What sounds card to use with a set of 7C's
- Thread starter Philib
- Start date
jamesriley94
New member
What's the budget?
No point in wasting money on anything with 5.1/7.1 surround.
No point in wasting money on anything with 5.1/7.1 surround.
jamesriley94
New member
If you could get a second hand D2X, or find on cheap, then that.
If not, the DX will be fine.
Don't bother with soundblasters.
If not, the DX will be fine.
Don't bother with soundblasters.
jamesriley94
New member
Optical out means digital audio.
Audio quality is better in analogue with something like this where it can be refined. Hence, high end cards like the STX boast about their DACs.
The only point to digital really is for something like surround sound, which audiophiles would tend to avoid anyway.
Basically, you wouldn't really see any difference between onboard audio and a soundcard if you were going through digital, so it's pretty pointless for Asus to include it on their cards.
That's one reason why creative cards are gimicky and overpriced - and why anyone who knows anything about soundcards tends to avoid them.
Audio quality is better in analogue with something like this where it can be refined. Hence, high end cards like the STX boast about their DACs.
The only point to digital really is for something like surround sound, which audiophiles would tend to avoid anyway.
Basically, you wouldn't really see any difference between onboard audio and a soundcard if you were going through digital, so it's pretty pointless for Asus to include it on their cards.
That's one reason why creative cards are gimicky and overpriced - and why anyone who knows anything about soundcards tends to avoid them.
Excalabur50
Well-known member
Asus cards do have optical there tends to be an adapter in the box which allows it, Im just not sure off the top of my head which ones do ATM.
Josh Weston
New member
Your sound card converts the digital files from your computer into an analogue signal that you can hear through your speakers. You can not hear the digital file without it being converted, so the idea is to get the best converter possible to make sweet, sweet music - hence the expensive hardware such as sound cards.
Having your soundcard output a digital signal will mean that you're passing the file to something else to get it converted, which makes the soundcard pretty much act like a passthrough.
Digital signals, i.e. your optical out, do not need special hardware as it's merely the transfer of data. The optical out from your motherboard will be just as good as the one from a sound card.
Having your soundcard output a digital signal will mean that you're passing the file to something else to get it converted, which makes the soundcard pretty much act like a passthrough.
Digital signals, i.e. your optical out, do not need special hardware as it's merely the transfer of data. The optical out from your motherboard will be just as good as the one from a sound card.
SPS
Moderator
Nice and simple explanation, but that little bit bugged me ^_^
