Suggestions - Sound Card

[socalgal]

Again, so many vendors. If you are very happy with your sound card, I would like to know what you're running.

Thanks for your suggestions!

[MR COMPUTER]

I've tried a lot of sound cards,But I keep coming back to Sound Blasters. 16's,32's,64's,128's,all great cards.I haven't tried the SB Live yet.I hear its a great card. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

[Mntsnow]

SoCalGal,

Just step up to the speakers and get a SoundBlaster Live! and unless you are really into maken your own Midi music just get the Value version. (right around 50 bucks US.) I have it and LOVE it. the sound enviroments that you can do with it are just UNREAL! and I had not a bit of problem using it in my system. 1 ISA Diamond Supraexpress modem 1 PCI 10/100 Lynksys NIC, 1 SB Live, USB, Both serial ports (com1&2) printer port, Diamond speedstar AGP, and now an PCI Adaptec scuzzy controller.

Mntsnow.

ps. I have had Yamaha,Crystal,Esonic, and a few other sound cards and none perform up to the SoundBlasters!

[Ed_S]

For a "cheapie" go with ESS. Have one that's given good service & sound several years now.

But for the best sound, stick with Creative Labs Soundblasters. Cost more, but better sound and compatability, Currently using Awe 64, very satisfied.

[Buddly]

I have the SoundBlaster Live card and it is indeed an awesome piece of hardware. I have owned every Soundblaster made and this is absolutely the best sounding card I've ever had.

[BBA]

Ive treid both the Live and the Live value. I haave a Value in right now, there are minor differences in the software/drivers but you cant beat the Live Value for its cost.

I tried teh MX300 also, I was not impressed with the sound quality, even with all quality settings maxed, that just causes CPU cycles to be wasted. The SB is much better for cpu utilization.

BBA

[socalgal]

Hi guys! I posted and then ended up back at the puter show. (go figure).

I picked up the CL SB Awe 64 - for $32. I did see some Live there and guess I should've gotten that. Well, for $32, it will keep me happy for a week (til the next show).

With your recommendations, I'm going for the Live then. I agree, CL SB is tried and true.

Thanks for your fast replies. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif I just love this place! *sniff*

[BBA]

Pleeazze dont crwy...
the AWE is a nice card too!!!

BBA

[Susan]

Yeah, the AWE64 is right up there with the Live, IMO. Good choice.

[Carlos Kerr]

Hey Socalgal! I figured I might as well jump in here! I paid almost $100 for an AWE64 2 years ago [isa version] I have nothing but praise for it. I just installed a Live! card on Friday. It cost me $99. I only got it because I needed a card for my other system. I would advise that unless you are planning on running a 4 speaker system, you don't need the Live! card. So if you want to save a few bucks and are o.k. with a 2 speaker system, you probably would'nt notice the difference between the two cards. But then again those 4 speaker setups sound soooooo nice! {what's another $50 anyway!}:].

[Bleeding Edge]

Got to agree with Susan and Carlos. Have both cards also. The sound of the 64 is very good.

I've noticed your doing some major upgrades, not just the soundcard. One of your purchases was a DVD-Rom drive. I take it your going to watch some movies?

You can easily send the audio signal out to A/V receiver and let the decoder in there do all the work. Dolby-Logic. AC3. DTS. Experience real home-theater. 6 speaker setup. Actually you can make it sound much better than the film houses. I think Envy does this with his. He also feeds the video signal out to his TV. But I don't get it -you know? Why turn the computer on to watch a DVD movie? Better to watch it thru a home DVD player directly.

Envy.. or was it Mr.Computer? No. Wasn't him.

Anyway, don't take me wrong. It just happens to be 'one of those things' with me, this computer based DVD movie watching. Doesn't make sense. But that's part of having our own computer. We do as we wish. The final decision. Always ours.

edit-

Where's Nathan these days?

[This message has been edited by Bleeding Edge (edited 06-06-99).]

[ENVY]

Ya,was me BleedingEdge.The SBLive is great!
As to the DVD thing,The homeplayer I wanted was about 150.00 more than my CL setup,And I can watch my DVD movies even if the wife or kids don't wanna. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gifYa just can't hook a homeplayer to your puter ya know!This was a much cheaper way to go than buying a homeplayer and another T.V.
Besides,Porn is on dvd now! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif
(wife would kill me if she knew I was talkin this way).
Oh BTW,I just got the fps2000 speakers from CL and they do rock!Well worth the 130.00 they are going for.Hey,anyone here working on Novell networks?I gotta take the CNA test and am wondering what it is like?Novell is kinda new to me,heard it was a *****.Is this true?

[This message has been edited by ENVY (edited 06-07-99).]

[socalgal]

Hi Guys!

The DVD was a bare drive - I don't think I have the decoder - ahh I don't know! All it came with is the driver floppy which I haven't used. CD-ROM works, haven't used the DVD yet. Will I need a decoder? Help me out guys.

I haven't had the chance to check if the new vidcards have DVD decoding capability to work with the DVD work properly. I know I sound totally ignorant here - cuz I am!! DVD is a new thing for me.

Thinking of getting a set of Altec Lansings speakers w/subwoofer. Or, maybe not. I can always run thru my Fisher 120w speakers.

I just got back online after 1.5 days of PCI modem HELL!! I hate PCI modems and so does LOLA. After several hours of frustration, I booked to Fry's and got an ISA Best Data 56K, it set up 1.2.3.

Well, now to get old hdd transferred to new hdd. That should take another day or two depending.

I heard that the resolution playing DVD's on a good monitor is way better than a TV set.

ENVY ~ good luck on your test!

[BBA]

Yep a good monitor looks much better, but a widescreen HDTV would really rock!

Any good recent AGP video card will likely decode DVD with a software player, so if you have, say... a TNT or V3 or Rage Pro, you already have the minimum needed, just load the player software!


BBA

[socalgal]

yikes... I don't think I have any "player software" I just looked thru the driver floppy and see no reference at all to DVD, not even the readme.txt. Only refs are to CD-ROM. Did I just get ripped?

I KNOW my ignorance is showing here. It's very humbling. woe. What exactly do you mean by "player software"?

[This message has been edited by socalgal (edited 06-07-99).]

[Bleeding Edge]

No. The soft dvd player would come with the vid-card. You haven't gotten that yet, right? Hercules shipped mine. Should get it tomorrow or the day after. Went ahead and got some pc133 modules.

I don't believe Envy watches porn. No. Wont believe that.

I use Altec and Cambridge. Front and rear. Their okay. Great for what they're used for. You could go ahead and not buy computer speakers and opt for an amplified Yamaha (it's for a computer afterall) sub and some NHT SuperZeros for the satellites. That would be nice. NHT is based over there.

HDTV. ohhhh.. Just the thought makes me weak in the knees -Yummy!

[BBA]

socalgal, what video card do you have?

BBA

[socalgal]

AAHHH THANKS Edge!!

Whew I was going there for a sec... lol

Wow, tell us about the Hercules when you get it!! I wished I had ordered mine now *woe*

Those Altecs w/subwoofer I heard sounded pretty good, and wouldnt' have to flip the switch either on my stereo receiver - talk about lazy?

HDTV - yes it does make me dream too! Maybe when I win this week's $63mil Lotto eh? lol. And then some to go around.

Thanks again Edge http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[socalgal]

BBA ~ I don't have it yet. Either the Matrox G400Max(32mg) or the card Edge is getting, Hercules Dynamite Ultra TNT2 (32mg). Can't wait for the 'real' feedback on it!

~EDIT: Edge, where did you order PC133 from?
I am looking for PC100. pricewatch?



[This message has been edited by socalgal (edited 06-08-99).]

[Bleeding Edge]

Buy me a ticket! Pleease. How many numbers do I have to pick?

edit-

I was going to get Corsair's 133s that uses Micron chips. Somehow I ended up at Micron's memory division and ordered from them direct. www.crucial.com (http://www.crucial.com)


edit-

forgot. www.nhthifi.com/ (http://www.nhthifi.com/)


[This message has been edited by Bleeding Edge (edited 06-08-99).]

[socalgal]

Only six little numbers per row. $1 per row. Sounds easy eh? HAHA
How many you want?

Thanks for the links. Will check em out tomorrow. Got to get to bed. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/frown.gif

[Bleeding Edge]

I'll email the numbers. You pay. I win. You get half.

[socalgal]

Deal. Numbers are 1 through 51 only.

[cobain1crt]

First, MR COMPUTER, was that "hear it is a good card" a pun? I love my Aztech PCI-128 Wave [sc128-32], 4 channel output, tons of software, low price, dependable, and made by a company that has been better than Sound Blaster or Ymaha, in my experience, for years.

[BBA]

You mean you have experience?

Hahahahaha!!!!

BBA

[spdsk8r]

How's the new Creative Labs PCI 512 with EAX? It's only about $50!!