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  • Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

    First, will it make a very noticeable difference ? My on-board audio is Realtek ALC888 , just updated the drivers. Im sure an audio card would improve sound, but would it be enuff to justify the purchase?

    Second, if this is a good route to go, what card under $100 would do the job?

    I just got these Klipsch Promedia 2.1 to replace my garbage Philips 2.1 and i know the quality of this setup. Would a dedicated audio card make an improvement? Idea's?
    i7 930 @ 4.2 ghz (200x21) 1.34 vcore 1.33 qpi
    Noctua U12P se1366 Push Pull w/scythe slipstreams
    6GBOCZ1333 @ 1600 - 9 9 9 24 1.64v
    Gigabyte EX58-UD3R f11
    Corsair tx750 PSU
    EVGA GTX260 SC
    Intel SSD80GBG2C1 OS/Apps
    WD Caviar Black 500gb Data
    ASUS Xonar DX
    Klipsch Promedia 2.1
    CM690 Case 3 in 3 out
    Windows 7 64bit

  • #2
    Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

    Asus Xonar cards look to be excellent.
    Check them out at Newegg - Asus Xonar under $100. Currently $69 each after MIR.

    I've been very happy with my on-board ALC888 & 889 with my z5500 speakers.
    I'm very tempted to try either of these cards once their in stock.
    Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
    P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
    4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
    MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
    Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
    WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
    Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
    SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
    Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
    Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
    Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
    MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
    Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
    win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
    HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
    E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
    Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
    Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
    HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
    win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
    .

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

      Yea i must say the on-board ALC888 sounds great. All i have read so far is stay away from creative labs... Asus i would trust myself, been using there notebooks for some time now.

      For your Z-5500's, if i had those bad boys, i would not feel comfortable feeding a near $400 set of sounds with the stock audio chip and myself would get a sound card on something like that.

      It was between the Promedia 2.1 and Logitech Z-2300's for me. Some friends have the Klipsch and that really helped me decide, aside from forums recommending Klipsch as well, but Cnet did give the better rating to Logitech. All my mice, keyboards,mic's , etc have always been Logitech and i would not have had a problem with those.
      I mean, how much better

      I love the hugeness of these satellites. The box these things came in was bigger than my bro's X-540's. Pretty funny. Otherwise, i love how these guys sound.

      Thanks Jim. If i can get my hands on a card to try out and see how much of an improvement it makes, i'd buy one if my ears told me to.
      i7 930 @ 4.2 ghz (200x21) 1.34 vcore 1.33 qpi
      Noctua U12P se1366 Push Pull w/scythe slipstreams
      6GBOCZ1333 @ 1600 - 9 9 9 24 1.64v
      Gigabyte EX58-UD3R f11
      Corsair tx750 PSU
      EVGA GTX260 SC
      Intel SSD80GBG2C1 OS/Apps
      WD Caviar Black 500gb Data
      ASUS Xonar DX
      Klipsch Promedia 2.1
      CM690 Case 3 in 3 out
      Windows 7 64bit

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

        Let us know which way you go.
        I use my speakers solely for music, not gaming. The overall fidelity with my Logitech/Realtek setup is superb. Probably be a bit better with a $100 sound card. I'll probably try a sound card shortly. I think the Xonar rebates are good till the end of November.
        Seems like a $69 gamble (after MIR) is a pretty good deal.
        Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
        P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
        4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
        MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
        Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
        WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
        Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
        SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
        Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
        Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
        Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
        MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
        Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
        win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
        HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
        CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
        E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
        Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
        Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
        HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
        win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
        .

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

          what do you all think of the Omega Stryker -
          Newegg.com - HT &#124; OMEGA STRIKER 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card - Sound Cards
          ALL good reviews... Whats your take ProfJim ?
          i7 930 @ 4.2 ghz (200x21) 1.34 vcore 1.33 qpi
          Noctua U12P se1366 Push Pull w/scythe slipstreams
          6GBOCZ1333 @ 1600 - 9 9 9 24 1.64v
          Gigabyte EX58-UD3R f11
          Corsair tx750 PSU
          EVGA GTX260 SC
          Intel SSD80GBG2C1 OS/Apps
          WD Caviar Black 500gb Data
          ASUS Xonar DX
          Klipsch Promedia 2.1
          CM690 Case 3 in 3 out
          Windows 7 64bit

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

            Please don't confuse me with being an audio expert.
            I've read some excellent reviews on the Xonar cards, but the "best" audio card I've ever had was an SB-Live 24-bit setup years ago.
            The Striker looks like a good card, but I'd want to check out its reviews from reputable websites. The audio chipset looks like it's 1 step down from the Xonar setup, and I don't know what differences there would be in music quality or gaming effects.

            I might very well end up with the Striker card, as I'm still running w2k pro (sp4) and this rules out buying either of the Xonar cards. In the meantime, I'm going to dig out a 5.1 card hiding somewhere in my spare parts box, download the latest drivers and see how an older card compares with my on-board audio.

            Newegg does have a 7.1 card for $10.99 (without free shipping) but I'm going to pass on going the cheapie route.
            Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
            P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
            4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
            MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
            Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
            WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
            Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
            SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
            Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
            Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
            Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
            MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
            Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
            win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
            HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
            CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
            E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
            Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
            Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
            HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
            win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
            .

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

              what software do you use to play music files? as this can make a huge difference too,personally i cant rate jetaudio player highly enough much better than windows media player and winamp
              Gigabyte z77x UP4-TH F11c Modded Bios
              Intel i7 3770k 24/[email protected] 1.38v Turbo llc +0.165v dvid multithreading enabled
              Samsung Green(MV-3V4G3D/US) 8GB @2133mhz 9-10-10-21-1t 1.55v
              Thermalright Silver Arrow Cpu Cooler
              1xSamsung 840 pro 256 Gb SSD windows 8.1 pro 64bit
              1xSamsung f4 HD204UI 2tb hard drive Storage
              Powercolor 7970 3gb V3 @1150mhz core/1700mhz mem,1.150v Accelero aftermarket air cooler 55c max
              Razer Lycosa Keyboard
              Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers
              Lite-On iHAS124-19 24x Sata DVDRW
              K-World Hybrid DVB-T 210SE Digital T.V Card
              L.G E2260V L.E.D 1920x1080 Monitor
              Xfx Pro 750w silver rated Psu 80+
              Fractal Arc Midi Case

              http://i38.tinypic.com/14myvfa.jpg x58 ud5 <=3.8ghz + 4.2ghz Overclock Template!!
              http://www.youtube.com/user/warren304#p/u Visit Me On Youtube

              Lots Of Gaming Videos With X58 Ud5 System And Gpu On My Youtube Channel!!
              Just Uploaded New Battlefield 4 Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

                I use Windows media player. Found a REAL good deal on a Xonar DX. I mite get it anyway and not care if it makes a difference since its so cheap. Wow doing it ol' school Windows 2000 huh Jim.
                i7 930 @ 4.2 ghz (200x21) 1.34 vcore 1.33 qpi
                Noctua U12P se1366 Push Pull w/scythe slipstreams
                6GBOCZ1333 @ 1600 - 9 9 9 24 1.64v
                Gigabyte EX58-UD3R f11
                Corsair tx750 PSU
                EVGA GTX260 SC
                Intel SSD80GBG2C1 OS/Apps
                WD Caviar Black 500gb Data
                ASUS Xonar DX
                Klipsch Promedia 2.1
                CM690 Case 3 in 3 out
                Windows 7 64bit

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

                  have you looked at the xonar ds? that looks good too lets you connect digital speakers with optical cable without seperate decoder too
                  Gigabyte z77x UP4-TH F11c Modded Bios
                  Intel i7 3770k 24/[email protected] 1.38v Turbo llc +0.165v dvid multithreading enabled
                  Samsung Green(MV-3V4G3D/US) 8GB @2133mhz 9-10-10-21-1t 1.55v
                  Thermalright Silver Arrow Cpu Cooler
                  1xSamsung 840 pro 256 Gb SSD windows 8.1 pro 64bit
                  1xSamsung f4 HD204UI 2tb hard drive Storage
                  Powercolor 7970 3gb V3 @1150mhz core/1700mhz mem,1.150v Accelero aftermarket air cooler 55c max
                  Razer Lycosa Keyboard
                  Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers
                  Lite-On iHAS124-19 24x Sata DVDRW
                  K-World Hybrid DVB-T 210SE Digital T.V Card
                  L.G E2260V L.E.D 1920x1080 Monitor
                  Xfx Pro 750w silver rated Psu 80+
                  Fractal Arc Midi Case

                  http://i38.tinypic.com/14myvfa.jpg x58 ud5 <=3.8ghz + 4.2ghz Overclock Template!!
                  http://www.youtube.com/user/warren304#p/u Visit Me On Youtube

                  Lots Of Gaming Videos With X58 Ud5 System And Gpu On My Youtube Channel!!
                  Just Uploaded New Battlefield 4 Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

                    Well my speakers are just a regular green plug in. How would i go about making the signal digital- if it makes a difference. Looked up the DS, out of stock almost everywhere.
                    i7 930 @ 4.2 ghz (200x21) 1.34 vcore 1.33 qpi
                    Noctua U12P se1366 Push Pull w/scythe slipstreams
                    6GBOCZ1333 @ 1600 - 9 9 9 24 1.64v
                    Gigabyte EX58-UD3R f11
                    Corsair tx750 PSU
                    EVGA GTX260 SC
                    Intel SSD80GBG2C1 OS/Apps
                    WD Caviar Black 500gb Data
                    ASUS Xonar DX
                    Klipsch Promedia 2.1
                    CM690 Case 3 in 3 out
                    Windows 7 64bit

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

                      Newegg has the ASUS Xonar D1 7.1 card in stock right now, the DX PCI-E card is still out of stock.
                      Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
                      P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
                      4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
                      MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
                      Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
                      WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
                      Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
                      SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
                      Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
                      Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
                      Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
                      MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
                      Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                      win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
                      HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
                      CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
                      E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
                      Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
                      Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
                      HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                      win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
                      .

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

                        for digital sound with the xonar ds you need to have digital speakers plus optical cables,but the card does support it normally you would have to buy a seperate decoder
                        Gigabyte z77x UP4-TH F11c Modded Bios
                        Intel i7 3770k 24/[email protected] 1.38v Turbo llc +0.165v dvid multithreading enabled
                        Samsung Green(MV-3V4G3D/US) 8GB @2133mhz 9-10-10-21-1t 1.55v
                        Thermalright Silver Arrow Cpu Cooler
                        1xSamsung 840 pro 256 Gb SSD windows 8.1 pro 64bit
                        1xSamsung f4 HD204UI 2tb hard drive Storage
                        Powercolor 7970 3gb V3 @1150mhz core/1700mhz mem,1.150v Accelero aftermarket air cooler 55c max
                        Razer Lycosa Keyboard
                        Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers
                        Lite-On iHAS124-19 24x Sata DVDRW
                        K-World Hybrid DVB-T 210SE Digital T.V Card
                        L.G E2260V L.E.D 1920x1080 Monitor
                        Xfx Pro 750w silver rated Psu 80+
                        Fractal Arc Midi Case

                        http://i38.tinypic.com/14myvfa.jpg x58 ud5 <=3.8ghz + 4.2ghz Overclock Template!!
                        http://www.youtube.com/user/warren304#p/u Visit Me On Youtube

                        Lots Of Gaming Videos With X58 Ud5 System And Gpu On My Youtube Channel!!
                        Just Uploaded New Battlefield 4 Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

                          Got the card for $40.
                          i7 930 @ 4.2 ghz (200x21) 1.34 vcore 1.33 qpi
                          Noctua U12P se1366 Push Pull w/scythe slipstreams
                          6GBOCZ1333 @ 1600 - 9 9 9 24 1.64v
                          Gigabyte EX58-UD3R f11
                          Corsair tx750 PSU
                          EVGA GTX260 SC
                          Intel SSD80GBG2C1 OS/Apps
                          WD Caviar Black 500gb Data
                          ASUS Xonar DX
                          Klipsch Promedia 2.1
                          CM690 Case 3 in 3 out
                          Windows 7 64bit

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

                            Originally posted by dbee View Post
                            Got the card for $40.
                            ds? or dx? and whats it like?any better than the onboard sound?
                            Gigabyte z77x UP4-TH F11c Modded Bios
                            Intel i7 3770k 24/[email protected] 1.38v Turbo llc +0.165v dvid multithreading enabled
                            Samsung Green(MV-3V4G3D/US) 8GB @2133mhz 9-10-10-21-1t 1.55v
                            Thermalright Silver Arrow Cpu Cooler
                            1xSamsung 840 pro 256 Gb SSD windows 8.1 pro 64bit
                            1xSamsung f4 HD204UI 2tb hard drive Storage
                            Powercolor 7970 3gb V3 @1150mhz core/1700mhz mem,1.150v Accelero aftermarket air cooler 55c max
                            Razer Lycosa Keyboard
                            Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers
                            Lite-On iHAS124-19 24x Sata DVDRW
                            K-World Hybrid DVB-T 210SE Digital T.V Card
                            L.G E2260V L.E.D 1920x1080 Monitor
                            Xfx Pro 750w silver rated Psu 80+
                            Fractal Arc Midi Case

                            http://i38.tinypic.com/14myvfa.jpg x58 ud5 <=3.8ghz + 4.2ghz Overclock Template!!
                            http://www.youtube.com/user/warren304#p/u Visit Me On Youtube

                            Lots Of Gaming Videos With X58 Ud5 System And Gpu On My Youtube Channel!!
                            Just Uploaded New Battlefield 4 Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Audio card recommendation for Promedia 2.1

                              its a DX model. Its coming in the mail so wont have it for a few more days so i cant comment on the sound quality compared to the on board yet. I'm still getting my ears used to the Klipsch with the ALC888 , listening to everything i can, playing everything i can . This way, when the card does get installed , i will notice any change in sound and it not be just my imagination. Ill let you all know how she goes.
                              i7 930 @ 4.2 ghz (200x21) 1.34 vcore 1.33 qpi
                              Noctua U12P se1366 Push Pull w/scythe slipstreams
                              6GBOCZ1333 @ 1600 - 9 9 9 24 1.64v
                              Gigabyte EX58-UD3R f11
                              Corsair tx750 PSU
                              EVGA GTX260 SC
                              Intel SSD80GBG2C1 OS/Apps
                              WD Caviar Black 500gb Data
                              ASUS Xonar DX
                              Klipsch Promedia 2.1
                              CM690 Case 3 in 3 out
                              Windows 7 64bit

                              Comment

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