Introduction
This is my first article and I am not very good at writing articles.
From quite some time I was hunting for a sound card and I hope many
other are in same dilemma about which sound card to go for. This
dilemma leads me to do short research(not that short though
) and inspired me for writing this article. The sound card is the element of the computer system that deals with input and output of sound : voice, music, sound system.
It mostly present in three forms:
- A chip (chipset) integrated into the motherboard
- Internal card
- External card.
[BREAK=Introduction Continues....]
Most manufacturers are increasingly integrated its chips into the motherboard. Their power and their capabilities are limited but still
large enough to feed PC speakers as part of a basic use of computers.
If one would opt to take advantage of technology innovated sound (5.1,7.1 or so on) or connect your computer to a stereo is better to opt for an internal card. It offers a choice of connections in a more complete manner and offers better sound quality.
If your computer must be used to compose music, your preference will certainly towards external sound card designed for this purpose. In this case, according to your needs, consider how well your sound card will be connected to the computer. USB is universal practice, but much slower than firewire, essential if you have plans to open heavy.
[BREAK=Do You Need a Sound Card?]
The first thing to do is ask yourself whether you even need a sound card. Many motherboards include
on-board sound. So if you’re only after basic audio support, this could be a suitable, cost-effective
option for you.
Some motherboards even support 5.1(even 7.1) surround sound and a range of optical ports, so you
shouldn’t rule out on-board sound without giving it a decent look. If you’re just a simple computer user
or gamer who doesn’t require super quality sound, going with on-board sound is probably a good choice.
I further try to differentiate users into following categories:
The answer depends on what you are going to be using it for.
Office User
If you are just using your PC for office type applications then the answer is NO.
The sound you have will just be fine even for listening to internet content.
Gamer
If you are using your computer to play games, then surprisingly the answer is possibly NO too.
On board sound cards as they are called now offer great sound at a small price, many supporting 5.1 surround sound and
other neat features.
If you really love games and enjoy its full effects then you probably will want to go that little bit further and get yourself a
decent sound card.
Musical Composer
If you do intend composing or producing music on your PC then you probably will want to go for a good quality sound card
with MIDI support.
Movie Fan
If you want to use you computer to watch DVDs then you want to ensure you sound card can cope with AC3
(better known as Dolby Digital) and DTS to allow the use of 6 speaker surround sound.
[BREAK=Sound Card Components]
In addition to the basic components needed for sound processing, many sound cards include additional hardware
or input/output connections, including:
- Digital Signal Processor (DSP): Like a graphics processing unit (GPU), a DSP is a specialized microprocessor.
It takes some of the workload off of the computer's CPU by performing calculations for analog and digital conversion.
DSPs can process multiple sounds, or channels, simultaneously.
Sound cards that do not have their own DSP use the CPU for processing.
- Sampling :This is the frequency in hertz, or kilohertz sampling, ie the number of sample products every second.
Over this frequency, the higher the quality.
Even high sampling rates, however, cause some reduction
in sound quality. The physical process of moving sound through wires can also cause distortion. Manufacturers use two
measurements to describe this reduction in sound quality:
in sound quality. The physical process of moving sound through wires can also cause distortion. Manufacturers use two
measurements to describe this reduction in sound quality:
- Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), expressed as a percentage
- Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), measured in decibels
For both THD and SNR, smaller values
indicate better quality. Some cards also support digital input, allowing people to store digital recordings without converting
them to an analog format.
indicate better quality. Some cards also support digital input, allowing people to store digital recordings without converting
them to an analog format.
- Memory: As with a graphics card, a sound card can use its own memory to provide faster data processing.
- Input and Output Connections: Most sound cards have, at the very minimum, connections for a microphone and speakers.
Some include so many input and output connections that they have a breakout box, which often mounts in one of the drive bays,
to house them. These connections include:
- Multiple speaker connections for 3-D and surround sound.
- Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF), a file transfer protocol or audio data. It uses either coaxial or optical connections for
input to and output from the sound card.
- Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), used to connect synthesizers or other electronic instruments to their computers.
- FireWire and USB connections, which connect digital audio or video recorders to the sound card
- Compatibility standards: Some sound cards allow you to take advantage of its specific technologies.
These are usually clearly stated by the manufacturer. Some cards can be THX, ie high quality and compatible
with Dolby technology, allowing you to get a home-cinema.
Numerous factors affect a sound card's abilities to provide clear, high-quality sound. Things to look out for when selecting sound card:
- ADC and DAC data capacity, measured in bits
- Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and total harmonic distortion (THD)
- Frequency response, or how loudly the card can play sounds at different frequencies
- Sampling rate
- Output channels, such as 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound
- Supported application programming interfaces (APIs)
- Certifications, including Dolby Master and THX
ard should also have high-quality speakers. Even the best sound card cannot compensate
for poor speaker quality.
[BREAK=Worthy Mentions]Realtek ALC889
- Provides DACs with SNR rating of 108dB and ADCs with SNR rating of 104dB
- 10 DAC channels support 16/20/24-bit PCM format for 7.1 sound playback.
- DACs and ADCs sample rate support upto 192kHz
- EAX 1.0 and 2.0 compatible
Sound Blaster® Audigy™ 2 provides 24-bit ADVANCED HD™ sound output. It delivers astonishing clarity
and audio details that are inaudible on current 16-bit audio solutions bringing your music
M-Audio Revolution 7.1
- PCI solution for high-quality surround sound up to 7.1
- 24-bit/192kHz audio playback on up to 8 channels
- Digital out transmits PCM, AC-3 and DTS (coaxial)
- DTS output and Dolby Digital 5.1/EX (6.1 DVD) decoding
- 8 analog line outs (4 stereo 1/8" mini jacks)
One of the newest advances in sound card technology is X-Fi, or Xtreme Fidelity, from
SoundBlaster manufacturer Creative. X-Fi features:
- "Active Modal Architecture," which gives people different sound options for games, leisure
use or music creation
- A Digital Signal Processor (DSP) with 51 million transistors
- Multiple processing engines, each of which performs specific sound operations
- A 24-bit Crystallizer, which reverses some of the sound quality loss inherent in 16-bit CD recording
Xonar DX provides solid gaming performance and exceptional sound quality. Manufacturer ASUS has put some feature:
- Combination of Cirrus Logic CS4398 and CS4362A DACs to feed its analog output ports.
- Provide SNR rating of 116dB (front), 112dB (center, rear, side)
- Feature 7.1 analog output channels.
- Capable of encoding Dolby Digital Live bitstreams in real time.
Hope this guide helps u for selecting a right sound card for your setup. Any comments/suggestions/recommendations,
whatever about good and bads are always welcome.
As this guide is first attempt towards writing article for any forum :ashamed:, please bear with me Gurus.
