Ive head audigy frivers do this,

 

[MithShrike]

Go with an EMU. Also, make sure you have a decent amp to drive the phones.

 

[darkpark]

define what you mean by best? are you looking purely for good sound quality or do you want something balanced? (ie: good gaming support and good sound quality)
What is your budget?
the EMU cards, for example, have excellent sound quality but aren't fit for gaming (that doesn't mean that you can't play games with them).
anyway, out of the 3 brands the EMUs have the best sound quality. The 0404 can be had for about $100.

 

[GodsMadClown]

"Best' is meaningless w/o a budget. What is it?

 

[Talonz]

For games, Audigy 2 (no amp required).

If you listen to music as much as you game, look into the Audigy 2/Chaintech AV-710 + CMOY/MINT amp combo.

If you just listen to music, look into an emu 0404 + CMOY/MINT amp (or higher) for best sound quality.

 

[ivandal2]

throwing a cmoy at hd580's is kind of useless/impractical. If your going to amp them at all at least go to a pimeta imo. And as was said before it really depends on the application and budget, we could suggest stuff like a benchmark dac1 but if your budge is $150 then its pointless to suggest that. If your budget is $200, I'd grab a used pimeta ($100ish), an 0404, and then use onboard for games (how often do you really need to have high quality sound for your games?) but if your focus is strictly gaming and your budget is higher, then from what I've been seeing the audigy4pro has been getting some decent reviews w/ its new dacs.

 

[Talonz]

throwing a cmoy at hd580's is kind of useless/impractical. If your going to amp them at all at least go to a pimeta imo. And as was said before it really depends on the application and budget, we could suggest stuff like a benchmark dac1 but if your budge is $150 then its pointless to suggest that. If your budget is $200, I'd grab a used pimeta ($100ish), an 0404, and then use onboard for games (how often do you really need to have high quality sound for your games?) but if your focus is strictly gaming and your budget is higher, then from what I've been seeing the audigy4pro has been getting some decent reviews w/ its new dacs.

Not at all.. If he's on a budget, a CMOY will tide him over until he feels like upgrading.

 

[mustang_steve]

I dunno, but on some games, the sound is a huge part of the immersion. In Everquest2 the sound is incredibly immersive...you hear NPCs chatter and bitch at each other through the walls, dogs pestering cats, cats chasing rats and plowing into everyhting in sight, even the sound of your chainmail boots rattling as you run, or your plate boots clanking on the wooden floor of the tavern.

Given you don't need audiophile sound, but a nice soundcard will do some games justice

 

[dmonkey]

Sorry to interrupt, but would an Audigy 2 Value be a good sound card? I have a budget around 40-60 dollars.

I will use Logitech Z-5300e's.

 

[sleepeeg3]

AFAIK, it's as good as the rest of the A2 series for gaming so yes. For music, it's decent. The Envy chipset has better sound/effects. Philips Acoustic Edge took away the flatness of my .mp3s - it was really a nice card. However, anything non-Creative based will eat up the CPU cycles. (10-17.5%)

 

[tranCendenZ]

I recently had a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz and got an Audigy4 PRO, the Audigy4 PRO was far superior both in terms of sound quality and in terms of features & game performance.

 

[mustang_steve]

Sorry to interrupt, but would an Audigy 2 Value be a good sound card? I have a budget around 40-60 dollars.

I will use Logitech Z-5300e's.

I got an Audigy 2 ZX at best buy a few weeks ago for $70...so maybe save up a few weeks more and grab that....at the very least, the DVD-A playback capability of the card is rather nice...I have no idea how much the value goes for though.