Good 5.1 Sound card for $30?

Twigglish · 05-08-09, 01:25 PM

Anyone know of one? I'm not big into sound cards, and really don't know what I'm looking for.
Right now I'm using onboard on my Asus P5B Deluxe

Aynjell · 05-08-09, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twigglish

Anyone know of one? I'm not big into sound cards, and really don't know what I'm looking for.
Right now I'm using onboard on my Asus P5B Deluxe

Not for 30$. What OS do you use?

pejsaboy · 05-08-09, 06:47 PM

I'm going to keep an eye on this thread. I've never been sold on the idea of a sound card, especially when I've seen some that cost more than any of the video cards I've bought

That said, I've been more and more interested in what they can offer lately since people seem to swear by them even for simple gaming use.

MongGrel · 05-08-09, 11:10 PM

To be honest I doubt the words "good 5.1" "soundcard" and "30$" together exist.

This about the best thing I could think of for something good and affordable, I'm using it's big brother for sound for movies etc.

Hmm guess that was discontinued. Forte then I'd say.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156010&Tpk=Auzentech%20 Forte

That or a Auzentech Forte that's mid range, unless you want SB built crap, haven't used SB in probably 10 years myself. Least anything they put on a PCB, most Auzentech's have a SB chip.

I'd think the Asus onboard would be better than most 40$ soundcards personally.

A-Dub · 05-09-09, 01:50 AM

DO NOT buy this sound card, my on board audio sounded much better.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...37;20IC-710012

Twigglish · 05-10-09, 11:17 AM

I don't mean for EXACTLY $30. I guess i should have emphasized the word CHEAP and not an actual price.

Also, using XP.

Whisky · 05-10-09, 01:17 PM

look into the audigy series offerings

MadMan007 · 05-10-09, 01:31 PM

A used X-Fi xtrememusic might do well. I think you'll get the most for your money used unless there's some hot deal sale, otherwise most <$40 soundcards aren't great. *Maybe this one isn't bad? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829126006

A-Dub · 05-10-09, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whisky

look into the audigy series offerings

I agree, I have an old audigy in my HTPC and it performs quite well. I paid around $40-$50 for it and I am very happy with it.

Aynjell · 05-10-09, 03:05 PM

Audigy 2 ZS for XP, X-Fi Titanium for Windows Vista and beyond, at this point.

BobbyBubblehead · 05-10-09, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MongGrel

To be honest I doubt the words "good 5.1" "soundcard" and "30$" together exist.

Hitting the nail firmly and squarely... gave me a bit of a belly laugh.
7 out of 10 for funny, 8 for directness.
harmless.
Like it.

I tried 5.1 once but four amps and a room full of speakers & 100ft of trip wire later with standing room only... I gave it a miss.
(only have two ears anyway #Grins#)

I`ll get me coat....

later.

Twigglish · 05-10-09, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aynjell

Audigy 2 ZS for XP...

Having trouble finding that for less than $90... Know of a place selling them?

Twigglish · 05-10-09, 04:52 PM

Would my options change at all if I was looking for a 2.1 instead?

Freezer7Pro · 05-11-09, 05:04 AM

Not really. All the decent cards cost a buck.

Aynjell · 05-11-09, 07:38 AM

Alternatively you can be an SB-Live, I recall them not sucking back in the day. And they sold for about 30$ at wally world.

Mr. Roboto · 05-13-09, 07:12 PM

What are you hooking this up to for speakers? If it's a receiver, just use the SPDIF out on your motherboard now.

Depends on what 5.1 sources you'll be playing, too.

Rattle · 05-13-09, 07:51 PM

i got a xtreme music 7.1 for sale in the classies. nice card Never had an issue, used mainly for gaming and music, in xp, vista 64 and w7 it worked great for me.

Quailane · 05-18-09, 03:25 PM

Look on ebay for the X-Fi xtreme audio in PCI or PCI-E for crazy cheap. Nor really an X-Fi and not even an Audigy because it doesn't really do much of any audio processing on the card itself but it is what you are looking for. For $19 shipped it can't be beat.

05-08-09, 01:25 PM	Thread Starter #1
Twigglish Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Clarksville, TN	Good 5.1 Sound card for $30? Anyone know of one? I'm not big into sound cards, and really don't know what I'm looking for. Right now I'm using onboard on my Asus P5B Deluxe __________________ STEELERS BABY IX X GOT 6? XIII XIV WE DO XL XLIII I.M.O.G.: I'm sorry to inform you that your sig violates forum rules. Due to obscene, and frankly ugly, choices of colors you must change this. I suggest brown and orange perhaps. lol JK... Congratulations on your season. Greetings from Cleveland, the home of "There's always next year". cw823: I think you need to edit your sig, this could finally be a year for a Cleveland team. Go Cavs!
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05-08-09, 06:47 PM	#3
pejsaboy Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: nor-cal	I'm going to keep an eye on this thread. I've never been sold on the idea of a sound card, especially when I've seen some that cost more than any of the video cards I've bought That said, I've been more and more interested in what they can offer lately since people seem to swear by them even for simple gaming use. __________________ Sunbeam Transformer Full Tower GA-EP45-UD3P, Q9400 R0 -> 3.6ghz 2x2Gb G. Skill 1066, Kingwin RVT 12025 Sapphire HD4870 1Gb, Vista Home Premium x64 Acer AL2216W, Acer X203W ASUS Eee PC 1001PX-EU17-BK Xbox 360 60Gb XBL! Gamertag - pejsaboy Sanyo 46" 1080p
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05-08-09, 11:10 PM	#4
MongGrel Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Clearwater FL	To be honest I doubt the words "good 5.1" "soundcard" and "30$" together exist. This about the best thing I could think of for something good and affordable, I'm using it's big brother for sound for movies etc. Hmm guess that was discontinued. Forte then I'd say. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156010&Tpk=Auzentech%20 Forte That or a Auzentech Forte that's mid range, unless you want SB built crap, haven't used SB in probably 10 years myself. Least anything they put on a PCB, most Auzentech's have a SB chip. I'd think the Asus onboard would be better than most 40$ soundcards personally. __________________ Mong Grel Varying Amounts of Electronic Fun Type Thingies ASUS P6T7 Bios 1001 / Intel i7 920 D0 @ 3.8 Ghz TRUE120Copper 2 X Noctua NF-P12 Push Pull Corsair Dominator 3 X 2G DDR3-1600 2 X EVGA GTX 260 216 SLI / Olevia 747i 47" 1080P WD Caviar Black 500GB(O/S) 2 X Raptor AFDF150 Matrix RAID0 (pagefile) Areca 1210 IOP333 RAID 6 / 4 X 1Tb WD RE3's (storage) Antec 1200 Artic Cool & Noctua fans/Antec CP-850 PSU Win 7 Pro 64/PotPlayer X64 cloned to Olevia747i 1080P 5.1 Theater to oddball 600W Dual Amp system Last edited by MongGrel; 05-17-09 at 04:54 PM.
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05-09-09, 01:50 AM	#5
A-Dub Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Arizona	DO NOT buy this sound card, my on board audio sounded much better. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...37;20IC-710012
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05-10-09, 11:17 AM	Thread Starter #6
Twigglish Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Clarksville, TN	I don't mean for EXACTLY $30. I guess i should have emphasized the word CHEAP and not an actual price. Also, using XP. __________________ STEELERS BABY IX X GOT 6? XIII XIV WE DO XL XLIII I.M.O.G.: I'm sorry to inform you that your sig violates forum rules. Due to obscene, and frankly ugly, choices of colors you must change this. I suggest brown and orange perhaps. lol JK... Congratulations on your season. Greetings from Cleveland, the home of "There's always next year". cw823: I think you need to edit your sig, this could finally be a year for a Cleveland team. Go Cavs!
	QUOTE Thanks

Good 5.1 Sound card for $30?

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05-10-09, 01:17 PM	#7
Whisky Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Auckland, NZ	look into the audigy series offerings __________________ Case - Foxconn 38*C Power - Corsair TX750W MoBo - ASUS P5E X-38-Rampage Flash 902 CPU - Q9550 @ 3.66 on Zalman 9700 GFX - Sapphire Toxic 4870 512mb RAM - 4x1GB Kingston HyperX CAS4 DDR2-1066 O/S - Windows 7 Enterprise x64 Monitor - Samsung B2330 Speakers - Turtle Beach HPA2 on X-Fi Titanium
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05-10-09, 01:31 PM	#8
MadMan007 Magical Leopluridon Senior Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: in a magical field	A used X-Fi xtrememusic might do well. I think you'll get the most for your money used unless there's some hot deal sale, otherwise most <$40 soundcards aren't great. Maybe this one isn't bad? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829126006 __________________ There are three sides to any argument - side A, side B, and the Truth "This had better be frikkin' important. Is the meadow on fire?"*
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05-10-09, 03:05 PM	#10
Aynjell Member Join Date: Dec 2008	Audigy 2 ZS for XP, X-Fi Titanium for Windows Vista and beyond, at this point. __________________ Do not break wind in the same room as a dark brother or sister; to do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis. - Aynjell, in fond memory of Lucien LeChance
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05-10-09, 04:52 PM	Thread Starter #13
Twigglish Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Clarksville, TN	Would my options change at all if I was looking for a 2.1 instead? __________________ STEELERS BABY IX X GOT 6? XIII XIV WE DO XL XLIII I.M.O.G.: I'm sorry to inform you that your sig violates forum rules. Due to obscene, and frankly ugly, choices of colors you must change this. I suggest brown and orange perhaps. lol JK... Congratulations on your season. Greetings from Cleveland, the home of "There's always next year". cw823: I think you need to edit your sig, this could finally be a year for a Cleveland team. Go Cavs!
	QUOTE Thanks

05-11-09, 05:04 AM	#14
Freezer7Pro Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: FINLAND. EVERYTHING IS EXPENSIVE HERE.	Not really. All the decent cards cost a buck. __________________ E7400 4GHz 1.4V GTX260 c216 730 Core 1458 Shader 2430 RAM 4GB 800MHz XMS2 4-4-4-12 ASUS P5Q Pro Xigmatek HDT1283 Xonar DX Samsung Spinpoint F1 320GB I fold in honor of those who fight the same deadly battles as my uncle Peter Flinck once did. May he rest in peace.
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05-11-09, 07:38 AM	#15
Aynjell Member Join Date: Dec 2008	Alternatively you can be an SB-Live, I recall them not sucking back in the day. And they sold for about 30$ at wally world. __________________ Do not break wind in the same room as a dark brother or sister; to do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis. - Aynjell, in fond memory of Lucien LeChance
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05-13-09, 07:12 PM	#16
Mr. Roboto Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Boston, MA	What are you hooking this up to for speakers? If it's a receiver, just use the SPDIF out on your motherboard now. Depends on what 5.1 sources you'll be playing, too. __________________ Main Rig: e8400 l ASUS P5K Deluxe l G.Skill 4GB HZ's l GTX 280 l 2x320gb 7200.10 Raid 0 l X-FI Platinum l CM Stacker 830 l OCZ 700W GameXtreme l Logitech z-5500's l G5 l Saitek Eclipse II l 2 x 2407 WFP HTPC:P4 2.8 l 1.5GB ram l 7600GS l HVR-1600 l 400gb raid 0 l Audigy 1 l Coolermaster 280 l 37" Olevia Heat
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05-13-09, 07:51 PM	#17
Rattle Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Home... again	i got a xtreme music 7.1 for sale in the classies. nice card Never had an issue, used mainly for gaming and music, in xp, vista 64 and w7 it worked great for me. __________________ M5G \| 2600k @ 4.5 \| H100 \| 16gb Sammy 30nm 1866 \| GTX680 Sig SC \| Xonar Essence Stx \| 550d \| 900w HCG \| VG24QE \| 120forceGT \| 640black \| 2tb \| CherryReds \| m60 \| Func1030 \| HEAT
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05-18-09, 03:25 PM	#18
Quailane Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Who stole my white stars?	Look on ebay for the X-Fi xtreme audio in PCI or PCI-E for crazy cheap. Nor really an X-Fi and not even an Audigy because it doesn't really do much of any audio processing on the card itself but it is what you are looking for. For $19 shipped it can't be beat. __________________ I DRIVE A HYUNDAI AND I'M PROUD OF IT!
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