Soundblaster audigy 2 ZS still a good card?

[Lithan]

Is a audigy 2 zs still a good card... ie upgrade to modern onboard audio's?

 

[LOUISSSSS]

yep its still superior to modern onboard audio. even the newest ALC889. some may think the ALC889 (or others) are better, but its not IMO. Sound quality is more or less the same DEPENDING ON THE SPEAKERS. if you're using some crapp <$100 speakers then no, u will not notice any difference regardless of what anyone says bc u will be speaker-limited. i did a test with M-Audio LX4's and the sound quality on MP3's was more or less the same, one doesn't sound better than the other, but the sound was *different*

in the gaming department where theres gunshots, explosions and sound effects, the audigy 2 blows it away. the ALC889 sounded flat, muddy and just plain bad compared to the vibrant audigy 2.

i didn't get a chance to test movies.

my vote: audigy 2 zs has better sound quality.


the price u pay for it ultimately determines ur choice tho.

 

[imported_Mant]

Agreed. I use the card with Sennheiser headphones while playing the Battlefield games. When I swapped out my case recently, I went back to onboard sound (_89) temporarily for a few days. I don't know how I lived without the card ever, the experience is far superior. Lewis is right though, the onboard controller sounds fine for most MP3s.