Which Sound Card to get?

motasim · Nov 15, 2010

I'm building an HTPC gaming rig and I'm not sure which sound card to get. Main use is gaming ( in which case it'll be paired with Sennheiser PC 360 G4ME headset) and watching Blu-ray movies (in which case it'll be paired with a surround sound-bar type speakers [Yamaha YSP-2200 Digital Sound Projector]), expert advice appreciated.

deathmore · Nov 15, 2010

If you wait till mid-December there's the new Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 2G coming out dunno how it will perform tho, been looking for a sound card myself since i cant find anyone who stocks the forte in Canada anymore.

motasim · Nov 15, 2010

deathmore said:
If you wait till mid-December there's the new Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 2G coming out dunno how it will perform tho, been looking for a sound card myself since i cant find anyone who stocks the forte in Canada anymore.

You're right, I've searched a lot and no one is keeping stock of Auzentech Forte in the US as well. I know about the X-Meridian 7.1 2G, but I didn't include it in the short-list since it doesn't have a headphone amplifier,which is a must for me.

Wile E · Nov 15, 2010

The forte if you can find one, or the Claro if you can afford it.

fusionblu · Nov 15, 2010

I would recommend these two to look at:

This card was made for gaming with the previous generation gaming headset from the one you are wearing so this should me more compatible with your headset than most of the other sound cards.
Asus Xonar Xense Sound Card + Sennheiser PC 350 Xense Edition Headset

This one is Asus nexts sound card which is more powerful than the first sound card, but my reason for picking this one out is because it is made for HTPCs which plays blu-ray content and that second piece I see seems to be for surround sound speakers like the onces you would like to connect to your HTPC.
Asus Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe Sound Card

These two are the most expensive sound cards on that website, but for what you want they seem to be the best fit, especially the second one.

NinkobEi · Nov 15, 2010

The ASUS has built in headphone amp. Whether or not the AMP is suberp quality, I can not say. Sound quality wise the ASUS and Auzentech are about equal. Auzentech has good drivers and XFI (which for me, never gets used at all.). Both have dolby digital which is crap and not needed, because A. you need a good surround system to make use of it and B. any good system will have dolby encoding built in to the receiver.

If you havent bought the headphones already, I suggest going a different route.

motasim · Nov 15, 2010

fusionblu said:
I would recommend these two to look at:

This card was made for gaming with the previous generation gaming headset from the one you are wearing so this should me more compatible with your headset than most of the other sound cards.
Asus Xonar Xense Sound Card + Sennheiser PC 350 Xense Edition Headset ...

I've opted for Sennheiser PC 360 instead of PC 350 because I prefer open acoustics to closed acoustics, plus the advantage of allowing the ears to "breath". I haven't bought the Sennheiser PC 360 yet though!

Ninkobwi said:
The ASUS has built in headphone amp. Whether or not the AMP is suberp quality, I can not say. Sound quality wise the ASUS and Auzentech are about equal. Auzentech has good drivers and XFI (which for me, never gets used at all.). Both have dolby digital which is crap and not needed, because A. you need a good surround system to make use of it and B. any good system will have dolby encoding built in to the receiver.

If you havent bought the headphones already, I suggest going a different route.

I haven't bought the Sennheiser PC 360 yet, what different route do you advise? :wtf:

johnnyfiive · Nov 15, 2010

Buy my X-Fi Xtreme Gamer for $45 shipped.

Wile E · Nov 15, 2010

johnnyfiive said:
Buy my X-Fi Xtreme Gamer for $45 shipped.

No headphone amp.

Reventon · Nov 15, 2010

I'd probably say the Claro or Forte as well, HT Omega has better support though. Ive heard Auzentech support stories... :|

motasim · Nov 15, 2010

I'm really interested in Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD since Specs-wise it's excellent, but I really don't know if Creative have solved their drivers' problems, though initial reviews are good so far. Originally I had my mind set on Auzentech Forte 7.1, but it is no where to be found! ... any ideas guys?

Reventon · Nov 15, 2010

eBay.

Wile E · Nov 15, 2010

motasim said:
I'm really interested in Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD since Specs-wise it's excellent, but I really don't know if Creative have solved their drivers' problems, though initial reviews are good so far. Originally I had my mind set on Auzentech Forte 7.1, but it is no where to be found! ... any ideas guys?

Drivers are equal across all brands, for the most part.

The titanium HD looks pretty good, but for high end, there is also the Hometheatre HD from Auzentech.

http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-fi_hometheater_hd.php

motasim · Nov 15, 2010

Reventon said:
eBay.

... yeah @ $225! :twitch:

... while it's only worth $150, that's pure theft ...

Wile E said:
Drivers are equal across all brands, for the most part.

The titanium HD looks pretty good, but for high end, there is also the Hometheatre HD from Auzentech.

http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-fi_hometheater_hd.php

... an excellent card that I don't know how I've missed it before; but at $250 it's way over my budget ...

deathmore · Nov 15, 2010

Wile E said:
Drivers are equal across all brands, for the most part.

The titanium HD looks pretty good, but for high end, there is also the Hometheatre HD from Auzentech.

http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-fi_hometheater_hd.php

That card looks nice been looking for a card for my skarkoon xtatic ever since i couldn't get a forte maybe ill get that and a set of edifier s550 or logitech z-5500

That auzentech card according to there website is supposed to be the best for everything

Wile E · Nov 15, 2010

deathmore said:
That card looks nice been looking for a card for my skarkoon xtatic ever since i couldn't get a forte maybe ill get that and a set of edifier s550 or logitech z-5500

That auzentech card according to there website is supposed to be the best for everything

Don't get z-5500's if you get that card. Do yourself a favor and get a surround receiver and speaker starter kit from somebody like Onkyo. Leagues better sounding than the Logitech POS speakers, and upgradeable as well. ONKYO HT-S3300 Home Theater in a Box

deathmore · Nov 15, 2010

Wile E said:
Don't get z-5500's if you get that card. Do yourself a favor and get a surround receiver and speaker starter kit from somebody like Onkyo. Leagues better sounding than the Logitech POS speakers, and upgradeable as well. ONKYO HT-S3300 Home Theater in a Box

OMG that is awesome but i don't think newegg.com will send it to Canada and there Canada site dosent have it.

Wile E · Nov 15, 2010

Amazon?

deathmore · Nov 15, 2010

actually i just found them at ncix.com for 399.99 can i hook up my headphones and ps3 to this receiver and use that auzentech card?

Wile E · Nov 15, 2010

You sure can.

Reventon · Nov 15, 2010

Do it. I have my computer hooked up to my mom's Sony receiver and 2.1 system it is so much better than any speakers I have ever had. And they aren't even phenomenal speakers.

deathmore · Nov 16, 2010

i have a question about that receiver if anyone could help out it shows 2 optical in but no out? i need to hook up my TV and ps3 to it (if i get it) which use optical and then have the receiver output to my headphones which use optical.

NinkobEi · Nov 16, 2010

motasim said:
I haven't bought the Sennheiser PC 360 yet, what different route do you advise?

My suggestion is grabbing Audiotechnica AD-700 and a boom mic if you need one. A. its a lot cheaper, B. these headphones are pretty much the most comfortable around and sound great.

I recommend reading up on headphones, the Gaming Headset thread here is a good place to start. It's really a serious purchase if you plan on wearing them for prolonged periods of time. My cousin has 350s and they just seem uncomfortable to me.

motasim · Nov 16, 2010

Ninkobwi said:
My suggestion is grabbing Audiotechnica AD-700 and a boom mic if you need one. A. its a lot cheaper, B. these headphones are pretty much the most comfortable around and sound great.

I recommend reading up on headphones, the Gaming Headset thread here is a good place to start. It's really a serious purchase if you plan on wearing them for prolonged periods of time. My cousin has 350s and they just seem uncomfortable to me.

Thanks, I'll look up that thread, and I agree with you; the Sennheiser PC350 look uncomfortable and flimsy to me too. Still; what should I do concerning the sound card?

mad1394 · Nov 16, 2010

I want to vote on that poll soooo bad... but I can't decide between the asus and the titanium hd...

System Name	Micro Mule
Processor	Intel i7 950 Stock + Noctua NH-C14
Motherboard	Asus Rampage III Gene MicroATX
Cooling	Noctua 120mm/80m Fans
Memory	Crucial Ballistix 6GB DDR3 1600MHz
Video Card(s)	Asus nVidia GTX 580
Storage	Samsung 850 Pro SSD, WD Caviar Black 2TB HDD
Display(s)	LG 42LD650 42" LCD HDTV
Case	Silverstone Fortress FT03
Audio Device(s)	Creative SB X-Fi Titanium HD + Sennheiser PC360 Headset
Power Supply	Corsair AX850 - 850W Modular Gold
Software	Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit

Processor	Intel xeon W3680@ 3.7ghz
Motherboard	Gigabyte EX58-UD5
Cooling	Noctua NH-D14
Memory	12gb G skill 1600mhz DDR3
Video Card(s)	XFX radeon r9 380
Storage	1 Western Digital 1Tb Black + 2 Western Digital 1.5Tb Green
Display(s)	LG 32" 1080p lcd tv
Case	Corsair 800D
Power Supply	Corsair AX 1200
Software	Windows10 pro
Benchmark Scores	https://valid.x86.fr/rranju

System Name	Micro Mule
Processor	Intel i7 950 Stock + Noctua NH-C14
Motherboard	Asus Rampage III Gene MicroATX
Cooling	Noctua 120mm/80m Fans
Memory	Crucial Ballistix 6GB DDR3 1600MHz
Video Card(s)	Asus nVidia GTX 580
Storage	Samsung 850 Pro SSD, WD Caviar Black 2TB HDD
Display(s)	LG 42LD650 42" LCD HDTV
Case	Silverstone Fortress FT03
Audio Device(s)	Creative SB X-Fi Titanium HD + Sennheiser PC360 Headset
Power Supply	Corsair AX850 - 850W Modular Gold
Software	Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit

System Name	The ClusterF**k
Processor	980X @ 4Ghz
Motherboard	Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 BIOS F12
Cooling	MCR-320, DDC-1 pump w/Bitspower res top (1/2" fittings), Koolance CPU-360
Memory	3x2GB Mushkin Redlines 1600Mhz 6-8-6-24 1T
Video Card(s)	Evga GTX 580
Storage	Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB, 2xSeagate 320GB RAID0; 2xSeagate 3TB; 2xSamsung 2TB; Samsung 1.5TB
Display(s)	HP LP2475w 24" 1920x1200 IPS
Case	Technofront Bench Station
Audio Device(s)	Auzentech X-Fi Forte into Onkyo SR606 and Polk TSi200's + RM6750
Power Supply	ENERMAX Galaxy EVO EGX1250EWT 1250W
Software	Win7 Ultimate N x64, OSX 10.8.4

System Name	Devil's Canyon PC build
Processor	Intel i7-4790K
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z97X-G1 Gaming WIFI-BK
Cooling	Prolimatech Megahalems Black Edition Air Cooler, 2x Akasa 120mm PWN Piranha Fans (push-pull config)
Memory	Patriot Viper 3 "Black Mamba" 32GB (4x8GB), 2133MHz, C11-11-11-30, 1.5v
Video Card(s)	Gigabyte Windforce X3 GeForce GTX Titan X 12GB GDDR5 (Non-Pascal)
Storage	Samsung 850 PRO 512GB SSD, 1TB Samsung 840 EVO SSD, Seagate 8TB Archive HDD, 2TB Samsung M9T HDD
Display(s)	Asus ROG Swift 27" 144Hz G-Sync Gaming Monitor
Case	Corsair Obsidian 650D Midi Tower - Black, 3x230mm Bitfenix SPECTRE PRO, 1x120mm Bitfenix PWN (SP)
Power Supply	Seasonic 660W Platinum Certified Modular
Software	Microsoft Windows 10 Pro x64

System Name	Norfree
Processor	i5 3570k @4.4
Motherboard	Gigabyte UD5H
Cooling	212 Evo
Memory	4x4GB Kingston 1600 @ 1833 9cl
Video Card(s)	Sapphire Nitro Fury
Storage	Corsair SSD, WD Black
Display(s)	1080p TV
Case	Corsair 300-R
Audio Device(s)	Auzentech Prelude > Fidelio X2s and AD-700s
Power Supply	PCP&C Silent 950w
Software	Win 10 Pro 64

System Name	Black & Red
Processor	AMD 64 X2 6400+ BE 3.2Ghz
Motherboard	JetWay JHA06-GT 780G ATX
Cooling	Xigmatek HDT SD964 92mm cooler, 5 Case Fans, PCI Slot Evercool exhaust fan
Memory	4GB DDR2 667Mhz
Video Card(s)	ASUS EAH4850HD 512MB
Storage	Seagate 120GB HDD 7200rpm, Samsung 160GB HDD
Display(s)	19" Enivision LCD (1280x1024), 15" HP vs15c (1024x768) dual screen
Case	Cooler Master Storm Scout Mid Tower
Audio Device(s)	Onboard
Power Supply	Corsair 400W PSU
Software	Windows Vista 32-bit

System Name	MSI GT72S 6QE
Processor	Core i7 6820HK
Motherboard	Intel Sunrise Point CM236
Cooling	2 fans
Memory	2x 8 GB SO-DIMM DDR4-RAM (2133 MHz)
Video Card(s)	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M - 8192 MB
Storage	1 ssd 3 hard drives
Display(s)	17.3 inch 16:9, 1920x1080 pixel, LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF1 (LGD0469), IPS, Full HD
Case	??!!!
Audio Device(s)	Realtek ALC899
Power Supply	most beautiful brick you have ever seen

Which Sound Card to get?

Which Sound Card to get?

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD

Auzentech Forte 7.1

ASUS Xonar Essence ST

HT OMEGA Claro Halo

Other

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