Sound Card Opinions.

[ThePunkGeek]

I need a sound card!
i have inspire 5.1 speakers witch sound pretty good but my current sound card is only a live! value (4.1 card)

so i need atleast 5.1

i would go cheep and get a sb live 5.1 but i don't really wanna go cheep.

i am thinking between these
all prices are cnd
- ome augidy (99) what are the real differences
- audigy mp3+ retail (150) between these?

- audigy platium (300)
- audigy 2... (not sure) whats the differences between these

any help or advice would be helpful thanks.

 

[FunkDaMonkMan]

Did they make different versions of the live value? because I have a live! value card with those same speakers, and at first i thought that it was only 4.1, then i plugged the center channel wire into what appeared to be the wrong port, and it worked! the center channel doesn't work with winamp, just 5.1 encoded movies and such. You can use the tester that comes with the drivers to see if you can get your center channel to work.

I'm prolly way off here tho, because you probably just bought a 4.1 card.

 

[funnyperson1]

i know dissolved is selling an Audigy for 65$ in the classifieds....seeing as you have a via chipset though it may be a better idea to be safe and get a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz

 

[Johnny Knoxville]

The Turtle beach santa cruz rocks, i would get either that or wait for the audigy 2, altough i hate creative with their bloated drivers.

 

[repo man11]

I haven't priced one out lately, but I've been very happy with my Phillips PSC706. Here is a review www.active-hardware.com/english/reviews/soundcards/psc706.htm

 

[BaldHeadedDork]

The only difference between the OEM Audigy and the MP3/Gamer versions is the bonus software bundled with the retail cards. The hardware and drivers are identical.

The Audigy Platnium has a break-out box to mount in an empty 5.25" bay. This has volume and tone controls, along with ports to plug in your joystick. I don't think this is worth the money they charge for it, but some people do. Again, the hardware and drivers are the same.

There is also a new Extigy model. One more time, same chipset and drivers. But this time its mounted in a stand-alone box that connects to your computer via a USB cable. Never mind that running anything on a USB port turns it into a resource hog. Why anyone would pay six times the price of a Audigy OEM card is a mystery to me, but its a free country.

The Audigy 2 is the new soundcard chipset coming from Creative sometime. For all the jingo and jargon, it takes a really, really good ear to detect any difference in sound quality between succeeding generations of sound cards. I've personally never met anyone who could tell the difference between and Audigy and SB Live by ear alone. So Creative has a new card coming, but I see no reason to put off buying one now for it.

Newegg has the Audigy OEM for $60. They also have the Live 5.1 for $34. Twenty-six bucks ain't much, but I like it better in my pocket, anyway.


Funk-

Creative had two releases of the SB Live. The original card was a 4.1, then they released a 5.1 model a year or so before the Audigy came online.



BHD

 

[FunkDaMonkMan]

Funk-

Creative had two releases of the SB Live. The original card was a 4.1, then they released a 5.1 model a year or so before the Audigy came online.



BHD

ok thanx... i thought i was prolly wrong

 

[ThePunkGeek]

Did they make different versions of the live value? because I have a live! value card with those same speakers, and at first i thought that it was only 4.1, then i plugged the center channel wire into what appeared to be the wrong port, and it worked! the center channel doesn't work with winamp, just 5.1 encoded movies and such. You can use the tester that comes with the drivers to see if you can get your center channel to work.

I'm prolly way off here tho, because you probably just bought a 4.1 card.

it could be a live 5.1.
maybe i will install the drivers and find out tho thanks.

 

[ThePunkGeek]

The only difference between the OEM Audigy and the MP3/Gamer versions is the bonus software bundled with the retail cards. The hardware and drivers are identical.

The Audigy Platnium has a break-out box to mount in an empty 5.25" bay. This has volume and tone controls, along with ports to plug in your joystick. I don't think this is worth the money they charge for it, but some people do. Again, the hardware and drivers are the same.

There is also a new Extigy model. One more time, same chipset and drivers. But this time its mounted in a stand-alone box that connects to your computer via a USB cable. Never mind that running anything on a USB port turns it into a resource hog. Why anyone would pay six times the price of a Audigy OEM card is a mystery to me, but its a free country.

The Audigy 2 is the new soundcard chipset coming from Creative sometime. For all the jingo and jargon, it takes a really, really good ear to detect any difference in sound quality between succeeding generations of sound cards. I've personally never met anyone who could tell the difference between and Audigy and SB Live by ear alone. So Creative has a new card coming, but I see no reason to put off buying one now for it.

Newegg has the Audigy OEM for $60. They also have the Live 5.1 for $34. Twenty-six bucks ain't much, but I like it better in my pocket, anyway.


Funk-

Creative had two releases of the SB Live. The original card was a 4.1, then they released a 5.1 model a year or so before the Audigy came online.



BHD

1 thing i really wanna know is the audigy 5.1 or does it support 6 channel?

thanks for all the help it looks like i will buy the oem audigy or Turtle Beach Santa Cruz not sure witch tho

 

[skahtul]

Audigy2 is THX certified. It is also supports 6.1 surround speaker setup. Oh, and there is this from Creative Labs,

" Multiple 24-bit/192kHz DACs for ultra-quiet 106dB SNR
The premium quality 24-bit/192kHz DACs and improved audio path of the new Audigy 2 chip ensure hiss-free audio fidelity and exceptional clarity with a spectacular Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of 106dB surpassing most high-end home stereo equipment. "

 

[ThePunkGeek]

thanks for that but what about audigy1

 

[skahtul]

thanks for that but what about audigy1

Most of the cards listed above (including the regular Audigy) support 6 channel. 5.1 is a six channel setup, 5 surround speakers and a subwoofer chanel = 6. The Audigy2 actually supports 7 channels, 6 surround + 1 subwoofer (or more) = 7 chanels. They only reason i would suggest the sound blaster is it is more supported by game developers then most others. Take for instance the HD Advanced features in all of the Audigy line ups. There are sound patches available for games such as Jedi Knight Outcast that REALLY make a differance. Creative has gone through and re-made many of the older Unreal Torunament levels to improve sound. And also something really cool if you haven't seen the New Unreal Tournament, IT IS ENCODED IN DOLBY DIGITAL, WOW!!