[HSG502]

The motherboard is in my sig.

I have a Sennheiser HD 515 at the moment for headphones and Logitech LS2.1 speakers. (I use the headphones more though).

I play Bad Company 2 at the moment and plan on getting Battlefield 3 when it releases. I've heard that the sound quality is meant to be really good so I have started wondering about a soundcard. Music I listen to ranges from 70s rock (Led Zeppelin etc) to old school rap if that makes a difference.

Will I notice a difference with my current audio set-up?

Will the choice of soundcard affect Skype/teamspeak etc?

I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to sound related stuff so any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Iceman23]

Hmm, I probably wouldn't spend any money on a good sound card unless I upgraded those headphones/speakers.

 

[RallyMaster]

Well, I've had far worse headphones than he has right now and did notice an improvement when I got a sound card.

 

[Iceman23]

Well, he might notice an improvement but you'll always wonder how it could perform with some high quality headphones/speakers. I just don't see the logic spending $100-$200 on a good sound card for $40 headphones and $30 speakers.

 

[SillyCang]

Yes, you should consider getting one. I notice alot of different when I purchased my sound card. Although, it only cost $50 the sounds were alot sharper and I hear sounds in songs that wasn't there before. Likewise for gaming.

 

[PhilWrir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iceman23;13008450
Hmm, I probably wouldn't spend any money on a good sound card unless I upgraded those headphones/speakers.

Your kidding right?
A soundcard can make just about any headphones sound better.
And the 515s are some damn good headphones.
They are far from the best, but they are still fantastic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iceman23;13008885
Well, he might notice an improvement but you'll always wonder how it could perform with some high quality headphones/speakers. I just don't see the logic spending $100-$200 on a good sound card for $40 headphones and $30 speakers.

An ASUS Xonar DX or a D1 ($90) would be worth every penny for him.
As I said, a sound card can make just about any set of speakers sound better, especially if the headphones are HD515s.

 

[kcuestag]

I moved from integrated sound to an Auzentech X-Fi Bravura, and even though my speakers are not great (Logitech X-540 5.1 System) I still noticed a nice improve in sound quality in Bad Company 2

So I'd say yes, it's definitely worth it.

 

[Iceman23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilWrir;13008924
Your kidding right?
A soundcard can make just about any headphones sound better.
And the 515s are some damn good headphones.
They are far from the best, but they are still fantastic.

An ASUS Xonar DX or a D1 ($90) would be worth every penny for him.
As I said, a sound card can make just about any set of speakers sound better, especially if the headphones are HD515s.

Not kidding at all. I fail to see the logic in spending more on on the soundcard than the playback device.

 

[PCSarge]

my onboard realtek is giving me problems...im looking into a new sound card aswell, the onboard sometimes randomly cuts out completely in games.

far as it goes, ive heard good things about the xonar, ive heard some good things about the soundblaster x-fi, but havent really heard much else

 

[Moltar]

Its all going to depend on the sound hardware that you are trying to drive and how big your budget is. If you get a sound card, it is going to give at least a bit of an improvement over on board, no matter what your current gear.

Answer my 2 questions and we can pick out a sound card or DAC that best suits your needs. Who knows, maybe we could get you some better cans and or some better speakers while we are at it.

 

[PhilWrir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iceman23;13009150
Not kidding at all. I fail to see the logic in spending more on on the soundcard than the playback device.

I know what you mean, but investing in a good sound card is always worth it because one can always buy new speakers. Personally I would much rather have headphones/speakers that cant take full advantage of a soundcard over having underpowered sound quality.
The he can snag one of the little $30 Xonars from newegg too.
My main point is that there WILL be an improvement in sound with the addition of a card.

 

[Iceman23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilWrir;13009261
I know what you mean, but investing in a good sound card is always worth it because one can always buy new speakers. Personally I would much rather have headphones/speakers that cant take full advantage of a soundcard over having underpowered sound quality.
The he can snag one of the little $30 Xonars from newegg too.
My main point is that there WILL be an improvement in sound with the addition of a card.

Thats true. I guess the best solution I would offer is to upgrade both

 

[HSG502]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moltar Its all going to depend on the sound hardware that you are trying to drive and how big your budget is. If you get a sound card, it is going to give at least a bit of an improvement over on board, no matter what your current gear. Answer my 2 questions and we can pick out a sound card or DAC that best suits your needs. Who knows, maybe we could get you some better cans and or some better speakers while we are at it.

Well the HD 515s are staying as I was given it as a gift and I'd rather not get another one and I don't use the logitech speakers enough to bother getting a new set.

The things I listen to are in the OP for those who need more info.

What would you reckon is a good set? I was looking at the Asus D1, DX and DS. As those are quite cheap here. Are they any good?

 

[kcuestag]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSG502 Well the HD 515s are staying as I was given it as a gift and I'd rather not get another one and I don't use the logitech speakers enough to bother getting a new set. The things I listen to are in the OP for those who need more info. What would you reckon is a good set? I was looking at the Asus D1, DX and DS. As those are quite cheap here. Are they any good?

The Asus DX is quite good and will make wonders

 

[Tacoboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSG502 Well the HD 515s are staying as I was given it as a gift and I'd rather not get another one and I don't use the logitech speakers enough to bother getting a new set. The things I listen to are in the OP for those who need more info. What would you reckon is a good set? I was looking at the Asus D1, DX and DS. As those are quite cheap here. Are they any good?

The Asus DX & D1 (and DG) have Dolby, the DS only has DTS and I really like Dolby.

 

[HSG502]

Ok thanks Tacoboy and kcuestag. At the moment I'm between the Asus DX 7.1 and the Asus DG.

At the moment here is how I'm weighing them against each other:

Asus DG:

Pros:
PCI - Means I can have it placed further away from my GTX470's fan.
Price - $100 cheaper than the DX
Cons:
PCI - Risk of not being supported by later motherboards (in the rare chance of me upgrading which won't be for atleast 2-3 years).
Maybe inferior in quality to DX? (This is the major question)

Asus DX:
Pros:
PCI-E - Going to be supported on motherboards for quite some time.
Cons:
Going to really starve my GTX470 of air (If my measurements are right it should cover roughly half of the fan - Unless anyone can say otherwise?)
$100 more expensive.

Any thoughts?

 

[RallyMaster]

Get a D1 if you still want PCI.

 

[HSG502]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RallyMaster Get a D1 if you still want PCI.

I'm guessing the D1 is better than the DG with respect to quality?

The only shop that stocks it has the price set at $145 vs the $57.50 of the DG.

Oh and just as a warning to all those who see the prices and freak out. Remeber these are NZ Dollar.

 

[Moltar]

To get your feet wet, just go with the DG for the time being. You can always sell it here on the marketplace and upgrade again. The DG will give you a good starting point to determine what you like and dislike.

 

[Tacoboy]

I agree, just go with the DG.