Recently, we talked about external sound cards for a computer, which belonged to the budget segment and were suitable only for those who just wanted to slightly improve the sound quality on their computer for further watching movies, listening to music and playing with a toy. In this review, we will write about sound cards that are installed in your computer and are intended primarily for those who want to play modern gaming products with clear sound, clear effects and positioning. Naturally, the cost of such sound cards is a little higher, they are installed inside the computer, in the slot reserved for expansion, and produce better sound in games. However, this does not mean that you will not be able to listen to music or movies will sound bad. No, a good sound card for games does an excellent job with other tasks, it's just that the quality is felt best in shooters, races, MMOs, and so on. It should be noted that if your computer is under warranty and you cannot disassemble its case, then you will not need these sound cards. Either lose your warranty or wait for it to expire. In the meantime, you can read a little and figure out what you should pay attention to.
ASUS Xonar DS
The developer himself positions this sound card as an inexpensive solution for those users who want to get good positioning in games. If you play shooters, then this is an ideal option - the enemy's steps are clearly audible, you can easily find out where these steps are coming from, all third-party noises, such as the reloading of the machine, are distinguished. In most cases, in shooters, this allows you to have a definite advantage over an enemy that does not have such positioning. With 7.1-channel sound and low cost, this card has been popular among gamers for a long time. It has an AV200 audio chip, 24-bit width, support for DTS-ES technology and 4 line outputs, plus one microphone jack. The sound card is installed in the PCI 2.2 slot. If you're on a tight budget and all you want is just good sound with positioning in shooters, then this is the perfect solution. If you want to get good sound in movies and music tracks, then you need to look further. The cost of this sound card is 4100 rubles.
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Rx
Creative sound cards are rarely positioned as just gaming, since the developer primarily looks towards music connoisseurs. However, the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Rx sound card is great for gaming thanks to its 7.1 channel sound and ability to convey positioning in games as well as pure gaming sounds. This card is already installed in a PCI Express port, so you will need to take care of a free port in your motherboard. The sound chip here is Creative E-MU, it allows you to perfectly position objects in games, movies and music. The DAC capacity is 24 bits, the maximum frequency is 192 kHz. Separately, it is worth noting the support for EAX Studio technology and the ability to connect two microphones at once. In general, there are quite a lot of line outputs here, but connecting two microphones is a very good opportunity. Initially, a second connector was added for pairing karaoke, but you can easily connect two microphones for better audibility in streams or toys. The cost of this card is 5300 rubles and we really liked it, even if it is not sold as a game card.
ASUS Xonar DX
The Xonar DX sound card is considered almost a legend on the market. The fact is that quite a few years have passed since its inception, and professional players continue to use this particular solution and completely reject new items, even if they can boast of better sound. Thanks to the conversion of sound into 7.1-channel, as well as 5.1-channel sound in real time, as well as decent highs and lows, the card allows you to enjoy high-quality music and distinguish positioning in games. Of course, we cannot call the product the best option for music, because the previous version looks even better in this role, but in games ASUS Xonar DX has no equal. You install the card into the PCI Express slot, plug in some more or less normal headphones with a microphone, and you can safely go to conquer the virtual expanses of shooters. The sound chip here is Asus AV100, that is, the difference between the Xonar DS and Xonar DX will not be very big. However, we personally consider DX to be the best sound card on the market for our money. Its cost, by the way, is only 5600 rubles.
Creative Sound Blaster Z
One of the few Creative sound cards that are positioned primarily as a gaming solution. The card also plugs into the PCI Express port, it has a bundled microphone (external) with beam focusing, which allows you to improve the quality of your voice with hardware, not just software. The sound card is based on the Sound Core3D chip operating in 5.1-channel mode with support for SBX Pro Studio, CrystalVoice, Dolby Digital Live, DTS Connect technologies. It is worth noting that thanks to the proprietary CrystalVoice technology, all noise from your microphone will be removed and the voice will be crystal clear. It really works and even if you have a bad microphone on your headphones, there will be no sound problems. By the way, the card itself sounds very clean, there is good positioning of objects (I would even say one of the best on the market), as well as a signal-to-noise ratio of 116 dB. According to the creators of the card, the sound here is 35 times better than when using a standard sound card on the motherboard. Believing such numbers, of course, is not the most reasonable thing. The cost of this beast is 6,500 rubles.
ASUS Strix Soar
A product called ASUS Strix Sora is that rare case when the most expensive gadget in a selection can be called the best. Yes, we have already said that the Xonar DX is the perfect product for its price, but the ASUS Strix Soar has many advantages over the competition. For example, this is one of the few cards that works on 7.1 channel audio. Most cards either work on 5.1 channels, or are converted by software 5.1 to 7.1. Naturally, native 7.1 support is much better. The card is powered by the C-Media USB2.0 6632AX High-Definition Sound Processor sound chip; there is support for Asus Hyper Grounding, Asus Sonic Radar Pro, ASIO 2.0 and Perfect Voice technologies. There is an 8-channel DAC ESS SABER 9006A Premier Audio DAC, a TI-TPA6120 headphone amplifier with frequencies of 10-48000 Hz. There are outputs for the front channel, headphones, side channel, subwoofer, center and rear channels. By connecting headphones like the Razer Tiamat with 7.1 channel sound to this card, you get the best sound and positioning on the market. While the sound is very clear here, there is elimination of microphone noise and significant amplification. The cost of such a miracle is 6800 rubles.
If the sound path of the motherboard of your computer or laptop is built on high-quality components, it makes no sense to purchase a discrete card of a budget or even an average level. It will be almost impossible to feel the difference. In the same way as in the case of sound output to inexpensive speakers or headphones. There is an opinion that the cost of the used acoustics should be several times higher than the price of a sound card - then the set will be balanced.
So, you've decided to abandon the built-in sound card. Then we will immediately decide on the options:
- Inexpensive embedded cards- a choice for the undemanding ear, if the sound of the "embedded" is completely obscene, or you want to connect multichannel acoustics to the motherboard, which has only a stereo output. Although taking into account the fact that now even budget systems allow you to connect at least 5.1 acoustics, such a need may be needed only on a computer, which it is high time to upgrade itself. The same can be said about cheap external sound cards- they remain the only option for laptops, but they are also interesting for PCs because they “collect” less noise on the analog path.
- Do you like music not only to listen, but also to create? Regardless of genre preferences, you need a sound card with the supportASIO, and then we are already looking at our equipment - for power tools you will need high resistance (Hi-Z) input, studio condenser microphones need phantom power. If you work exclusively with VSTi, then you just need to have ASIO “on board”.
- Want to connect your computer to an external DSP or AV receiver? Then choose cards with an exitS /PDIF- coaxial or optics, depending on how the input is implemented on the connected device.
- Interesting multichannel audio in games? In this case, support by the EAX card will still be relevant, although it can already be considered leaving the scene (the last edition of the standard was released in 2005). At the same time, it would be more logical to choose from cards produced by Creative - whatever one may say, this is the company that created EAX.
There are also a number of nuances that need to be taken into account. For example, it is not the first year that Creative has been famous for its disgusting support - the same Audigy of the old series already on Windows 8 can work with problems due to the long-not-updated and initially raw drivers. Any card, both external and built-in, can work incorrectly due to software and hardware conflicts: for example, a loaded USB hub or motherboard bridge can lead to stuttering even with ASIO cards, especially if the driver is set to the maximum frequency sampling (and, accordingly, for the maximum amount of data transfer). So it is not always necessary to immediately blame the manufacturer for all mortal sins - you should also deal with your computer (not to mention the anecdotal cases when they forget to disable the built-in card in the BIOS).
It is difficult to imagine a modern computer or laptop without the ability to listen to music or watch movies. A sound card for a computer is responsible for playing the sound. How to choose (tips will be given a little later) and what to look for when buying such a device? Read about this and much more below.
Sound card for a computer: how to choose?
First of all, any user facing such a problem, first of all, should start from personal considerations and the area of using the sound system. Today, the use of such devices is no longer limited to high-quality reproduction of music or a track in a video or film.
With the development of the gaming industry, the requirements for sound cards have increased incredibly, and they themselves began to offer the user much more opportunities in terms of the same surround sound reproduction or special effects that can immerse the gamer in the gameplay, creating a completely realistic atmosphere of what is happening.
The same goes for the direction that provides for the creation and recording of music at home or in a professional studio. Here the requirements are even higher, and the cards themselves are much more expensive. Therefore, when deciding which sound card to choose for a computer, one should proceed from just such considerations. Next, we will consider some aspects that affect the choice of a chip of one type or another, with an analysis of the main features and characteristics of several of the most popular sound chips.
Sound card for a computer: how to choose? Specifications
In any case, the very first parameter is high-quality sound reproduction without distortion or unwanted side effects. Typically, most devices use either analog or digital inputs. The former can create additional interference during sound reproduction through the speaker system (speakers or speakers), while the latter practically completely exclude their appearance.
In most cases, crystal-clear sound can only be achieved with an S / PDIF interface for connecting a loudspeaker through the appropriate connector.
However, according to many professional musicians, digital devices, while delivering crisp sound without distortion, nevertheless lack the so-called analog warmth, which adds realism to any music track, which is quite difficult to achieve on digital devices.
The second point is related to the frequency range that a sound card itself for a computer can "give out on-the-mountain". How to choose a device based on these considerations? You just need to pay attention to the lower and upper frequency limits. The lower limit is usually 16 Hz (followed by infrasound, which is not perceived by the human ear), and the upper limit is 18-22 kHz (above is ultrasound, which the person also cannot hear). However, today you can find devices capable of reproducing 22 and even 24 kHz, but they are practically not used in everyday life.
Finally, if the majority of modern sound cards support Dolby Digital and DTS Dolby Surround standards, the cards for games must declare support for EAX v.X technology or the same standard in the form of Advanced HD, without which it is simply impossible to achieve realistic sound in gameplay. Separately, it should be said that buying cards with 5 + 1 (7 + 1) support if you have ordinary stereo speakers at home is absolutely inappropriate.
As for the main types of sound cards on the market, they can be divided into integrated (built into motherboards), internal (connected via PCI slots) and external.
They all have very different characteristics and quite different principles of operation and connection. But external devices of this type have the advantage that they can have built-in memory, and due to the absence of size restrictions, they can have more connectors.
In addition, internal and integrated cards can be exposed to electromagnetic radiation and the resulting interference, and external devices are almost completely immune from this. Finally, the use of external sound cards is the only solution to improve the sound quality and connect 5 + 1 speakers to laptops.
Sound cards for everyday work
Nevertheless, in everyday life, when only listening to audio tracks or watching videos will be performed, and sound quality is not a priority, an integrated sound card for a computer can be used. How to choose such a device? Actually, you don't need to choose it. It is already built into the motherboard. Replacing the chip is another matter.
The most common are WDM-type devices (such as Realtek) with High Definition Audio drivers. Therefore, any chip of this kind will do here.
If you require higher quality with the use of surround sound systems, you will have to tackle the problem of how to choose a sound card for your 5.1 computer. Most experts call the purchase of a PCI device Audigy Fx (Sound Blaster line from Creative), which has decent characteristics and a fairly low cost, as the optimal purchase.
Inexpensive Sound Chips for Gamers
It's not that simple with games. The main emphasis when choosing a device is made on the availability of support for EAX v.X and OpenAL technologies.
Judging by the reviews of gamers, the following are considered the most popular and relatively inexpensive models of sound chips in this series:
- ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 / DG / DGX / DS.
- Recon3D PCIe from Creative.
- Audigy Fx (again from Creative), etc.
All of these devices reproduce multichannel sound, are equipped with 24-bit DACs, and the sampling rate in stereo mode is 96-192 kHz. You can, of course, stop at 192 kHz, but this is not necessary, since the difference will not be discernible by ear.
What should a musician choose?
Musicians also need a sound card for a computer like air. How to choose a chip? It is necessary to proceed from what the device will be used for. Any simple chip is suitable for recording music from a MIDI keyboard, even at the level of outdated cards with Wavetable support like Yamaha WDM.
To work with sequencers, it is better to use cards like Terratec or the same Audigy card, but a prerequisite is support for the previously used Full Duplex standard and modern ASIO drivers.
But for recording live instruments in studios, an external sound card for a computer should be used. How to choose this type of device?
You can refer to the list of the most popular and demanded sound cards, which was compiled based on the reviews of the musicians and sound engineers themselves:
- Focusrite Scarlett Solo / 2i2 / 2i4 / 6i6 / 18i8.
- M-Audio M-Track II.
- Tascam US-366.
- PreSonus AudioBox USB.
- Roland UA-55 Quad-Capture.
- BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC202 and others.
To enjoy all the benefits of high-definition video and the latest PC games, you need both a powerful processor and a powerful graphics adapter. However, very often users forget that high-quality multi-channel sound is also required for complete immersion in the atmosphere. At the same time, codecs, drivers and the built-in sound card will not help much in such a matter. A serious device is needed. The article will describe how to choose a sound card. Helpful advice when choosing will also not be overlooked.
Built-in chips
Sound devices soldered directly on the motherboard of the system card are unable to compete with discrete hardware. First of all, the codec installed on the motherboard actively uses processor resources during its operation, which reduces overall performance by several percent.
It happens that the built-in sound card is located in close proximity to high-current power lines. The electromagnetic field created by them leads to an increase in interference and interference. The architecture of the embedded hardware has been simplified to the maximum.
How to choose a sound card for your computer?
There are many types of hardware for audio output, all of which can be roughly divided into two types: music cards and multimedia.
The first group is used for recording, reproducing and processing audio information. This makes them narrowly focused, and such devices are intended mainly for musicians. They can be installed both inside the system unit and connected to the USB connector. The price of this type of equipment is high.
Multimedia sound cards will suit a wider range of users. They are ideal for both stereos and speakers with five and seven channels. Codecs are already built into the sound card and do not require additional configuration; in addition, in addition to codecs, the device has its own processor, which favorably affects the performance of the computer.
Main characteristics
In order to choose a sound card for your computer, it is imperative that you familiarize yourself with the basic characteristics of the device. First of all, the board is installed. Its main task is to process a digital signal and create its analog equivalent. This device is essentially the brain of an audio card.
DAC parameters
How to choose a sound card for a computer, what characteristics should a DAC have? A 16-bit DAC with a maximum sampling rate of 48 kHz is almost always sufficient. The last digit indicates how often the converter reads the signal during recording or playback.
It is believed that this parameter should be twice as high, which will be reproduced. According to this theory, we can say that for almost any recording, 44.1 kHz is enough; this level is twice as high as the threshold for human-audible frequencies. However, tests show that the rule is not always executed as written on paper, which means that it makes sense to choose a device with a higher sampling rate for greater sound fidelity.
Marketing gimmicks
I must say that the numbers written in the brochures are not always true, they are often greatly exaggerated. For example, a card with a declared sampling rate of 98 KHz may sound much worse than a device with more modest numbers. "How to choose the right sound card if you can't trust the specifications?" - the user will ask. When studying the technique, pay attention to the company that made the DAC. The best are Ti-Burr Brown, Wolfson, Texas Instruments.
In addition to the manufacturer, you should also find out the serial number of the DAC. He points to the "advanced" model. That is, the higher the number, the more modern the development. You can check the code name of the chip only on the manufacturer's website.
If several are installed on the audio card, it is desirable that they all be the same. Often a high-quality DAC is used for the central channels, and an inexpensive one for those around. This reduces not only the price of the end device, but also the quality of multichannel sound.
EAX
Before choosing a sound card for your computer, ask if your hardware supports EAX technology. Also, be sure to check which version you are using. To date, the oldest is 5.0.
In simple terms, EAX is "audio positioning" technology. The closest analogue is DirectSound3D. It controls the coordinates of the audio source in 3D space. In computer games, this system is used most often, with its help, effects are added to the game that create the illusion of the distance of the sound source and its location relative to the listener (left, right, back).
To what has already been said, it should be added that EAX emulates reflections and reverberations. This gives the user a feel for the parameters of the game world. For an open world, a cramped room, and an empty multi-story building, the nature of the same audio recording will be different.
ASIO
ASIO is a protocol used to transfer audio information with minimal latency. Recording in special applications is almost impossible if the ASIO does not support the sound card for the computer. How do you choose the best option?
This technology is a must for musicians. If the computer is used not as a recording studio, but as a multimedia combine, ASIO can be considered an optional function.
Midi interface
If a user is going to write arrangements, then what, in this case, should a sound card for a computer have, how to choose a suitable device? An important feature of audio cards is the presence of midi-inputs and outputs. They are used to connect synthesizers and musical keyboards.
With the help of such an interface, not an analog signal is sent to the sound device, but information about which key is pressed, whether it is fully lowered, with what force and speed the user pressed it. All data is transferred to the program, and the program is already playing the sound. Moreover, the possibilities of these programs are enormous. You can use those that emulate real instruments (for example, piano, guitar, drums), or you can create your own unique and unlike anything preset.
Phantom Power
If you intend to use a capacitor, you should be aware that not every sound card for a computer can work with such equipment. How to choose the right device? It's simple - just ask about phantom power on the audio card. Remember, dynamic microphones require this element to be absent! Phantom power can damage them.
Instrument and line inputs
If you are going to install an audio card for recording an electric guitar in your computer, it must have an instrument input (also called high impedance).
Its resistance level is high enough (about 1 megohm), which makes it possible to transmit a signal from the instrument to the computer without loss. If you connect your guitar to the normal input, you will lose a lot of overtones and low frequencies, which will make the sound dull. In this case, not a sonorous beautiful sound will be recorded, but a dull sound with a loss of low frequencies. A large microphone jack is often used as a connector.
Line In is required to connect various stereo devices (player, turntable) to the audio card. Typically, each channel has its own connector. You won't be able to connect a guitar or a microphone to it, the recording volume in this case will turn out to be very quiet.
Built-in preamplifier
A preamplifier is another module that can be supplied with a sound card for a computer. How to choose the right one and which one is better - with or without him?
First you need to figure out what a preamplifier is. The amplitude of the signal that goes from the microphone to the input is very low. For recording, you have to amplify it, and then stabilize the volume. It is this function that is assigned to the preamplifier. Not all audio cards have it. Even if your device has a microphone input, the preamp may not be there. Then the software does its job. However, in this case, the amplitude not only of the useful signal increases, but also of noise with interference.
Choosing a sound card for your PC: is a preamp required?
For musicians or announcers, having a preamp is a great bonus. But in this case it was not without a fly in the ointment. The quality of built-in amplifiers is almost always quite modest, while the price rises significantly due to such a built-in element. I must say that you can always add an additional device of this type, so you shouldn't add it to the list of required ones.
Conclusion
Since it is impossible to choose a sound card without wasting time, you will have to familiarize yourself with a large number of offers from different computer hardware stores. Of course, if you have no desire to study numbers, you can go the other way - by comparison. To do this, you need to listen to the same audio recording on different devices. In this case, the one that sounds the most pleasant will be appropriate.
Remember that the audio board is only part of the sound reproduction system. You also need a high-quality amplifier and solid speakers. Without them, all efforts aimed at selecting equipment will be in vain.
