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Help getting 5.1 speakers

E

EricDawg

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 7, 2004
Messages
427
Ok so I'm lost in here. I'm getting an AMD64 3500+ 939 with onboard sound - ASUS A8V deluxe mobo (getting it Monday!!!!). I didn't get a soundcard yet. Figured I'd try the onboard sound.

I want a really nice 5.1 setup for gaming. But from reading these posts I get the feeling it's just not as simple as picking up a set of speakers. I didn't want to spend more that $200, but for a really nice setup that could play some tunes too, I wouldn't mind paying around $350. The Klipsch 5.1 Pro Media ultra for $350 sound good. But then I read people complaining it can't do surround with a Audigy sound card. Stuff like that. Another option looks like Logitech Z-5300 for $200. I don't need a lot of base.

Can someone clue me in, or point me to some websites.

The games I'll be playing: Doom3, Far Cry, Battlefield 1942/Vietnam, Joint Ops, Call of Duty.

Do the games need to have 5.1 sound programmed or does it not matter? I'm thinking it doesn't matter.

Thanks!
:)
 
Thanks. But those Boston Acoustics won't do surround sound though right? At least not Dolby? That's what I'm kinda confused on right now.

Anyway... thanks for the links. Enjoy!
 
Uhm, you are gaming. The best is an Audigy 2 ZS and Klipsch 5.1 Ultras. You will get incredible surround sound AND Dolby/DTS decoding. As in, for gaming, it gets no better than this.
 
E-Dawg,

Heres a little background to help clear up some questions for you.

When people mention Dolby 5.1 they are in most cases referring to movies where the the speakers required are front L&R, a center channel, rear L&R, (This is the 5) and an low frequency effect channel (aka subwoofer - This is the .1).

A Dolby 5.1 movie soundtrack is carried over a single stream called AC-3 which is then decoded into 6 discrete (separate) analog channels to send to each of the six speakers mentioned above. This decoding process can be done either by your software (WinDVD ect.), Your soundcard, or an outboard decoder (receiver, or other processor).

THE MAJORITY OF PC GAMES DO NOT include the AC-3 stream, some x-box games do, but none of the games you mention have it. Therefore Dolby 5.1 is not possible in games regardless of the soundcard (with one exception) or speakers you choose, HOWEVER surround sound in games is possible using a different surround scheme (matrix). Examples are EAX positional audio, Sensuara, A3D, Dolby ProLogic and DirectSound. These schemes do not require the AC-3 digital stream in order to add their surround effects. Your onboard sound will support at least the first 2 versions of EAX and DirectSound. So you will get surround sound in games. Just not Dolby Digital 5.1

Any 5.1 speaker set is capable of PRESENTING matrix surround as well as decoded digital 5.1 surround. How well they do it is where recommendations, reviews, and listening come in handy.

I obviously recommend the speakers in my sig, but all the recommendations here are pretty good. If very good sound on budget is a concern, then definitely check out the Bostons.
 
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