Best sound card for 2.0 stereo setup

[KING_OF_SAND]

you would be WAY better off with the klipsch system. klipsch has an almost unmatched reputation in sound, and the Pro 2.1's are starter audiophile grade. the corsair seems to be more of a gaming speaker setup than anything else. what i mean by gaming speakers is lots of pretty muddy bass not very good highs and decent mids. the Pro 2.1's has very clean and punchy bass made especially for music and the highs are exceptional and the mids are pretty decent. playing BFBC2 with the Pro 2.1 on war tapes and listening to a huge explosion sounds VERY clean and crisp and enough to shake your house with 0 distortion. but you will need a decent sound card to get the full experience of the Klipsch Pro 2.1, they also have a wireless version of them.

 

[Rastalovich]

Your much better off running a pair of £20,000 speakers with on board sound than £20 with a £3000 sound card.

Cheers,

Sam

You're absolutely correct. In the radio industry, we only use £3000 sound cards for editing (mostly due to the software licensing, so you can't aim that squarely at the card itself). Onboard is what the majority in the building will listen to (both tv and radio people), with all honest a crappy pair of Logitech speakers and limited headphones (which are damned expensive in themselves).

In fairness, up to the point of the output connection, the audio from an ipod, pc, mac, mp3 player, turntable, dat player, cd player, is as good as it needs to be.

From the point of output, it's down to the individual as to how they want to molest the sound. Each with their own taste.

I love listening to the audiophile lines about what's good and bad - in all honesty, it's a matter of taste. It's not set in stone and everyone's hearing is different, almost like a fingerprint. Then you have the age factor.

 

[dielbe]

you would be WAY better off with the klipsch system. klipsch has an almost unmatched reputation in sound, and the Pro 2.1's are starter audiophile grade. the corsair seems to be more of a gaming speaker setup than anything else. what i mean by gaming speakers is lots of pretty muddy bass not very good highs and decent mids. the Pro 2.1's has very clean and punchy bass made especially for music and the highs are exceptional and the mids are pretty decent. playing BFBC2 with the Pro 2.1 on war tapes and listening to a huge explosion sounds VERY clean and crisp and enough to shake your house with 0 distortion. but you will need a decent sound card to get the full experience of the Klipsch Pro 2.1, they also have a wireless version of them.

Sorry, I think you may find that the B&W 800 Diamond Series is THE reference speaker. And as I said, a subwoofer in his small room would kill everything. Better off with a great pair of 2.0 speakers such as the ADAMS or the KRK V4's etc... Or the hifi equivalent, I'm not hot on hifi gear as I only use pro audio equipment myself.

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

room size doesn't matter, it all depends on the type of sub and or how the room is configured. and i will take my Klipsch P-39F with my P312W over that B&W 800 series any day. also my sound system is in a specially designed room that was build from the ground up which is fairly small, but configured and fine tuned for my set up. i can pretty much produce ANY sound in existence (not damaging to the human ear) with my setup. i can actually reproduce the sound of a Indy car racing around a track perfectly. (i know i have done it)

i like racing.

having a fine tuned room for expensive sound equipment makes a HELL of difference.

 

[fcb]

Tom mentioned he has been using his Logitech Z5500 for a few years now. I'm waiting on his review of the Corsair SP2500 to see how they compare with a 5.1 speaker system.

I don't think I'd spend $500 on the Z5500. Way over budget and I doubt I'd have anywhere to put them next to the TV. Since I have an Asus O!Play media player, I'll need something that will be produce clean and clear bass within a small room. My family sits 2 - 3 metres from the TV. We're still using the TV's speakers in our small TV room.

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

I can already tell you that the corsair will not create music clarity that you may be looking for. it will sound nice for games and maybe movies, but you have to remember that this is a gaming sound system. this system was not designed for music and neither was the Z5500. because they are gaming systems they provide gaming sound which is lots of deep bass, good mids and OK highs. because gaming systems center mainly around bass it will give out muddier bass for music and movies but will sound great for gaming. You need something that was designed for music, if you are going to listen to music or watch movies. while cheaper music systems may not create the ultra deep bass of the gaming ones it will make up for it in great mids and rich highs. and will sound rich and clear in all your games.

you are going to have to trust me on this one. Tom may make a review on but judging by his perspective it will be more towards what a gamer wants as a apposed to a music lover. i am sure the corsair system will be nice and be GREAT for games and sound good for music but i dont think Tom knows what to look for in terms of a good sounding music/movie cinema system. im not bashing him but it takes a trained ear such as mine or any audiophile ear to hear if its good for music.

 

[fcb]

I can already tell you that the corsair will not create music clarity that you may be looking for. it will sound nice for games and maybe movies, but you have to remember that this is a gaming sound system. this system was not designed for music and neither was the Z5500. because they are gaming systems they provide gaming sound which is lots of deep bass, good mids and OK highs. because gaming systems center mainly around bass it will give out muddier bass for music and movies but will sound great for gaming. You need something that was designed for music, if you are going to listen to music or watch movies. while cheaper music systems may not create the ultra deep bass of the gaming ones it will make up for it in great mids and rich highs. and will sound rich and clear in all your games.

you are going to have to trust me on this one. Tom may make a review on but judging by his perspective it will be more towards what a gamer wants as a apposed to a music lover. i am sure the corsair system will be nice and be GREAT for games and sound good for music but i dont think Tom knows what to look for in terms of a good sounding music/movie cinema system. im not bashing him but it takes a trained ear such as mine or any audiophile ear to hear if its good for music.

I haven't decided one way or the other. I am thinking of looking into the Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 that you've suggested earlier. Do they have more power than the Corsair's? I know it's not really comparable in terms of quality. One company has been making audio equipment for a few ten yrs, and Corsair just stepped into the PC speakers market.

Any other speakers I can look into for the PC? This is really fascinating.

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

I haven't decided one way or the other. I am thinking of looking into the Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 that you've suggested earlier. Do they have more power than the Corsair's? I know it's not really comparable in terms of quality. One company has been making audio equipment for a few ten yrs, and Corsair just stepped into the PC speakers market.

Any other speakers I can look into for the PC? This is really fascinating.

Gaming speaker systems tend to have more power because they are meant to play loud with lots of bass. This is because they have fairly cheap amps that do not utilize the power very well. this is one of the aspects of a good sound system, is one that utilizes the power that is given in a very clean manner.

 

[fcb]

Gaming speaker systems tend to have more power because they are meant to play loud with lots of bass. This is because they have fairly cheap amps that do not utilize the power very well. this is one of the aspects of a good sound system, is one that utilizes the power that is given in a very clean manner.

You make a good point! Would you purchase a speaker system from Corsair if they ever decide to release one just for music and movies?

I won't be changing my current speakers for another anyway. I'm saving up for the Asus Xonar Essense STX. Hopefully they will go well together with my T40 SII's. I'm going to see if I'll be building a gaming rig by X'mas this yr. If so, I may go with the Corsair SP2500 just for the gaming aspect. I could match that with a Xonar DX for the budget gaming rig.

I just realized the Pro Media 2.1 supports THX....that's brilliant. No wonder they're so powerful. I wish they had a separate volume control knob instead of the adjustments on the left speaker. They cost less than the Corsair's in Canada, so that's a nice point.

Wondering if Intel will release any sort of unlocked i3 for the 1155 platform? It would definitely make a decent budge gaming PC.

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

Honestly the THX qualification means nothing in terms of quality, just power. and yea maybe someday i would consider them for quality music speakers. but right now they have practically 0 reputation in PC speakers. but my guess is they will stick with gaming systems. When it comes to audio i consider Logitech as a great gaming system and Klipsch as my music system. but because i am an audiophile i lean towards to what i like and tend to hate the competitors if you know what i mean

. some audiophiles like me, like Klipsch, others like BOSE, others like B&W. but we are not like console fanboys, we all agree to disagree, even the most stubborn audiophiles.

BOSE=Buy Other Sound Equipment

B&W=Blows & Whistles

 

[fcb]

Honestly the THX qualification means nothing in terms of quality, just power. and yea maybe someday i would consider them for quality music speakers. but right now they have practically 0 reputation in PC speakers. but my guess is they will stick with gaming systems. When it comes to audio i consider Logitech as a great gaming system and Klipsch as my music system. but because i am an audiophile i lean towards to what i like and tend to hate the competitors if you know what i mean

. some audiophiles like me, like Klipsch, others like BOSE, others like B&W. but we are not like console fanboys, we all agree to disagree, even the most stubborn audiophiles.

BOSE=Buy Other Sound Equipment

B&W=Blows & Whistles

Yeah, I know what you mean. I actually liked Logitech's X-540 but they don't make them anymore. I wish they did though, because it would be a great budget 5.1 system for gaming and movies if matched with a decent sound card. I think Logitech has replaced them with the Z-506 or something of the Z line or products. I'm not too sure...

Would be nice to see a separate volume control like the one of the X-540 though. I just like to have it on my desk where it gives a clean look.

 

[dielbe]

Honestly the THX qualification means nothing in terms of quality, just power. and yea maybe someday i would consider them for quality music speakers. but right now they have practically 0 reputation in PC speakers. but my guess is they will stick with gaming systems. When it comes to audio i consider Logitech as a great gaming system and Klipsch as my music system. but because i am an audiophile i lean towards to what i like and tend to hate the competitors if you know what i mean

. some audiophiles like me, like Klipsch, others like BOSE, others like B&W. but we are not like console fanboys, we all agree to disagree, even the most stubborn audiophiles.

BOSE=Buy Other Sound Equipment

B&W=Blows & Whistles

Please don't put B&W and that other audio company that sells overpriced, hyped up crap in the same sentence. I don't know why people feel the need to have a 'gaming' and a music system. Good audio reproduction is good audio reproduction and that is that.

Have you ever even heard and ATC SCM20's or ADAM S3X-H's or B&W 801's OR are you just basing all of your information on a bunch of idiots who read stats and write crap on internet forums?

The Klipsch stuff I cannot comment on as I have never heard anything they have made. They are not very well know here in the UK.

 

[dielbe]

O... and judging by the price of klipsch stuff it's not that posh.

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

no were did i say B&W was bad and neither did i say bose was. and DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH good audio production is good audio production. BUT different sound systems are meant to do different things. a gaming audio system is by no means designed to produce VERY high Fidelity audio, reason being is to keep the price down, and there is no need to in a video game. and yes i have heard B&W systems, especially the 801s, they are great audio systems. i have also head stereo systems that cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

 

[dugdiamond]

i use a X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro. it's never let me down

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

i use a X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro. it's never let me down

yea all my x-fi stuff lasts forever. its great quality stuff.

 

[fcb]

no were did i say B&W was bad and neither did i say bose was. and DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH good audio production is good audio production. BUT different sound systems are meant to do different things. a gaming audio system is by no means designed to produce VERY high Fidelity audio, reason being is to keep the price down, and there is no need to in a video game. and yes i have heard B&W systems, especially the 801s, they are great audio systems. i have also head stereo systems that cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I do agree with you on the point where gaming audio should be like in a class of its own. Not that they're horrible, but they are aimed at people who may not be interested in pure audio quality, but rather where audio is defined in gaming.

Oh yeah, I just realized my father's using a Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 in his computer room. I never realized that......ever......it's been there for a really really long time....

It's a really good system. Really appreciate that you've suggested that speaker system to me. My friend has the Logitech X-540 that are discontinued here in Canada, but I've listened to them while we were gaming at his house. It's not a bad speaker system, especially if you have a good sound card. He's using Asus Xonar D2X so I guess he was able to turn a budget 5.1 speaker system into a unique gaming/home theatre set.

I like the Xonar D2X for its led lit ports. It's really easy to see, especially, in the dark when you want to change something. It's pretty expensive though....comes in around a similar price range as the Xonar Essense STX.

What do you guys think?

 

[UkGouki]

i have a xonar and an xfi extreme audio soundcard also have a creative soundblaster pro out of the 3 the xonar i have is true 7.1 hd surround the xfi audio is 5.1 and the soundblaster is also 5.1 beleive it or not the soundblaster pro which cost me £49 about 5 years or so ago is the best for music the xonar is best for gaming expesually with my headset.. the xfi extreme is just above the onboard and for me was a waste of £70 2 years ago when i got it i got the xonar last year for my birthday from my wife its what im currently using my media server pc uses the soundblaster pro the xfi extreme i cant even find it i took it out of my main pc last year and cant remember where i put it lolz..

anyways here is a link to the xonar im using its been out just over a year and so far for me is the best quality soundcard ive ever had.. >>

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-001-AS&groupid=701&catid=11&subcat=

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

if your sound blaster sounds better than your xonar, there is something wrong with your xonar. if you look at the specs of the xonar and 99% of creative sound blasters the xonar has a MUCH wider sound range FOR EVERYTHING. as stupid as this may sound but the laws of physics will not allow your creative card to sound better (by that i mean offer the same crisp highs, mids, and lows). UNLESS you have something wrong with your xonar or you have that new Creative music audiophile card they just released.

Someone like me i can hear a HUGE difference (like night and day) between the sound quality of my Fatality sound blaster and my xonar). it may sound good but if you play some 320bit music you will here the difference. also you may have some REALLY cheap speaker.

 

[fcb]

i have a xonar and an xfi extreme audio soundcard also have a creative soundblaster pro out of the 3 the xonar i have is true 7.1 hd surround the xfi audio is 5.1 and the soundblaster is also 5.1 beleive it or not the soundblaster pro which cost me £49 about 5 years or so ago is the best for music the xonar is best for gaming expesually with my headset.. the xfi extreme is just above the onboard and for me was a waste of £70 2 years ago when i got it i got the xonar last year for my birthday from my wife its what im currently using my media server pc uses the soundblaster pro the xfi extreme i cant even find it i took it out of my main pc last year and cant remember where i put it lolz..

anyways here is a link to the xonar im using its been out just over a year and so far for me is the best quality soundcard ive ever had.. >>

http://www.overclock...atid=11&subcat=

The Xonar D2X is a fantastic card. My friend has one and it's just unbelievable, even when he's just using a Logitech X-540 5.1 speaker system. Gaming and movies are great. Music is even better, but I still believe music should be played through a 2.0 or 2.1 system instead. 5.1 is a bit overdoing it, and it's not necessary....the sounds seem too analytical and too well made sometimes. I'm not sure if you know what I mean?

Right now, I believe Auzentech has the 'best bang for the buck' sound cards. I haven't had any experience with them but I've heard great things about them too. At least they have better drivers.

if your sound blaster sounds better than your xonar, there is something wrong with your xonar. if you look at the specs of the xonar and 99% of creative sound blasters the xonar has a MUCH wider sound range FOR EVERYTHING. as stupid as this may sound but the laws of physics will not allow your creative card to sound better (by that i mean offer the same crisp highs, mids, and lows). UNLESS you have something wrong with your xonar or you have that new Creative music audiophile card they just released.

Someone like me i can hear a HUGE difference (like night and day) between the sound quality of my Fatality sound blaster and my xonar). it may sound good but if you play some 320bit music you will here the difference. also you may have some REALLY cheap speaker.

I'm really tempted to go out and buy the Xonar right now...I hope my speakers don't fall into the category of cheap speakers.