I'm a noob at HT Audio - Page 4

Redeemed · 07-01-08, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zapablast05

The HTPC will experience no gaming at all, just HTPC. So will the CMI8770 will be good or will it be better to stick to onboard? Afterall, it's just for media. If using a sound card doesn't make a difference, I could just use that money to buy XPMC.

Like it or not, Media Center in XP is teh suckage (from what I've read anyways). You'd be better of sticking with Vista Home Premium. As for hardware... just do onboard everything. As CaptNKILL stated- you only need add in cards any more for gaming. Since you wont be doing any of that with this rig... the onboard audio, video, NIC, etc will be more than sufficient.

BronzeGod · 07-01-08, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zapablast05

The HTPC will experience no gaming at all, just HTPC. So will the CMI8770 will be good or will it be better to stick to onboard? Afterall, it's just for media. If using a sound card doesn't make a difference, I could just use that money to buy XPMC.

Auzentech X-Fi does DDL and everything under the sun. It's the best soundcard out right now.

CaptNKILL · 07-01-08, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zapablast05

The HTPC will experience no gaming at all, just HTPC. So will the CMI8770 will be good or will it be better to stick to onboard? Afterall, it's just for media. If using a sound card doesn't make a difference, I could just use that money to buy XPMC.

Oh, I thought the CMI8770 was the onboard you were talking about.

My mistake.

Either way, modern motherboards like these are made for multimedia applications, and contain everything you need to view just about any media on any kind of display or sound system. If you aren't gaming, the onboard sound should do everything you need it to do. For video, the 780G or 8200 will both be excellent. The 780G will probably be a little bit faster in most situations, but the 8200 will offer hybrid power support if you ever decide to buy a dedicated graphics card later on.

As for the OS, I think Vista will work much better as a media center PC.

Toss3 · 07-01-08, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BronzeGod

Auzentech X-Fi does DDL and everything under the sun. It's the best soundcard out right now.

Umm, no it isn't..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru3d

It took all of 5 seconds of listening to the Xonar D2X to know that it is our new reference sound card. This unseats the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude at the high end (not that we really keep track of these things) as our favorite all-around card to game, listen to music, and watch movies with.

http://www.guru3d.com/news/review-as...ndcard-tested/

**bacon12** · 07-01-08, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toss3

Umm, no it isn't..

http://www.guru3d.com/news/review-as...ndcard-tested/

+1 love my asus xonar d2

**crainger** · 07-01-08, 03:33 PM

Xonar does support full hardware like the X-Fis, it uses software which slows things down. Check that Guru3D review. It's consistently slower and their fix for this? "Running it in stereo". Overpriced, blinged up and flawed.

Toss3 · 07-01-08, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crainger

Xonar does support full hardware like the X-Fis, it uses software which slows things down. Check that Guru3D review. It's consistently slower and their fix for this? "Running it in stereo". Overpriced, blinged up and flawed.

I don't know about you, but I would trade quality for some minor fps loss any day.

I'm thinking about getting a Xonar coupled with a pair of Denon D2000.

**crainger** · 07-01-08, 05:48 PM

But you are loosing quality with the Xonar unless you only use stereo, once you go multi-channel with it, it sounds the same as any c-media based sound solution.

Toss3 · 07-01-08, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crainger

But you are loosing quality with the Xonar unless you only use stereo, once you go multi-channel with it, it sounds the same as any c-media based sound solution.

But how many ppl game with 5.1 Setups anyway? There are even less games that actually use the new EAX types supported only by creative. And this is not even mentioning listening to music and watching movies.

Redeemed · 07-01-08, 06:14 PM

Honestly, I've yet to be disappointed with any of the on-board solutions I've used. Most anolog 5.1 solutions sound really good with the proper speakers/receiver... and right now I'm really enjoying my mobo's onboard feeding into my JVC RX-5030V reciever. Sounds great with DPLII.

Not entirely cinematic... but close enough in most cases. I see no need for EAX anymore. And yes, I've used and heard the X-Fi (I own one but see no need in using it).

Zapablast05 · 07-01-08, 06:32 PM

Ok, I'll just stick to onboard everything. It seems a lot more energy efficient and since it's all onboard, I won't have to worry about extra heat, so I'll be able to get an extra small HTPC case.

With that said, what will I do with the HID's?

**crainger** · 07-01-08, 07:44 PM

LOLwut?

Almost everyone I know games with a 5.1 setup. Plus a lot of games use EAXHD which is X-Fi only, but not just that, anything that's OpenAL or DirectSound3D suffers on the Xonar, that's basically every game released in the past 10 years.

07-01-08, 03:33 PM	#42
crainger Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia Posts: 29,535	Re: I'm a noob at HT Audio Xonar does support full hardware like the X-Fis, it uses software which slows things down. Check that Guru3D review. It's consistently slower and their fix for this? "Running it in stereo". Overpriced, blinged up and flawed.

07-01-08, 05:48 PM	#44
crainger Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia Posts: 29,535	Re: I'm a noob at HT Audio But you are loosing quality with the Xonar unless you only use stereo, once you go multi-channel with it, it sounds the same as any c-media based sound solution.

07-01-08, 06:14 PM	#46
Redeemed Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 17,986	Re: I'm a noob at HT Audio Honestly, I've yet to be disappointed with any of the on-board solutions I've used. Most anolog 5.1 solutions sound really good with the proper speakers/receiver... and right now I'm really enjoying my mobo's onboard feeding into my JVC RX-5030V reciever. Sounds great with DPLII. Not entirely cinematic... but close enough in most cases. I see no need for EAX anymore. And yes, I've used and heard the X-Fi (I own one but see no need in using it).

07-01-08, 06:32 PM	#47
Zapablast05 ZapaFAILmaster of Merwang Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Camp Pendleton, CA Posts: 3,088	Re: I'm a noob at HT Audio Ok, I'll just stick to onboard everything. It seems a lot more energy efficient and since it's all onboard, I won't have to worry about extra heat, so I'll be able to get an extra small HTPC case. With that said, what will I do with the HID's? __________________ Xbox Live: Zapablast05 \|3DMark06: 17,001\| PSN: Zapablast05 Originally Posted by crainger: "Come meet my son Zapablast05" Originally Posted by crainger: A truck wont get the pussy zapa has become accustomed to. Originally Posted by CaptNKILL: In fact, I measure years in BC and AC (before Camp0rz and after Camp0rz). I don't want to get you drunk, but, ah, that's a very fine Chardonnay you're not drinking.

07-01-08, 07:44 PM	#48
crainger Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia Posts: 29,535	Re: I'm a noob at HT Audio LOLwut? Almost everyone I know games with a 5.1 setup. Plus a lot of games use EAXHD which is X-Fi only, but not just that, anything that's OpenAL or DirectSound3D suffers on the Xonar, that's basically every game released in the past 10 years.

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