Help needed in selecting a good sound card - speaker combination

[saud_khan]

Stalwarts, i need help in selecting a good sound card and speaker combination for gaming and music...........the budget is around 8-10k.........what would be the best combination.......i have Creative Audigy 2 ZS and Inspire M5300 in mind.............is it a good combo..........and what would be the price?????

[aneesh kalra]

The creative audigy 2zs is agood choice although if 5.1 is not a priority you can go for the altec lansing mx 5021 which are far superior to any creative inspire however if you strictly want a 5.1 system you can choose between the artis s-6600r http://www.artis.co.in/products.html or a wharfadle 9.1 or the logitech z-5300.

[boosters]

creative is best

[Sukhdeep Singh]

I think Altec Lancing rocks. I have ATP3 and couldnt be happier

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Originally Posted by sukhdeepsinghkohli

I think Altec Lancing rocks. I have ATP3 and couldnt be happier

yups , ALtec Lansing speakers r simply amazing , i too won an Altec Lansing n the audio is Crystal Clear .

when u buy Altec Lansing systems u can be assured that you'll get supeb audio quality.

Creative is Also very good , but they haven't come out witrh updated versions of their great products lately

i would suggest u go for an Altec lansing or a logitech an onboard HD Audio will suffice ur needs .

[pannaguma]

i would suggest logitech 5.1 models.
x530 - 6000/-
x540 - 7500+ (not yet available)
z5300e - 10k-11k/-

[gannu_rox]

Originally Posted by saud_khan

Stalwarts, i need help in selecting a good sound card and speaker combination for gaming and music...........the budget is around 8-10k.........what would be the best combination.......i have Creative Audigy 2 ZS and Inspire M5300 in mind.............is it a good combo..........and what would be the price?????

Dats a good combi...

Audigy 2 zs shud be worth it.. X-fis're costlier...
I've an Inspire 5200 bot 3 yrs back... Still d drivers're rockin...
But I guess ATP shud be the best coz they deal with only speaker systems...
ATP3's a 2.1 and a good one... Else the MX5021...

[dOm1naTOr]

U can't realize the difference b/w onboard and a sound card unless u have a gud speaker[at least Z5300] which cud produce all sounds at its meant to be heard.
For speakers under 10k, normally onboard HD audio will do fine. If u still want a sound card, get the creative audigy 2 value which is up for 1.7k.

For speakers, i wud recommend X530 or its new model X540. X540 has more features like a control pod etc. Power ratings and perfomance of X530 nd 540 are somewhat same.
These speakers are simply amazing. One of my friend owns it[X530]. Its simply much much better than my Creative T6060[prices just 300 bucks less than X530]. Logitech has neodimium drivers which is gud at treble.

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Originally Posted by aravind_n20

U can't realize the difference b/w onboard and a sound card unless u have a gud speaker[at least Z5300] which cud produce all sounds at its meant to be heard.
For speakers under 10k, normally onboard HD audio will do fine.

couldn't agree more .

[deathvirus_me]

I can' help notice , but why does people brag about their ATP3 so much ?? Would anyone of those care to visit my house anytime soon ?? I mean , it maybe the best in the 2.1 range .. but what the hell !! ... 2.1 hardly exists in actual terms .. it more like two speakers with a sub-woofer forced in .. it keeping on "bass-ing" even if there should be no bass .. lol .. and people call that bass .. and wtf !! 7k's for a 2.1 shitto .. u can get a hell lot better 5.1 speaker set for that price ... and as far as clarity goes ... boom to those speakers ... 5.1 + good sound card > ATP3 by million miles ... try a Audigy2 ZS + Inspire 5200 combo .. lol ... thats under 7k's easily ... use CMSS2 , turn on "Acoustic" , set gain to +12 dB , use AudioburstFX for winamp ,,, and i challenge any ATP3 to stand up to that !! .. and u get 5.1 surround sound too .. lol ..

Creative Audigy 2 ZS + Creative Inspire 5200 (or any other , just stick to creative ) .. anyday ... u can also try to get an OEM Audigy 4 .. should be under 4k's ...

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Originally Posted by deathvirus_me

I can' help notice , but why does people brag about their ATP3 so much ?? Would anyone of those care to visit my house anytime soon ?? I mean , it maybe the best in the 2.1 range .. but what the hell !! ... 2.1 hardly exists in actual terms .. it more like two speakers with a sub-woofer forced in .. it keeping on "bass-ing" even if there should be no bass .. lol .. and people call that bass .. and wtf !! 7k's for a 2.1 shitto .. u can get a hell lot better 5.1 speaker set for that price ... and as far as clarity goes ... boom to those speakers ... 5.1 + good sound card > ATP3 by million miles ... try a Audigy2 ZS + Inspire 5200 combo .. lol ... thats under 7k's easily ... use CMSS2 , turn on "Acoustic" , set gain to +12 dB , use AudioburstFX for winamp ,,, and i challenge any ATP3 to stand up to that !! .. and u get 5.1 surround sound too .. lol ..

Creative Audigy 2 ZS + Creative Inspire 5200 (or any other , just stick to creative ) .. anyday ... u can also try to get an OEM Audigy 4 .. should be under 4k's ...

Mate that's y i Mentioned Crystal Clear Audio quality , it may not be as loud as other speakers but atleast it gives clear audio output at high volumes .

@deathvirus , i recommend you hear the audio as-is and do not use equalizer , that way you'll hear the song the way the creator wanted u to experience it .
ALso , we mentioned it to tell about Audio Quality n not speaker setup , you Altec Lansing too has 5.1 options available n u can go for em if u want

[deathvirus_me]

dude ... i wonder how u can get "crystal clear" audio from a 128 kbps mp3 .. and about uncompressed audio quality .. i don't think u can handle it without a sound card !! wonder how good the "cracks" will come from the ATP3 .. and about "crystal clear" audio quality ... like i said in the first line of my post ... care to visit my house ?? maybe i can help u wake from the dream ??

And dude .. i mean , why shouldn't i use a equalizer ?? I mean , if i have 7k's to invest .. would i invest it on an ATP3 alone .. or get myself a good soundcard , a 5.1 speaker set (which add surround sound) , and use the equalizer to get same or better audio quality ... lol .. u decide ..

Why stand on fair grounds ?? If i have options to surpass with a lower investment .. why should i stand in fair grounds ??? Simply because i have to admit something thats close to being stupidity ... lol ...

I don't wanna start a conflict .. but this is really annoying ... i mean .. WTF !! i can't understand why people vote a 2.1 speaker system over a good sound card + 5.1 system .. lol ..

[gannu_rox]

Experience pays...

I personallu use an Inspire 5200 ( about 3 yrs old)...
Couple it with an Audigy ZS or Value, it'll sound gr8... Unless u're an audiophile...

(To my reality, I saw D creative Gigaworks 750 at a comp service centre... mannnn... The sub's too heavy to be lifted by a single person- Downfirin.. The satellite're the largest I've ever seen n those itslef're heavy as well... 22k fer dat )

[Sukhdeep Singh]

Originally Posted by deathvirus_me

And dude .. i mean , why shouldn't i use a equalizer ?? I mean , if i have 7k's to invest .. would i invest it on an ATP3 alone .. or get myself a good soundcard , a 5.1 speaker set (which add surround sound) , and use the equalizer to get same or better audio quality ... lol .. u decide ..

7K, when where how Sells between 2500-3000

[saud_khan]

What would be the approximate cost of Creative Audigy 2 ZS and Inspire M5300 in Lamington Road????????

i do have 7.1 on board audio ( Realtek )..........MSI K8NGM2 MOBO.............is that good enough with good speakers????????

[saud_khan]

whats the address of the website for that lamington road shop that displays the cost as well???????

[blackleopard92]

@deathvirus_me: lol, u are comparing ATP3 with inspire 5200! ATP3 sells for 2.2k! it's quality is around greater than that of inspire 2100. to which it is compared.

and as for sound quality, u come to my home and listen to MX5021, then u will know what sound quality is all about.


as for the thread poster, if u want to listen to music, then go for 2.1. nothing better than 2.1 for music. altec lansing MX5021/6021 represent the best u can have for music. these ofcourse need a sound card to bring out their true potential, and creative audigy 2 ZS does fine for me.

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Originally Posted by deathvirus_me

dude ... i wonder how u can get "crystal clear" audio from a 128 kbps mp3 .. and about uncompressed audio quality .. i don't think u can handle it without a sound card !! wonder how good the "cracks" will come from the ATP3 .. and about "crystal clear" audio quality ... like i said in the first line of my post ... care to visit my house ?? maybe i can help u wake from the dream ??

And dude .. i mean , why shouldn't i use a equalizer ?? I mean , if i have 7k's to invest .. would i invest it on an ATP3 alone .. or get myself a good soundcard , a 5.1 speaker set (which add surround sound) , and use the equalizer to get same or better audio quality ... lol .. u decide ..

Why stand on fair grounds ?? If i have options to surpass with a lower investment .. why should i stand in fair grounds ??? Simply because i have to admit something thats close to being stupidity ... lol ...

I don't wanna start a conflict .. but this is really annoying ... i mean .. WTF !! i can't understand why people vote a 2.1 speaker system over a good sound card + 5.1 system .. lol ..

Well mate using an equalizer means that you're not listening to the song the way it was meant to be listened . by changin equalizer settings you're actually meddling with the song and tweakin it to your own taste rather than listen like it was made by the composer .

Any audiophile worth his salt will NOT use an equilizer if he wants to enjoy his music .

Also , who said i was using 128 kbps , ALl of my music is in Lossless FLAC format n i always rip my audio cd's into Lossless formats like WMA lossless or FLAC , so mind urself before making assumptiong .

Also i was tellin that Altec Lansing speakers r very good when compared with their counterparts , so other 2.1 speakers will sound like Crap in front of Altec Lansing MX 5051 .

@Blackleopard , i totally agree with you . Normal Stereo music files sound best on 2.1 Setups

@Deathvirus , i wasn't voting for a 2.1 system i was simlpy telling my experience with Altec Lansing speakers n was suggesting that the buyer go with altec lansing be it any setup

[vivekbabbudelhi]

Originally Posted by blackleopard92

and as for sound quality, u come to my home and listen to MX5021, then u will know what sound quality is all about.


as for the thread poster, if u want to listen to music, then go for 2.1. nothing better than 2.1 for music. altec lansing MX5021/6021 represent the best u can have for music. these ofcourse need a sound card to bring out their true potential, and creative audigy 2 ZS does fine for me.

yeah
i totally agree with u

most music is stereo encoded
me too have mx5021 & audiligy2 & thompson hi fi amplifier
nothing cheap 5.1 set can meet mx5021 in 5.1 u atleast need z-5300 or z-5500

[saud_khan]

Originally Posted by blackleopard92

@deathvirus_me: lol, u are comparing ATP3 with inspire 5200! ATP3 sells for 2.2k! it's quality is around greater than that of inspire 2100. to which it is compared.

and as for sound quality, u come to my home and listen to MX5021, then u will know what sound quality is all about.


as for the thread poster, if u want to listen to music, then go for 2.1. nothing better than 2.1 for music. altec lansing MX5021/6021 represent the best u can have for music. these ofcourse need a sound card to bring out their true potential, and creative audigy 2 ZS does fine for me.

what would be the cost of mx5021 and audigy 2ZS bundled together in mumbai????

[aneesh kalra]

Originally Posted by blackleopard92

@deathvirus_me: lol, u are comparing ATP3 with inspire 5200! ATP3 sells for 2.2k! it's quality is around greater than that of inspire 2100. to which it is compared.

and as for sound quality, u come to my home and listen to MX5021, then u will know what sound quality is all about.


as for the thread poster, if u want to listen to music, then go for 2.1. nothing better than 2.1 for music. altec lansing MX5021/6021 represent the best u can have for music. these ofcourse need a sound card to bring out their true potential, and creative audigy 2 ZS does fine for me.

Yes totally agree with you on that count altec lansing mx 5021 is the best 2.1 on sale today and mine runs fine on onboard sound too,ok saud I got mine for 8.1k in delhi you can expect one for rs 7500.

yeah
i totally agree with u

most music is stereo encoded
me too have mx5021 & audiligy2 & thompson hi fi amplifier
nothing cheap 5.1 set can meet mx5021 in 5.1 u atleast need z-5300 or z-5500 14-06-2007 09:48 PM

How have you connected the altec lansing mx 5021 to an amplifier since they are powered speakers have you only connected the satellites to the amplifier since the subwoofer has its own amplifier.

[blackleopard92]

Originally Posted by saud_khan

what would be the cost of mx5021 and audigy 2ZS bundled together in mumbai????

MX5021 about 8k
audigy 2 ZS about 2k

[vivekbabbudelhi]

Originally Posted by aneesh kalra

How have you connected the altec lansing mx 5021 to an amplifier since they are powered speakers have you only connected the satellites to the amplifier since the subwoofer has its own amplifier.

dear
i have a thompson hifi set without speakers (it has huge in built amp)
as hifi speakers were damaged in transition i use mx5021 thru. headphone jack of hifi to aux in of mx5021.hifi is vcd/mp3/acd/fm capable
and my main music source is fm (fever104) and music albums..

[saud_khan]

Around 8k for 2.1 Speaker set...............are they worth it???

[ax3]

Creative Audigy 2 ZS is the best ............ & try getting or reading the article from digit mag where AGENT001 goes shopping 4 Sound Cards @ lamington road .....

[saud_khan]

Originally Posted by ax3

Creative Audigy 2 ZS is the best ............ & try getting or reading the article from digit mag where AGENT001 goes shopping 4 Sound Cards @ lamington road .....

Which month dude???????

[blackleopard92]

Originally Posted by saud_khan

Around 8k for 2.1 Speaker set...............are they worth it???

these are the best u can have. sounds comming from these babies are simply outta this world. in fact, when someone comes to your home and listen to these, they will usually phone u afterwards that they can't listen to bull$hit that is comming from there speakers now!

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Originally Posted by blackleopard92

these are the best u can have. sounds comming from these babies are simply outta this world. in fact, when someone comes to your home and listen to these, they will usually phone u afterwards that they can't listen to bull$hit that is comming from there speakers now!

BUt i think he shud go for FX 5051 which retails for the same price as an FX 6021(MX 5021 hv been phased out) .

Also , the FX 5051 doesn't need a dedicated sound card coz it can work directly through USB .

saud , i suggest u got for Altec Lansing FX 5051

[saud_khan]

Originally Posted by Zeeshan Quireshi

BUt i think he shud go for FX 5051 which retails for the same price as an FX 6021(MX 5021 hv been phased out) .

Also , the FX 5051 doesn't need a dedicated sound card coz it can work directly through USB .

saud , i suggest u got for Altec Lansing FX 5051

Is the MX 5021 still available at Lamington Road?????????

[deathvirus_me]

Lol ... for the price of the MX5021 , i'd rather go for a Creative Inspire T6060 , along with a Audigy 2 ZS .... anyway .. seems i'm really talking to FOOLs here who prefer 2.1 (which doesn't even exist) with 5.1 .... no matter what company they belong to ...