I need a sound solution !

[transtec]

Well guys, Im building a new system and Ive posted about this already here on tek-tips. I now need some infor about what inclusions I should make in the "sound department".

First of all Im on a budget and am building an Intel P4 3.2 GHz ( 640 with 2MB cache ) on an Intel 915 motherboard ( with DDR2 support ). The thing which puzzles me is that this motherboard, along with several other models from Intel, come with their Intel HD Audio solution which supports upto 7.1 channels. Ive read plenty of reviews and they say that this Intel HD Audio solution could be comparable to an Audigy 1 card altho Audigy 2 would be slighlty better. I plan on getting the Creative Inspire p5800 subwoofers as for the speakers.

I do not intend to game that much. But I expect Ill be listening to plenty of music and a bit of watching movies. SO I want unsurpassed audio quality.

My question is should I go for the above combination ? that is the Intel onboard sound coupled with an Inspire p5800. Is the Intel HD Audio based solution good enuf for my requirement ?

I could buy an Altec Lansing 5100 for US$50 more. Would this extra cost bring better results than Insipre p5800 ?

Thanx... awaiting your replies.

 

[KevinADC]

You want unsurpassed audio quality? Don't use computer speakers then. While they are pretty good, they do not deliver unsurpassed audio quality. Or maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration? My advice, get a seperate sound system for listening to music if you are a serious audiophile and just use the onboard sound with the Creative speakers for the movies, the occasional game, and the rest of the sounds while using the computer.

 

[paparazi]

transtec
I think you need to get things into perspective, Creative P5800's 5.1's are a good all round budget choice for PC gaming and music listening so definately not "unsurpassed audio quality"
So having said that, Intels onboard Intel HD Audio is pretty much a match for these speakers.

Don't get me wrong, this setup sounds fine in a small room with the 5.1 speakers properly spaced and setup but you cannot really compare it to a specialized audio system.

This is as they say, "Horses for Courses" good choice at this price point.

I run a similar setup on my daughters PC but have to admit I favoured a straight creative 5.1 "live" card over the onboard, my decision however was more about taking the strain from the CPU than sound quality although I think the Live card sounds better anyway.
Martin



We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[felixc]

Simple approach. The speakers make the sound! Some PC stores have a listening room for high-quality speakers. Let your ears tell what sound is quality good enough for you, and then let your your wallet negotiate with your ears.

 

[Fred69]

I've just bought the audigy 2 ZS sound card and it doesn't make a huge difference with my standard onboard audio (asus a7v333, old motherboard, so it wasn't the top, I think this is 6 channels audio).

I would hardly recommend you to invest in the speakers not the card. Especially in your case. You've got a really nice onboard audio system here, don't forget this. The speakers will really make the difference. The sound card would have been needed if the onboard audio was not so good. Intel worked hard on this issue to provide a good integrated sound.

Have you ever tought about a really good earphones set? It usually sounds better than a 2.1 speaker system for the same price. For less than 80$US you could easily find a comfortable set (this is absolutely needed for listening to a movie for 2 hours or music) and the surround sound is awesome in games, especially with a good set like this. I would recommend you a Sennheiser HD set. I've got sennheiser PC150 but theses are not comfortable and it comes with a mic, so a part of your budget goes for the mic. I think the sennheiser HD serie is the best for music and it has large earcaps. Note that the sennheiser HD 650 are now (for many people) the best earphones in the world, (but they cost 500$). You can buy cheaper models for about 60-80$ (and less but I don't recommend you to go under 50$ in your case, the sound quality would drop too much) and this sound great, better than 80$ speakers for sure.

I usually speak french, hope you understand..
Fred

 

[transtec]

I've been reading your posts over and over agin. Thanx a lot for helping me out here.

Yes Fred I get your point. Im goin to invest more in my speakers as you said, it was jus a hunch I had whether the Intel HD Audio would be good enuf to suit my music and movie requirements. As for the headphones, I thnk theyll have to wait sometime and besides I like speakers more than pulling on a set of headphns over my head. Its jus not my type .

Well Kevin, Im no audiophile altho I wish I had that much grand ( thats whats stopping me from being one ). I initially had the idea of getting an amp separately and fixing speakers onto it. BUT several issues came up. First of all I couldnt decide on a good amp to purchase cos the variations are so much. What should i do with the 5.1 output if I want to play stereo music coming from an audio source like an mp3 player ? Secondly the prices are way too high for my budget.
And I couldn't come to grips with the output ratings mentioned in certain amps. Some say 100W per channel but how do I know whether that would be good enuf for my needs.
Also if I buy an amp I'd need to get down the speakers from somewhere. For this how could I find out the matching ones ?
It's all too complicated thats why I deceided to go for Creative's Inspire p5800 for the time being until I get paid well . I even thought of getting an amp down from eBay but who can warrant about the quality and the defects ?

so keep on posting.... I've still got time to do the buying. I jus mite change my mind on what you say.... Aand as for the "Unsurpassed Audio Quality" well I meant getting the bang outta the buck. I know Id have to spend more than US$80 that Id be spending on Inpire p5800 for that. But for the time being give me the best speakers money can buy at ~ US$ 80.

 

[KevinADC]

well, if you are on a pretty limited budget, just get a set of good 2.1 speakers, looks like the Logitech Z-2300 is the set to beat, prices range from $80 to $165:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Logitech_Z_2300/4540-3179_7-30993080-4.html?tag=sub