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PC surround sound
Arminas
Student of LifeSF, CARegistered User regular
Student of LifeSF, CARegistered User regular
So I did a search and I did find this thread:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=39789
It discussed feeling jipped on purchasing a nice soundcard and a set of 7.1 speakers. I am in a similar set of questions but didn't want to resurrect that thread.
Right now I have a set of 2.1 speakers from Cambridge Soundworks that do not appear to have a model number, they're old but they're good. Fantastic range of frequency for music, but I've since decided to update my PC setup for surround sound gaming. In regards to this, I have a number of questions. But first I'll list my own information that might be relevant.
- Vista 32-bit
- On-board sound from an Asus P5K motherboard
- Budget: <$300 total
- Setup is located in the living room so I'll have plenty of space to put things. If you need pics, let me know.
Other miscellaneous notes:
I did have an xtreme music xfi sound card, but I had heard it was a nightmare to run with vista so I left it in my old box. I'm not aiming TO spend $300, but I'd be willing to go that high if I was convinced that it was that much more awesome. I thoroughly enjoy music and can tell the difference between a crappy and a good rip of music, but I don't understand a lot of the jargon that may go along with it. I'm not so crazy as to demand FLAC for all of my music but prefer either a variable bitrate or >=160kbps
But now! Onto the questions!
I'd love to hear any feedback or assistance with this. I haven't yet scoped out Newegg's top user/recommended picks for speakers yet. So...
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=39789
It discussed feeling jipped on purchasing a nice soundcard and a set of 7.1 speakers. I am in a similar set of questions but didn't want to resurrect that thread.
Right now I have a set of 2.1 speakers from Cambridge Soundworks that do not appear to have a model number, they're old but they're good. Fantastic range of frequency for music, but I've since decided to update my PC setup for surround sound gaming. In regards to this, I have a number of questions. But first I'll list my own information that might be relevant.
- Vista 32-bit
- On-board sound from an Asus P5K motherboard
- Budget: <$300 total
- Setup is located in the living room so I'll have plenty of space to put things. If you need pics, let me know.
Other miscellaneous notes:
I did have an xtreme music xfi sound card, but I had heard it was a nightmare to run with vista so I left it in my old box. I'm not aiming TO spend $300, but I'd be willing to go that high if I was convinced that it was that much more awesome. I thoroughly enjoy music and can tell the difference between a crappy and a good rip of music, but I don't understand a lot of the jargon that may go along with it. I'm not so crazy as to demand FLAC for all of my music but prefer either a variable bitrate or >=160kbps
But now! Onto the questions!
- Is it worth it now to dump a bunch of money on a sound system?
- Are there any specific brands of speakers y'all recommend these days?
I'd like one with an audio jack that I can plug headphones/mic directly into the speakers instead of plugging it into my tower, but it's not a big deal
- Will getting a 5.1 sound system affect how my music sounds?
- Is it necessary to get a soundcard or will my onboard sound be sufficient?
I realize that there as a large jump in my quality of sound when i was using my extreme music xfi card on my old rig, but the trouble I might have to go through for use with Vista just doesn't seem worth it and my current on-board sound doesn't sound so bad
I'd love to hear any feedback or assistance with this. I haven't yet scoped out Newegg's top user/recommended picks for speakers yet. So...
Arminas on
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Worth it now? Yes. I would recommend buying the Logitech Z-5500 speakers - great value for money considering they have optical input, coaxial input, AND direct (black, yellow, green) inputs on a cabled control with a wireless remote. The sound, for PC speakers is consistently reviewed as the best in the industry.
Your 5.1 system will play music through 2 channels, unless you play it through "Stereo 2X" or "Quadraphonic"
A sound card will always have better processing options. I love my Razer Barracuda - paired with Logitech Z-680s (5500's predecessor) and the Barracuda Headphones. The sound and positioning in any game is spectacular.
The main problem I've had with onboard sound is that once I find the electronic noise that filters through to the speakers, I can't ignore it. I move the mouse and hear that faint "zzzzt" and I hate myself for not having a sound card with better insulated circuitry and noise canceling.
Ohhhhh, I wondered what that was. I would hear something like that when using headphones on my laptop or just on occasion with my tower.
Stay away from Creative...the drivers are bloated (especially compared to the AC-1's ONE app)