[nanaya]

While I do want to believe that discrete sounds better, I saw some posts where people claim that they can't hear any difference between a discrete sound card and realtek onboard.

Most extreme one was with Asus Essence STX and Audio Technica M50 headphone which claim the STX sounds the same with his realtek ALC892, this make me kinda skeptic in investing for better SC...

I myself, with only realtek alc888 could hear the difference between 128-220Kbps to 320Kbps mp3 files or flac. Does this means that today's onboard sc actually sounds as good as a discrete sc?

Your thoughts? Experience?

 

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

A sound card is a pure luxury item.
Yes they're still better but not a better that justifies the cost unless you have money to spare. I've got a Creative Audigy Value, in other words an absolute bottom end sound card and I'd say it gives me a slightly richer less edgy sound than my onboard, it also shows itself in gaming with it's propper EAX support and other advanced features like CMSS-3D (essentially fake surround). Also when I used my onboard to record the sound from my TVcard it would give me a strange static noise in the background which apparently is an issue with my Realtek ALC 1200 when using Auxillary sound (the option is called slightly different with a Realtek onboard but it's disabled at the moment so I can't exactly check)...an option I however have to use. My sound card has no such issue. I'd really like to try an ASUS Xonar but I just can't justify the cost.

Onboard sound however has improved leaps an bounds over the old days of the Realtek97 and is easily enough for most people. Only those with money burning a hole into their pockets or who insist in the absolute best sound may want to look into get themeselves a discrete sound card.

 

[masta.g.86]

Onboard sucks compared to discrete.

There are, however, two stipulations to this:

1.) Just because it's discrete doesn't make it better than onboard. What I'm saying is that a cheap discrete soundcard may not offer any real benefits over onboard sound. People assume that because a card is discrete that it is automatically "better" than onboard.

2.) You need a good set of headphones or a good sound system to really make use of a good soundcard's improved output. A $20 set of speakers or MP3 "ear buds" won't cut it. I, myself have a $500 set of Klipsch Promedia 5.1 surround sound speakers. It's not entirely necessary to spend this kind of money on speakers, but they make a huge difference. A downside, however, is that when connected to an onboard system, it allows you to hear the audio imperfections very clearly. Good speakers require a dedicated soundcard with clean output.

Another, perhaps strange downside, is that once you get used to the better sound offered by a good, dedicated soundcard and speakers/headphones, it's kinda' difficult to go back to the old "dirty-sounding" onboard audio. Kinda' like "ignorance was bliss".

 

[n_w95482]

I have noticed a difference when using headphones (Sony MDR-CD580 and Audio Technica ATH-AD700), not so much with speakers though. The discrete cards seem to have more power as the bass comes through a lot stronger. With onboard sound, both headphones sound rather flat. Equalizer adjustments don't seem to help much in that regard.

 

[Ahielia]

The ones that can't hear the difference between an onboard audio card and a discrete audio card is either a) deaf/severely diminished hearing, b) Got a crappy stereo/headset, c) Got a crappy audio card.

I've yet to hear an onboard audio card that's actually good.

 

[deamonhunter]

simple answer , YES

but just as masta said , you need a complete set to get the optimum experience , SC + good speakers , I can easily tell the difference between a generic onboard and my XFI xtreme gamer fatality Pro , heck i could even tell the difference from my old Audigy 4 .

 

[nanaya]

Thanks for the input guys, maybe I'll grab the new relatively cheap Asus Xonar DG and see if it really makes any difference, at that price point.

 

[Lasnap]

for me i had a major improvment over my old onboard from 2006 with the x-fi extreme gamer sound card and a set of logitech x-530s from my local walmart that i got for $80 and the sound card cost about $100 itself

 

[n_w95482]

I almost got a Xonar DX a while ago but I didn't like the floppy power connector . I went with an X-Fi Titanium instead. It works pretty well aside from Creative's various driver issues.

 

[Princess Garnet]

My last discrete sound card was my Sound Blaster Live Platinum. My current sound is onboard, listed as "Analog Devices AD1988B", apparently SoundMAX (which I thought was usually bad), sounds pretty decent to me compared to that, so I haven't used my last sound card in my current PC.

I have Logitech Z-2300 2.1 speakers, and often enough use a pair of Sennheiser EH350s (more a "studio" set, not a "gaming" set, and they were ~$50 on Newegg at the time, ~$70-$75 elsewhere it seems). I got the headphones since I wanted more of an emphasis on clear mids and highs, not so much powerful bass, and at first, the bass was weaker, but once they broke in, the bass was good but not overdone, and the mids and highs great, so I opted for them over the "gaming" HDxxx sets. In any case, these aren't expensive top end listening devices, but they're pretty good to my ears, so I always wondered if my sound chip was lagging behind and dragging them down.

 

[nanaya]

so I always wondered if my sound chip was lagging behind and dragging them down.

Precisely what I'm wondering, I opt to try Asus Xonar DG cause it is supposedly sub $50 and has integrated headphone amp, a rarity (or first?) at that price point.

I'm not much of speaker listener and it seems that most people who like their discrete sc, does so because of the equalizer or driver/software crystalizer. Which, imo, sounds horrible and just distort the intended music.

 

[StriderVM]

Generally no.

The best benefit is native EAX and other audio enhancement support. A lot of onboards don't support these stuff.

 

[deamonhunter]

hey ... crystallizer and bass & treble enhancement are awesome

and I dont think creative still has issues with its drivers at least not with the xfi line

 

[Hatorijr]

i have a new xfi titanium pro, not a single issue with drivers except that when i installed the card i did not uninstall the old drivers from my other older xfi card. the driver disc has a nice uninstaller on the disc(i thought it was sort of hidden myself) which took all the old audio drivers off and i had no issues after that.

 

[nanaya]

hey ... crystallizer and bass & treble enhancement are awesome

and I dont think creative still has issues with its drivers at least not with the xfi line

I don't like them. In my ears (and headphone) it just sounds funny. :/

 

[Ahielia]

(and headphone)

There's your problem

 

[nanaya]

It's a JVC RX700 and Superlux HD 668B: A Giant Killer? | Headfonia that, both have garnered positive reviews from lots of people.

Btw, most audiophile agree that DSP usually only distorts sound. Obviously I'm no audiophile but I still agree with their opinion on this one.

 

[Spyhop]

I almost got a Xonar DX a while ago but I didn't like the floppy power connector . I went with an X-Fi Titanium instead.

You have chosen poorly.

On the subject of onboard vs. premium sound cards, I am so not an audiophile. I usually can't tell the difference between different audio equipment. However, I can say that my Xonar DX (I also used to have an Essence STX) sounds worlds better than onboard.

At one point I though I was imagining it, and removed my Xonar because I needed the space on my MB. I switched back to Onboard. That lasted an hour. The difference with Onboard was immediately noticeable.

 

[PsyMan]

If I had to choose between a discrete soundblaster live/audigy and an onboard soundstorm, I'd take the soundstorm anytime.

 

[Spyhop]

Xonar is win. Praise teh Xonar.