Need Advice On a Good Sound Card (1 Viewer)

mikeman

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November 6, 2011
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I would appreciate some suggestions for a new PCI sound card. Some of the requirement are, it needs to have a In and Out optical connection, plus all of the standard in and out connections and supports 7.1 surround sound, and has some nice configurable software and drivers. Also i am running Win7 Professional 64 Bit. If someone can come up with some brand names along with there model number that would be great. I'm sure every one has there preferred sound card and I understand that. I just about have my PVR complete and actually have it running, but am not happy with the cheap sound card I bought on eBay which is my fault. Thanks for any assistance you can provide. Thanks
 

powermarcel10

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  • November 30, 2010
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    Hi Mike,

    let me ask you a couple of questions before I can give you some advice..

    What's your situation at this moment..

    -Are you using an external amplifier and if you are, how did you connect it to your HTPC
    -What kind of speakers are you using (kind of speakers, stereo, 5.1, etc..)
    -What is you budget?

    Let me say this: If you have an external amplifier with Spdif (coaxial or optical audio-in) than you don't need an new soundcard.. Just use the spdif on you motherboard.. (and when your motherboard doesn't have one, buy yourself the cheapest soundcard there is with spdif) A lot of people are buying an expensive soundcard, while they connect it to an digital ampliefier.. That is really stuppid to do.. The emplifier is doing all the work.. (decoding and stuff) so the sondqualluty is exactly the same..

    An expensive soundcard is only for people that are using pc speakers (like me, a Logitsch Z-5500) ,a headphone, and connect it with the 3,5mm jack plug or people with a anolog amplifier.

    In all other cases: Don't buy a expensive card..
     

    mikeman

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    Thanks for your assistance.
    Yes my 7.1 surround system has a SPDIF connection which is located in my Family room and it is working fine. But I have my computer in a different room and at times I will watch TV in that room but the audio out of the card (not from the SPDIF connection) the audio is really distorted.
    Is this something that I shouldn't do as far as using both audio sources at the same time?
    When I first installed this card I didn't have the SPDIF turned on and was just using the external speakers plugged into the audio out jack on my sound card and everything was fine.
    Once I received my optical cable and enabled the optical output that's when the audio became distorted.
    Well Duh !!! I think I answered my own question :-(
    Headed to my computer now.
    Sorry ... I'm a Newbie
    I will post back with my results.
     

    mikeman

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    November 6, 2011
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    Nope ... can't use the optical output and my desktop speakers at the same time.
    If I turn off the optical output then the desktop speakers work fine.

    Hope everyone had a great Christmas.
     

    niels37

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    Nope ... can't use the optical output and my desktop speakers at the same time.
    If I turn off the optical output then the desktop speakers work fine.

    Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

    Hi,

    Indeed it is not possible to use 2 outputs at the same time! The outputs however CAN be connected at the same time BUT you'll have to configure your audio device ( soundcard software) to speaker output when u want to use yor desktopspeakers and for use with mediaportal you have to configure it to spdif. Then it will work !

    It can be, your sound on your desktopspeakers is disorted due to the cheap soundcard. This has everything to do with noise/ ratio on your soundcard output, which you can't do anything about this though besides buying a better soundcard or a real good motherboard with sound on it with a more than 105 DB noise reduction on it.

    working with good materials ( ie soundcard solo or a good one onboard of motherboard) AND a decent build speaker pair delivers to wanted quality!! In this case it doesn't matter how u connect them ( well it does but not that important 4 most of people)

    just like me : I've got REAL hifi speakers , but i had to budget on the amplifier..............when i connect a better amp ( whenever i got myself a money tree in my backyard ;-) ) than my speakers will perform as it should be..............


    hope u can something do with my reply ;-)

    grtz Niels37
     

    mikeman

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    Thanks niels37, now I just disable my optical output when I want to use my computer speakers.
     

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