On board audio vs dedicated

[h264]

Increased output levels

Better IO

Better sound quality over onboard

I'll give you some soundcards may have an output an onboard might not, but a slightly higher snr is usually inaudible and rarely tells you anything about the signal quality. Their headphone output's output impedance is usually high doing the most actual damage to the signal on a soundcard.

There's just no way a higher output level makes a lot of sense to the average consumer except to damage their hearing especially when it comes to low impedance headphones and powered speakers.

[mr moose]

There's just no way a higher output level makes a lot of sense to the average consumer except to damage their hearing

That's true, we never recommend an amp for people with 32ohm headphones which also means one less consideration/feature when recommending a audio solution. 

[_ASSASSIN_]

Increased output levels

Better IO

Better sound quality over onboard

1. Yeah you can if you get a higher end one with a proper amp but you need to have headphones that utilize it. I also don't know about you but since when it the DG louder than onboard of most motherboards? I had a P8Z77 V-Pro so it's not like I had a fancy audio implementation

2. dunno about you but the IO is perfectly adequate on my motherboard, it's not like I look at the back 24/7 or have ever been confused about it.

3. just plain no. My creatives titanium HD where decent, until the amp shit itself and started making popping sounds, and that card set me back $100.. DG's are $50 and considered basic and they are TRASH, once I went back to onboard I threw that out pretty fast.

[Guest]

1. Yeah you can if you get a higher end one with a proper amp but you need to have headphones that utilize it. I also don't know about you but since when it the DG louder than onboard of most motherboards? I had a P8Z77 V-Pro so it's not like I had a fancy audio implementation

2. dunno about you but the IO is perfectly adequate on my motherboard, it's not like I look at the back 24/7 or have ever been confused about it.

3. just plain no. My creatives titanium HD where decent, until the amp shit itself and started making popping sounds, and that card set me back $100.. DG's are $50 and considered basic and they are TRASH, once I went back to onboard I threw that out pretty fast.

1. Not everyone owns a decent motherboard that has decent output levels.

2. Some boards don't have optical or all the required connectors for 5.1

3. You clearly haven't used low end boards.

 

Stop trying to defend an elitist product choice: soundcards are useful in certain circumstances.

[_ASSASSIN_]

1. Not everyone owns a decent motherboard that has decent output levels.

2. Some boards don't have optical or all the required connectors for 5.1

3. You clearly haven't used low end boards.

 

Stop trying to defend an elitist product choice: soundcards are useful in certain circumstances.

1.  Look at #3

2. I'll give you that... But I have yet to find a mobo that doesn't have optical out or the coxial outs.

3. Have you? Because they are going to have the SAME DAMN REALTEK CHIP.

source: I'm pretty sure Biostar makes "Low-end" boards

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131819

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138355

 

I'm not even going to respond this is stupid. I am human just like you. I recommend things that I have found good and dis on things that clearly suck.

I'm not defending my purchase of my e10 or anything but god this is absurd, it's not like you even read @h264 or @EmoRarity 's responses either

[EmoRarity]

1. Not everyone owns a decent motherboard that has decent output levels.

2. Some boards don't have optical or all the required connectors for 5.1

3. You clearly haven't used low end boards.

 

Stop trying to defend an elitist product choice: soundcards are useful in certain circumstances.

Standard motherboards even as low as a $50 Foxconn motherboard will be as good as Gigabyte gaming series motherboard. 

I know of few motherboards (non OEM) that don't have optical. 

Soundcards are mostly irrelevant now-a-days, with the exception of replacing a broken onboard solution or I/O requirements, even then most people looking to connect a 7.1 speaker solution to their motherboard own a motherboard that already has those outputs. Even the depressing machines at our public schools supported 5.1.

[h264]

source: I'm pretty sure Biostar makes "Low-end" boards

 

Actually Biostar's boards have very good onboard audio.  They call them "hi-fi" boards after all.  I got an $80 mini-ATX board for my new media PC and I was pretty impressed with the Realtek 400 series chip it came with.  I just use the HDMI port on the back for the audio to my receiver, though.

 

all my motherboards are Biostar boards cause I'm a cheap ass, I know.

[_ASSASSIN_]

Actually Biostar's boards have very good onboard audio.  They call them "hi-fi" boards after all.  I got an $80 mini-ATX board for my new media PC and I was pretty impressed with the Realtek 400 series chip it came with.  I just use the HDMI port on the back for the audio to my receiver, though.

 

all my motherboards are Biostar boards cause I'm a cheap ass, I know.

my point still stands that they are cheap and STILL have the same quality as a higher end board

[Blade of Grass]

1.  Look at #3

2. I'll give you that... But I have yet to find a mobo that doesn't have optical out or the coxial outs.

3. Have you? Because they are going to have the SAME DAMN REALTEK CHIP.

source: I'm pretty sure Biostar makes "Low-end" boards

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131819

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138355

 

I'm not even going to respond this is stupid. I am human just like you. I recommend things that I have found good and dis on things that clearly suck.

I'm not defending my purchase of my e10 or anything but god this is absurd, it's not like you even read @h264 or @EmoRarity 's responses either

@Windspeed36 is right, not every motherboard, has good onboard audio. Whether it's just a poor solution, or just plain bad implementation.

I have a $500 motherboard, and the onboard is shit. (ASUS X79-E WS)

I upgraded to a $40 ASUS DGX (which, according to you, is a worthless upgrade), but yet, it's quite better. I've specifically noticed better detail, and better, cleaner bass reproduction. 

Sorry, but you're wrong, you can't say every motherboard has good audio, when some don't.

[«ЙΩηFïČŧÌΩη»]

Standard motherboards even as low as a $50 Foxconn motherboard will be as good as Gigabyte gaming series motherboard. 

I know of few motherboards (non OEM) that don't have optical. 

Soundcards are mostly irrelevant now-a-days, with the exception of replacing a broken onboard solution or I/O requirements, even then most people looking to connect a 7.1 speaker solution to their motherboard own a motherboard that already has those outputs. Even the depressing machines at our public schools supported 5.1.

Reading this guys posts is like watching diarrhea spew out of an anus...

Realtek onboard over discrete Xonar- maybe he's deaf.

[Lauen]

I can't hear any difference going between my Xonar D2X and my Realtek ALC892 off a Sabertooth 990FX R2. and at least here in Norway, considering I work an intern position, I don't find them expensive, it's a good value imo. also, 20% volume on both sounds pretty much the same to me. The only reason I still have my D2X is I can't get myself to sell it, I'll be rambling about how it doesn't benefit headphones under 250 ohm, I'm keeping it just cause it might come in handy. 

 

EDIT: 250 is a bit of a long shot, but you get the point. 

Edited February 6, 2014 by Lauen

[_ASSASSIN_]

@Windspeed36 is right, not every motherboard, has good onboard audio. Whether it's just a poor solution, or just plain bad implementation.

I have a $500 motherboard, and the onboard is shit. (ASUS X79-E WS)

I upgraded to a $40 ASUS DGX (which, according to you, is a worthless upgrade), but yet, it's quite better. I've specifically noticed better detail, and better, cleaner bass reproduction. 

Sorry, but you're wrong, you can't say every motherboard has good audio, when some don't.

Not to sink your ship, there unless there is something physically or electrically wrong with your onboard, The onboard solution on most any motherboard from the past 5 years will be perform the same if not better for nearly every headphone on the market.

[sotiris.bos]

You won't ever see a difference with speakers, especially cheap ones.

[_ASSASSIN_]

Reading this guys posts is like watching diarrhea spew out of an anus...

Realtek onboard over discrete Xonar- maybe he's deaf.

maybe you haven't tested it yourself.

[EmoRarity]

maybe you haven't tested it yourself.

Maybe he is a twat and we should go back to the Asus Xonar hypetrain, and suggest Razer and Corsair gaming headsets in toe with Beats and Sol Republics. 

[Blade of Grass]

@Windspeed36 is right, not every motherboard, has good onboard audio. Whether it's just a poor solution, or just plain bad implementation.

I have a $500 motherboard, and the onboard is shit. (ASUS X79-E WS)

I upgraded to a $40 ASUS DGX (which, according to you, is a worthless upgrade), but yet, it's quite better. I've specifically noticed better detail, and better, cleaner bass reproduction.

Sorry, but you're wrong, you can't say every motherboard has good audio, when some don't.

Not to sink your ship, there unless there is something physically or electrically wrong with your onboard, The onboard solution on most any motherboard from the past 5 years will be perform the same if not better for nearly every headphone on the market.

So you're saying that there's something electrically wrong with my motherboard that is causing it to have less detail and worse bass reproduction? No

[EmoRarity]

So you're saying that there's something electrically wrong with my motherboard that is causing it to have less detail and worse bass reproduction? No

Do you even know why makes a Xonar "different" from onboard? Because it sounds like you have a hardcore case of denial and placebo. I suggest you take a daily dose of realism.

[Blade of Grass]

Do you even know why makes a Xonar "different" from onboard? Because it sounds like you have a hardcore case of denial and placebo. I suggest you take a daily dose of realism.

What's your background when it comes to audio? Sound engineer? Recording technician? Electrical engineering?

[EmoRarity]

What's your background when it comes to audio? Sound engineer? Recording technician? Electrical engineering?

My background? Currently my whiteboard.

[Blade of Grass]

Do you even know why makes a Xonar "different" from onboard? Because it sounds like you have a hardcore case of denial and placebo. I suggest you take a daily dose of realism.

Do I know what makes my Xonar different from onboard?

Most significantly different output stage, the onboard one is most likely underpowered. Probably using small/low amount of capacitors, hence why the bass reproduction isn't as good.

[EmoRarity]

Do I know what makes my Xonar different from onboard?

Most significantly different output stage, the onboard one is most likely underpowered. Probably using small/low amount of capacitors, hence why the bass reproduction isn't as good.

Pro tip caps have zero responsibility for your bass response or detailing. Technically the higher output impedance with lower impedance headphones such as most anything from Sennheiser and Audio Technica will have a worse frequency response as a result of impedance mismatch and the damping factor

[Blade of Grass]

Pro tip caps have zero responsibility for your bass response or detailing. Technically the higher output impedance with lower impedance headphones such as most anything from Sennheiser and Audio Technica will have a worse frequency response as a result of impedance mismatch and the damping factor

You're right, the things that provide the electricity (i.e. The sound) really don't change anything. Because you know, even if they don't have the ability to provide enough electricity to keep up, it doesn't change the sound at all :rolleyes:

I'm not saying that certain gold plated, platinum infused caps make it sound better, but they need to be able to provide enough electrical power to produce the sound properly.

Then again, I'm just a live sound/recording engineer in my free time, I'll leave this to some people who (I hope) knows more than me.

@Windspeed36

@h264

@MayflowerElectronics

[MayflowerElectronics]

As long as the capacitor's are within spec of the design, the actual type, or quality of the capacitor will not effect the sound what-so-ever. 

 

I think what you mean by "sounds better" is the fact that the sound card has an amp, which makes everything seem better. If you level match both onboard/sound card, they'll sound the same. You also might have some EQ setting on the sound card which makes the bass louder as well.

[EmoRarity]

You're right, the things that provide the electricity (i.e. The sound) really don't change anything. Because you know, even if they don't have the ability to provide enough electricity to keep up, it doesn't change the sound at all :rolleyes:

I'm not saying that certain gold plated, platinum infused caps make it sound better, but they need to be able to provide enough electrical power to produce the sound properly.

Then again, I'm just a live sound/recording engineer in my free time, I'll leave this to some people who (I hope) knows more than me.

@Windspeed36

@h264

@MayflowerElectronics

Let me say this again, onboard can power all but a few headphones to their fullest regardless of they caps with only store power for the amplifier to use. And using the rule of thumb that anything before the amp doesn't really matter. (which techically and electrically false) Point still being that onboard is all you need and electrically soundcards do you worse then onboard.

[Lauen]

The only thing I can think of which MIGHT make the bass in a Xonar card "better" is a coloring amp, or a weird impedance vs frequency (but I'm not sure if this like, real). example being Sennheiser HD558

 

Then again, I'm not entirely sure whether this actually has something to say or not, just putting it out.