onboard audio is ok for most things. I found that when I have the opportunity to turn up the volume on a game when the family is not around, the onboard audio just isn't loud enough. Not that onboard audio sounds bad, in fact the sound is good, just that it never got loud enough for what I wanted and that is why I got a sound card. So the opportunity came along to buy one and I got a the sound blaster Zx. Immediately after setting it up, it does have a much higher volume level. HOWEVER, what I didn't expect was just how much clearer and crisp the sound card audio is over the onboard audio. Various sounds like footsteps and movements are now much easier to pick out and hear sooner than onboard audio, even when the audio is set at about the saem volume levels for each.
I also own a sound blaster Z, but I think a USB DAC/AMP it's kind of a better fit for most people nowadays if you're not planning to record audio. It's external so it's more portable an flexible to use with multiple computers, it's not affected as much by EMI inside the pc, and there's a lot more variety. I would even say that for most people an AMP is enough (without a DAC) if the on board audio is not very bad and you're using headphones
It could be a better fit, it's really a matter of preference and/or use case scenario. My main issue is clutter and room on my desk area,andI'm certain i'm not the only one so I went with an internal card.
I own a Sound Blaster ZxR, the flagship of the Z Series plugged next to my 2x GTX 1080s. I have zero static noise coming from it. I mostly use 5.1 surround sound for movies and games rather than headphones. I mostly use headphones for music, the ZxR drives my Sennheiser HD700 very well. External DACs don't provide true multi-channel surround sound, they just give a fake software surround. The ZxR is the currently the best PC sound card I have ever listen to in terms of audio quality, well above onboard sound.
Oh my god, you have grown and prospered so much! I've been subbed since 2K subs! I am proud of you man, I remember your MC32D review. And when I said you remind me of Michael from GTA V. Missed your channel man, hope you grow even more.
Great video again. I'm 52 and have had many sound cards like the original Adlib, Turtle Beach Multisound Classic and Monterey, to the original Sound Blaster then the Sound Blaster Pro & Pro 2, Audigy and Audigy Z series up to now the ASUS Xonar Xense. I still use the Xonar Xense now but really purchased it cause when it came out, there was a promotion for a pair of Sennheiser PC-350 headphones. And back when I got my sound card for $274, those headphones were easily $300+. So for $274 you got a great pair of headphones. Many purchased the package just for the headphones and re-sold the sound card. But I kept them both and until my sound card dies on me, I'll probably replace it with another internal or external sound card. I'm still using the Creative Gigaworks S750, but after 15+ years, the subwoofer is starting to cause me some issues. So when it goes, I'll get another self-powerd subwoofer; I have my eyes on a JL Audio Fathom F112 and I'll toslink my sound card sounds to a separate receiver. Through-out the years I've compared my sound cards to on board sound and I've notice more bass definition and better details/articulation in my games. So I highly recommend a sound card whether your a hardcore gamer like me and using a 2.1 to 7.1 sound system. I don't stream or use my sound card for making videos or in any professional situation, but it's nice to have a more balanced, defined sound than the on board sound. Also, even though the new on board sounds you get from a motherboard has some interference protection from the other electrical components on your motherboard, a discrete sound card will eliminate more interference that it may encounter. But ofcourse, if your very critical about the sound your receiving, an external sound card option to USB will be the best way to eliminate the most possible interference you may receive. That external Creative X7 is expensive but has a great sound to it as well as the ASUS Impresario SBW-S1 PRO USB 7.1 Sound Card which has a built-in blu-ray drive. Another great sound choice and less expensive than the Creative X7. Anyways, sorry for the long comment. Many will probably ignore it. Great video again Tech Deals! Your the best reviewer on RUclips. Keep up the good work. Happy Holidays to all!
I'm not sorry because I found what you have written to be highly educational and very informative on what to buy especially that ASUS Impresario SBW-S1 Pro USB 7.1 which I may not have heard about before. Thank you for that information.
Your quite welcome. Many see long comments and either breeze through them or ignore them entirely cause we all live in this fast paced world and most people are always in a hurry and don't take the time to slow down to smell the roses. My typing is like my mouth, I just can't stop sometimes. But I try to give my personal scenarios of my findings and try to help others with good advice. I"m shopping for a new sound card and have been comparing many options for my needs. So I decided to list a few of my findings that I may be interested in getting. I'm very pleased that you found my comment useful. I hope it helps you to make the right choice when it comes to sound cards for your special needs.
Remember back in the day where you decide to get the 2x CD-R writer ..... OR should you splurge and go with the 4x writer???? Dang ole buffer overruns.
One of the things I like about this channel is the learning process. Not all directions are the most optimal, but that's not the point, learning why or why not different solutions work is.
I got a Sound Blaster Z by myself with a Sennheiser Headset, and its great. Sounds are awesome! Can`t wait to see the test. Btw great videos Mr TechDeals :D
Nice straightforward presentation. I like your videos and started watching them a month or so ago. Just subscribed today :-) Keep up the diligent work. I'm truly impressed with your work ethic! I have a Asus Xonar DGX with the built in headphone amp. It's only a $30 sound card but a popular one because of the headphone amp. I'm surprised you didn't mention the headphone amps built into these cards you're reviewing as it does make a significant difference when gaming even with just everyday earbuds (vs. nicer full sized headphones). To me that is another main reason to consider adding one to your system. If you game and your motherboard is slightly older and doesn't have a headphone amp, even these $30-$35 cards make a huge difference with the sound quality when gaming. Great video though.
I recently bought a Sound Blaster AE-5, which is the newest version after the Sound Blaster Z and I'm pleased with my purchase. I have front and rear bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer.
I've watched a number of videos about PC sound, and even about some of the products you outlined in this video. But there's no way I was going to pass up hearing my favorite tech youtuber talk about it as well. :D
I love your reviews, I'll admit I have seen other peoples tech review channels and right away put a dislike on them because they try to be flashy, funny, and also they drop an ad a couple seconds into the video. That's not what I came to that channel for. You come right to the point with no flashy crap and no ads in my face and I love your reviews for that!
I had the Sound Blaster Z from it's release.If I may add,there is a red light under the "hood" which CANNOT be turned off,not with hardware nor with software.It is very intense and can be annoying and not coexist with RGB lighting.The included microphone is very good quality.Keep it going,man!
Professional-no unnecessary and needless rambling on about personal life unless relevant to the product on this channel. ^.^ refreshing! This sets you apart from everyone else in the "review space".
I used Creative cards since about the year 2000. The last one I bought in 2012, it was the first series that were 4 core and had the shroud like the blaster z. I had it hooked up to a high quality 7.1 home theater with a 135 inch screen and projector. I was optimistic but it sounded bad so it went back to Amazon. Ever since my first Creative card I knew they had bad driver support and every card I had would pop and crackle over the speakers. The card I bought in 2012 did the same. The problem was well known through the years and you could download user tweaked drivers that helped some. I hope Creative has fixed that. After I sent that card back to Amazon I decided to buy an HT OMEGA CLARO II 7.1 card and was shocked at the quality of the sound. I enjoy watching your channel. Keep up the awesome reviews Tech Deals! I remember when you started out and were using your own money to give reviews on products. Great to see you doing so well.
I remember purchasing a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz PCI Sound Card many many years ago and it was a fantastic sound card. I believe that's the last sound card I've purchased as I've been using on-board sound cards ever since. Thanks for the memory, wow that was along time ago.
I just went and watched your z370 motherboard video to compare the sound quality...and WOW! I did not expect that big of a difference. I recently bought a 5.1 surround sound bar and wireless sub combo for my PC, and I figured that the $40 soundblaster was a good investment. Thank you for making me feel like it wasn't wasted money, and for the great in depth review!
As always, extremely informative as I have been contemplating these questions myself regarding getting a sound card or not. Built a low-mid end pc for my dad so he can make his videos and edit them. You’ve provided me with very reasonable answers. Appreciate the information, keep it coming :) 👍
You're really my tech guy/voice of reason whenever I need to buy anything tech-related ever since I stumbled upon your videos! Provided that it took a few videos initially before I'm totally hooked. Cheers mate, glad to see the channel getting more popular :D You deserve it!
Thanks so much for putting this info out there. I was using USB mics and couldn't get rid of the lag / latency problem, so tried one of these upon your advice. And it got rid of the problem! My video now syncs up with the audio (talking head imagery). It felt somewhat nostalgic to buy and install a sound card after all these years, but if I use a video card instead of onboard video, it makes sense to use an audio card instead of onboard audio - especially when recording video from two separate devices at a high rate. Thanks again!
Still have my old Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS with the front panel controller. Still awesome after all these years. I remember when all of the AAA games during the 2003-2008 had the sound blaster audigy commercial on them. Good times!
The onboard VS. discrete scenario can be realized when working with higher quality speakers. I remember my first purchase of the original Sound Blaster. (volume dial/ISA slot) I actually own a couple of the Audigy RX versions for higher quality audio through Logitech Z5500 5.1 and 2.1 speakers. I notice a huge difference from the onboard on my old Ivy Z77 MSI board. The quality that can be produced from Creative for sound is noticeable and richer sounding. It makes cheap speakers sound better as well. I can talk about this topic for awhile so I'll just say it can be a nice upgrade if music and content needs to sound crisp, clear, And lively. Thanks Jason for the review since i never really see anyone else talking about this subject.
I got an issue with my sound blaster z , the card do not recognise my sound blaster microfone , and i have to use on my mother board mic conector . can u help me ?
I currently have a Sound Blaster ZxR, the flagship of the Z Series plugged next to my 2x GTX 1080s. It's an amazing card. I mostly use it for multi-channel 5.1 surround sound (movies & games). The card is able to drive high end heaphones as well like my Sennheiser HD700.
this is a very very good channel, so much useful when I need to buy something on the PC world (Mothreboards, Graphic cards, cpu and more). The speaker is very objective about everything, and the subjects are often updated. I am not english but He speak a very good english so with subtitles I can understand everything. congratulations!
Also, I would like to say that the Sound Blaster Z's Beamforming mic is a new great feature and good selling point. In the software your can adjust the mic's; I guess you can say tunnel or cone receiving shape, to block out many outside noises so if your gaming with your desktop speakers, you can eliminate most of their sounds and any feedback they may give by narrowing the mic's focus point on your voice. Great if your using Skype or TeamSpeak or some other type of communication program. Especially if your in a gaming clan and are constantly talking to your friends while gaming together. I'm still using a desktop mic and it works good but do have to keep positioning it to avoid the sound levels of my speakers.
I bought myself a sound blaster audigy rx 7.1 and yes it's awesome.... I was sick of my sound stuttering and popping in videos and games i have an i7 9700 with 32 gb of ram and a 1660 super gtx nvidia accelerator card and welll i grew up in the late nineties and I have some nostalgia regarding sound cards and sound blasters.... I remember getting my first card that was nothing it could only let one program use it at a time finally sound blaster live came out in the late nineties and more than one program could output sounds at a time it was freakin' miraculous.
wow, the difference between that msi krait video and this one is incredible. you sound so much crisper on the dedicated sound card. it blows my mind how much of a difference that makes :0
Although Onboard sound may have come a long way, it still amazes me how so many people who are willing to invest a hefty sum on a 1080ti, an expensive monitor and high capacity SSDs/HDDs simply rely on that, not even contemplating the purchase a clearly better audio experience offered by a high quality DAC.
I love having your videos on in the background when I'm floating around the room doing things. (The motherboard being a PC-Chips brand probably was the main issue) hue hue 😂
I find USB dac or dac/amp combos to be really useful when doing anything in a virtual machine since you can passthrough the whole device and not be distracted by anything happening on the host system Another great advantage is physical control over volume rather than software glitching out and blasting your ears at 100%
Since this video is from 2017 and sound quality is still important to most, I would love to see an update on sound cards and external audio devices. I assume sound chips on motherboards have improved further so I wonder If cards are still worth it. Thanks.
I also have those speakers and was looking at this card. Is it any good? I use on board sound and get a lot of popping and crackling through the speakers.
Excellent video. Roland MT-32 was my favorite part about pc computers back in the day. Kinda miss that thing. I'm pretty sure they go for a small fortune today.
Tech Deals, you need to get your Schiit together ;) Another great video as always! For my HTPCs I run external USB DACs (Schiit Modi 2) The sound quality difference is immediately noticeable and I'm a fan of getting the DAC outside of the case whenever practical. For my gaming computer I wanted something that would still let me use my front I/O and had decent software support. ASUS had a sale on a Xonar DXG for $30 after tax. I can use the S/PDIF out to the sound bar and the headphone and mic on the front I/O for my gaming. One of the best deals is sound cards I've ever come across.
Love your videos, but i think you should do more b-rolls on the product itself, show it closer, with more details, tha will UP your video quality a lot! You're one of the best hosts on YT, so thats a tip! Keep it up! Cheers from Brazil!
Awesome video as always. I've always wondered if you'd do a video about soundcards, which for me are always underrated. I hope you also talk soon about the Sound Blaster X AE-5. Blessings. ✌
Your AT shotgun mic I can guarantee you is far better than any Blue Yeti will ever be. And your right about your room, you are lucky because I'm not hearing echo in the audio. I'm not a audio engineer but I did work as a audio tech for about a decade in live event recordings.
I think that this might be the only guy I would ever consider doing the whole patron thing for. I realize that sounds a bit ugly as far as the other tech guys are concerned. They all do a good job, but this guy seems to actually get into his work. Some of them seem a bit jaded. I imagine its hard coming up with new content at the rate they need to in order to stay relevant. It must be a difficult full time job, and one I would not be interested in. However I do not have allot of money. I come up short at the end of the month most times. Its usually eat or pay bills, so I have to be a bit choosy in what I spend it on. So in order to balance the budget I don't overspend. I have to look into rather or not it can be a one time thing, or if its some sort of longer term payment on a credit card. But its real money in a real world and it would cost me. I did subscribe a while back though and learned by reading other comments in the crawl that allowing adds for this channel actually helps get the guy paid. And that's cool. I hate adds but love this channel and want to support it. And if a one shot infusion of cash , although small in amount, would help then it might be a good thing to do. I can't see how someone could hold down a full time job while turning out quality and quantity. So this must be his job now. And watching for free seems kinda cheating.
Agree, there is some definite, diligent hard work that goes into this and if you don't have the passion it's just not nearly as enjoyable to watch. I just subscribed today finally after watching several videos over the last couple months, but I also just subscribed to RUclips Red which is ad free but I believe will still help support the creators (I hope). But even though RUclips now has their "Sponsor" option I think Patreon may be the best option because they get like a 90% pass through of the money, vs. 70% with RUclips sponsorship. So from a simple cash flow standpoint Patreon seems the best way to go.
Thanks for confirming of what I always believe of having sound cards. Not that I was hoping for a great sound in my new MSI Motherboard but once I started using the computer I noticed the sound sounded acceptable but anemic like, it does have bass but something is missing. Downloaded some special sound FX to make sound better but still something was missing. So I removed the old trusty Soundblaster Titaniun from the windows 7 computer and boy what a difference. The bass has that missing humph and there is plenty of volume to go around. True, the drivers available from the website for windows 10 did not work, and instead the card stopped working. So I removed and installed the ones for window 7 and so far I have no problems. Sound cards make the audio sound richer no matter what you listening to. Period.
Speaking about the old days. I remember when the first 3d graphics cards Came out and you had to connect it to a basic graphics card via cable. Stil have mine in a box sonwhere. 😊 Great channel. Keep it up
I had a SB16, a SB Awe64 Gold (now in my DOS-Rig 😎) a SB128, SBLive Value, Audigy, Audigy 2, XFi fatality. Now, I disinstalled the XFi and go with onboard out on the optical @24/192 to a FX Audio 6. It's cheap but brillant quality and you 'could' swap the opamps..
I remember spending £130 on an AWE64! I have issues on my Z170 sound so i went for a usb Snowball (not the "ice", the extra £20 is well worth the difference). Added a ground isolator box to remove all the hum from the 3.5mm speaker output into which I plug my headphones and it all works great. Added a £10 amazon desk mount for the mic and I love it. The sound quality of the snowball recorded over videos/discord is great and easily matches that of the Yeti.
Tu explñicacion fue ademas de clara sensacional. Comprare la sound blaster rx, no tengo para la Z pero ahora se que mejorara el sonido y obtendre mejores resultados que con la tarjeta integrada. Gracias en verdad, tu video es del 2017 pero hoy, 2021 me sirvió aun. Gracias.
I've been using sound cards (mostly Creative) since the 90's. Audio fidelity, quality and loudness is just better compared to the usual built-in stuff on motherboards. Now some motherboards have pretty good built-in audio, however since I already own the Sound Blaster Z, and I actually quite like it, I'm going to use it :)
I agree with Jorge Ramos. That's the reason, what I have got Creative Titanium. Generally speaking and personly me too, the X-Fi, especially the second generation of X-Fi EMU20K2 PCIe, is still great sound card. Is the last one, which can all do via HW and have own built-in RAM.
Thank you for doing this video. I’ve really been looking forward to a sound card video from you. I have the Maximus ix code and have been debating getting a good sound card to go with my setup.
Growing up, I used the SAME soundcard I got in 1994 all they way up to 2002. That was a great, generic Packard Bell SoundBlaster compatible sound card. Those were the days.
My last sound card was an Creative SB Extreme X-Fi Gamer (10 years ago?). Since then I've only bought motherboards with high quality onboard sound chipsets. I've been happier, had fewer headaches, saved money and been very impressed with the gaming experience. I'll never go back to a sound card unless the industry changes.
WK Wee I had a $300 Bose multimedia system previously but now habe Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 on one having system and Logitech Z625 2.1 on the other. I've had numerous $150 to $300 headphones too. And I've got excellent hearing. I am considering a DAC just because I've read and heard a lot about them and wanted to give it a shot for giggles.
Brisys Consulting did you actually buy the DAC? How is it does it may any difference ? Which one would you recommend me to get ? I'm in US$0-200 budget. Thank you.
I remember the Sound Blaster Audigy . I ALSO remember the Amiga PC it was the new shiny PC of the day . I used to have a used Audigy cause if I remember correctly a new one wasn't cheap .
I finally got my titanium HD to work again for 2018 it’s been on the shelf for a few years but I just plugged it in and it randomly worked after new bios update and installed Daniel K’s drivers and let me tell you coming from on the board sound huge improvement and games and movies FPS games actually sounds scary now
Sound Blaster Z or Audigy Rx make sense if you use speakers with optical connectors in the first place. On Headphones / Headset you get an advantage, when you like to play / game with extremely loud volume in comparison to the built in chipset. As far as I know both soundcards come also with ASIO drivers even if the focus surely be on Gaming / Online. Therefor the "shielded version" of the Z comes with a sort of omnidirectional mic, the RX comes with two separate MIC inputs and a line input though. Also there is a bulk version of the Z that costs the same price like the RX. There is the "Audigy FX", ALSO - making it hard to tell but the Audigy FX has no EMU Soundchip but a Realtek chip like every mainboard but of course more audio connections.
Was debating a new Sound Blaster out of some weird hold-over compulsion from my teens, SB II was great...but! Remembered I have and pretty exclusively use a USB headset (Etekcity Scroll, which is basically a Sentey knockoff) so it doesn't matter in the slightest. Great video as always, sir. Got me considering a new set of speakers.
I must be in the minority of viewers, but you sound fine to me. You were having some problems a few days ago when you were diving under the desk from time to time to adjust something. I'm not that picky nor do i have an up-to-date computer system, so I'm probably not the best person to review how you sound. Just my meager two-cents. Love your content and the way you present yourself on the internet. I like your style....Keep up the excellent work!
The audio under the desk issues is on an older Z97 motherboard using built in sound, replacing that with the Sound Blaster Z is likely to fix those issues. :)
Creative also makes more expensive external cards, and you can get Audio Technica Usb microphones. The biggest advantage to getting a sound card will be the Equalizer, it will really make a difference if you know how to use it. You can also buy a blue tooth transmitter with optical/aux in/out to gain wireless function while maintaining sound quality.
I have Genius SW-HF 5.1 speakers, and I am really into listening music and watching movies. Do I need sound card, will I get noticeably better sound quality, is sound card(about 30-50$) worth buying? Thanks
onboard audio is ok for most things. I found that when I have the opportunity to turn up the volume on a game when the family is not around, the onboard audio just isn't loud enough. Not that onboard audio sounds bad, in fact the sound is good, just that it never got loud enough for what I wanted and that is why I got a sound card.
So the opportunity came along to buy one and I got a the sound blaster Zx. Immediately after setting it up, it does have a much higher volume level.
HOWEVER, what I didn't expect was just how much clearer and crisp the sound card audio is over the onboard audio. Various sounds like footsteps and movements are now much easier to pick out and hear sooner than onboard audio, even when the audio is set at about the saem volume levels for each.
I agree 100%. I have a brand new mobo with Realtek ALC1220, and it is VERY underwhelming. I need to install a soundcard pronto!
I also own a sound blaster Z, but I think a USB DAC/AMP it's kind of a better fit for most people nowadays if you're not planning to record audio. It's external so it's more portable an flexible to use with multiple computers, it's not affected as much by EMI inside the pc, and there's a lot more variety. I would even say that for most people an AMP is enough (without a DAC) if the on board audio is not very bad and you're using headphones
It could be a better fit, it's really a matter of preference and/or use case scenario. My main issue is clutter and room on my desk area,andI'm certain i'm not the only one so I went with an internal card.
Brolivia Wilde That's definitely a good point
I own a Sound Blaster ZxR, the flagship of the Z Series plugged next to my 2x GTX 1080s. I have zero static noise coming from it. I mostly use 5.1 surround sound for movies and games rather than headphones. I mostly use headphones for music, the ZxR drives my Sennheiser HD700 very well. External DACs don't provide true multi-channel surround sound, they just give a fake software surround. The ZxR is the currently the best PC sound card I have ever listen to in terms of audio quality, well above onboard sound.
Oh my god, you have grown and prospered so much! I've been subbed since 2K subs! I am proud of you man, I remember your MC32D review. And when I said you remind me of Michael from GTA V. Missed your channel man, hope you grow even more.
Great video again. I'm 52 and have had many sound cards like the original Adlib, Turtle Beach Multisound Classic and Monterey, to the original Sound Blaster then the Sound Blaster Pro & Pro 2, Audigy and Audigy Z series up to now the ASUS Xonar Xense. I still use the Xonar Xense now but really purchased it cause when it came out, there was a promotion for a pair of Sennheiser PC-350 headphones. And back when I got my sound card for $274, those headphones were easily $300+. So for $274 you got a great pair of headphones. Many purchased the package just for the headphones and re-sold the sound card. But I kept them both and until my sound card dies on me, I'll probably replace it with another internal or external sound card. I'm still using the Creative Gigaworks S750, but after 15+ years, the subwoofer is starting to cause me some issues. So when it goes, I'll get another self-powerd subwoofer; I have my eyes on a JL Audio Fathom F112 and I'll toslink my sound card sounds to a separate receiver. Through-out the years I've compared my sound cards to on board sound and I've notice more bass definition and better details/articulation in my games. So I highly recommend a sound card whether your a hardcore gamer like me and using a 2.1 to 7.1 sound system. I don't stream or use my sound card for making videos or in any professional situation, but it's nice to have a more balanced, defined sound than the on board sound. Also, even though the new on board sounds you get from a motherboard has some interference protection from the other electrical components on your motherboard, a discrete sound card will eliminate more interference that it may encounter. But ofcourse, if your very critical about the sound your receiving, an external sound card option to USB will be the best way to eliminate the most possible interference you may receive. That external Creative X7 is expensive but has a great sound to it as well as the ASUS Impresario SBW-S1 PRO USB 7.1 Sound Card which has a built-in blu-ray drive. Another great sound choice and less expensive than the Creative X7. Anyways, sorry for the long comment. Many will probably ignore it. Great video again Tech Deals! Your the best reviewer on RUclips. Keep up the good work. Happy Holidays to all!
I'm not sorry because I found what you have written to be highly educational and very informative on what to buy especially that ASUS Impresario SBW-S1 Pro USB 7.1 which I may not have heard about before. Thank you for that information.
Your quite welcome. Many see long comments and either breeze through them or ignore them entirely cause we all live in this fast paced world and most people are always in a hurry and don't take the time to slow down to smell the roses. My typing is like my mouth, I just can't stop sometimes. But I try to give my personal scenarios of my findings and try to help others with good advice. I"m shopping for a new sound card and have been comparing many options for my needs. So I decided to list a few of my findings that I may be interested in getting. I'm very pleased that you found my comment useful. I hope it helps you to make the right choice when it comes to sound cards for your special needs.
Sound Blaster LIVE! - 200$
CD-R Writer - 250$
90's were LIT :D
Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 - 400$
Sony CDU-920S Doublespeed SCSI-2 CD-Writer - 2000$
Adaptec AHA-2940 SCSI-2 Host Adapter - 600$
PlayStation Games - Free
I paid $140 for my SB Live in 1999 (and it was the platinum with the live drive)
i buy my Sound Blaster LIVE! 5.1 $20 in year 2000, still using now year 2020
I had a soundblaster live...I remember it made MIDI (haha remember that?) sound so much better
Remember back in the day where you decide to get the 2x CD-R writer ..... OR should you splurge and go with the 4x writer???? Dang ole buffer overruns.
Hi, Sir~ Do you think you can do an updated review on the relevancy of soundcards in 2023? Thank you~
One of the things I like about this channel is the learning process. Not all directions are the most optimal, but that's not the point, learning why or why not different solutions work is.
The most reliable and informative source in the tube. You deserve all of your success ! Thx
Didnt know how badly i needed an aftermarket sound card until i got my ZxR. MAN do i love that thing. The audio fidelity is incredible.
Is the Z SE basically the same as the ZxR, just without the daughterboard and the ACM?
@@snackman94 No, the ZxR has higher quality caps and different op-amps resulting in a higher SNR rating
I got a Sound Blaster Z by myself with a Sennheiser Headset, and its great. Sounds are awesome!
Can`t wait to see the test.
Btw great videos Mr TechDeals :D
Bro.is sound blaster Z better?
Nice straightforward presentation. I like your videos and started watching them a month or so ago. Just subscribed today :-) Keep up the diligent work. I'm truly impressed with your work ethic! I have a Asus Xonar DGX with the built in headphone amp. It's only a $30 sound card but a popular one because of the headphone amp. I'm surprised you didn't mention the headphone amps built into these cards you're reviewing as it does make a significant difference when gaming even with just everyday earbuds (vs. nicer full sized headphones). To me that is another main reason to consider adding one to your system. If you game and your motherboard is slightly older and doesn't have a headphone amp, even these $30-$35 cards make a huge difference with the sound quality when gaming. Great video though.
I recently bought a Sound Blaster AE-5, which is the newest version after the Sound Blaster Z and I'm pleased with my purchase. I have front and rear bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer.
I've watched a number of videos about PC sound, and even about some of the products you outlined in this video. But there's no way I was going to pass up hearing my favorite tech youtuber talk about it as well. :D
The audio is much improved from previous videos, well worth the investment!
I love your reviews, I'll admit I have seen other peoples tech review channels and right away put a dislike on them because they try to be flashy, funny, and also they drop an ad a couple seconds into the video. That's not what I came to that channel for. You come right to the point with no flashy crap and no ads in my face and I love your reviews for that!
I had the Sound Blaster Z from it's release.If I may add,there is a red light under the "hood" which CANNOT be turned off,not with hardware nor with software.It is very intense and can be annoying and not coexist with RGB lighting.The included microphone is very good quality.Keep it going,man!
Professional-no unnecessary and needless rambling on about personal life unless relevant to the product on this channel.
^.^ refreshing!
This sets you apart from everyone else in the "review space".
Ohhhhh Yeah!!! Finally someone does this professionally!
I used Creative cards since about the year 2000. The last one I bought in 2012, it was the first series that were 4 core and had the shroud like the blaster z. I had it hooked up to a high quality 7.1 home theater with a 135 inch screen and projector. I was optimistic but it sounded bad so it went back to Amazon. Ever since my first Creative card I knew they had bad driver support and every card I had would pop and crackle over the speakers. The card I bought in 2012 did the same. The problem was well known through the years and you could download user tweaked drivers that helped some. I hope Creative has fixed that. After I sent that card back to Amazon I decided to buy an HT OMEGA CLARO II 7.1 card and was shocked at the quality of the sound. I enjoy watching your channel. Keep up the awesome reviews Tech Deals! I remember when you started out and were using your own money to give reviews on products. Great to see you doing so well.
Your current sound is perfectly fine, I hear you clearly and that's what really matters.
I remember purchasing a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz PCI Sound Card many many years ago and it was a fantastic sound card. I believe that's the last sound card I've purchased as I've been using on-board sound cards ever since. Thanks for the memory, wow that was along time ago.
Ah, sound blaster... Now good memories are flooding inside my head..
I just went and watched your z370 motherboard video to compare the sound quality...and WOW! I did not expect that big of a difference. I recently bought a 5.1 surround sound bar and wireless sub combo for my PC, and I figured that the $40 soundblaster was a good investment. Thank you for making me feel like it wasn't wasted money, and for the great in depth review!
As always, extremely informative as I have been contemplating these questions myself regarding getting a sound card or not. Built a low-mid end pc for my dad so he can make his videos and edit them. You’ve provided me with very reasonable answers. Appreciate the information, keep it coming :) 👍
You're really my tech guy/voice of reason whenever I need to buy anything tech-related ever since I stumbled upon your videos! Provided that it took a few videos initially before I'm totally hooked.
Cheers mate, glad to see the channel getting more popular :D You deserve it!
This channel really covers all aspects of PC. Great video!
Your audio on this video is excellent already. It is clear and has little echo and sounds good enough on my earbuds.
Setting up Sound Blaster card to play X-wing/TIE on a 386/486... good old days!
*Cry* The memories! TIE Fighter is one of my top 5 all time favorite games ever!
Thanks so much for putting this info out there. I was using USB mics and couldn't get rid of the lag / latency problem, so tried one of these upon your advice. And it got rid of the problem! My video now syncs up with the audio (talking head imagery). It felt somewhat nostalgic to buy and install a sound card after all these years, but if I use a video card instead of onboard video, it makes sense to use an audio card instead of onboard audio - especially when recording video from two separate devices at a high rate. Thanks again!
Only watched 3 min inn and I love the way you explain the options in details.
Still have my old Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS with the front panel controller. Still awesome after all these years.
I remember when all of the AAA games during the 2003-2008 had the sound blaster audigy commercial on them. Good times!
The onboard VS. discrete scenario can be realized when working with higher quality speakers. I remember my first purchase of the original Sound Blaster. (volume dial/ISA slot) I actually own a couple of the Audigy RX versions for higher quality audio through Logitech Z5500 5.1 and 2.1 speakers. I notice a huge difference from the onboard on my old Ivy Z77 MSI board. The quality that can be produced from Creative for sound is noticeable and richer sounding. It makes cheap speakers sound better as well. I can talk about this topic for awhile so I'll just say it can be a nice upgrade if music and content needs to sound crisp, clear, And lively. Thanks Jason for the review since i never really see anyone else talking about this subject.
Also had a Sound Blaster 16 loooong ago, good times! :)
I got an issue with my sound blaster z , the card do not recognise my sound blaster microfone , and i have to use on my mother board mic conector . can u help me ?
I currently have a Sound Blaster ZxR, the flagship of the Z Series plugged next to my 2x GTX 1080s. It's an amazing card. I mostly use it for multi-channel 5.1 surround sound (movies & games). The card is able to drive high end heaphones as well like my Sennheiser HD700.
I just bought an Creative Audigy rx 7.1 Surround. It might arrive to me in 30.03.2019. I'm really excited to try it along side with my new PC.
how is it ? is it good ?
this is a very very good channel, so much useful when I need to buy something on the PC world (Mothreboards, Graphic cards, cpu and more). The speaker is very objective about everything, and the subjects are often updated. I am not english but He speak a very good english so with subtitles I can understand everything. congratulations!
I love how quick you talk
Still relevant 3 years later. Cheers mate.
My SBZ has served me well for the last 2.5 years. Good investment especially for the price I got it for on black Friday.
Also, I would like to say that the Sound Blaster Z's Beamforming mic is a new great feature and good selling point. In the software your can adjust the mic's; I guess you can say tunnel or cone receiving shape, to block out many outside noises so if your gaming with your desktop speakers, you can eliminate most of their sounds and any feedback they may give by narrowing the mic's focus point on your voice. Great if your using Skype or TeamSpeak or some other type of communication program. Especially if your in a gaming clan and are constantly talking to your friends while gaming together. I'm still using a desktop mic and it works good but do have to keep positioning it to avoid the sound levels of my speakers.
I always learn so much from videos like this.
I love the underlying script in the video. This could be an article. Thanks for the content, very informative.
Great subject for a video. So glad you decided to go into it in such depth. Really useful. Thank you!
soundcard! what i've been searching for. thank you mr. deals
I bought myself a sound blaster audigy rx 7.1 and yes it's awesome.... I was sick of my sound stuttering and popping in videos and games i have an i7 9700 with 32 gb of ram and a 1660 super gtx nvidia accelerator card and welll i grew up in the late nineties and I have some nostalgia regarding sound cards and sound blasters.... I remember getting my first card that was nothing it could only let one program use it at a time finally sound blaster live came out in the late nineties and more than one program could output sounds at a time it was freakin' miraculous.
wow, the difference between that msi krait video and this one is incredible. you sound so much crisper on the dedicated sound card. it blows my mind how much of a difference that makes :0
This is a realy good video beacuse it goes into detail about all sound options.
Perfectly timed video, Tech Deals knows what we want and when we want it!
Thank you very much for this video. I had this exact question when ordering the parts for my current PC earlier in the year.
Nice raytracing effects on the table 👌
Although Onboard sound may have come a long way, it still amazes me how so many people who are willing to invest a hefty sum on a 1080ti, an expensive monitor and high capacity SSDs/HDDs simply rely on that, not even contemplating the purchase a clearly better audio experience offered by a high quality DAC.
*EXTREME HYPE FROM THE NEWER MIC*
Finally! Tech Deals gets a new mic! Or has improved sound quality.
THANK GOODNESS!
you deserve way way more subscribers. amazing channel and very to the point ! keep it up
I love having your videos on in the background when I'm floating around the room doing things. (The motherboard being a PC-Chips brand probably was the main issue) hue hue 😂
I find USB dac or dac/amp combos to be really useful when doing anything in a virtual machine since you can passthrough the whole device and not be distracted by anything happening on the host system
Another great advantage is physical control over volume rather than software glitching out and blasting your ears at 100%
Since this video is from 2017 and sound quality is still important to most, I would love to see an update on sound cards and external audio devices. I assume sound chips on motherboards have improved further so I wonder If cards are still worth it. Thanks.
I'd like to know also. Also to see if the fps gain is still a thing when using a souncard.
Ordered my Soundblaster Z today. I'm using a Logitech Z906 so i'm hoping this will improve the audio quality.
Thank you for the video BTW :)
I also have those speakers and was looking at this card. Is it any good? I use on board sound and get a lot of popping and crackling through the speakers.
Excellent video. Roland MT-32 was my favorite part about pc computers back in the day. Kinda miss that thing. I'm pretty sure they go for a small fortune today.
Tech Deals, you need to get your Schiit together ;)
Another great video as always! For my HTPCs I run external USB DACs (Schiit Modi 2) The sound quality difference is immediately noticeable and I'm a fan of getting the DAC outside of the case whenever practical.
For my gaming computer I wanted something that would still let me use my front I/O and had decent software support. ASUS had a sale on a Xonar DXG for $30 after tax. I can use the S/PDIF out to the sound bar and the headphone and mic on the front I/O for my gaming. One of the best deals is sound cards I've ever come across.
I'll definitely be getting the SoundBlaster card. I'm an audiophile and have high end speakers. I must have good quality sound.
I'm a pro sound guy. Your room sounds fine. If you want foam for the look, have fun. You don't need it for echo.
Agree, I didn't hear any need for foam or sound treatments.
I have hade my own pro studio for 8 years now and the right foam and bass taps do wonders, just place it where it is needed, then it is fantastic! :)
what is a good headphone amplifier for PS4 Headset?
Love your videos, but i think you should do more b-rolls on the product itself, show it closer, with more details, tha will UP your video quality a lot! You're one of the best hosts on YT, so thats a tip! Keep it up! Cheers from Brazil!
Awesome video as always. I've always wondered if you'd do a video about soundcards, which for me are always underrated. I hope you also talk soon about the Sound Blaster X AE-5. Blessings. ✌
Ah excellent, I was wondering about all these great questions. Yeah, I use on-board sound. Thank you Tech Deals!
I remember them fondly :) (reference to those days of buying old sb cards)
Your AT shotgun mic I can guarantee you is far better than any Blue Yeti will ever be. And your right about your room, you are lucky because I'm not hearing echo in the audio. I'm not a audio engineer but I did work as a audio tech for about a decade in live event recordings.
I didnt know Soundblaster was still around? Back in the day I had one in my 286 heehee 🐢😄
Very detailed reviews. If this channel reviews a feature or product, I don't need to watch a second video.
I think that this might be the only guy I would ever consider doing the whole patron thing for.
I realize that sounds a bit ugly as far as the other tech guys are concerned. They all do a good job, but this guy seems to actually get into his work. Some of them seem a bit jaded.
I imagine its hard coming up with new content at the rate they need to in order to stay relevant.
It must be a difficult full time job, and one I would not be interested in.
However I do not have allot of money. I come up short at the end of the month most times.
Its usually eat or pay bills, so I have to be a bit choosy in what I spend it on.
So in order to balance the budget I don't overspend.
I have to look into rather or not it can be a one time thing, or if its some sort of longer term payment on a credit card.
But its real money in a real world and it would cost me.
I did subscribe a while back though and learned by reading other comments in the crawl that allowing adds for this channel actually helps get the guy paid.
And that's cool. I hate adds but love this channel and want to support it.
And if a one shot infusion of cash , although small in amount, would help then it might be a good thing to do.
I can't see how someone could hold down a full time job while turning out quality and quantity.
So this must be his job now. And watching for free seems kinda cheating.
Mr.Mudcatslim keep ur head up and best of luck 🍀
Agree, there is some definite, diligent hard work that goes into this and if you don't have the passion it's just not nearly as enjoyable to watch. I just subscribed today finally after watching several videos over the last couple months, but I also just subscribed to RUclips Red which is ad free but I believe will still help support the creators (I hope). But even though RUclips now has their "Sponsor" option I think Patreon may be the best option because they get like a 90% pass through of the money, vs. 70% with RUclips sponsorship. So from a simple cash flow standpoint Patreon seems the best way to go.
hey bro if u want you could be a member for 2 dollars a month if you want to support him
Thanks for confirming of what I always believe of having sound cards. Not that I was hoping for a great sound in my new MSI Motherboard but once I started using the computer I noticed the sound sounded acceptable but anemic like, it does have bass but something is missing. Downloaded some special sound FX to make sound better but still something was missing. So I removed the old trusty Soundblaster Titaniun from the windows 7 computer and boy what a difference. The bass has that missing humph and there is plenty of volume to go around. True, the drivers available from the website for windows 10 did not work, and instead the card stopped working. So I removed and installed the ones for window 7 and so far I have no problems. Sound cards make the audio sound richer no matter what you listening to. Period.
Speaking about the old days. I remember when the first 3d graphics cards Came out and you had to connect it to a basic graphics card via cable. Stil have mine in a box sonwhere. 😊 Great channel. Keep it up
Hi!
Between these, which one would you choose?
- Asus Xonar SE vs Sound Blaster FX
- Asus Xonar AE vs Sound Blaster RX
Thank you!
I had a SB16, a SB Awe64 Gold (now in my DOS-Rig 😎) a SB128, SBLive Value, Audigy, Audigy 2, XFi fatality. Now, I disinstalled the XFi and go with onboard out on the optical @24/192 to a FX Audio 6. It's cheap but brillant quality and you 'could' swap the opamps..
I've recently moved to external amp/DAC for my headphone's audio. Very enjoyable experience
I remember spending £130 on an AWE64! I have issues on my Z170 sound so i went for a usb Snowball (not the "ice", the extra £20 is well worth the difference). Added a ground isolator box to remove all the hum from the 3.5mm speaker output into which I plug my headphones and it all works great. Added a £10 amazon desk mount for the mic and I love it. The sound quality of the snowball recorded over videos/discord is great and easily matches that of the Yeti.
Tu explñicacion fue ademas de clara sensacional. Comprare la sound blaster rx, no tengo para la Z pero ahora se que mejorara el sonido y obtendre mejores resultados que con la tarjeta integrada. Gracias en verdad, tu video es del 2017 pero hoy, 2021 me sirvió aun. Gracias.
Great video, thanks for doing it. I still have my original Sound Blaster 16 card sitting in a box in the garage.
I've been using sound cards (mostly Creative) since the 90's. Audio fidelity, quality and loudness is just better compared to the usual built-in stuff on motherboards. Now some motherboards have pretty good built-in audio, however since I already own the Sound Blaster Z, and I actually quite like it, I'm going to use it :)
You should update this blog for 2019 and include the EVGA NU Audio vs other sound cards or DAC's.
Sounds Blaster very good for gaming and very great audio for recording and hearing no doubt! Great reviews!
I agree with Jorge Ramos. That's the reason, what I have got Creative Titanium. Generally speaking and personly me too, the X-Fi, especially the second generation of X-Fi EMU20K2 PCIe, is still great sound card. Is the last one, which can all do via HW and have own built-in RAM.
Thank you for doing this video. I’ve really been looking forward to a sound card video from you. I have the Maximus ix code and have been debating getting a good sound card to go with my setup.
Growing up, I used the SAME soundcard I got in 1994 all they way up to 2002. That was a great, generic Packard Bell SoundBlaster compatible sound card. Those were the days.
Primarily interested in the potential audio improvement to games/movies. Wish that been covered more thoroughly.
Fair question... I don't really own speakers good enough to assess that... maybe in a future video.
My last sound card was an Creative SB Extreme X-Fi Gamer (10 years ago?). Since then I've only bought motherboards with high quality onboard sound chipsets. I've been happier, had fewer headaches, saved money and been very impressed with the gaming experience. I'll never go back to a sound card unless the industry changes.
Brisys Consulting
Same. Except I also use a usb interface. My motherboard has a burr brown op amp, which I should use.
wonder what's the speaker system in use. it makes a lot of different.
WK Wee I had a $300 Bose multimedia system previously but now habe Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 on one having system and Logitech Z625 2.1 on the other. I've had numerous $150 to $300 headphones too. And I've got excellent hearing. I am considering a DAC just because I've read and heard a lot about them and wanted to give it a shot for giggles.
Sorry for the misspellings, I'm responding while riding as a passenger on a bad road. LOL
Brisys Consulting did you actually buy the DAC? How is it does it may any difference ? Which one would you recommend me to get ? I'm in US$0-200 budget. Thank you.
I remember the Sound Blaster Audigy . I ALSO remember the Amiga PC it was the new shiny PC of the day . I used to have a used Audigy cause if I remember correctly a new one wasn't cheap .
I finally got my titanium HD to work again for 2018 it’s been on the shelf for a few years but I just plugged it in and it randomly worked after new bios update and installed Daniel K’s drivers and let me tell you coming from on the board sound huge improvement and games and movies FPS games actually sounds scary now
the best tech channel i've seen
Sound Blaster Z or Audigy Rx make sense if you use speakers with optical connectors in the first place. On Headphones / Headset you get an advantage, when you like to play / game with extremely loud volume in comparison to the built in chipset. As far as I know both soundcards come also with ASIO drivers even if the focus surely be on Gaming / Online. Therefor the "shielded version" of the Z comes with a sort of omnidirectional mic, the RX comes with two separate MIC inputs and a line input though. Also there is a bulk version of the Z that costs the same price like the RX. There is the "Audigy FX", ALSO - making it hard to tell but the Audigy FX has no EMU Soundchip but a Realtek chip like every mainboard but of course more audio connections.
Awesome video as Always!!
compared both videos. hell yeah..this one definitely sounds much cleaner
Was debating a new Sound Blaster out of some weird hold-over compulsion from my teens, SB II was great...but!
Remembered I have and pretty exclusively use a USB headset (Etekcity Scroll, which is basically a Sentey knockoff) so it doesn't matter in the slightest.
Great video as always, sir. Got me considering a new set of speakers.
Like before i start watching. XD
I do the same thing. :)
Muppets
I must be in the minority of viewers, but you sound fine to me. You were having some problems a few days ago when you were diving under the desk from time to time to adjust something. I'm not that picky nor do i have an up-to-date computer system, so I'm probably not the best person to review how you sound. Just my meager two-cents. Love your content and the way you present yourself on the internet. I like your style....Keep up the excellent work!
The audio under the desk issues is on an older Z97 motherboard using built in sound, replacing that with the Sound Blaster Z is likely to fix those issues. :)
I remember my Audigy soundcard it was a revelation.
I’m planning on buying the Audio Technica ATH AD900x headphones with a Modmic 5. What soundcard/dac/amp do you recommend for my setup? Cheers.
Creative also makes more expensive external cards, and you can get Audio Technica Usb microphones.
The biggest advantage to getting a sound card will be the Equalizer, it will really make a difference if you know how to use it. You can also buy a blue tooth transmitter with optical/aux in/out to gain wireless function while maintaining sound quality.
What speakers do you use with your kit? If you don’t mind me asking.
I have Genius SW-HF 5.1 speakers, and I am really into listening music and watching movies. Do I need sound card, will I get noticeably better sound quality, is sound card(about 30-50$) worth buying? Thanks
I don't think I've ever had a dedicated sound card, always just used the on board audio until recently when I swapped to a USB DAC :)
Jarrod'sTech How is it? You notice a difference? Also which USB DAC did you pick?