Sound Card vs Intregated Audio

[Newbie0]

Hi everyone,

I’m bit of confused. The thing is, i have a sound card. It is Creative sound blaster X-fi titanium. Model: SB0880

This is a card before 2010. Its signal to noise ratio is 109 dB. It can Convert digital signal to analog at 192 KHz when stereo is used.

 

On the other hand my mobo is 2017’s Msi Tomahawk B350. But its audio chipset is Realtek ALC892 which is not latest. May be its from 2014. Its noise ratio is 96 dB.

 

Now my question is which is better? My mobo’s intregated audio or the Sound card?

Right now I don’t have any 5.1 or 7.1 system to compare. And also, I’m planing to buy a surround 7.1 headphone. 

 

Which will give me better experience. Dedicated sound card Or mobo’s sound chipset??

 

please help me out. Give me some ideas.

[SMDSY]

Dedicated sound card will always give bether sound quality.. (if u have the correct drivers for it)

intigraded sound is good for most of every day activitys

[FloRolf]

Just use the soundcard when u already have it. But don't get the 7.1 headset. That's pure marketing. 

[Majestic]

29 minutes ago, SMDSY said:

Dedicated sound card will always give bether sound quality..

No it doesn't. 

[Newbie0]

5 hours ago, FloRolf said:

 But don't get the 7.1 headset. That's pure marketing. 

I’m planning to buy a headset in arround 100$. In this range i found many 7.1 headsets.

I hope these headsets can deliver at least 5.1 and I’m happy with it. But is this a bad idea to buy this?

[Newbie0]

5 hours ago, Majestic said:

No it doesn't. 

Does my sound card is better than my mobo’s audio?

[Trollbot]

The inside of a PC is a bubbling cauldron of electromagnetic interference. Even an inexpensive standalone DAC, amp, or DAC/amp would be preferable to a dedicated internal sound card.

[Newbie0]

2 hours ago, Trollbot said:

The inside of a PC is a bubbling cauldron of electromagnetic interference. Even an inexpensive standalone DAC, amp, or DAC/amp would be preferable to a dedicated internal sound card.

SO you are saying dedicated sound card is not good? Then what about motherboards integrated audio?
(I am not expert in this field so please explain something) 

[EsaT]

4 hours ago, Newbie0 said:

I’m planning to buy a headset in arround 100$. In this range i found many 7.1 headsets.

I hope these headsets can deliver at least 5.1 and I’m happy with it. But is this a bad idea to buy this?

Human has only two ears.

Any more channels in headphones is marketing BS for selling even cheaper Chinese garbage.

 

Hearing in "3D" is based of head and outer ears causing direction dependant changes to signal received by ears from sound source.

Besides recording with mics in ears of dummy head, those binaural cues can be simulated mathematically.

Algorithm used by X-Fi pretty much kills bass immersion, but emphasizes foot steps and such.

Only thing which is needed after that is accurate enough reproduction of signal.

Which is something not aimed by gaming trinkets.

 

If you have quiet environment something like ATH-AD500 or Sennheiser HD559 should do well.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Newbie0 said:

SO you are saying dedicated sound card is not good? Then what about motherboards integrated audio?
(I am not expert in this field so please explain something) 

Need for external fashion "DAC" is same marketing snake oil BS than than those "7.1" headsets.

http://archimago.blogspot.com/2017/04/retro-measure-2002-lynx-l22-pci-audio.html

[Majestic]

5 hours ago, Newbie0 said:

Does my sound card is better than my mobo’s audio?

Better how?

2 hours ago, Newbie0 said:

SO you are saying dedicated sound card is not good? Then what about motherboards integrated audio?
(I am not expert in this field so please explain something) 

No what he's saying is that the only way to clear out static on the audio, if this is the particular issue, is to remove the audio processing from the case. As with a sound card, it's still in that EMI environment. Additionally, if you look at EMC design, placing an object in parallel to a large source of disturbance actually compounds the issue, especially if it's completely within the circuitloop of that device. 

The biggest sources of EMI are the GPU's and their PCB's these days, placing a soundcard directly in it's wake would be worse than the onboard sound which is perpendicular to it's circuitloop and outside of it as well.

 

5 minutes ago, EsaT said:

Need for external fashion "DAC" is same marketing snake oil BS than than those "7.1" headsets.

http://archimago.blogspot.com/2017/04/retro-measure-2002-lynx-l22-pci-audio.html

Parts have changed, switching frequencies have changed, component density has changed. I could clearly hear EMI coming from the speakers when I moved my perhipherals, so I had to move my audio outside of the machine. Granted, it's an ITX.

Also, designing for EMC is not top priority anymore for all AIB's, so this test can be succesful or a failure based on the particular parts. A test on one system is not a conclusive test.

[EsaT]

12 hours ago, Majestic said:

Parts have changed, switching frequencies have changed, component density has changed. I could clearly hear EMI coming from the speakers when I moved my perhipherals, so I had to move my audio outside of the machine. Granted, it's an ITX.

If anything switching frequencies have likely gone up farther from audio range to allow smaller capacitors and inductors.

And extremely cramped ITX is the worst possible base for creating generalized rules.