Advantages of Sound Card in a Desktop

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vyral_143

vyral_143

Jarvis
Staff member
Keymaster
Hello,

I would like to following regarding sound cards
- What is/are apparent advantage(s) of a sound card in a desktop ?
- Does current generation Motherboards need a sound card at all ?
-What type of difference(s) one can notice/feel in Movies/Music/Games ?

I do know that one would need good set of speakers to gain fully from the sound card; however not sure about impact of one. Also how good speaker set should be for gaining benefits ?
 
IMO, You should only be able to take full advantage of dedicated sound card only if you have some good Headphones. I don't think it would much affect the quality of sound on Speakers since they have their own amplifier.
 
Generically speaking, on-board sound is of significantly inferior quality than a discrete source. Although entry level speakers and headphones can make the distinction between the two seem miniscule if non-existent, the difference becomes more apparent as you go higher up in terms of equipment as well as music source quality.

Why don't you mention the speakers or headphones you've got for a more accurate response!
 
I've got the Xonar DG, which is an entry level soundcard, and the difference in sound is palpable, if not outright, considering that my speakers are entry level stuff. I also own a headphone with a high impedance rating and the soundcard helps get the most out of it.
 
@eternoMind Currently I have 7 years old Altec Lansing VS2321 2.1 speakers. The 3.5mm jack needs replacement and its been very lazy behavior of mine that I have not done it in last one year or more. However at the moment I have Logitech Z506 in my mind. I am not sure how much superior they will be with and without sound card or speakers of that range for that matter. Depending on the inputs regarding sound card I will but good sets or will just get my current set repaired; though it is tempting to go for 5.1 setup to enjoy movies and games in better manner. My motherboard is Asus M5A97 2.0 I do not own headphones as I do not feel them comfortable unlike IEMs which I use straight for couple of hours.
 
To answer your queries in one line, simply think of an on-board graphics and an independent GPU...That 'll clear your doubts! ;)
 
I used to have a roccat kave 5.1 headset that I used to run on the onboard sound. (realtek I think). though the drivers had all the fancy features, I used to hear a constant hissing sound in the headset. on the new system, I have a creative sound blaster z with sennheiser 598. The sound quality is not even comparable. not sure if its because of headphones or sound card.

I have a habit of wearing headsets without playing anything. gives a comfort and private feeling. That hiss in the earlier head set was really troubling for me but now I dont even know if the volume is zero or full.
 
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