Need a new sound card

[Blakestr]

I'm tired of trying to use the POS onboard on my rig and need a new one. Right now my speaker setup is 5.1, which is going to stay that way but I checked the egg and the 5.1 cards don't exactly impress me.

I was thinking of going 7.1....I'd basically be fine, just not plug in anything to the side speakers right? I've got the front L/R as one, the Rears as another, and the Center/Sub as the third (green, black, gold)...this would translate to 7.1 right? Worst case I'd have to configure the card to be setup for 5 speakers, in a 5.1 setup, correct?

If that works, do you have any recommendations? I'm a gamer mostly, I'd like something that works with everything and can integrate with the front jacks on my motherboard/case, if that's possible. I'd like to keep it under 100, even under $60 if possible. But I want it to work, not have to figure out with bs drivers on vista 64 on some slow-ass, poorly managed website...thanks

 

[Atech]

Worst case I'd have to configure the card to be setup for 5 speakers, in a 5.1 setup, correct?

Yup, and that is hardly what I would call "worst case"...i would call it "configuring the setup correctly"

 

[Blakestr]

I was thinking about getting a HT Omega Striker...I read a bit on the search about how Vista64 may not want to get it or if you are using a 5.1 speaker setup? (It's not HT, it's just a cheapo logitech 5.1 setup for gaming..) But I am done with Creative Labs and don't want to use anything Asus (though I've heard good things about Xonar) due to my experiences with their onboard audio. No sir.

I am by no means an Audiophile...I can tell the difference between 128 and 192 kps but only if I am really paying attention. And even then it's barely. (I don't have the money to invest in super quality sound components, especially if the difference wouldn't be that noticeable.

Mainly, I just want it work in 5.1 (maybe 7.1 if I get some side speakers) in games. I would be nice if it would integrate with my USB microphone to do voice changing..but that is a seperate issue.

 

[djoye]

Not sure on this but I think the only way to do voice changing is by having the mic plugged into the sound card using an 1/8" connection. The sound card software would have to let you select a mic but good luck with that.

 

[tybert7]

http://www.google.com/products/cata...ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CB8Q8wIwAw#ps-sellers


/thread

 

[Blakestr]

http://www.google.com/products/cata...ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CB8Q8wIwAw#ps-sellers


/thread

Tell me that doesn't use the same software as onboard asus stufff....please tell me it doesn't use soundmax good God I hate that thing...

And if I am reading this right, that will do magicvoice with a USB mic?

 

[obobski]

honestly OP, you're complaining/whining about things that don't matter all that much
5.1 on a 7.1 card works AOK, you don't gain anything by having a 5.1 card with 5.1 speakers, period, the end.

Asus' soundcards have different drivers than onboard (because we're talking about Asus' own hardware, vs their adapted drivers for hardware from one of about a half dozen vendors (and I'm sure someone who needs a higher postcount will chime in and explain that AV200 is "just" a rebadged CMI8788, whatever))

Creative, well, I'd rather not get into that debate, because it will somehow end up at about the same level as a religious debate

honestly I'd suggest Auzen over anyone else, and go with either a C-Media based Auzen (like X-Raider or X-Studio or X-Plosion) or a Creative based Auzen (like X-Fi Forte), they have solid customer service, make a good quality product, and produce solid drivers (and yes, their Creative drivers are better than Creative's Creative drivers....I have no idea why Creative somehow manages to make a worse driver for their own custom designed ASIC, but they do)


http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/cards.php

Tell me that doesn't use the same software as onboard asus stufff....please tell me it doesn't use soundmax good God I hate that thing...

And if I am reading this right, that will do magicvoice with a USB mic?

SoundMax is an ADI product, not an Asus product, and the drivers are provided by ADI and adapted/modified by Asus
if theres an issue there, blame ADI

as far as USB mic -> soundcard, not afaik, yes you can use both, but actually feeding the USB mic into the soundcard, no, unless you've got a digital patchbay running, just get a real mic and solve that whole problem (USB has a great many uses, but audio should N-E-V-E-R be one of them)

 

[Sycraft]

These days if you want more than 2 channels (and even if you don't often) you get "7.1" components. For various reasons, the industry has just decided that 7.1 is what electronics have to be. Be it receivers or soundcards or whatever, any new, decent device is 7.1. However, you don't have to use the extra two channels, and indeed a great many people don't. In Windows and the soundcard config you just set it to 5.1. Works like a charm.

That's what I've got, I have a SB X-Fi which is 7.1, and a Denon receiver which is 7.1, but only 5 speakers. Both are just set to 5.1 mode and everything works just as it should.

 

[Blakestr]

SoundMax is an ADI product, not an Asus product, and the drivers are provided by ADI and adapted/modified by Asus
if theres an issue there, blame ADI

Yeah, but if you allow a crappy product to be used in your line, you are just as guilty IMO..

as far as USB mic -> soundcard, not afaik, yes you can use both, but actually feeding the USB mic into the soundcard, no, unless you've got a digital patchbay running, just get a real mic and solve that whole problem (USB has a great many uses, but audio should N-E-V-E-R be one of them)

It was a gift and I only use it for Skype or gaming...but I guess I need to pick up a basic mic then...

I might try the Auzentech too.

 

[obobski]

Yeah, but if you allow a crappy product to be used in your line, you are just as guilty IMO..

ok then have your moralistic debate, but I'm gonna tell you, I don't want in on it

if you don't like Asus for whatever reason, you aren't being obligated to purchase their gear, Auzen, HT Omega, Creative, Turtle Beach, M-Audio, Sondigo, and E-MU all produce alternatives

 

[echn111]

> Yeah, but if you allow a crappy product to be used in your line, you are just as guilty IMO..
People slag off companies for the most bizare reasons. After 5.3years (your account), you should know better.

ALL motherboard manufacturers use "less than premium" components for their onboard sound. Avoiding their products is rather silly. The use of cheap onboard sound components, whose main purpose is to be 'functional', bears no reflection on the quality of a company's standalone products.

Otherwise, feel free to avoid products from "crappy" manufacturers/distributors like Evga, BFG, XFX, Asus, Gigabyte (etc. etc. etc.). It's rather self-defeating as not only will you NOT improve sound quality, you'll have trouble even having a functional computer.

 

[Blakestr]

> Yeah, but if you allow a crappy product to be used in your line, you are just as guilty IMO..
People slag off companies for the most bizare reasons. After 5.3years (your account), you should know better.

ALL motherboard manufacturers use "less than premium" components for their onboard sound. Avoiding their products is rather silly. The use of cheap onboard sound components, whose main purpose is to be 'functional', bears no reflection on the quality of a company's standalone products.

Otherwise, feel free to avoid products from "crappy" manufacturers/distributors like Evga, BFG, XFX, Asus, Gigabyte (etc. etc. etc.). It's rather self-defeating as not only will you NOT improve sound quality, you'll have trouble even having a functional computer.

I misrepresented myself. My fear was that Asus used the same crappy software on their onboard on ALL of their soundcards. I'm not one of those jackasses out on a boycott quest, I just won't use their onboard audio anymore...