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Sound Advice



M

Munson

See what I did there? ;)

My old Audigy 2 sound card that I stuck in TheBeast2 started playing up, crackling and popping during games. Latest drivers. So I decided to uninstall the drivers, remove the card and install the drivers for the mobo's on board sound to make sure the issue wasnt with my speaker setup.

Now, I had serious driver issues. The drivers would'nt uninstall, as some file or other was missing. So I tried safe mode...blah blah...end result was I had to use system restore, which didnt work properly and left my sound situation totally bolloxed. I tried everything short of manually hacking the registry about but to no avail. I ended up doing a complete reinstall of Windows, updated everything and all driver except the Audigy, ghosted the partition (for easier recovery) and then set about installing the Audigy...

...Computer says no.

The nuts and bolts of it are that the Audigy appears to be toast and I'm now using the onboard audio which actually sounds great. However, I cant help feeling that this is a bit of a pikey situation, having such a gaming machine and not using a soundcard, even though it sounds just as good as my old card anyway. Now, with me only having a modest 2.1 setup (I have a movie setup but that's in a different room), is onbaord okay? Is it likely to impact performance? It certainly doesnt seem to.

I have been doing a bit of research but it's a bit of a boring topic for me so I thought I would ask advice from any fellow PC geeks with performance machines. I'm thinking it would be a good idea to use this opportunity to make the PCs audio match it's video performance. I can feel another online buying session coming on :eek:
 
Rasclart

Rasclart

  Revels Mum & Sister
I have been researching the Creative Labs X-Fi cards. I like the idea of an external box or one which fits in a spare 5.25" Bay

What will you be mating it up to speaker wise? Also the Terratec range are pretty good.

You say 2.1 if its a cheapish set of 2.1 then IMO the onboard audio would do the job nicely!
 
M

Munson

Not sure about the speakers mate. I have a several thousand quid seperates setup for movies, the PC is purely for games so nothing too fancy but I wouldnt mind that extra immersion you get with 5.1. It would be some kind of all-in-one package mated with a sub £100 sound card.

I'm not really buying into all this extreme audio stuff on the PC, unless you have serious audiophile speakers then I dont think it's worth spending too much on the soundcard. I'm open to all suggestions though as I'm not up to speed with PC audio at all.

I would want good 5.1 audio, nothing too expensive.

Yeah my 2.1 setup is a fairly modest Logitech package. I think it was less than £80 about 2 or years ago when I built TheBeast (god rest her soul) As long as I am still using these then I guess it does make sense to stick to the mobo sound, which is very very good anyway.
 
M

MickM

  A3 1.8T
I’m planning on getting an external sound card.
Currently got mine running of the standard card which came with the motherboard which is good but is connected to a hi-fi amp and a set of mission speakers will personally be going for a M-Audio Transit external sound card (USB) is £53 on eBay but is imo worth every penny will make a big difference to the sound. Will sound very good if you set it up with an amp and speakers as I have a budget amp paired to a set of Special edition Mission speakers but I also run a record player(vinyl)/tv/dvd of it as well so is really worth spending a few quid on it.
 
Rasclart

Rasclart

  Revels Mum & Sister
If you dont mind spending a BIT more cash I would suggest

Logitech Z5500 Surround sound package. Link below to overclockers. £207 inc Vat and they sound absoluterly fantastic for the money. They are VERY impressive I was blown away. Mate that to the card above or a Creative Xfi and you are well away for less than £300.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/5_1_Speakers.html
 
Rasclart

Rasclart

  Revels Mum & Sister
But I would reccomend the speakers and see how they sound through the Onboard sound! As todays onboard sound on the higher end boards like yours is not to be sniffed at IMO

Unless like you said you are running a VERY pricey setup!
 
M

Munson

Yeah that's a pretty good suggestion. My concern with onboard is that it must have a performance impact on the PC?
 
Acejon

Acejon

  Full Fat 182
Roy, try use Driver Cleaner Pro (goooooogle it) to clear you machine of all the crap that drivers leave behind, I always do this prior to any hardware upgrade that requires new/updated drivers. Even when upgrading drivers for current hardward, for example new Forceware drivers, I uninstall the driver, restart, run drive cleaner Pro, then install the new driver. Ive found this increases frame rates in certain games and having used bootvis, my driver loading times are dramatically decreased.

Also, have you though about getting an X-Fi Music and using some decent cans?? Sennheiser do some proper headphones, and i've always found it much more involving in-game when using them
 
Rasclart

Rasclart

  Revels Mum & Sister
Roy Munson said:
Yeah that's a pretty good suggestion. My concern with onboard is that it must have a performance impact on the PC?
Click to expand...

Hmm most high end boards I THINK have there own dedicated chip onboard. I cant see it taking a performance hit. No more than a PCI card interfacing with the motherboard.

Especially not with an Animal like you have. If you have the money then go for a Creative or Equiv though. As they are meant to be VERY good cards.

Or get the speakers rigged up to the onboard do some tests and see if you get any hit at all and decide from there

If it was me I would get the creative or sim ;)
 
Darren S

Darren S

ClioSport Club Member
Roy - just get an X-Fi Fatal1ty and be done with it. You know it makes sense..... ;)

X-FifrontunitandCard.gif



Drivesinplace.gif



On a serious note, as good as onboard audio sounds, it relies on codecs and thus a noticable hit on the CPU. Dedicated sound-cards relieve this load off the CPU. I noticed a considerable improvement on my old PC from the nVidia SoundStorm when switching to the Fatal1ty. The frame-rate improved considerably and I got the 'Ultra-High' audio option available to me to boot.

Put it another way, it was the only piece of hardware that migrated from my old PC to the new one. It really is a good piece of kit.

D.
 
Darren S

Darren S

ClioSport Club Member
Tbh, I don't know of anyone who has the Elite Pro? I don't use 90% of the features of the Fatal1ty, so I probably would use less on the Elite Pro. I'd be interested to know if anyone on CS has one???

The only issue with them is the masses of Creative Labs bloatware that comes with them. Just a shame they add all that junk in the first place!

D.
 
M

Munson

Okay here is the plan. I'm going to order a new sound card tomorrow after some more research. When it arrives the next day I am going to restore my 10GB Windows partiton with the image taken before any sound stuff was fooked about with. This way I know my OS in in pristine condition. Then I'll install the new card, enjoy it for a few days and then consider upgrading the speakers :eek:

I'm not too keen on that 5 1/2" bay thing though, as my case is open fronted and that would ruin the look. Might go for one of the cheaper X-Fi cards. Thanks for the advice so far :)
 
M

Munson

Darren, the Platimum upwards have the break-out box. But the actual card doesnt appear to have anything other than stero line-outs on the back? How do you connect the card up to 5.1+ speaker system? Surely you dont need cables hanging out the front?

Sorry for being dim.
 
David

David

  BMW e46 320 Ci Sport
i got the fatlity card too excellent bit of kit and the 24bit crstliaser thing actually makes a fair bit of differnece much happier with that over the onboard sound. don't need to get the bay nit either, you can buy the card alone for like £80
 
M

Munson

I've just realised my best option is to keep the existing speakers for general stuff, and use a quality set of cans for immersive gaming. Mint?

I dont even use that PC for browsing or working. It's only a games rig, and I am always aware of the neighbours when I play games so headphones are the answer I reckon.
 
M

Munson

Currently looking at;

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music + HS600 £29.99 Gaming Headset Bundle

OCUK £80 including the cans. Seems like this could be my ideal solution.
 
Rasclart

Rasclart

  Revels Mum & Sister
Hmmm I would personally invest in a better pair of Headphones

Have a look at the Grado SR60's I PROMISE you would be very impressed
 
Acejon

Acejon

  Full Fat 182
I'd just get the X-Fi Music and decent set of Sennheisers. The Grados are absolutely amazing, but for games perhaps overkill
 
Acejon

Acejon

  Full Fat 182
You not find that the Grado's benifit from having a dedicated headphone amp tho?? The Sennheisers aren't as fussy and will work really well with the X-Fi
 
Rasclart

Rasclart

  Revels Mum & Sister
Acejon said:
You not find that the Grado's benifit from having a dedicated headphone amp tho?? The Sennheisers aren't as fussy and will work really well with the X-Fi
Click to expand...

At present I have the grados plugged into my Denon amp which is fed via Optical from PC/MAC and sounds excellent.

I have also used them plugged direct into a Audigy and there wasnt a huge difference in quality. I dont think the lower end Grado's need a headphone amp IMO, evidently they may sound better but I dont think its needed!
 
Acejon

Acejon

  Full Fat 182
I cant really comment on using the Grado's with a PC, but for what its worth, they are the best in terms of HI-FI. Spose its about personal preference, I like the Sennheiser Range, and you can have the top end products for the price of the lower end Grado's.

To be fair, using both for games is gona blow your mind and sound much more emersive and full that any logitech/creative 5.1 setup
 
Rasclart

Rasclart

  Revels Mum & Sister
Yeah dont get me wrong I love Sennheiser stuff as well

But for me the SR60's sounded AWESOME for £80. But like you say both will sound great. Seems a shame to buy a really good sound card and feed it through cheap headphones either way!
 
Darren S

Darren S

ClioSport Club Member
I've only got a pair of Technics headphones! Tend not to use them that much as I sh1t myself royally when playing Return to Castle Wolfenstein. I was crouched behind some crates listening intently to where the Germans where walking, when unbeknown to me, Jain had been shouting me from downstairs and I hadn't heard her. Obviously, she went upstairs to where I was at the PC and grabbed me by the shoulder.

I nearly shot through the roof and naturally, she p1ssed her sides laughing at me. Not funny, I tell you! :p

D.
 
Rasclart

Rasclart

  Revels Mum & Sister
Laingo said:
My friends call me a geek.... If only they knew of people like you!! You make my head hurt. lol.
Click to expand...

Still doesnt stop you pitching a tent whenever you see me ;)
 
W

wozzaa

  Monaro VXR
Darren S said:
Roy - I'd up the spec of the X-Fi - purely for the X-Ram alone. If you're into your games, it a bit of a compromise to ignore it....

http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3

D.
Click to expand...

Gotta agree with him in some games you can only get the ultra audio options with the xfi and up which also at the same time increases perforance as it loads all the sounds etc in to the sound cards own ram. i managed a 10+ fps increase in bf2 at 1600x1200 with everything on high so it makes a difference

And a decent set of 7.1 speakers arent too expensive either can pick them up for £100 or so.
 
M

Munson

Up the spc to the X-fi? All these cards are in the XFi range. You need to up to the FPS editions to get XRAM??

I'm confused.

EDIT: Sorry. Misread sightly.
 
M

Munson

I think a lot of you guys are misunderstanding my needs. I really dont care for the best cans, or best sound available.

I have a Pioneer, NAD, Denon, Mission, Yam setup for music, movies etc. I dont require serious audio for the PC. I was just after a new card and perhaps some more immersion for games.
 
Rasclart

Rasclart

  Revels Mum & Sister
Yeah but without a decent set of cans you wont really get the immersion!

Its all very well having a really good sound card BUT if you use shite cans then you wont hear everything properly.

£80 for some decent cans isnt too bad IMO if you want immersion!
 
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