Current Events > The difference between onboard audio and a good sound card is insane

(+) Yeah! (+)

Got a Sound Blasterx G6 to replace my mediocre Sound Blaster Z that wasn't any better than onboard Realtek and HOLY SHIT this thing is amazing

Some songs sound like they've been completely remastered. I wasn't actually expecting this much of a difference

Can't wait to try this out on my yearly Madoka Magica rewatch

I've got a 6 year old sound blaster and it kicks the ass of any mobo sound any day

Considering upgrading soon when I decide what to upgrade my headset from sennheiser hd 598s to
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Touhou soundtracks in particular sound even more amazing

placebo

fohstick posted...

placebo

Nope

MarthGoomba posted...

Can't wait to try this out on my yearly Madoka Magica rewatch

ngl listening to (spoiler song)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5etuXKfEYy4" data-time=" at the movie theater was intense
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Can't those make some things (lower-quality recordings) sound staticky? How do random songs on youtube sound in comparison
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Giblet_Enjoyer posted...

Can't those make some things (lower-quality recordings) sound staticky? How do random songs on youtube sound in comparison

It'll make the imperfections more noticeable

Oh yeah... Blast that sound.
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You must be talking about old hardware.

Modern MOBOs these days have no need for a separate sound card...

If you're using headphones, in my experience, a headphone amplifier does more than a soundcard (well, DAC, but that's basically an external soundcard). Depends on the headphones though.
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Ive been thinking about picking one up. Is there a good one thats under $100?

Im using SteelSeries Arctis 5s for headphones. I got an old creative 2.1 speaker setup, but it plugs into a headphone jack. I was also thinking of upgrading my speakers if I get a sound card.

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rookieplayer03 posted...

Ive been thinking about picking one up. Is there a good one thats under $100?

Im using SteelSeries Arctis 5s for headphones. I got an old creative 2.1 speaker setup, but it plugs into a headphone jack. I was also thinking of upgrading my speakers if I get a sound card.

Something like an SMSL-M3 is good if you're starting up. It is an Amp/DAC combo and is a neat little thing that is under 100$.

But honestly, if I were you, I'll upgrade the headphones first. Gaming headphones are not known for their sound quality. Something like an Audiotechnica M40x is usually recommended.

There are two main things that greatly affect sound quality: headphones and the recording quality of the song. Everything else is marginal in comparison.
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MudKip_Master posted...

You must be talking about old hardware.

Modern MOBOs these days have no need for a separate sound card...

I was told that 6-7 years ago when I built my PC. Onboard sound is equivalent to Intel HD graphics vs a real GPU
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davidg4l posted...

Something like an Audiotechnica M40x is usually recommended.

These are what I'm using. They're nice

rookieplayer03 posted...

Im using SteelSeries Arctis 5s for headphones.

This is the same headset I'm using. I do not recommend it, the drivers are buggy as hell and always crashing, and the lows sound like crap on this thing. Compared to the $30 Logitech headset I had before it, the mic works a whole lot better, but the actual sound coming in through it sounds much worse.
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