Soundcards

[Nukem]

yep... gotta love just deals...

 

[Running]

i have the z-640's hooked up to an x-fi. they are decent but they still sound like budget speakers. usually alot of distortion in the speakers unless you turn the volume down really low. get a quality 2.1 instead of cheap 5.1's

 

[Nukem]

usually alot of distortion in the speakers unless you turn the volume down really low.

I have absolutely no problem with mine... even at high volume when gaming or going mp3 crazy... then I'm not on an X-fi, so I don't know the setup... hence why I gave him the link to an Audigy 2ZS

 

[triskit]

Im with running... go with 2.1s rather than 5.1s if youre spending that little money. The cheapest 5.1s id get are the x-530s or equilvlent. Ive got the X-5300e (280w 5.1 THX cert) there #*&$%*# sweet for $130. Audigys are great sound cards if you want one, but x-fis are supposed to be absolutely incredible( i could tell you for sure but mine hasnt #*@$*$# arrived yet)

Ive currently just got a soundblaster LIVE! now. Its good if you just want a cheap card.

anyway, some decently priced speakers:

2.1s

Logitech X-230
Logitech Z-2300
Creative I-Trigue 3300 2.1
Klipsch ProMedia 2.1

5.1s

Logitech X-530
Creative Inspire P7800
Logitech THX Z-5300e


OR if you decide to really splurge a more expensive system w/ great sound and lots of it -->logitech z-5500

 

[CrazeD]

Ok one more thing, would it be possible to get something like the above setup AND still have my built in speakers working? i dont think i can as ill need to unplug it to put the new ones in?

Yes, you can. On most motherboards, the on-board sound has a mic 1 (pink) a Line-in (blue) and a Line-out (for speakers, green). With the software for your audio drivers, you can set the Line-in (blue) jack to Line-out. That way, you will have sound coming out of both.

Most soundcards have a "versa" jack which you can also use for more speakers.

My friend had a 2.1 speaker setup (2 speakers and a sub) that he gave me. Now, the sub is pretty nice, but the speakers blow...my two speakers were better. So, I put my good speakers into the Line-out, and put the sub to the versa jack (which I programmed to Line-out. I can control sound levels to just my sub, and speakers independantly now.

If that is not an option, you could also purchase a Y-splitter.

 

[PP Mguire]

i have the z-640's hooked up to an x-fi. they are decent but they still sound like budget speakers. usually alot of distortion in the speakers unless you turn the volume down really low. get a quality 2.1 instead of cheap 5.1's

The 24bit crystalizer puts to much bass into the sound for standard cheap speakers. If you have it on you have to turn the bass way down or you will get distortion from any speaker smaller than a 4". Also, i would recomend going w/ a Sound Blsater Live 24bit (30 bucks) and a 2.1 system of your choice. You wont get the best sound but for a small room its nice. Also, w/ the SB you can hook both of your speaker setups to it one threw the green and one threw the blue.

 

[NosBoost300]

the z 640 sounded just fine on my friends audigy, i didnt notice any distortion of any sort... ya, like stated it could be the x-fi.. they tend to give off a **** load of bass.. i have my bass at 60 percent in the x-fi menu before any distortion due to bass in the sattelites.. and thats on z-5500's... so i would assume its the x-fi... my z-5300-e's had 0 problems with my onboard sound... only the fact that it didnt give true surround sound or anything like that. if you had more money, i would highly suggest the z-5300 e's even if it was just for onboard sound.

hrmm... i just saw pp mcguires statement.. and with or without the crystalizer its doing my z-5500's in the butt with all the bass... only with the crystalizer off i could put the bass maybe 10 percent higher... so.. crystalizer stays on for me..

 

[PP Mguire]

The Crystalizer is like going from AM to CD. It adds much more quality to your sound than just bass. Bass and low mids (more low mids) give off more distortion in satelites than anything. Your highs can distort a satelite too if there is to much but unlikely in todays modern speakers. If you knew what you where doing and could eliminate the distortion via an equilizer in a program but it takes an ear. Since im not actualy there to experience the problem i cant tell you how to fix it. Just keep your bass low, and get a good system w/ a sub and a decent sound card and you should be fine.

 

[NosBoost300]

i dunno if that was refering to me or not?? but thats only if i put the bass incredibly high that i get distortion.. and i don't know if its distortion, just bass coming out the sattelites.. with bass redirection it sends it all to the sub.. but then also gets rid of almost all the bass!! i dont know why it took so long for me to discover that... but anyway, i have things working just fine.. i don't need to be so bass hungry

 

[PP Mguire]

THats why i use PA gear, no bass problems at all lol.