Bother with sound card?

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
  • shovenose
    Send Doge Memes
    • Aug 2010
    • 6575
    • USA
    #1

    Bother with sound card?

    Quick question...

    I just got a nice Sony MHC-881 sound system. Connected my PC to the AUX IN port. I'm running it out of the headphones port. It's a windows XP Core 2 Duo machine. It sounds pretty darn nice, but I'm wondering if using a PCI sound card would make it sound better. The integrated one is a VIA chip.
    Or if a better headphones to aux in adapter cable would be worth it?
    Thanks.
    PS: Pandora is the most awesome thing ever xD
    Tags: None
    • c_hegge
      Badcaps Legend
      • Sep 2009
      • 5219
      • Australia
      #2
      Re: Bother with sound card?

      I doubt it. I once had a creative X-Fi in my main PC. I didn't sound much different to the integrated realtek sound and it made flight sim X crash randomly (the program, that is, not the plane I was flying).
      I love putting bad caps and flat batteries in fire and watching them explode!!

      No wonder it doesn't work! You installed the jumper wires backwards

      Main PC: Core i7 3770K 3.5GHz, Gigabyte GA-Z77M-D3H-MVP, 8GB Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600, 240GB Intel 335 Series SSD, 750GB WD HDD, Sony Optiarc DVD RW, Palit nVidia GTX660 Ti, CoolerMaster N200 Case, Delta DPS-600MB 600W PSU, Hauppauge TV Tuner, Windows 7 Home Premium

      Office PC: HP ProLiant ML150 G3, 2x Xeon E5335 2GHz, 4GB DDR2 RAM, 120GB Intel 530 SSD, 2x 250GB HDD, 2x 450GB 15K SAS HDD in RAID 1, 1x 2TB HDD, nVidia 8400GS, Delta DPS-650BB 650W PSU, Windows 7 Pro

        Comment

        • shovenose
          Send Doge Memes
          • Aug 2010
          • 6575
          • USA
          #3
          Re: Bother with sound card?

          OK.
          Thanks c_hegge.
          I thought that's the answer I would get.

            Comment

            • ipman
              Senior Member
              • Jul 2011
              • 159
              #4
              Re: Bother with sound card?

              You will get some better quality with high-end sound cards like M-audio, but that depends on your budget.

                Comment

                • shovenose
                  Send Doge Memes
                  • Aug 2010
                  • 6575
                  • USA
                  #5
                  Re: Bother with sound card?

                  Well my sound card that is a Sound Blaster Live... low budget old one.

                    Comment

                    • ipman
                      Senior Member
                      • Jul 2011
                      • 159
                      #6
                      Re: Bother with sound card?

                      Not much to gain then.

                        Comment

                        • dood
                          Deputy dood
                          • Mar 2004
                          • 2462
                          • USA
                          #7
                          Re: Bother with sound card?

                          The biggest difference is reducing the amount of noise you get from other components on the board. If you're not hearing static or noise when moving the mouse, etc, you should be fine. I had a mobo once that would make a faint squeal through the speakers whenever you moved the mouse. Very annoying, but fixed with a PCI sound card.
                          Ludicrous gibs!

                            Comment

                            • shovenose
                              Send Doge Memes
                              • Aug 2010
                              • 6575
                              • USA
                              #8
                              Re: Bother with sound card?

                              I will try to listen for that next time. But I have a wireless USB mouse running off the front USB ports so IDK. Thanks!

                                Comment

                                • Agent24
                                  I see dead caps
                                  • Oct 2007
                                  • 4953
                                  • New Zealand
                                  #9
                                  Re: Bother with sound card?

                                  If you want something pretty good go with something that uses C-Media Oxygen chipset.

                                  However, if you think your current setup sounds "pretty damn nice" I wouldn't bother. Unless you're an audiophile type guy or something.
                                  "Tantalum for the brave, Solid Aluminium for the wise, Wet Electrolytic for the adventurous"
                                  -David VanHorn

                                    Comment

                                    • shovenose
                                      Send Doge Memes
                                      • Aug 2010
                                      • 6575
                                      • USA
                                      #10
                                      Re: Bother with sound card?

                                      The two options here are:
                                      1. VIA Integrated Audio
                                      2. PCI Sound Blaster Live!

                                      I'm using #1 and it sounds fine, just curious if there was a noticeable improvmement if I switched to #2? But it sounds like (pun intended) I shouldn't bother with the PCI sound card.

                                        Comment

                                        • Agent24
                                          I see dead caps
                                          • Oct 2007
                                          • 4953
                                          • New Zealand
                                          #11
                                          Re: Bother with sound card?

                                          Most likely a waste of time. But then, if you never try it, you'll never know...
                                          "Tantalum for the brave, Solid Aluminium for the wise, Wet Electrolytic for the adventurous"
                                          -David VanHorn

                                            Comment

                                            • shovenose
                                              Send Doge Memes
                                              • Aug 2010
                                              • 6575
                                              • USA
                                              #12
                                              Re: Bother with sound card?

                                              Haha good point...maybe I will try it tomorrow :P

                                                Comment

                                                • toastygoodness
                                                  Badcaps Veteran
                                                  • Jul 2005
                                                  • 813
                                                  • United States
                                                  #13
                                                  Re: Bother with sound card?

                                                  it won't be much better unless its some kind of balanced output or line out (usually you try to avoid any gain from the sound card to before the amp cause then noise comes in from the el-cheapo sound card). But in all honesty, if you can't hear it, don't bother, because you will end up wasting time and money.

                                                  believe me. i went the audio upgrade route (basically i got monitors just for music production, and that was pretty much it), started hearing differences in recordings i had, and now i can't stop buying new audio hardware (or at least wishing i had new hardware) and it forces you to buy CDs or search for FLACs.... >.> it's becoming a super expensive hobby.

                                                    Comment

                                                    • Agent24
                                                      I see dead caps
                                                      • Oct 2007
                                                      • 4953
                                                      • New Zealand
                                                      #14
                                                      Re: Bother with sound card?

                                                      'Once you go FLAC, you won't go back'
                                                      "Tantalum for the brave, Solid Aluminium for the wise, Wet Electrolytic for the adventurous"
                                                      -David VanHorn

                                                        Comment

                                                        • shovenose
                                                          Send Doge Memes
                                                          • Aug 2010
                                                          • 6575
                                                          • USA
                                                          #15
                                                          Re: Bother with sound card?

                                                          WTF is a FLAC? lol.

                                                            Comment

                                                            • toastygoodness
                                                              Badcaps Veteran
                                                              • Jul 2005
                                                              • 813
                                                              • United States
                                                              #16
                                                              Re: Bother with sound card?

                                                              something lossless audio....

                                                              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLAC should work i hope.... i usually just type in wiki links like that lol....

                                                                Comment

                                                                • toastygoodness
                                                                  Badcaps Veteran
                                                                  • Jul 2005
                                                                  • 813
                                                                  • United States
                                                                  #17
                                                                  Re: Bother with sound card?

                                                                  Originally posted by Agent24
                                                                  'Once you go FLAC, you won't go back'
                                                                  SO TRUE. It's a frickin' disaster lol...

                                                                    Comment

                                                                    • Uranium-235
                                                                      Comrade Glimmer
                                                                      • Aug 2007
                                                                      • 5042
                                                                      • US
                                                                      #18
                                                                      Re: Bother with sound card?

                                                                      If you already HAVE the card, I say go for it. If you didn't have the card, I would say don't bother.

                                                                      only reason I go for external audio cards is for gaming, and have 2 PCI-E F1talities die on me, I only used them for the Dolby live spdif encoding
                                                                      Cap Datasheet Depot: http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/
                                                                      ^If you have datasheets not listed PM me

                                                                        Comment

                                                                        • turbozutek
                                                                          Senior Member
                                                                          • Jan 2009
                                                                          • 71
                                                                          #19
                                                                          Re: Bother with sound card?

                                                                          Via make some pretty nice audio chip-sets actually. I'd say a modern Via would cane an older Sound Blaster in most regards.

                                                                            Comment

                                                                            • toastygoodness
                                                                              Badcaps Veteran
                                                                              • Jul 2005
                                                                              • 813
                                                                              • United States
                                                                              #20
                                                                              Re: Bother with sound card?

                                                                              Originally posted by turbozutek
                                                                              Via make some pretty nice audio chip-sets actually. I'd say a modern Via would cane an older Sound Blaster in most regards.
                                                                              yeah, they really turned things around with the Envy 24. If your integrated ones aren't even on par with that, you might as well get one, since those usually run around $15, decently. It's better than the $400 i keep paying for audio interfaces lol, but that's a different story.

                                                                                Comment

                                                                                Previous 1 2 template Next

                                                                                Related Topics

                                                                                Collapse
                                                                                • Christos Tsiligiannis
                                                                                  Marian Trace Alpha sound card repair help
                                                                                  by Christos Tsiligiannis
                                                                                  Hello to the forum.

                                                                                  My name is Christos, I am new to the forum here and i am posting from Greece.

                                                                                  So i have this old German sound card from Marian, called Trace Alpha. To be exact i have 2 of them and i use them professionally for my small FM radio station here. The first one works like a charm, but the second one does not work at all.

                                                                                  To be more specific in the same exact pc with windows 7 (i even tried 32bit) the one works while the other doesn't.

                                                                                  So i tried asking for a schematic from the company and they would not give me one. Instead they...
                                                                                  11-18-2024, 05:26 AM
                                                                                • FZG
                                                                                  EVGA Nu Audio Sound Card - Not Working
                                                                                  by FZG
                                                                                  I have an EVGA Nu Audio sound card that is not working properly and I need some help diagnosing the fault (preferably by someone who owns this card and is willing to take some measurements).

                                                                                  The card sort of powers up (LED lights are coming on and the relais is clicking, some voltages are present) but it is not detected in Windows. I tried installing in two different PCs and tried several driver versions but the card was never detected anyway. So I thought this is probably not a driver / software-issue and then disassembled the card to take some measurements.

                                                                                  I found...
                                                                                  03-07-2025, 11:44 AM
                                                                                • paparazzo79
                                                                                  sound card dead after graphics card installation
                                                                                  by paparazzo79
                                                                                  Hi guys.I own Z690 F Strix board in one of my PCs....everything was working fine with integrated graphics card.I turned off power from it, installed graphics card from another PC, connected all the peripheral cables, optical sound cable of course when everything was switched off.Then I powered on the machine and integrated soundcard is dead.How did this manage to happen and if there is a way to diagnose and replace damaged component?
                                                                                  The new pci-e soundcard costs here 80 euros which is half of money I spent on motherboard.
                                                                                  I still can not believe that I am such a looser and don't know...
                                                                                  07-23-2024, 12:22 PM
                                                                                • alpersen
                                                                                  Modding, adding usb/c audio pcb to laptop with faulty sound card/chip, Lenovo L340
                                                                                  by alpersen
                                                                                  Hello
                                                                                  After months of trying I gave up my laptops sound card. I plan to solder a sound card on pcb inside my laptops case, probably connecting to usb ports inside. Do anyone has an experience to recommend pcb type audio/sound card suitable installing inside a laptop? Probably should have some type of amplifier for connecting to internal speakers ( speakers ).

                                                                                  Thank you
                                                                                  11-19-2023, 09:34 AM
                                                                                • LEECH666
                                                                                  Grundig Vision 9 37 9880 T USB (Chassis SR) TV Repair Help - Distorted Subwoofer Sound and overall weird sound waveforms
                                                                                  by LEECH666
                                                                                  Good day ladies and gentleman!

                                                                                  I am currently trying to repair a Grundig Vision 9 37 9880 T USB LCD TV for a friend that has a weird audio problem. Basically everything works fine except for the heavily distorted sound when the Subwoofer module is connected and there is a buzzing sound coming from the PSU PCB.

                                                                                  This seems to be a rather rare TV so there is not much prior on topic help to be found however a service manual is available at the usual sources (Electro Tanya i.e.).

                                                                                  I think the PSU buzzing comes from one of the coils near the bridge rectifier but...
                                                                                  01-19-2024, 05:46 PM
                                                                                • Loading...
                                                                                • No more items.
                                                                                Working...