Best hardware opinion: Sound

[treadhed]

I'm looking for a sexy sound combo. I have the MSI Delta-ILSR with built in 5.1 audio. Would an Audigy 6.1/7.1 combo top this? Does Audigy have digital out and what are good speakers to use with them?
Thanks again

 

[CSMR]

You haven't specified a use. What's best will depend on that, and a price range.
For the best speakers you might end up spending tens of thousands of dollars.

 

[treadhed]

Surround sound for games.

 

[CraigRT]

Logitech Z640 and an Audigy2

 

[treadhed]

Thanks Craig, I'll scope it out

 

[imported_idontknow]

An Audigy 2/Audigy 2 ZS will certainly top integrated sound. For surround sound in games you aren't going to want to use digital out: you'll only get stereo sound, unless the game has a Dolby Digital or DTS soundtrack, or you upmix it with something like Dolby Pro Logic II (which doesn't sound as good). What Craig recommended is great, but if you are willing to spend some more money I'd recommend an Audigy 2 ZS and some Logitech Z-5300s, which are an excellent set of analog speakers that has a nice remote, plenty of power, great sound and THX certification. The speakers run for about $110-140. The Audigy 2 ZS goes for as little as $80, but the Audigy 2 ZS Gamer is an even better deal. You get the Audigy 2 ZS, and then five full games (Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Halo Combat Evolved, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell) for $100.

 

[Holobits]

I'm a Klipsch man myself.

 

[pirred908]

I would recommend the Klipsch Promedia 5.1's paired up with the M-audio Revolution 7.1 sound card.

 

[RussianSensation]

Originally posted by: pirred908
I would recommend the Klipsch Promedia 5.1's paired up with the M-audio Revolution 7.1 sound card.

Thats a very good combo. The above setup is smoking for music listening. For gaming though go with Gigaworks S750 and Audigy 2 ZS. If you want real good sound get large room speakers and a receiver.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: RussianSensation

Originally posted by: pirred908
I would recommend the Klipsch Promedia 5.1's paired up with the M-audio Revolution 7.1 sound card.

Thats a very good combo. The above setup is smoking for music listening. For gaming though go with Gigaworks S750 and Audigy 2 ZS. If you want real good sound get large room speakers and a receiver.

That recommendation makes no sense. As a Gigaworks owner, I'll tell you, the Klipsch are better for games and movies. Gigaworks are more musical due to better satellites.

For gaming & movies, go w/ Klipsch Ultras and an Audigy 2 ZS.

Honestly, I'd have to advise anyone against getting the Gigaworks. I find them to be nothing short of a monumental dissappointment.

 

[ShaunyR]

I would recommend headphones for games, but for speakers I would go with Logitech Z-680's I had some, very nice, but I recommend headphones/headsets for gaming.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: ShaunyR
I would recommend headphones for games, but for speakers I would go with Logitech Z-680's I had some, very nice, but I recommend headphones/headsets for gaming.

Try playing games w/ EAX 3.0 or 4.0, CMSS 2 enabled, with 5.1\6.1\7.1 speakers. As someone with 3 pair of mid-high range headphones, I can say that properly positioned surround speakers blow headphones away.

 

[Shenkoa]

I have an Audigy 2 and a pair of Sennheiser HD-497's. SOUND IS AMAZING!

M Audio may be better for MP3's, but MP3's still suck. Audigy 2 for movies and games as well as MP3's. On board sound does not have a chance against 24 bit/192 KHz audio or EAX 3.0!

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Shenkoa
I have an Audigy 2 and a pair of Sennheiser HD-497's. SOUND IS AMAZING!

M Audio may be better for MP3's, but MP3's still suck. Audigy 2 for movies and games as well as MP3's. On board sound does not have a chance against 24 bit/192 KHz audio or EAX 3.0!

I like how you point out that MP3s suck, but then go on to tout the 24/192khz audio. Which, by the way, is lost if you touch basically ANY of the card's bass redirect or custom speaker configuration utilities.

 

[Algere]

Originally posted by: ShaunyR
I would recommend headphones for games, but for speakers I would go with Logitech Z-680's I had some, very nice, but I recommend headphones/headsets for gaming.

Headphones for games too esp. FPS. It's easier to ascertain where sounds are coming from and you don't have to worry about room acoustics in relevance to the positioning of speakers.

 

[Trente]

Gigaworks are more musical due to better satellites.

Satellites? Musical?!

hehe... good one. :laugh:

 

[Algere]

OP : Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 + Audigy 2 ZS

Speakers (above) are open to debate since you could get better surround sound speakers but for the price, it's probably a good bet. The Audigy 2 ZS on the otherhand presently is your only choice for best gaming sound card with acceptable sound quality.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Algere

Originally posted by: ShaunyR
I would recommend headphones for games, but for speakers I would go with Logitech Z-680's I had some, very nice, but I recommend headphones/headsets for gaming.

Headphones for games too esp. FPS. It's easier to ascertain where sounds are coming from and you don't have to worry about room acoustics in relevance to the positioning of speakers.

Room acoustics? For games? Are you kidding?

It's as simple as comparing 2 channels to 5 channels. In most FPSs, when using headphones, you hear a sound and you "look" around trying to ascertain exactly where it is by getting a balance between the left and right. That's because front to back doesn't exist with headphones, as they're 2 channel.

I'd go on, but it's really not worth the argument. I'll be the one with higher kills in the end. I will say that headphones may be a better choice if you're unable to turn your surround system up to adequate volumes.

 

[Gurck]

I keep hearing a lot of bad things about the Logitech speakers, hiss in particular. Also believe the sats only have one driver in them; no tweeters. I'd stay with either the creative labs gigaworks (I have these and don't share Nebor's disappointment, as I don't compare them to a 4-digit pricetag setup) or the Klipsch.

 

[CSMR]

Originally posted by: Shenkoa
M Audio may be better for MP3's, but MP3's still suck. Audigy 2 for movies and games as well as MP3's. On board sound does not have a chance against 24 bit/192 KHz audio or EAX 3.0!

What? I agree with Nebor for once. Why do mp3's "suck"? M-audio is also better with uncompressed music. M-Audio's range is very much above creative (apart from their top-class EMU cards) (for music, not games). Even if you set them at 16/44 and the creative at 24/192 I should think, although they do higher rates too. 24/192 is just a gimmick on Creative's part - their cards can't reach the level of performance implied.
So I conclude that mp3s must "suck" because they are music and not games or movies.

 

[Algere]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: Algere

Originally posted by: ShaunyR
I would recommend headphones for games, but for speakers I would go with Logitech Z-680's I had some, very nice, but I recommend headphones/headsets for gaming.

Headphones for games too esp. FPS. It's easier to ascertain where sounds are coming from and you don't have to worry about room acoustics in relevance to the positioning of speakers.

Room acoustics? For games? Are you kidding?

It's as simple as comparing 2 channels to 5 channels. In most FPSs, when using headphones, you hear a sound and you "look" around trying to ascertain exactly where it is by getting a balance between the left and right. That's because front to back doesn't exist with headphones, as they're 2 channel.

I'd go on, but it's really not worth the argument. I'll be the one with higher kills in the end. I will say that headphones may be a better choice if you're unable to turn your surround system up to adequate volumes.

No, I'm not kidding. Why wouldn't room acoustics be important for games as they are for movies?

When your dealing with surround sound speakers e.g. in a warehouse apartment wouldn't sounds from your speakers cause an echo effect in there if it was turned up to "adequate levels" due to the space? Don't know about you but I wouldn't want an extra "false" sound when I play games esp. when the game isn't supposed to have an echo effect e.g. AFAIK machine guns don't give off echoes when fired off.

With headphones the room doesn't play as much, if any affect with room acoustics since the headphones are on your ears unlike speakers and since phones are on your ears I'd bet that you'd hear more detail in contrast to speakers since they're next to your head and not away from a distance(speakers).

And FYI not all headphones are 2 channel

EDIT: "AFAIK machine guns don't give off echos when fired off." Unless the echos supposed to be there i.e. in-game.

 

[RanDum72]

If you have space to spare in your room, you can always pair the Audigy 2 ZS with a full blown home theater setup. Just get a decent 5.1 AV receiver (Yamaha, Onkyo, etc..) for around $200-250 then add a set of speakers. I have seen Polk RM6700's for $235 over at Circuit City ( 4 satellites, 1 center channel speaker). Good guys also had the Energy Take 5.2's on sale for around $275 ( 4 satellites, 1 center also). Then, just add a sub (this will run an additional $100 or so).

 

[jacktesterson]

Logitech z680's and Soundstorm