Does a better soundcard help out at all?

N

Naldo

2[H]4U
Joined
Jul 7, 2001
Messages
3,739
One of my buddies got a new souncard today (Audigy 2 Z-something) and i went over to give it a listen. I use the integrated sound on my motherboard. We have the same set of speakers aswell. Anyways, I took a CD over to his room to test it out and both he and I swear it sounds exactly the same on both our PC's. I figured maybe it was because the CD was made from mp3 so the quality might not be as good, so I brought my IASCA competition CD over, which I know is good quality, and it still sounded the same on both computers.

Now I was under the assumption that a better soundcard was supposed to improve sound quality. Do they not have any affect on Music? I was thinking about upgrading mine, but after hearing these results it doesnt seem worth it.
 
It does help out some, but one of the main reasons people buy add-on soundcards is to take the load of sound processing away from the CPU and place them on the proc on the sound card. However, as CPUs become more capable, it seems sound cards may drift the way of ISA ports.
 
kpedge said:
It does help out some, but one of the main reasons people buy add-on soundcards is to take the load of sound processing away from the CPU and place them on the proc on the sound card. However, as CPUs become more capable, it seems sound cards may drift the way of ISA ports.
Click to expand...

and some of us want sound that dosent sound like ass :p

anyway, are you using digital for the CD or letting the cdrom send analog audio into the sound card? if your using the analog cable then yes they should sound exactly the same...

the Audigy 2 isnt exactly the end-all of quality but it should definately be better than an onboard cmedia card...

what kind of speakers are you guys using?
 
yes. they should sound different but aren't there some soundcards that don't have bit-perfect digital out?
anyway, it is possible that the speakers you're using aren't of any significant quality to reveal the difference in soundcards.

anyway, my setup includes the EMU 1212M whose sound I really dig. I felt guilty after spending $200 on this soundcard but after listening to some music through it I felt completely justified and happy.
 
in order to properly compare, you should play them both in the same room with less than 10 seconds of dead air between samples. Auditory memory is notoriously brief. In fact, the gold standard of audio comparison is an ABX scheme, where you play sample A, sample B, and a randomly determined sample A or B.
 
but one of the main reasons people buy add-on soundcards is to take the load of sound processing away from the CPU and place them on the proc on the sound card.
Click to expand...
Wrong.. it's all about the quality dude, not something as silly as FPS. :)
 
kpedge said:
...However, as CPUs become more capable, it seems sound cards may drift the way of ISA ports.
Click to expand...

Ya right, just like those video cards! Ok, I am holding my breath right now. :mad:
[mmuurrphhh] :(
 
Mister X said:
Wrong.. it's all about the quality dude, not something as silly as FPS. :)
Click to expand...

I know it's about sound quality "dude", but an important side benefit IS taking away sound chores from the CPU-dependent onboard sound- this is important for FPS, for video editing, or basically anything that requires the use of a...processor.
 
Are you using didgital output? They should sound exactly the same when listening to a CD using digital out.
Perhaps it's just the speakers. You both have the same speakers right? What kind are they? You might think about upgrading your speakers instead. Any sound card hooked up to my cheap PC speakers is going to sound worse than your integrated would hooked up to, say, the reciever and tower speakers I've got in the living room. That said, I don't really care as all I really use the PC speakers for is games. I do most of my music listening at me desk in the cube farm at the office.
 
as other people have said, it depends on the output quality of the amplifier cables speakers etc.. so if those are lets say creative of logitech you probably wont hear the differance, well very much anyways. however if you have a system built of seperates and stand alone speakers driven by an amp etc.. then just like my system it opens a whole new world. ever heard the plectrum hit the strings on a guitar in a music track? its small details that give the whole extra mile. and using speakers designed for 'WOW they're powerful' style of sound just wont give you this. sorry went off the rails somewhat.

but as said if the rest of the system is not up to the task and your throwing badley encoded mp3's at it you'll never hear the differance.

my 2 pence.

stu
 
The big gains:

S/N ratio

amplification quality on the outputs (lower THD is better :p )

digital outs (for those who either use outboard DACs or have HT receivers that can use them)

secondary is FPS. Trust me, nobody would go back to 8-bit soundblaster days for an FPS boost. It's just what point of sound quality do you have to get to before FPS takes priority?
 
Well, a better sound card will provide better audio quality, but the difference will be so small that you won't be able to hear it using your standard speakers. If you really want better audio quality, you have to get some good speakers, then the difference will become more apparent. Where audio quality is concerned, speakers are the most crucial part.
 
$300 for 6 speakers? That's $50 a speaker? Do I need to say more?

But if you are just playing games or playing MP3s why are you worrying about it? Better speakers are not going to help without a better source.

My personal opinion is that for games/MP3s there is very little sound quality improvement from the SB Live cards to the A2. Besides most of the added features you are never going to use. I mean when was the last time you played a recording a game that actually supported 7.1 sound?
 
IMHO the biggest jump in sound quality for mp3s is just from going from little cubes + sub to decent full range speakers, perhaps with a sub or a good set of headphones. The cubes + sub setups are ok on the highs and lows, but lack midrange punch and clarity.
I wouldn't worry about your sound card unless you use full size speakers or a good set of headphones. If you do, then you start thinking about your source. I can't hear the difference between a CD and a 128k MP3 on my computer speakers, but it's pretty obvious if I run it through my headphones or the stereo in the living room. I can also notice the difference between feeding my headphones CD audio from the computer and using my receiver as the source. The receiver blows away the sound card.
 
if you're worried about mp3 quality then use DFX to redither and resample the actual bitstream. its the only DSP software that i've found to actually work. only use dynamic boost and fidelity though, the other settings are BS.

some studio monitors, even the cheapest $100-250 dollar ones will be better than any logitech.
 
yeah... Soundcards don't really do THAT BIG of a difference anymore..

I went from Soundblaster Live to Soundblaster Audigy 2ZS, and I don't recall hearing any difference.....

anyways, I think I'll be holding onto this Audigy 2ZS for another 4-6 years. :D
 
there is a pretty big gain in sound quality, but you need the gear to hear it.

Generally, with few exceptions, "PC speakers" arent good enough to hear it....PC speakers still have a ways to go....namely getting past that tiny satellite + sub layout they love so.....a nice 4" woofer 1/2" silk dome tweeter two way, with a quality 6-1/2" sub will do plenty of good....but you just don't see any, do you?

The headphone guys here are most likely to notice, since some of them have some damn exotic setups. Mine is for the most part basic as far as head-fi goes, and I could hear the difference (Creek OBH-11 amp, Grado SR-125 cans).
 
If you intend to listen to music on your computer with good headphones or speakers, your best bet is to remove your Audigy sound card and throw it out the nearest window. Or install it in your mother-in-law's computer (that's what I did).

The E-MU sound cards sound that much better.
 
Okay, what you are noticing can be explained by the following reasons.

1. The speakers suck, at least in the big picture. An Audigy 2 ZS can output a very high quality signal, and a good set of speakers would reflect that.
2. The Audigy 2 ZS is most likely being cripped by Windows kmixer, which is resampling your output to 16-bit/48 kHz, unless you are using kernel streaming, ASIO, or some other bypassing scheme.
3. Using MP3 and other lower-fidelity sources will never bring out the best in a piece of audio equipment.
4. Proper and immediate blind comparisons dispel any preconceived notions and bias, allowing for a clearer contrast between the two soundcards.
5. Perhaps you and your friend are not accustomed to determining subtle variations in audio fidelity. It takes sharp and trained ears, usually.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top