Support: What is the best PCI sound card out there?

[Zixinus]

I'm unhappy with my Audigy SE soundcard and I understand that it was not meant to work with Vista, but only be compatible with it.

So I want to get a soundcard designed for Vista and hopefully future-proofed for a very long time.

I have only one PCI-express slot in my motherboard and that is used by my graphics card. So I need a soundcard that only uses ye oldie PCI.

Can anyone recommend me one? Or should I just wait and upgrade my mobo first?

[phongn]

Why do you need a discrete sound card?

[Ace Pace]

Why do you need a discrete sound card?

Remember pre 2005 motherboards? They had pretty crap sound cards. Some of us are still stuck with those kind of motherboards.

[Zixinus]

Why do you need a discrete sound card?

Erm, sorry, what? I asked if anyone can recommend me a new, relatively future-proof sound card that is better than the current one but still uses the old PCI (if its worth it and if not, then whether I should just wait till I upgrade my mobo).

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Asus has some good cards, and so does Auzentech. Auzentech incidentally use Creative's X-Fi now, with a few more bells and whistles (because Creative sucks for moving quickly).

[Uraniun235]

What about your Audigy are you unsatisfied with?

Asus has some good cards, and so does Auzentech. Auzentech incidentally use Creative's X-Fi now, with a few more bells and whistles (because Creative sucks for moving quickly).

Creative just sucks.

[DaveJB]

Creative's hardware is actually very good in most aspects. The problem is that since about the time of the original Audigy they seem to have been pouring all their money into talented R&D folks and then hiring stoned college dropouts to handle the software side of things.

[Zixinus]

What about your Audigy are you unsatisfied with?

Incompabilites and occasional sound corruption in games. As I mentioned in the first post.

Creative's hardware is actually very good in most aspects.

So would you recommend a Creative card over an Auzentech card, just with modified/hacked drivers?

What does everyone have to say about the Xonar series? Auzentech cards seem extremely expensive to me.

[Uraniun235]

You did not mention "incompatibilities and occasional sound corruption", you just said you were unhappy with it and that it "was not meant to work with Vista".

I've heard good things about the Asus Xonar cards.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

So would you recommend a Creative card over an Auzentech card, just with modified/hacked drivers?

Auzentech seems better than the half assed implementations by Creative.

What does everyone have to say about the Xonar series? Auzentech cards seem extremely expensive to me.

Well, you might want to a cost benefit analysis, because the prices everywhere are different. They are about similarly priced in the US I think but I might be wrong. I haven't checked on those for a while.

[Zixinus]

You did not mention "incompatibilities and occasional sound corruption", you just said you were unhappy with it and that it "was not meant to work with Vista".

Yes, you are right and I'm sorry.

I was just thinking of what I've pre-written on notepad and deleted.

Well, you might want to a cost benefit analysis, because the prices everywhere are different.

How can I do that? I mean, how can I know which sound card is better to use or buy?
For example, some sound cards have their own memory. Is that an unneeded extra that few if any games utilise, something for audiophiles or something that actually makes a significant difference?

They are about similarly priced in the US I think but I might be wrong. I haven't checked on those for a while.

The difference between an auzentech prelude and a creative xtreme gamer is hundred dollars (on Amazon anyway). If I want a prelude, I might as well buy a new mobo.

[phongn]

How can I do that? I mean, how can I know which sound card is better to use or buy?
For example, some sound cards have their own memory. Is that an unneeded extra that few if any games utilise, something for audiophiles or something that actually makes a significant difference?

Creative Labs attempted to destroy any and all competition in the discrete sound card market some years ago. They are also not particularly competent with regard to drivers. Oh, and their hardware has a poor history too. As for memory - no, you don't need it.

For picking one, you can look at features. For example, do you need/want EAX working under Vista or later? Do you need DTS or Dolby Digital transcoding? Etc.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

In my opinion, unless one wants to spend money on hundred over dollars speaker systems, there is no point in getting too fancy a sound card. A good sound card is only half the story; one needs a good set of speakers to actually enjoy them. If HDMI is the issue, I would say many new graphic cards have internal sound engines and HDMI output.

[Zixinus]

For example, do you need/want EAX working under Vista or later? Do you need DTS or Dolby Digital transcoding?

I want full surround sound for my games and I occasionally watch some TV shows with mid-range quality.
I really don't know about DTS or Doulby Digital.

[Seggybop]

Forgive me if you said it already and I missed it, but is there a problem with the sound integrated in your motherboard? I'm not sure why you require a discrete card, since for a long time now integrated sound has been fairly good. I am assuming you have a relatively modern system since you are running Vista.

If you definitely need a dedicated PCI card for surround output, you'll have to pay a lot before you get noticeably better quality-- unless your motherboard is 5+ years old. I have an m-audio delta 2496 that I use for stereo output exclusively. Right now, I think one of the Asus Xonar series is probably the best deal for your use.

[Stark]

What's the point of having a separate soundcard if you don't want digital surround, don't use high-quality speakers or sources, and just want surround for games? I guess your motherboard is really old, but it strikes me as false economy to buy a 'proper' soundcard you don't want the major features of.

[Zixinus]

Let me guess, to the rest of the world "full surround sound" means two channel speakers?

Yeah, though so. I hate it when I confuse people by using the wrong words. Apologies for being stupid here.

I have a 5.1 Speedlink Aphrodite2 sound system. I don't know whether does that count as high quality speaker.

Anyway, I'll look into the Xonar series. It's more in my price range anyway.

[phongn]

Let me guess, to the rest of the world "full surround sound" means two channel speakers?

No, "full surround sound" means at least a 5.1 setup. Two-channels = stereo.

[Zixinus]

How future-proof are the Xonar card series? I gathered that it uses software emulation to make EAX 5.0 effects. Is there any word whether this will be or could be upgraded with a simple driver update as time goes on? How does a card like this look for Windows 7?

[Zixinus]

EDIT: The card I have in mind is a Xonar D1.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

How future-proof are the Xonar card series? I gathered that it uses software emulation to make EAX 5.0 effects. Is there any word whether this will be or could be upgraded with a simple driver update as time goes on? How does a card like this look for Windows 7?

I would expect a driver in the future.

As for future proofing, are you kidding? Sound card technology isn't going to improve by even a small tiny bit in the near future. Don't expect castles in the sky.

[Zixinus]

As for future proofing, are you kidding? Sound card technology isn't going to improve by even a small tiny bit in the near future. Don't expect castles in the sky.

I don't. I just don't want to go trough this hassle again for a long time, especially with my experiences with my old Audigy SE under Vista (sure its compatible with Vista, but I get sound corruption a lot of different ways and let's not talk about the drivers). Also, I only have EAX 3.0 with my current card due to hardware limitations, while the Xonar relies more on software so it can do EAX 5.0. If there is another EAX around to corner or worse, new hardware standards for a new OS (Windows 7) than I'd rather save up a bit or just wait till a mobo upgrade.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

As for future proofing, are you kidding? Sound card technology isn't going to improve by even a small tiny bit in the near future. Don't expect castles in the sky.

I don't. I just don't want to go trough this hassle again for a long time, especially with my experiences with my old Audigy SE under Vista (sure its compatible with Vista, but I get sound corruption a lot of different ways and let's not talk about the drivers). Also, I only have EAX 3.0 with my current card due to hardware limitations, while the Xonar relies more on software so it can do EAX 5.0. If there is another EAX around to corner or worse, new hardware standards for a new OS (Windows 7) than I'd rather save up a bit or just wait till a mobo upgrade.

Wait. Why do you even need EAX 5.0? Didn't you know that in Vista, EAX doesn't work at all? That you need OpenAL to actually "emulate" EAX?

It sounds to me you are just trying to get the card just for the sake of the bells and whistles, without even knowing that some of these bells and whistles are not even working 100%.

[Zixinus]

Wait. Why do you even need EAX 5.0? Didn't you know that in Vista, EAX doesn't work at all? That you need OpenAL to actually "emulate" EAX?

Okay, wait, what? I thought that was only true for non-x-fi cards?

It sounds to me you are just trying to get the card just for the sake of the bells and whistles, without even knowing that some of these bells and whistles are not even working 100%.

I admit that you may have a point there. I have been going around in indecisive circles on this thread.

Well, I've decided with Xonar D1 card. Should be slim and its within my price range, or at least attainable. It's not Creative and software-based means that it should remain workable.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Wait. Why do you even need EAX 5.0? Didn't you know that in Vista, EAX doesn't work at all? That you need OpenAL to actually "emulate" EAX?

Okay, wait, what? I thought that was only true for non-x-fi cards?

Creative states on their own website that they use what they call "Creative ALchemy" to do the job, which essentially is OpenAL. It in fact runs on the older Audigy cards in fact.