Any suggestions for a new Soundcard?

[GT98]

Anything new and exciting in the world of Sound Cards or should I just stick with a Cretative product?

[Ribbit]

Haven't you read enough here to know to stay away from Creative?!?!?

I've got Hoontech at the moment - no-frills and supposedly very good sound quality. But there are lots of other options, as I'm sure people will post.

[isochar]

M-Audio Revolution 7.1

[Admiral]

Audigy 2 or Terratec DMX 6fire LT.

[Fluff]

That terratec firewire 7.1 soundcard looks like the dogs perverbial.

Esp as you can use it as a DAC when the pc is off. Has Phono connections and a headphone preamp. Also a Phono Preamp.

And looking at the specs of the dac it offers verry good SNR.

http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/products/digital_audio/codecs/WM8770/

It is bout 200 quid

http://sounden.terratec.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=198&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Yum.

[The PIT]

Terratec Universe ???

[Jammrock]

My suggestions. If you're looking for something inexpensive and excellent sounding, go with the M-Audio Revolution. It's about $100 USD. However, if you do a lot of surround sound gaming (3D sound), then I would avoid it. It has to software render anything more than 2 chanels that's not simply passed through SPDIF.

For gaming, go Creative. They may not have the best drivers in the world, but all games support (and pretty much designed around) the sound blaster audigy line.

If you need something external, go firewire. USB blows.

Jammrock

[KvHagedorn]

Phono preamp? Interesting.. you could digitize your old LPs..

[Fluff]

If your record player has a separate groung e.g. Technics 1210 (which i have) not sure how it would work... But i assume thwy would bundle some kind of adapter to connect the ground.

http://www.tomshardware.com/consumer/20040621/

unfrotunately silly me am getting excited over a toms hardware guide review.. shame on me.

[leech]

While we're at it... I'm surprised I didn't see someone post this here... of course, I may have missed it... But it looks like there are some new(ish) drivers for the Audigy series.. From March 29th, 2004. Guess I'll give them a spin....

Leech

[Mehen]

just buy a new mobo with onboard

an asus

[az]

From the THG review: "For attaching the turntable, including a ground, Terratec provides a sort of cinch/cinch adaptor with an earthed plug. Frankly, we would very much have preferred an earthed socket on the card, as this solution looks rather clunky and makeshift."

BTW, if the soundcard would not provide grounds, just connect your player's ground to the radiator or the ground prong on a wall outlet.

KvH, you can use any soundcard to digitize your vinyls: Just connect the preamp out to the card's line in and voila - you can record anything that has an input into your preamp

AZ

[Chrono_Wanderer]

Originally posted by |Mehen|
just buy a new mobo with onboard

an asus

my thought exactly

[dbdg]

I got a nice Fortissimo III on ebay for £15.

Other then that, on board is generally very good thse days.

[leech]

The problem with most onboard soundchips is that they utilize the CPU a lot more than a dedicated sound card. Which of course means if you play a lot of games, get a dedicated sound card. I have an ASUS P4PE with the onboard sound (SoundMAX 5.1) but I still would much rather use my Audigy 2 platinum. Sadly, the drivers for the audigy are quite crappy, and the Alsa drivers work better in Linux...

Leech