PCI Express sound cards, GOOD quality, WHERE???

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dave
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Dave

Starting research for my next build. It will be an occasional gamer, but
mainly used for Internet and multimedia applications. Rather high-end.
Won't even consider using sound built into mainboard, but would prefer to
avoid Creative brand products as well. Don't want to buy a PCI sound card,
want PCI Express. Usually prefer Turtle Beach products, but they don't seem
to make any PCI Express format sound cards. Would prefer to spend a hundred
or less on the Sound card, but will spend more if necessary.

MAIN thing I'm looking for is sound quality. I don't care about game
performance (for the sound card at least), I want "flat", non-distorted
sound output. Needs to play music to drive high-end powered speakers at
extreme volume levels and sound awesome three rooms away. :) As I said
before, I've been pretty happy with Turle Beach sound cards in the past.
Good compromise of good sound quality, while still being reasonably priced.
But need PCI express.

Oh, and I don't care how many "channels" it has. 7.1 seems to be the norm
now, but it won't be using more than two channels, probably.

OK, who makes it? -Dave
 
Starting research for my next build. It will be an occasional gamer, but
mainly used for Internet and multimedia applications. Rather high-end.
Won't even consider using sound built into mainboard, but would prefer to
avoid Creative brand products as well. Don't want to buy a PCI sound card,
want PCI Express. Usually prefer Turtle Beach products, but they don't seem
to make any PCI Express format sound cards. Would prefer to spend a hundred
or less on the Sound card, but will spend more if necessary.

MAIN thing I'm looking for is sound quality. I don't care about game
performance (for the sound card at least), I want "flat", non-distorted
sound output. Needs to play music to drive high-end powered speakers at
extreme volume levels and sound awesome three rooms away. :) As I said
before, I've been pretty happy with Turle Beach sound cards in the past.
Good compromise of good sound quality, while still being reasonably priced.
But need PCI express.

Oh, and I don't care how many "channels" it has. 7.1 seems to be the norm
now, but it won't be using more than two channels, probably.

OK, who makes it? -Dave
Click to expand...
There's no need for a PCIe soundcard and creative X-Fi's are fine.
 
OK, who makes it? -Dave
There's no need for a PCIe soundcard and creative X-Fi's are fine.
Click to expand...

Future motherboards might not have a PCI slot... so....

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.24.2
^ ^ 22:35:01 up 12 days 12:35 0 users load average: 0.00 0.01 0.00
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Man-wai Chang ToDie said:
Future motherboards might not have a PCI slot... so....
Click to expand...

Yup, I prefer not to use any PCI slot at all for my next build. And I've
always found Creative products (even the high-end ones) to have a tinny
sound quality. -Dave
 
Yup, I prefer not to use any PCI slot at all for my next build. And
I've always found Creative products (even the high-end ones) to have a
tinny sound quality. -Dave
Click to expand...

Upgrading sound card alone won't cut it. You also need expensive
speakers to really feel the sound card change. :)

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.24.2
^ ^ 23:32:01 up 12 days 13:32 0 users load average: 0.05 0.04 0.00
? ? (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_addressesa/
 
Future motherboards might not have a PCI slot... so....
Click to expand...

Should we assume that a sound card will outlive the original build and will
therefore be carried forward for use on all future builds? What if the
sound card is never removed from the original build?
 
Upgrading sound card alone won't cut it. You also need expensive
speakers to really feel the sound card change. :)
Click to expand...

Speakers are the single most important factor in sound quality. But
perceived differences in sound quality are as personal as how sweet your
beverage should be. There is no substitute for auditioning speakers
first hand.

OT: Chang, why did you choose Ubantu?
 
Starting research for my next build. It will be an occasional gamer, but
mainly used for Internet and multimedia applications. Rather high-end.
Won't even consider using sound built into mainboard, but would prefer to
avoid Creative brand products as well. Don't want to buy a PCI sound card,
want PCI Express. Usually prefer Turtle Beach products, but they don't seem
to make any PCI Express format sound cards. Would prefer to spend a hundred
or less on the Sound card, but will spend more if necessary.

MAIN thing I'm looking for is sound quality. I don't care about game
performance (for the sound card at least), I want "flat", non-distorted
sound output. Needs to play music to drive high-end powered speakers at
extreme volume levels and sound awesome three rooms away. :) As I said
before, I've been pretty happy with Turle Beach sound cards in the past.
Good compromise of good sound quality, while still being reasonably priced.
But need PCI express.

Oh, and I don't care how many "channels" it has. 7.1 seems to be the norm
now, but it won't be using more than two channels, probably.

OK, who makes it? -Dave
Click to expand...

You may also want to consider a USB sound card. Turtle Beach has some
models available as well as Asus, M-Audio and others.

Larc



§§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§
 
OT: Chang, why did you choose Ubantu?

I don't know. It just works and worked. :)

Currently the linux distribution "war" is between Ubuntu and Fedora. The
rest... um...

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.24.2
^ ^ 14:19:01 up 13 days 4:19 0 users load average: 0.01 0.00 0.00
? ? (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_addressesa/
 
You may also want to consider a USB sound card. Turtle Beach has some
models available as well as Asus, M-Audio and others.

Larc
Click to expand...

Interesting suggestion. I thought that was mainly for external
applications. -Dave
 
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