good cheap sound card?

[abtomat74]

I mainly want it for playing games(have Vista32), but also watch movies, rarely music.
It needs to have an S/PDIF Coaxial OUT, not optical.
Does not need DDL as I already have a Logitech z-5500 setup.
Must be under $100, hopefully $40-80.

BF2 still gets constant play as well as a few other older D3D sound titles...does that basically limit me to the X-Fi's because of their Alchemy driver? What other options do I have if the D3D usage is a must also?

[Xyphus]

This might fit the bill... M-Audio Revolution. $77.99 at NewEgg...

Linkage: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829121122

[nrdstrm]

This might fit the bill... M-Audio Revolution. $77.99 at NewEgg...

Linkage: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829121122

M-Audio cards are usually better suited for sound applications rather than gaming, but I'm not sure about thier newer cards. It looks like M-Audio is the only one with Coax with the exception of the ASUS cards (wich are pricey)...There are other cards like Diamond with it, but I'm not sure on the quality of those...Shame it has to be Coax, there are great cards with good prices with optical...

[luckycherry1986]

:afro: :afro: :afro: :afro:

[luckycherry1986]

(lee63) (lee63) (lee63) (lee63)

[luckycherry1986]

(nana2) :afro2: :afro2: :captnkill:

[luckycherry1986]

(nana2) :) (nana2) (lee) :captnkill:

[Danothemano]

Why not try the Xplosion?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156001

[Feyy]

Someone ban that fool (luckycherry).

Regarding soundcards, why not just use on-board?

[abtomat74]

Someone ban that fool (luckycherry).

Regarding soundcards, why not just use on-board?

I have been happily using my Realtek non-HD AC'97 for almost 3 years now...but I have the urge to finally upgrade another piece that can be moved to the new comp later this year. I am also wanting to get my surround back in the older games which cannot be done w/onboard and Vista. If I still had XP I wouldn't even be contemplating this purchase as everything was "fine".

I have looked at that Auzentech, but won't I be missing out on all the X-Fi capable games? And it seems much of the DDL stuff will be doubled over by my Logitech anyway, except for Windows sounds being digital.

And I suppose I could buy an optical cable(already have the coax)...which made me look at this model that is PCI-e:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102017

I guess I could have simplified this thread by just asking what is the best audio chipset currently? X-Fi or something else?

[crainger]

DDL or Dolby Digital Live is a way of turning any multichannel sound on PC into a digital signal for a decoder. So it wont be doing something your 5500zs already, it'll be doing something they need to work through digital. Otherwise you can only get 5.1 through analogue OR through digital ONLY when watching movies.

There is an Azentech Prelude. It's not cheap, but it has both DDL AND X-fi hardware. It's the best of both worlds right now/.

[abtomat74]

...it'll be doing something they need to work through digital. Otherwise you can only get 5.1 through analogue OR through digital ONLY when watching movies.

Right, that's exactly how I use it now. My games use the analogues, movies go through the S/PDIF coax with Passthrough(do not encode) selected on the media players/filters.
All it would do is allow me to remove my analogue connections from what I understand and from what the website says...

But you're right in the difference(my error), DDL ENcodes, my Logi DEcodes. Does DDL "enhance" the sound beyond what the original sound was to be or just change the transmission from analogue to digital? I'm thinking it just changes the transmission...



There is an Azentech Prelude. It's not cheap, but it has both DDL AND X-fi hardware. It's the best of both worlds right now/.

Yup, too expensive.
.
.
.
Common opinion seems to be that the X-Fi is the chipset to get, but they're all so expensive with the Coax or Optical outputs, except for that one PCI-e model I linked that is claimed to be a fake X-Fi! This is why I've never bought a SC yet...always something not fitting my needs.

[abtomat74]

dupe

[crainger]

DDL will sound better than straight analogue, The main thing using DDL does is bypass the DACs used on sound card to convert the sound to analogue. So your onboard would most likely have pretty ordinary DACs, so compared to that. Yes DDL WILL make a noticable difference. Most X-fis use ok DACs so you wont notice the difference a huge amount. It depends on how go your ears are.

Honestly the difference between digital and analogue while gaming is so small I'd just go with an entry level x-fi. Like the Xtremegamer and do what you did before. Switch between analogue for games and digital for music/movies. I do the same thing. This is an app called x-fi mode switcher that makes switching between the two a breeze and can even automate the process depending on which app is running. You still have to manually switch the 5500z though. ::(:

[abtomat74]

Remember, neither Xtreme Gamer series has Digital outputs...without buying the I/O pod. Were you saying I could somehow use the X-Fi for games and my onboard for the Digital output(movies) simultaneously?

Thanks for all the info and replies. I think I would like that Auz Prelude, but will wait for a sale or good deal to come along first.

[crainger]

Opps. I thought the Xtremegamer and digital outs. Doesn't it even have the coax out?

Although in theory you could use one soundcard for games, and the other for everything else, but it would be a major pain to get up and running.

Maybe go for one of the higher up X-fis with at least the coax out. My XtremeMusic has coax out for digital, but I don't think you can get them anymore. ::(:

[abtomat74]

Opps. I thought the Xtremegamer and digital outs. Doesn't it even have the coax out?

Mic and 3 other mini jacks only(4 total)...that's my whole problem, only the expensive models from Creative have anything but the minis and they require that I/O addon module which would force me to have a long cable coming out the front of my PC, no thanks :)
The Auzentech Prelude is everything I need/want...but too expensive.


Although in theory you could use one soundcard for games, and the other for everything else, but it would be a major pain to get up and running.

Sounds like it, I'll stay with simplicity.


Maybe go for one of the higher up X-fis with at least the coax out. My XtremeMusic has coax out for digital, but I don't think you can get them anymore. ::(:

That's the plan, wait for a sale on the expensive models or hope Auzentech or Creative makes a less expensive X-Fi model with digital outputs and not requiring an extra module. I can meet my requirements now but without the X-Fi chip which I have decided IS the chip I want unfortunately...so I wait again. Damn them both and their high prices!

[Toss3]

How about the Club 3d Theatron Agrippa 7.1 DTS (http://www.club3d.nl/index.php/products/theatron/item/14)?


Configuration

* Optical SPDIF OUT
* Coax SPDIF OUT
* Line OUT front L/R
* Line OUT surround L/R
* Line OUT rear L/R
* Line OUT center
* Line OUT subwoofer
* PCB size: Low profile
* Format: PCI



Isn't more than 60€ here and it's exactly the same card as the xplosion only with a few upgrades. :)

Edit: Just found out that Club 3d cards are only available in Europe. :-/ You could still get the xplosion; it's 79.99$at the egg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156001

[abtomat74]

How about the Club 3d Theatron Agrippa 7.1 DTS (http://www.club3d.nl/index.php/products/theatron/item/14)?



Isn't more than 60€ here and it's exactly the same card as the xplosion only with a few upgrades. :)

Edit: Just found out that Club 3d cards are only available in Europe. :-/ You could still get the xplosion; it's 79.99$at the egg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156001

Yea I was going to say that looks just like the Xplosion and that I wouldn't be able to find your model around here(NewEgg). I want the X-Fi chipset, I feel it to be the most future proof(if sounds cards are capable of that) of the cards due the the EAX crap which I actually do have games for, as well as X-Fi games. Still not buying anything anytime soon.

[Toss3]

Yea I was going to say that looks just like the Xplosion and that I wouldn't be able to find your model around here(NewEgg). I want the X-Fi chipset, I feel it to be the most future proof(if sounds cards are capable of that) of the cards due the the EAX crap which I actually do have games for, as well as X-Fi games. Still not buying anything anytime soon.
Then why don't you just get an x-fi and do software decoding of ac3 for movies?(or get a digital module which is really cheap?) I'd go with the second option if I were you, because you can always just put the module inside your pc and tape it to one of the expansion slots in your case. :)