How to get best sound? Audiophile advise please

[Gamer Schnitzel]

Okay so I am going to build my new PC on Saturday but I care about sound. It's an ITX so it only has 1 PCI-E slot which will be used for the GPU.

 

The thing however is that I read somewhere that sound cards actually aren't really that good or useful because they get influenced by static or whatever. I don't know shit about audio so please just tell me what to do.

I read that it is better to have a DAC and plug that in via USB or whatever.

 

Can someone please tell me what I need to buy to get the best possible sound from my new computer?

[HanZie82]

Get a $ 34 000 setup and voila best sound...
 

 

[TheGlenlivet]

If you are just going to use USB or 3.5mm gaming headphones then the built in sound on the motherboard will be just fine. 

Spending money on this isn't going to improve your experience unless you are looking to use the PC for audio work or have an expensive pair of headphones you want to drive.

 

[redbread123]

8 minutes ago, HanZie82 said:

Get a $ 34 000 setup and voila best sound...
 

 

linus looks like such a chode with that headset on.. looks like the word "bruh"

[Gamer Schnitzel]

3 minutes ago, TheGlenlivet said:

If you are just going to use USB or 3.5mm gaming headphones then the built in sound on the motherboard will be just fine. 

Spending money on this isn't going to improve your experience unless you are looking to use the PC for audio work or have an expensive pair of headphones you want to drive.

 

I was planning on using stereo speakers but I guess unless I pay for very expensive one in the thousands there is no point? thanks!

[TheGlenlivet]

Just now, Gamer Schnitzel said:

I was planning on using stereo speakers but I guess unless I pay for very expensive one in the thousands there is no point? thanks!

Some may disagree, but I think you got it right here.

If you try out the speakers with your motherboard output and don't like the sound for some reason, try and solve that problem.  

Don't prebuy audio hardware you won't need.

[HanZie82]

Yes current built in sound cards are really good.
If you want improvement you're spending at lesat 200 bucks and that just the DAC alone still need an amp and good speakers or a good headphone.

[Mira Yurizaki]

1 minute ago, Gamer Schnitzel said:

I was planning on using stereo speakers but I guess unless I pay for very expensive one in the thousands there is no point? thanks!

I think https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733.html is worth looking over. Though keep in mind the article is 5 years old.

 

The gist of it is on-board audio quality has gotten to the point the quality argument doesn't matter anymore. And with motherboard manufacturers doing things like making the audio circuitry separate from the main one and in some cases the actual audio chip appears to be shielded, I think even some straggling arguments don't hold as much water as they used to.

 

[redbread123]

8 minutes ago, Mira Yurizaki said:

I think https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733.html is worth looking over. Though keep in mind the article is 5 years old.

 

The gist of it is on-board audio quality has gotten to the point the quality argument doesn't matter anymore. And with motherboard manufacturers doing things like making the audio circuitry separate from the main one and in some cases the actual audio chip appears to be shielded, I think even some straggling arguments don't hold as much water as they used to.

 

lol i thought i needed a sound card but guess not.

[rice guru]

first off all upgrading your headphones is the best way to getting the best sound always buy a headphone BAsed on purpose, sound signature,and budget. always reccomended that you try before you buy. 

Amps and DACs are cool and all but if you headphone doesn't need them you are fine look into them based won what you plan for them. if you are going to be a collector buy something with a lot of power that can handle virtually anything you can throw at them adn that is clean and base it off your budget. so bassically what I'm saying is if you dont plan on buying higher end gear in the future the THX AAA amp is gonna go to waste and just l;ook for something more reasonable. sound cards are ok if you dont have the space or need certain features with it you can't get with a external solution.

 

 

so basically always base your setuo and gear around the headphone or headphones you plan on buying .

 

[vogelspinnen]

3 hours ago, Gamer Schnitzel said:

I was planning on using stereo speakers but I guess unless I pay for very expensive one in the thousands there is no point? thanks!

There are mid-range speakers that sound absolutely brilliant. Audioengine, JBL, Swan, Edifier, and many more make brilliant speakers.

 

If you are thinking purely about sound quality, with headphones you can generally get more for less money. But what headphones cannot replicate is a beautiful soundstage, you will always have the "sound in your head" feeling. And bass. Good headphones still sound really good down low, but never have the rumbling bass of a good subwoofer.

 

In the end, go have a few listens at retail shops and decide what you want. Headphones will be considerably cheaper and fuss-free. Most you'll need is a good DAC and amp. Speakers are pricey to begin with, then you have to deal with issues like positioning, acoustic treatment and soundproofing.

[rice guru]

15 minutes ago, vogelspinnen said:

There are mid-range speakers that sound absolutely brilliant. Audioengine, JBL, Swan, Edifier, and many more make brilliant speakers.

 

If you are thinking purely about sound quality, with headphones you can generally get more for less money. But what headphones cannot replicate is a beautiful soundstage, you will always have the "sound in your head" feeling. And bass. Good headphones still sound really good down low, but never have the rumbling bass of a good subwoofer.

 

In the end, go have a few listens at retail shops and decide what you want. Headphones will be considerably cheaper and fuss-free. Most you'll need is a good DAC and amp. Speakers are pricey to begin with, then you have to deal with issues like positioning, acoustic treatment and soundproofing.

I mean with a good wide headphone you can get a nice open sounding out of your head experience just not as good as speakers.  And bass can be really rich with headphones as well even iems for that matter but you won't feel it with your body like a good sub. Headphones generally have to tone down the bass cause leaking into the mids is an issue. Because you have one driver pushing everything unlike a sub, woofers and tweeters of a speaker setup to tackle the whole spectrum

[vogelspinnen]

2 minutes ago, rice guru said:

I mean with a good wide headphone you can get a nice open sounding out of your head experience just not as good as speakers.  And bass can be really rich with headphones as well even iems for that matter but you won't feel it with your body like a good sub. Headphones generally have to tone down the bass cause leaking into the mids is an issue. Because you have one driver pushing everything unlike a sub, woofers and tweeters of a speaker setup to tackle the whole spectrum

 

Yea headphone technology really has come a long way, and it is impressive what can be done with 2 small drivers. It's just that last bit that can't be done because physics. You just can't move enough air with small drivers to have true bass, and that in-front-of-you soundstage with speakers.

 

I think that is a compromise most people will be willing to make because headphones are just so much more value-for-money in all other aspects and convenient as well. OP just has to decide for himself if he is unfortunate enough to be in my camp.

[Sarten X]

I'm definitely not an audiophile... but for the last decade of my spare time, I've run sound systems for a local venue.

 

I'll second what most folks here have said. The built-in audio hardware in modern motherboards is far beyond the "good enough" point. Most headphones are good, but if you want to really feel your music, you need speakers. That's where I'll touch a little more.

 

It's not just your ears that hear. You also get some sensory perception from your body feeling the sound waves. It's subtle, but a subwoofer aimed at a hard floor will add a significant kick to any speaker setup.

 

As for those speakers, I'd recommend pretty much any speaker towers with separate large & small speaker cones and a built-in crossover. They take a simple single channel in, and will split the frequencies appropriately to the woofer and tweeter cones. I'm not going to make specific recommendations for brand, style, etc. because it's all subjective. Find something you like the style and sound, that fits in your listening space.

 

That listening space is as important, if not more, than the speaker choice. It should be a square or rectangular room, with no wall more than about 15 feet from your head's position. There should be a mix of hard and soft surfaces, so if you have bare walls and sparse furniture, make sure there's a rug on the floor. Clean out any clutter sitting around. As the sound waves move through the room, smooth reflections make the sound seem richer, but too many reflections at odd angles and spacings make it seem muddy.

 

 

[vong]

9 hours ago, Gamer Schnitzel said:

I was planning on using stereo speakers but I guess unless I pay for very expensive one in the thousands there is no point? thanks!

Not thousands, you're looking are very good speakers at that price bracket. A few hundred will get you decent speakers.

[rice guru]

5 hours ago, vong said:

Not thousands, you're looking are very good speakers at that price bracket. A few hundred will get you decent speakers.

Speakers can also get very complex and lots of old heads that have too much money that really like to stress the importance of things like cables instead of amplification ,room  treatment and the drivers themselves.

[Derkoli]

4 hours ago, rice guru said:

Speakers can also get very complex and lots of old heads that have too much money that really like to stress the importance of things like cables instead of amplification ,room  treatment and the drivers themselves.

Welcome to the "im old, cant hear above 12khz but cables really matter!" world. Which we have named snake oil

[vong]

4 hours ago, rice guru said:

Speakers can also get very complex and lots of old heads that have too much money that really like to stress the importance of things like cables instead of amplification ,room  treatment and the drivers themselves.

Just saying op can find pretty decent speakers in the few hundred dollar range. JBL LSR305's are a crowd favourite.

[Gamer Schnitzel]

i ended up just buying these speakers. can someone tell me if theyre alright? i just wanted something cheap and okayish

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edifier-R1700BT-Bookshelf-Speakers-Bluetooth/dp/B00MXY21LW