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Xonar DX or other card?

post #1 of 7
8/10/12 at 9:58am
Thread Starter 
Is the Xonar DX the best soundcard available around it's price range?
I don't mind paying twice the price of the DX if there is something better, I want the soundcard to last 4-5years.

I'm considering going from my onboard ALC892 and X-230 speakers to something like Logitech Z-506 (budget 5.1 speaker) or Z-906 (more expensive 5.1).
I mainly play games but in future I may end up converting it to also watching movies.
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post #2 of 7
8/10/12 at 10:10am
About the speakers : According to user reviews, the Z-5500 is better than the Z-506 or Z-906.
About the sound card : I heard/read that the more expensive sound cards don't necessarily perform better than other cheaper options with the speaker sets you mentioned, and that these cards fully shine only with wooden speakers (expensive).

I asked the same question in another forum and was suggested to go for something from Auzentech e.g. X-Fi Forte.

Hope this helps!
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post #3 of 7
8/10/12 at 10:43am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ahnafakeef View Post

About the speakers : According to user reviews, the Z-5500 is better than the Z-506 or Z-906.
About the sound card : I heard/read that the more expensive sound cards don't necessarily perform better than other cheaper options with the speaker sets you mentioned, and that these cards fully shine only with wooden speakers (expensive).
I asked the same question in another forum and was suggested to go for something from Auzentech e.g. X-Fi Forte.
Hope this helps!

So would you say for Z-506 or Z-906 just get the Xonar DX or even just run on the onboard ALC892?
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post #4 of 7
8/11/12 at 1:25am
Xonar DX will obviously improve sound quality over your onboard ALC892. So yes, get at least a Xonar DX.

Judging from prices, the Xonar DX is in the same range as the X-Fi Forte. So I think it'd be appropriate for Z-506/Z-906. The cards may vary in performance though, you should check some reviews first.

If you haven't bought the speakers yet, you should check out comparisons or maybe ask in these forums about Z-5500 vs Z-506/Z-906. (Here's where I read about the Z-5500 being better : http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Speakers/Logitech-Z-5500-vs-Z-906/td-p/742852)

If you want to go all out and get one of the best cards available, the ASUS Xonar Essence ST/STX is definitely one of the best ones currently available for a price about double of the Xonar DX. But there remains doubt as to whether there will be any actual improvement in sound quality over the DX with those speaker sets. So I'd say go for the Xonar DX.

Good luck! thumb.gif
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post #5 of 7
8/11/12 at 4:30am
oh gees, don't waste your money on Logitech speakers.

What's your total budget for both OP?
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post #6 of 7
8/12/12 at 4:06am
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Forget the Logitech's. They're crap.

Good 2.0/2.1 is MUCH better than crap 5.1, even for movies.
For sound card get the DX.
Amplifier buy this
For speakers I'd take a look at some two-way bookshelfs that fit your budget
I'd say look for used speakers, you get much higher quality when you're buying speakers with a low budget.
But if you want new, here's one speaker I'd take a look at
http://www.amazon.de/Magnat-Quantum-Kompakt-Lautsprecher-schwarz-Paar/dp/B002IW8XZ2/ref=sr_1_34?s=ce-de&ie=UTF8&qid=1344769862&sr=1-34
Edited by lagittaja - 8/12/12 at 4:13am
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post #7 of 7
8/12/12 at 4:16am
One thing avoid Logitech speakers, they are not the best nor worth it. Here is what I used to own, , now I have a 2.1 ProMedia 2.1 from Klipsch. It blows the Logitech away, the bass is immense, I don't even go a 1/4 of the way and my mom complains it rattles the house lol.

Also consider the Titanium HD from Creative, I can say from experience it was a very nice sound card. I do not know how Asus is but looking at what OCN has to say about it, they seem just as good.
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