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I'm looking for a new soundcard. First priorities are price and sound quality. I only need stereo output, line in, mic in, digital out would be nice. Don't care for any supplied software and would prefer simple, small drivers that work. WinXP, PCI or USB.
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Well, most of the good cards these days offer all the surround stuff whether you want it or not. The Creative XFi has been getting rave reviews. Don't know how the drivers are for the XFi line though.Originally posted by az
The M-Audio Revolution is a bit cheaper and say sounds just as good as any mainstream sound card.
There's always the Turtle Beach stuff: http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/products/audioadv/
There's always Echo Digital Audio, who specializes in professional grade sound. The MiaMIDI even has a break-out cable thing (though I can't figure out if it's for input or output, or can be used for either). It only handles stereo, and supposedly does it very well. Never heard a MiaMIDI, but I have an Indigo for my laptop and Doc swears by Echo for PC audio. Runs a little bit more than an Xfi online.
Without going into the extreme high-end professional stuff, those are probably going to be your best bang for the buck.“Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get outâ€
–The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett -
Not exactly cheap
I think Turtle Beach isn't available in germany (or maybe under another name?).
5.1 isn't needed, but it's not prohibitive either
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the turtle beach santa cruz was available in austria. still sitting in my pc.
mfg
wulfman"Perhaps they communicate by changing colour? Like those sea creatures .."
"Lobsters?"
"Really? I didn't know they did that."
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You could look for a used Audigy 2 on eBay. Get one of those cheap and it will suffice. If you want to go super cheap ... There are various USB thumb (meaning about the size of your themb) sound cards. Turtlr Beach makes one for $30 USD, and I've seen them for as low as $20.
I even found one from an online german retailer:
They carry regular Turtle Beach stuff, too.
for 5 marks more:
“Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get outâ€
–The Light Fantastic, Terry PratchettComment
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I've seen these sticks for <15 EUR on eBay including shipping. I just don't trust their sound quality. I'll mostly be listening through my Sennheiser HD 595, it would be a bit of a waste to do that through a low quality soundcard. Currently I use a Terratec 6fire 24/96, but that's my ex's.Comment
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Sorry for the hijack, but I'm also looking for a cheap soundcard, but I need one with DD 5.1 and optical out. What do you recommend for that?
I'm finally going to buy some rear speakers for the HT setup, so I also need an optical connection from the HTPC. Just using analog stereo right now...Lady, people aren't chocolates. Do you know what they are mostly? Bastards. Bastard coated bastards with bastard filling. But I don't find them half as annoying as I find naive, bubble-headed optimists who walk around vomiting sunshine. -- Dr. Perry CoxComment
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I'd look for cards based on VIA Envy24 chipset."For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism."Comment
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A digital output from the sound card will do the exact same thing be it on copper or on fiber. Most sound cards will do digital out on copper. The fancy soundblaster series cards will do optical out via their break out boxes, but there is no benefit from using it, other than it being coolOriginally posted by agallag.
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i7-920, 6GB DDR3-1600, HD4870X2, Dell 27" LCDComment
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There is a big benefit to optical when your cable box is using the only coax input on your receiver. I've only got optical inputs remaining.
The cable box is coax only, so the sound card has to be optical... or else I could go buy a new receiver, but that would just be silly.Lady, people aren't chocolates. Do you know what they are mostly? Bastards. Bastard coated bastards with bastard filling. But I don't find them half as annoying as I find naive, bubble-headed optimists who walk around vomiting sunshine. -- Dr. Perry CoxComment
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Converters can be had for ~$30.Originally posted by agallagThere is a big benefit to optical when your cable box is using the only coax input on your receiver. I've only got optical inputs remaining.Gigabyte P35-DS3L with a Q6600, 2GB Kingston HyperX (after *3* bad pairs of Crucial Ballistix 1066), Galaxy 8800GT 512MB, SB X-Fi, some drives, and a Dell 2005fpw. Running WinXP.Comment
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Grumble grumble grumble...what exactly IS your price range? If you want something that can seriously push your 595's you're looking at >$100USD to do it right ... simply because you need something with a good headphone amp to handle the headphones.Originally posted by azLast edited by Jammrock; 16 January 2006, 16:11.“Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get outâ€
–The Light Fantastic, Terry PratchettComment
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I have built myself a chu moy headphone amp. While not exactly high end, I don't think it is any worse (probably better) than headphone amps in even expensive breakout boxes (IF they do have headphone amps and not just a pot across their line out). Assuming this is true, I just need a card with good line out. And if it's not true, please tell me so
I am happy (mostly) with the 6fire (Envy24 non-HT chip, breakout box, drivers mostly just work if I don't want fancy game 3d sound, which I don't) - but it's not mine anymore and is going to her.Comment
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Chaintech AV-710.
Based on Envy (thogh that alone isn't enough for high quality audio), and two of it's 5.1 outputs (default rear I believe, but you can reconfigure that) are using very high quality Wolfson DAC. (the card also has digital) And cheap: ~25€Last edited by Nowhere; 16 January 2006, 19:53.
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The fortissimo cards (3 and 4) have a dedicated headphone out(and digital), my brother got the 3 and the headphone out is great(he uses sennhiesers).
I just orderded the 4 (envy24ht based), shoudl have the same quality headphone out(for my senhiesers)
The M-Audio Audiophile 2496 is stereo only, very good stereo at that if a tad expensive (envy based as well)Comment
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