I have a SB AE-5+. Of course it makes a huge difference in sound quality over onboard sound. You'd have to be deaf to not hear the difference,

@Susheelbharadwaj098

10 ай бұрын

is it possible to connect the ae5 without bothering about the lighting ? can i just plug it to the pcie and use it ?

@chrisb.4547

9 ай бұрын

@@Susheelbharadwaj098 Yes. That is what I am doing currently.

@Susheelbharadwaj098

9 ай бұрын

@@chrisb.4547 driver support software works on win 10/11 without issues i hope? i was thinking to upgrade from my old soundblaster card.

@Shattered-Realm

9 ай бұрын

I had some random soundblaster card which cost about half the price of an ae-5 (might have been a soundblaster z) and I agree it made a huge difference for my headphones (Sennheiser 599 - so not quite audiophile but a decent set) I was definitely noticeable compared against random onboard realtek. But that card became obsolete because my new mobo does not have any PCI port so I am gonna splurge soon and get an AE-5 for PCI express

@chrisb.4547

9 ай бұрын

@@Susheelbharadwaj098 yes

On board audio on a good quality motherboard is usually pretty good for gaming, but for movies and and music a good quality sound card (internal or external) paired with good headphones or headset makes all the difference in the world. I use the EVGA NuAudio internal sound card paired with Sennheiser headphones and I would never go back. Been using Soundcards all the way back to the Soundblaster Live and Turtle Beach.

@jorgeal2k

7 ай бұрын

Yes, you can buy a $600 mobo (so say MSI MEG ACE) with ESS Sabre 9038Q2M + Op Amps for HP Out and Line Out and it won't still match a decent discrete sound card or external DAC/Amp. If we only consider just only an ALC1220 or ALC4080/82 both of them integrating DAC/ADC/Amplifier they're still nowhere near the performance of a basic USB DAC/Amp.

@MrFat.

7 ай бұрын

I love my Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card. Wish I could find a driver for Win 10/11.

@RebelViking912

7 ай бұрын

@@jorgeal2k I agree 100%. I have a MSI MEG X570 UNIFY motherboard with decent onboard audio but its nowhere close to my EVGA NuAudio or older SoundblasterZ soundcard. The way to go now is external DAC/AMP. Especially if you are gaming on a laptop, which even the most expensive gaming laptop has poor audio. If you are gaming with wireless headphones, then this is a mute issue as wireless headphones have their own internal dac/headphone amp.

@RebelViking912

7 ай бұрын

my first sound card was a Turtle Beach in my Dell Pentium II desktop. @@MrFat. It was great back in the day.

@vasilissoupionis6329

3 ай бұрын

You'll never know until you use a sound card. I know it. Same thing as the "72hz on a monitor is pretty good" until you play at 144hz and 240hz.

mini amps are the best way to go in my opinion. i run a rockville blu amp with sub and speaker outputs. 70w rms sub at 4ohm and 40 watt rms x2 full range at 4ohm. used the speaker signal output and hooked up a car sub and amp to a xbox one powersupply and im very satisfied lol

the problem for me at least...new sound cards aren't musical, they are aimed for streaming and gaming, but they just aren't good for music, no matter the specs . I have the sound blaster X3, had the A9PE which I sold, and the ZXR. all three of them sound like crap for music, while the ZXR with old opamp''s sounds the best out of the bunch, maybe because the BB DAC has a more natural sound and warm sound than newer DACs

Needed if you want to record sound at high quality, or if you want to take full advantage of a high end set of speakers. If you have a crappy DAC, you will definitely hear a difference. If you use your PC as a home theater and have a good Dolby system, a must have.

@Audio-Zone

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@chromewarnock9681

15 күн бұрын

i Have SSL2 interface for mic but does that work as sound card for speakers? do i need this sound cards?

Yes they are still worth it if you've got good amp/speakers. Just got an Alienware PC. Mobo with onboard Realtek ALC1220. Sounded flat. Installed a Sound Blaster Z-SE. Big improvement for analogue output. Louder, more dynamic, powerful bass, crisp highs. Games sound much more immersive.

@Audio-Zone

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing.

@sulinity

3 ай бұрын

i think if you use iems they worth even more...

@xxx333mmm

20 күн бұрын

​@@sulinitywhats iem

I haven’t thought about IRQ 220 for a long time, a long time.

Sound cards are absolutely 100% better than onboard sound. I have the AE 5 with AKG 712pro and can pinpoint enemies behind walls and cliffs accurately. Sometimes i even pre fire before the enemies show up, been accused as cheater but my line is always "get a sound card". Not to mention about sound quality and sound stage... You can hear sounds that on board cards struggle to produce. The comparison is made with sound blaster ae5 vs High fidelity audio with SupremeFX S1220A on rog strix x570 MB and 2 headphones, seinheiser HD558 and akg712 pro.

You nailed it. If you record, design or analyze sound, you'll need a soundcard. Otherwise, entry level is sufficient. Kinda like everything else: if you draw, design or analyze visual stuff, you need a good display. If you're into gardening, baking, repairing mechanical watches, looking at the stars and stuff, the right tool saves you the grind 🙂

@jabronnie7745

4 ай бұрын

you're wrong, here's why: onboard soundcards (realtek or what ever) gives you high input latency in fps games meanwhile a dedicated pcie soundcard gives you the least input latency ever, which gives you a huge advantage (besides the better sound and better footstep hearing) why do you think most pro gamers use a dedicated soundcard? also, dedicated soundcards have tons of software like footsteps radar, which show you directional sound on a radar displayed on your screen (this is amazing for deaf people)

Very helpful. Thank you. Do you also think that an on-board soundcard is unnecessary?

@Audio-Zone

5 ай бұрын

Not at all

I bought new amp which has optical in, and I have a PC next to it as well. I am thinking getting new sound card with optical out would be nice for playing FLACs

@DingleBerry88

Ай бұрын

You want something labeled as a DAC and not sound card. A DAC designed for lossless music playback rather than geared towards gaming or studio work. Check out the brand schiit if you haven’t already. They make a handful of highly regarded desktop sized DACs.

so is getting an interface the best way for audio as a musician the on board sound card is not good from microsoft for live shows too much lag and voice sounds bad

Sound cards are built into mother board's these days. I am doing multi-track audio recording. As I have placed more demand on my PC for audio, I am experiencing lagging. I upgraded my RAM to 32 Gig but the problem is still there. I'm thinking that it is the sound card and I should get a more powerful sound card, but it will have to be external. Thoughts?

@Audio-Zone

18 күн бұрын

Investing in a more powerful external sound card should significantly improve your recording experience by reducing latency and providing higher fidelity audio.

so, just started the video. back in the day, i always used soundcards, after 2012, i only used onboard sound.. then i got a creative ae5 in 2020. iam not an audiophile, but i can clearly hear tthe difference when i use my beyer dt900 between the onbaord sound and the creative card. its not night and day, but way clearer, way more precise. onbaord feels like an downgrade now. the bad part is, the card has driver issues.. like 1-2 times a week where i have to restart to the in order to fix it

@Audio-Zone

2 ай бұрын

It's great to hear you've noticed a significant improvement in audio quality with the Creative AE-5 compared to onboard sound. However, it's unfortunate that you're experiencing driver issues, requiring frequent restarts. Ensure you have the latest drivers installed and consider reaching out to Creative support for assistance. If the issues persist, you may want to explore alternative sound card options or revert to onboard audio temporarily.

Sound cards aren't what they used to be. USB dacs/amps are technically sound cards. My Schiit Fulla 3 is amazing. Way better than onboard audio. My Sound Blaster Live Value back in the day was also amazing. Now with that said, onboard audio has come a long way in the last 20 years

Mobo sound cards are getting good enough but if you do music production a dedicated sound card can be beneficial e.g. guitar recording

@RiswandaZiyad

18 күн бұрын

I'm currently wondering, as a bedroom guitarist and singer, should I get rid of my focusrite scarlett studio with just usb mic and record guitar directly from multi-effect pedal with built-in sound card? or sound card is still relevant

there is any sound card that can use speaker and headphone simultaneously? currenly using onboard audio and need to switch speaker to headphone and kinda annoying or maybe i need some goods audio drivers. can you recommend me audiocard and drivers please?

@Planehazza

3 ай бұрын

I have a Soundblaster ZxR and in the sound software you have a little toggle to switch between headphones or speakers mode. Much better than having to keep plugging headphones in or removing them.

@Audio-Zone

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment

cam here looking for options because the sound card built into my motherboard seems to be failing. First thought it was the 15+year old speakers giving up the ghost but have since gotten brand new set of speakers and it is still doing same thing of fading in and out one speaker only way to get it to turn back on is to crank volume for second. Side not I hate the sound of new ones as well but that is probably from me using same speakers for past 15+ years every day for at lest 10hours.

@Audio-Zone

Ай бұрын

Consider investing in an external sound card or upgrading your motherboard for better audio quality and reliability. In the meantime, you could try using your old speakers with a different audio source. Best of luck resolving the issue!

@jaylord55

Ай бұрын

@@Audio-Zone i ended up running them through my computer monitor then passing audio through gpu seems to have solved the problem for now. sound is little off but much better then the other set of speakers i have ordered an external sound card we will see how it goes. It is definitely was on board sound card causing the speakers to drop out. I would normally just replace mb but its huge pain as it is Hardline water cooled pc.

Also Microsoft removed Sound Hardware Acceleration with Direct 3D. So it became more CPU based and software emulated. So what made them interesting died off more. The only benefit is if it still has AISO drivers for music production or if your embedded sound card has some kind of buzzing going on, so a USB one can help or if you want 7.1 but your mobo doesn't have the ports.

@Audio-Zone

Ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your perspective. The shift away from Sound Hardware Acceleration with Direct 3D has altered audio processing dynamics. While some benefits remain, like ASIO drivers for music production and addressing buzzing with USB sound cards, it's a notable change in audio technology.

What you need depends on what gear you are using. If you are using some rather low quality gaming equipment regular USB or mainboard connector will be fine. Should you want to use high end audiophile equipment (f.e. headphones), because you love music aditional quipment is a must. In this case "USB Soundcard" is somewhat misleading though. The closest to a soundcard might e a DAC that translates a digital so an analog signal. What benefits even 400$ headphones the most might be simple headphone amp as the PC output is too low for most quality headphones which need more power to show their full potential. So what you might want to buy is (in this order): 1. a headphoneamp and 2. a DAC. The next thing yould be a DDC (digital-digital-converter) to get a more clear digital signal, but you would not need this unledd you are really deep into the audiophile world. But even somewhat lower cost headphones will benefit greatly a 100-200$ priced amp and DAC.

@Audio-Zone

5 ай бұрын

The world of audio gear is a rabbit hole, and the right equipment does indeed depend on the quality of what you're working with.

tell one one ur video does not sound as good as before, when I had the Asus Prime Z390-A with the in-built DTSX HeadPhones X app, the Driver for the Asus Board offered. Now I upgraded the The MAG Msi Tomahawk Z690 WiFi DDR4 and now I am not getting the same Audio Qulity as with Asus. Msi does not Have the in-Built DTS-X when installing from supported Drivers, That these Turtle beach head set sound it better wit. So i ask was it a fair trade, maybe in terms of better CPU 12700K and better Ram kit way more slots for M.2, but there sound quality is some what awful to ears. Does anyone here have any suggestions how to Remedy better sound quilty as B4 , in other words HELP🤯 Please?😇 Thank You....and TY for sharing ur video, hope my Liking and sharing comment helps ur YT Ch...

i use equalizer apo thats all everyone needs to tune there system

I dont know much about audio stuff, I just know that my headset with a usb sound card sounds better than my wifes computer. She connects to the motherboard with her headset, if she has an open mic I can actually hear her PC audio slightly! I thought I was going crazy when I heard her audio book she was listening to. Is this common with motherboard audio? Is it considered crosstalk?

@Audio-Zone

2 ай бұрын

Using a USB sound card with your headset can provide better audio quality and isolation from such issues compared to onboard audio connections. Upgrading to a separate sound card or using external audio interfaces could help improve the situation.

I've used onboard sound with the last 4 motherboards I've had, and noticed that music just gets blander and flatter with every new one. Music is the world to me, I've got over 600 GB in mp3's and no way I'm gonna play it on anthing but a pc. I'm going to stick an old TerraTec card in it & see if it makes a difference. (the card is easily 15 years old)

@Audio-Zone

Ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing.

When will we get uncompressed dts/dolby lossless 5.1 from a pc? Im honestly a bit pissed off wtf a ps5 can have this but i with a decent pc will have to keep using optical to my reciever from a soundblaster z. I mean ffs i got a 4k cerwin vega 5.1 surround setup in my living room.

@Audio-Zone

4 ай бұрын

I feel your frustration! It's a head-scratcher why some consoles have it figured out, but PCs are still wrestling with the uncompressed audio challenge. Hopefully, the tech world catches up soon, and we can all enjoy that pristine audio experience on our PCs without any workaround gymnastics!

I bought SB Z SE for the sake of gaming with 5.1 speakers. it was worth it...

@Audio-Zone

21 күн бұрын

Great!

Onboard audio is more than good enough for everything in terms of quality, however if you use a load of pro audio gear then you kind of need XLR or TRS balanced outputs and inputs, which means at least an external USB audio device. Same goes for demanding headphones which are likely to need more power then onboard audio can provide.

@jabronnie7745

4 ай бұрын

in sound quality yes, in input lag no. onboard sound card = high input latency meanwhile dedicated sound card = least input latency the more input latency (dont confuse with ping latency) the more you'll be in disadvatage. especially in fps games where you'll always ask yourself why your bullets dont hit the target.

Onboard audio cards are good only when they have also a dedicated headphones amplifier, otherwise they are trash. I have an Asus TUF Gaming B550-Plus, it has the Codec Realtek S1200A and can't drive my Status Audio CB-1 headphones (32 ohm, 97 db). Not just this, it comes also with a shitty generic driver and in order to have access to the GUI with the equalizer, I have to download an app from the windows store. I mean, it's beyond trash. With my older motherboard I used a cheap Asus Xonar DG audio card and was miles better than the onboard audio. If you guys want to use your headphones to game or listen music with the pc, I suggest to buy a good internal audio card, or a good and powerful external amplifier (this one can be used also with notebooks). Don't be fooled by what it's said in the box or in the webpage of the motherboards: headphones need a dedicated amplifier to sound properly.

@Audio-Zone

3 ай бұрын

Onboard audio may not always meet the needs of demanding headphones. Dedicated amplifiers or external solutions like sound cards can provide better audio quality and customization options. Your experience with the Asus TUF Gaming B550-Plus highlights issues with generic drivers and separate apps for equalizers. Opting for a dedicated solution that worked well for you, like the Asus Xonar DG audio card, is a valid approach. Everyone's audio preferences vary, and finding the right setup for your needs is crucial.

Asus Essence STX II simply the best sound card qty i ever had

@Audio-Zone

Ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing.

The argument that the best gaming headsets are using USB is FALSE, the best gaming headsets for audio and often mic are analog still. Also while your correct you need a good headset to hear the difference, you do not always need a great ear. There are quite a few more budget friendly motherboards that use lower end dacs and introduce noise into the sound. Onboard sound has come a long way no doubt. If you take the time to buy a GOOD motherboard with a focus on the onboard sound options then the onboard sound will be fine. As for what to do otherwise, the external sound solution is the best solution for bad onboard sound. A card requires installation and can actually still suffer from internal electronic noise. An external solution can easily move PC to PC and by being outside the PC eliminates a ton of potential noise.

@Audio-Zone

6 ай бұрын

You've highlighted a great point about external solutions, portability, and noise reduction definitely make a strong case. Plus, not having to crack open the case for installation is a big win.

Gives better sound AND takes load off your CPU

@Audio-Zone

15 күн бұрын

Yes

Conveniently ignoring music production

@Audio-Zone

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment.

I like how this guy assumes everyone uses a headset. There are these things called speakers, you see... and yeah, having a nice sound card paired with nice speakers so that an actual adult can enjoy .... get this.... MUSIC.... or like... MOVIES... some people like not having to have headphones on.

@Audio-Zone

8 күн бұрын

Thanks for your comment.

.... Man this is click bait... where is the interesting objective details of external vs internal audio cards?

@Audio-Zone

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment.

Sound Cards sound much better than ANY onboard audio solution on the market...You will never see someone using $500 audiophile headphones with onboard audio..Why? Because it sucks....Period If you use crappy headphones/earbuds with no intent on upgrading, then yes,your motherboards audio will be just fine.

@Audio-Zone

6 ай бұрын

Absolutely, you've got a point! High-end headphones deserve the best audio quality, and sound cards can really make a difference. It's like having a front-row seat to your favorite music or games. What's your go-to setup for the ultimate audio experience?

🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁LION c LIKE No. 219

USB "soundcard" is not a soundcard.

@Audio-Zone

28 күн бұрын

Thanks for sharing.

Most PC speakers have built in DAC and for headphones Sennheiser you don't really need a DAC Most high end motherboards sound good.