What's a good low cost sound card?

[Ripsaw]

Well, I'm running onbaord RealTek sound at the moment, but I'm looking for a sound card. I haven't had my head in sound hardware in a long time, so I need some advice. Here are the features I want:

1. Totally offload the PC's CPU from sound tasking during 3D games etc (Directsound accel)

2. Have 128 voice or better wavetable for making MIDI files sound like real instruments

3. Stable and proven drivers for Windows XP

4. 5.1 Surround capable, but also able to accomodate my old 4 speaker w/ one subwoofer Cambridge Soundworks setup

5. Include some software that allows EQ to be set, bass, treble, reverb, chorus, etc.

6. Price of less than $50 @ most online vendors

7. Support EAX, EAX2, EAX3 (guess that narrows it to Creative Labs huh?)

[IIDX]

I think the Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS might be good for you. Go google some reviews and see what you think.

[nightelf84]

ermm...not quite sure you can get an Audigy 2 ZS for less than $50... used maybe...but not brand new...

The Audigy LS should be within your price range.

[Ripsaw]

What about a SoundBlaster Live 24bit edition? Only supports EAX1 but I think it accelerates directsound and offloads the CPU. CPU offloading is a main goal I want.

[bim27142]

What about a SoundBlaster Live 24bit edition? Only supports EAX1 but I think it accelerates directsound and offloads the CPU. CPU offloading is a main goal I want.

this is my bet, soundblaster live...

[C&C Freak 2K]

Soundblaster Live! 5.1 supports EAX1 and EAX2, as well as Aureal and DirectSound and plain software mixing.

[wazzledoozle]

Audigy ZS is pretty good

[W1zzard]

the audigys are pretty good if you can live with driver problems sometimes ..

[kingbolt]

Do not touch ANY Creative products ! If you buy soundblaster you will deffinitely get problems in games (tested with all sb-models !). Much better is that Audigy ZS ! It's a soundcard, sb is just...card.

[Ripsaw]

Do not touch ANY Creative products ! If you buy soundblaster you will deffinitely get problems in games (tested with all sb-models !). Much better is that Audigy ZS ! It's a soundcard, sb is just...card.

I thought Creative made the Audigy series also? Also thought SoundBlaster Live! cards were stable in games and DirectSound?

[kingbolt]

I thought Creative made the Audigy series also? Also thought SoundBlaster Live! cards were stable in games and DirectSound? Well...let's say so that Audigy is (as it should) the best you can buy if you like Creative. Live!-series IS NOT stable. The "good" old SB32 or SB64 are more stable than Live! (no matter what Live!-model). Some might be lucky and have no problems with Creative-cards but I do no advice to "experiment".
And IF someone really likes to buy Creatives Audigy-series then 1st thing is to compare the prices to others ! For example Terratec-cards. There are REAL music/voice-cards out there.

[INSTG8R]

I bought a couple of Audigy LS's for me and the Missus's machines and Im pretty happy with it I wish it did have Hardware Accel. but was a great price and some improvement over my ALC655 but not that much

[Ripsaw]

UPDATE: I got a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Retail boxed unit. I have an AMD Athlon XP CPU, I hope there are no issues, or at least hope Creative has fixed any AMD issues with latest drivers.

[kingbolt]

I think the problem is not if Soundblasters don't work...they work alright in most systems. The problem starts to show itself when you stress the PC. I wrote Audigy is Creatives best of the best so that might work ok in stressing environment..who knows (well...you who got it ;)...). As you all know gaming is the most demanding job for PC (...well if you leave extreme OC etc. out :D).

BTW. Stress the card ! And do it HARD ! You have the Guarantee of the manufacturer for some time so if it breaks you will get a new one. And please take notes how it works. In games it should be able to use atleast 44.1 kHz sound with no problems (combined with TS or similar).