sound card recommendations?

[KatMac]

I must have subscribed to this thread back in the day when I was doing a new build. (Gosh, has it been 4 years since many of you held my hand and walked me through that one !?!?). Anyway, came to check out the thread.

I have the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz, really like it, I get great sound between that and my Altec Lansing speakers. Remembered I paid a pretty penny 4 years ago to get good hardware. Just checked ebay out of curiosity. The TB Santa Cruz are going for not much at all.

Ain't that the way of technology, tho?

[rbc1100]

First thought is that you are satisfied with the onboard sound?

I thought the onboard sound was good on my system until I bought a Creative Labs audigy sound card. Now I have a Xfi and its simply awsome.
Good SS speakers help. Its hard for me to believe my computer sounds as good or perhaps better than my Kenwood amp and Denon CD player topped off with Polks best. The Kenwood&Polks ability the blast the windows out are their only advantage.

[SuperSparks]

It's pretty amazing when you think about it. I remember gazing longingly at hi-fi equipment that I couldn't afford when I was a teenager in the 70's, now I get better quality on a £100 sound card along with a synthesiser that's far better than a Fairlight which cost a cool quarter of a mil back in the early 80's

And on top of that you can listen to music in a way that you never could with the old hi-fi systems, such as listening to music with EAX effects on - it turns it into a whole different experience! I just love my X-Fi Fatal1ty and my Sennheiser headphones

[rbc1100]

I am running Creative labs Z-5500 ss speakers on my computer and along with the new Xfi card the sound is amazing. I spend a large amount of money for my home stereo system only to be in awe of these tiny little computer speakers. All for the price of the tax on my home system.

[KatMac]

Here's a silly little question for you guys

I have a friend who is heavy into music, and he just built an entire new sound system (again) only this time it seems he went backwards with some components. He bought those giant speakers from the 70's on eBay. Remember those?! The tall ones with the big cone subwoofers, etc.? He's got speakers all around the room, a comfy chair plunked right in the center, and when you put on the head phones and shut your eyes, you'll hear sound coming at you from all directions. It's like you can hear each instrument coming at you from a different direction. I was listening to Fleetwood Mac and could hear Stevie's voice in front of me to the left, Lindsey's voice in front of me to the right, drums behind me, it was everywhere! It is the most awesome thing I ever heard!

Is that possible to achieve on a PC with a premium sound card and SS speakers?

[SpywareDr]

http://blog.audiovideointeriors.com/208great/

[SuperSparks]

I'd say it is easier to achieve on a computer using SS speakers, the sound card will give much finer control over the output to each speaker. The only problem with SS speakers is that the satellites are small. If you wanted to recreate what your friend did with large speakers, then you'd need to split the sound card output into separate amplifiers driving each pair of speakers I think.

[KatMac]

Thanks, Nick!
And uber cool link, SpywareDr! I bet they hear every leaf that falls off every tree with that system!

[SuperSparks]

You're very Welcome