Sound Card Recommendation and PS3 stuff

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XSNiper

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
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Hi,

I'm in the market for a new soundcard. I recently got a pair of Denon D2000 headphones and a Fiio E9 headphone amp, as well as the M-Audio AV40 speakers, so my Audigy 2 ZS doesn't cut it for me anymore, plus I'm looking for some more I/O ports so that I can run my PS3 to my PC to get sound out of my PC speakers. It's really late and I'm slightly confused on what I need to get in order to do what I want in a practical manner that isn't too costly, so bear with me.

Features I need
- High quality for music, I care about sound quality.
- It needs some way for me to connect my PS3's audio outs to it and output the audio through my speakers.*
- It needs to be under about $150-ish
- It needs to have good drivers for Windows 7 64-bit

*Now, if anyone has any recommendations of a different way to get the PS3's audio to come out of my AV40's without having to physically switch the RCA cables from my PC and PS3, please let me know. (Basically, I want a damn good sound card but I also want to be able to quickly switch my Monitor and Speakers between my PS3 and the PC.) (The AV40's have RCA inputs btw)
 
You just need a card with a digital input. Then your console inputs to the sound card digitally (optical or coax), it gets made analog and put out to your AV40s. Most of the options for this seem to be PCI cards, most of the PCIe ones seem to be low profile cards and I guess digital inputs are one of the things that got chopped. If you can deal with a PCI card, the AuzenTech X-MERIDIAN 7.1 is a good sounding card, and has an optical input. It uses the C-Media control panel same as my Sondigo Inferno, you just enable the S/PDIF input and everything that gets input digitally gets output analog. It will decode 5.1 Dolby streams into the appropriate surround speakers if you have them connected, or downmix to stereo if you're only using a 2 channel setup. I think they can be had for around $125 now, and the sound quality will crap all over the Audigy 2ZS.

Dustin
 
XSNiper said:
*Now, if anyone has any recommendations of a different way to get the PS3's audio to come out of my AV40's without having to physically switch the RCA cables from my PC and PS3, please let me know. (Basically, I want a damn good sound card but I also want to be able to quickly switch my Monitor and Speakers between my PS3 and the PC.) (The AV40's have RCA inputs btw)
Click to expand...

Assuming you can easily get analog out of the PS3, look for a 2-4 channel stereo(key word) line mixer. Nominally, the types of jacks on the line mixer don't matter, so long as you use the correct cables.
 
you dont need to route the PS3 through your sound card...and you also dont want to connect it straight up the AV40s.
what you need is an analog source selector:
problem is, you want one that is high quality in its internals so that not going to ruin the quality of the sound. it should be transparent
http://www.onecall.com/product/Niles/AXP-1-Black/Switcher/_/R-861
you want to go PC + PS3 >> source selector >> Fiio >> AV40s (on pre out jack) + headphones.

i think a xonar DX would be a good sound card for you.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132006

However, basically your av40s are meant to be used behind a pre amp or mixing board...
thats why they dont have multiple inputs or a volume control.
if you had a pre amp it could handle the input switching for your PS3 (as well as the valuable volume control)

if you can stretch and get a maverick D1, it will do everything you want it to do, maybe you can sell the E9.
a) tube pre amp for your av40s
b) usb sound card/dac
c) solid state headphone amp
d) source selector.

if you did not already have the E9 i would strongly suggest the Mav D1.
http://www.mav-audio.com/base/product/tube_magic_d1
 
Last edited:
AV40s have a volume control on the front. If OP wants to go all analog and stereo only, a simple A/B source switcher would be ample. Even a Y cable would probably do the job, but may or may not cause input impedance issues on the speakers.
 
ah i did not know that. either way the E9s do have a pre out....
but the problem is not the simplicity of the source switcher, but the transparency.
 
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