OnBoard vs Sound Card (Sound Quality)

enz660 · Oct 17, 2006

Currently, I am using onboard audio. Ive never had a sound card in my pc so I cant tell you that its good or bad becuase I have nothing to compare to. I just purchesed these headphones and they should be here either today or tomorrow

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836508101

My question is: Do I need a soundcard to experience the full quality of these headphones? Is my onboard good quality? I talked to someone about this and he said that you only really need a good soundcard when you are using 5.1 or 7.1 speakers, but for headphones the quality should be good. Is this true? If not and I need a card, can someone recommend me something that will put these headphones to good use? thanks.

freakdiablo · Oct 17, 2006

I dont really notice any difference between onboard and a low to mid range sound card. I only notice it with high end cards, like the creative labs xfi. Basically, sound cards are what i think one of the few components that are literaly all or nothing.

President! · Oct 17, 2006

In my experience, which is limited to two models of Audigy, and the onboard for a dell proprietary motherboard, and the onboard for an Asus p5e, I would have to agree with fd. I haven't used any high end cards, but as far as the difference between the cheaper cards and the onboard, my (untrained, I'll admit) ear couldn't detect even the slightest difference.

enz660 · Oct 17, 2006

can some1 please recommend me a sound card that would give out better quality than my onboard for this headset?

Slaps · Oct 17, 2006

enz660 said:
can some1 please recommend me a sound card that would give out better quality than my onboard for this headset?

Creative's X-Fi has worked wonders for me. I love it. Granted, i have a tuned ear, but i can notice a difference. If you wait still the 26th, most likely you will find it cheaper.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102188

enz660 · Oct 17, 2006

Slaps said:
Creative's X-Fi has worked wonders for me. I love it. Granted, i have a tuned ear, but i can notice a difference. If you wait still the 26th, most likely you will find it cheaper.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102188

christ thats expensive....anything cheaper than that?

Slaps · Oct 17, 2006

enz660 said:
christ thats expensive....anything cheaper than that?

Like i said, wait till the 26th, and i am sure you will find it cheaper. I got mine last year for $75.

doublejack · Oct 18, 2006

Buying a sound card is a waste for headphones imo. The issue with headphones is that they have a limited range anyway. It's at the top and bottom of the spectrum where a high end sound card really makes a difference, and those are ranges headphones just can't reach.

In fact, for many people there's not a noticeable difference between onboard sound and a sound card when listening through speakers. The number of people that can detect a difference through headphones is really, really small.

IMO, the folks who should buy good sound cards are the ones that can't stand to listen to MP3's because they can audibly hear the losses from compression. Not everyone has hearing that good.

klingens · Oct 18, 2006

Not everyone has hearing that good.

And not everyone has the speakers to take advantage of a good soundcard.

doublejack · Oct 18, 2006

klingens said:
And not everyone has the speakers to take advantage of a good soundcard.

Very true.

redrumy3 · Oct 18, 2006

better to have soundcard if you play games too. takes load off processor

doublejack · Oct 18, 2006

redrumy3 said:
better to have soundcard if you play games too. takes load off processor

Actually, many onboard sound solutions also include an APU - audio processing unit - that takes the load off the CPU. So that's not really an advantage of buying a sound card anymore.

ddoggma · Oct 18, 2006

Dont be fooled. Get a sound card.With onboard you risk hearing...mouse movements,hard drive activity,windows opening and closing,fan whirl. I heard most of these myself, with my ADI Soundmax O/B. I went out and got a "Audigy2 Value" for like $40.00 bucks. It was worth it. Better sound,better FPS,much better SNR.."its quite when its supposed to be quite" Get a sound card.

Daegon · Oct 18, 2006

if you have headphones or good speakers, you can easily tell the difference between onboard and a pci sound card. I know i can.
Get a cheap-o audigy 2, unless you need rediculous inputs for 7 million different devices, that'll do everything you need.

get a sound card.
and sennheisers.

enz660 · Oct 19, 2006

so what soundcard would put these HEADPHONES to good use? I will not be hooking up 7 speakers or anything else except a mic. Anyone?

Douken · Oct 19, 2006

freakdiablo said:
I dont really notice any difference between onboard and a low to mid range sound card. I only notice it with high end cards, like the creative labs xfi. Basically, sound cards are what i think one of the few components that are literaly all or nothing.

Slaps said:
Creative's X-Fi has worked wonders for me. I love it. Granted, i have a tuned ear, but i can notice a difference. If you wait still the 26th, most likely you will find it cheaper.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829102188

Douken's Sig said:
TriGem Intel 845GV | Celeron 2.5GHz Northwood S-478 | 2x512 Patriot DDR 333 | Radeon 9250 PCI |X-Fi Xtreme Music| WD 40GB

it doesn't matter if ur not using 7.1 systems

Creative said:
Gaming Mode
X-Fi CMSS-3D delivers an amazingly realistic surround sound experience with headphones.

Know exactly where your enemies are whether you're using headphones or speakers. You won't believe how good X-Fi CMSS-3D positional gaming audio is; in fact, it's so good you'll forget you're wearing headphones!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entertaiment Mode
Enjoy your stereo MP3s and movies in surround sound with X-Fi CMSS-3D technology. Instead of performing a basic upmixing of stereo content, the Creative X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity audio processor intelligently remixes the audio into surround sound to match the speaker system you have (including headphones).

denz_1 · Oct 19, 2006

Those Headphones are hardly audiophile, Just get them, if you are happy with the quality good for you
I noticed a big different when I use my Amp to drive my headphones insteed of my computer, this would make a far bigger difference than any soundcard

ddoggma · Oct 20, 2006

Denz is right. headphones will sound much better going thru some audio component with an amp in it.I run my Senns thru a Onkyo tapedeck. Just cause its sitting next to the computer. And the differance is noticable. But to get rid of that background noise I spoke of above you need a soundcard. Even then if you turn it up too loud or wrong, you can hear stuff. More so with cans than with speakers. Get a 20 dollor Mystic card or a Audgy 2 Value. Mines been great. I just loaded the drivers and the recorder for it and its been no problem. Even an old SBlive or a Phillips 702 or up would do a good job for your needs. I have a phillips702 in the LR puter and its sounds real good,better then a soundblaster Live. Eats a couple more CPU cycles then a SBlive and certainly my Audigy2. Going new. get the more modern card, going cheap get a ebay/used card...most will do ya.

PS: i dont have the phillips card running on XP. Its a win2000 computer. So I dont know if it works as good with XP. The newer cards have better driver support. I guess you should stick with them.

[SC]Ceasar · Oct 20, 2006

enz660 said:
christ thats expensive....anything cheaper than that?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102004

Its cheap and good, i have it and im very pleased with it.

Vipasnipa · Oct 20, 2006

Get an Chaintech AV-710 then use VIA's drivers. Its around $25 bucks but it has a high quality strereo out using 192KHz Wolfson DACs. Make sure your head phones are low impediance though, otherwise you'll need an amp.

*EDIT* Just looked at the link and those cans are 40 Ohms, which should be fine. I have never seen that brand before.

OnBoard vs Sound Card (Sound Quality)

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