Using USB speaker system.. Does it matter what type of sound card I use??

[ThomasT]

Hello,
I'm thinking about buying the SB live or MX300 sound card for my computer but I don't know if it'll make much of a difference. I'm using a on-board sound card now that came with my MB and MS digital sound system 80 speakers that use a USB hook-up for digital sound.

My question is: are my speakers going to sound any better with one of these new sound cards if I play most of my games via USB digital sound?

[Richard311]

hmmm... how do i explain...k, when you plug speakers into a USB port the sound card is not used. Even when playing games. YOU COOULD RIP OUT THE SOUND CARD AND EVERYTHING WOULD WORK FINE. USB ports play DIGITAL sound which means that the sound you here is in its original form and not converted into another format by the sound card. You, by having USB capable speakers, are getting the best possible sound that technology offers thus far. To sum things up buying a new sound card would be useless because USB has nothing to do with the soundcard. It would be like saying "My monitor plugs into my computer through USB, do it still need a 2d video card?" The answer being NNOOOOOOO because the monitor has nothing to do with the 2d video card. By the way, you know those new flat panel monitors that hook up to your computers through a USB port, well they suck for high graphics games like Halflife because the USB port doesn't tap into the power of your videocard. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/frown.gif (If you have any other questions related to USB email me.

[This message has been edited by Richard311 (edited 08-04-99).]

[ThomasT]

Thanks Richard! That's what I thought but I wasn't sure. Thanks for clearing that up.

Tom

[Stan]

One catch with USB speakers: you can not record sound...

[philipg]

heres a cool tip I use.

get a patch cable to run from the sound card to the sterio and power up the surround sound system and play a game.

Makes you feel like your really there, AWESOME SOUND!!!!

[benp]

that and usb speakers themselves suck. You'd be better off buying a good sound card and the same speakers only in analog form for the same price as the usb speakers.. Plus usb is software basically creating a higher load for your cpu slowing down your computer. Also stuff that's standard on sound cards nowadays isn't standard with usb. Usb is old school sound if you knwo what i mean. Basic sound. No 3d spatial effects like even the cheapest sound cards offer, no recording, for gaming they're not that well either. but it's up to you.

[ThomasT]

I've had these speaker for a couple months now so I won't be buying any new speakers (they do sound pretty nice). I use the speakers only during game play (e.x. unreal, theif...etc). So benp, you would recommend getting a good sound card and unpluging or disabling digital USB sound when I'm playing games to get the best sound FX's?

[benp]

Well for me i have the monster sound MX300 and the sound is unbelievable in the half life and quake, sin, and other such games that take advantage of A3d 1.0 or 2.0, and even some EAX. I'd say either go with the Diamond MX300, or the SB live, both are excellent cards, the only reason i went with the mx300 was that it had support for a3d 2.0 and it had a black face with white letters. i know i know not a big selling point but it makes a little difference.

[DSEG]

Well im soory but i like the environmental audio capabilities and surround sound that the sound blaster live has so i certainly wont be moving to usb speakers

[AndreBranco]

i don't understand ... usb speakers don't need a sound card!? where does the sound comes from then?

[WhoKnowsWho]

The sound for a game is digital... instead of going to a sound card to be processed and seperated into left/right channels that the speakers can change into sound... it simply goes directly to the USB speakers through the port and the USB speakers convert the digital signal themselves to be heard... or that's as much I have read into it... young technology and nowhere near as developed as the 3d APIs supported by current sound cards.