NVIDIA® SoundStorm VS Audigy

[cheapherk]

I'm purchasing a nforce2 board with NVIDIA® SoundStorm audio onboard. I read some info about the NVIDIA® SoundStorm and it was quite good. Most of what I read was that it was better than the Audigy and close, but not surpassing the Audigy2.

I presently own an Audigy Platinum.

I'd like to hear from those who owned an Audigy and have also used the NVIDIA® SoundStorm.

 

[Jeff7181]

Never owned an Audigy... but I use the SoundStorm audio on my A7N8X Deluxe and in 3DMark2003 in the sound tests, my results were as follows...

No sound - 44.2 fps
24 sounds - 40.4 fps
60 sounds - 37.4 fps

For the mathematically challanged, 24 sounds = 10% drop in frame rates, and 60 sounds = 15% drop in frame rates vs. no sound at all.

 

[Acanthus]

Soundstorm is very impressive to say the least. It is by far the highest quality integrated audio out there today. I can say that with my speakers (custom AIWA surround) i cant tell the difference between the 2.

 

[ElFenix]

its really light on the processor power but i would imagine that sound quality has everything to do with what the mobo maker pairs it with. usually thats not so great.

 

[ViRGE]

Yea, the use of low quality codecs and poor trace routing is really what's keeping the nForce from being completely competitive with the Audigy series. There are some really crappy Soundstorm boards out there(such as the Chaintech and MSI), and even the best boards(NF7, A7N8X Deluxe) are using cheaper codecs than what Nvidia would like to see used. If you're using digital out however, there is no comparison, Soundstorm wins by a mile.

 

[JonTom]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
If you're using digital out however, there is no comparison, Soundstorm wins by a mile.

Can you elaborate please? What makes the Soundstorm better than A2 when using digital out?

 

[JungleMan1]

Originally posted by: JonTom

Originally posted by: ViRGE
If you're using digital out however, there is no comparison, Soundstorm wins by a mile.

Can you elaborate please? What makes the Soundstorm better than A2 when using digital out?

Something with Dolby Digital.

Anyway, the analog out on SoundStorm sucks compared to my Audigy. I hear the digital out is great.

 

[magomago]

http://3dsoundsurge.com/reviews/nForce/


Soundsurge it preforms VERY well

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: JonTom

Originally posted by: ViRGE
If you're using digital out however, there is no comparison, Soundstorm wins by a mile.

Can you elaborate please? What makes the Soundstorm better than A2 when using digital out?

If nothing else, the signal never hits the PCI bus in a SS configuration. More realisticly, the SS does Dolby Digital encoding of everything, and supposedly has stereo inputs across the board, whereas the Audigy's mic port is mono.

 

[Paulson]

That's why you get an audigy platinum w/ the drive and you have digital everything right at your fingertips...

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: magomago
http://3dsoundsurge.com/reviews/nForce/


Soundsurge it preforms VERY well

for the analog tests that board is not representative of most because it uses a different (and better) CODEC than most do.

 

[JonTom]

Originally posted by: ViRGE

If nothing else, the signal never hits the PCI bus in a SS configuration. More realisticly, the SS does Dolby Digital encoding of everything, and supposedly has stereo inputs across the board, whereas the Audigy's mic port is mono.

Thanks
JT

 

[clarity]

I'm using the Soundstorm sound on my A7N8X Deluxe and it sounds awesome while using a digital coax cable. It absolutely rocks the hell out of my old Sound Blaster Live! 5.1. Of course, I'm using a Bose sound system with a Yamaha DD/DTS receiver, so that doesn't hurt. But I have been VERY impressed with it. Drivers seem solid as well.