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post #11 of 21
7/6/12 at 4:33pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luca717 View Post

i posted as well, i will be using a sony surround system the same as the one on teh future shop link, but no 3d capability.
it goes through a optical audio cable


Isnt the point of using an optical passthrough not having you're sound card interfering with the audio, and instead sending it directly into your receiver?
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post #12 of 21
7/6/12 at 4:39pm
Have you tried using HDMI audio? I also use a home theater receiver as my PC audio. I use the HDMI out on my 6870 to send the audio to my receiver. Digital audio is digital audio. Why pay for a new component when you already have a component in your system that can send the exact same digital data to your receiver as it is?

I would just try out HDMI audio or leave it as optical. Probably the same quality.

You could just invest in a headphone extension cable long enough to go from the receiver to your head. That's what I would do.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882196252
Edited by Epitope - 7/6/12 at 4:41pm
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post #13 of 21
7/6/12 at 4:53pm
Any soundcard is definitely not an improvement over onboard these days, i remember few years back i somehow managed to get a hold of creative soundblaster SE and all it did was make my head hurt(literally). My next experience was an old xtrememusic that i got for 10 bucks and it did sound a lot smoother as if the sound had more resolution if that makes sense. I didn't mind to still listen to the onboard after that though, after 10 mins i'd forget which source it was coming from and that was that. These days i do use a fancy toslink dac + amp but mostly because of the hardware ASIO for my instruments and not because the onboard offends me that much.
Edited by hazarada - 7/6/12 at 4:57pm
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post #14 of 21
7/6/12 at 6:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by robbo2 View Post

I use to think they never made much of a difference after I bought a Xonar D2. I then went back to onboard after about a year of using the card and everything just sounded horrible to me. Purchased a D2X and I am very happy again. I'm certainly no audiophile, but the difference is amazing.

Agreed 100%.

I was actually going to sell my DX because my new Maximus V board was supposed to have good onboard audio. Tried it and didn't like the sound at all. Installed the DX and am now happy again.
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post #15 of 21
7/7/12 at 9:51pm
There is no "good" onboard biggrin.gif
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post #16 of 21
7/8/12 at 10:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hazarada View Post

Any soundcard is definitely not an improvement over onboard these days, i remember few years back i somehow managed to get a hold of creative soundblaster SE and all it did was make my head hurt(literally)

The only lesson to be taken from that is not to buy castrated versions of good hardware, especially not castrated versions of good, but obsolescent, hardware.. All of Creative's "budget" iterations of the Audigy were crap.

Even a $30 Xonar DG is a quantum leap over onboard. If you care about having good sound, don't use onboard.
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post #17 of 21
10/11/12 at 7:31am
and why do i get the feeling that i'm still not convince in buying a soundcard i got a soundblaster Live! CT 4670 and when i switch to my onboard and the sb card no different or next to nothing
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post #18 of 21
10/11/12 at 7:46am
^ A few possible reasons:

1) That soundcard isn't very good
2) Also depends on what speakers and/or headphones you have (if they're crap, you won't notice a difference either)

One of the biggest problems people run into with sound cards is not having hardware that properly compliments it.
Edited by candy_van - 10/11/12 at 7:51am
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post #19 of 21
10/11/12 at 3:14pm
I PM'ed Pioneer with this same question, and this is what he told me:
Quote:
sexypirates
Oct 8, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Hi Pioneer,

Do I still need a sound card if I'm planning to drive my pair of Infinity Primus 153 / DT770/AD700's through a reciever via optical out?

Thanks!


pioneerisloud
Oct 8, 2012 at 7:06 pm
No, not if you're using a digital out. Only reason a sound card could be handy would be for EQ and other sound processing effects. But honestly those are meh anyway.
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post #20 of 21
10/12/12 at 10:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by saber101 View Post

and why do i get the feeling that i'm still not convince in buying a soundcard i got a soundblaster Live! CT 4670 and when i switch to my onboard and the sb card no different or next to nothing

If you switch from onboard to a hopelessly outdated card that wasn't even very good when it came out, of course you will see little or no difference. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that most current onboard sound is better than a CT4670.
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