Advice on sound quality

[Tommy B]

Currently I'm running 2XEltax Symphony 2.0 speakers through an AMP using my motherboard's (Abit AN8) built-in sound card. Whilst the sound is fairly crisp, the speakers lack a sub-woofer and thus the bass isn't brilliant.

Would I notice an increase in sound quality if I scrapped the amp option and went for a £200 Logitech/Creative job?

I'm also considering upgrading to an Xi-Fi sound card.

Secondly, I am considering buying an HD plasma TV in the summer, and I need an option where I can use the DVD player's optical output to get DTS surround sound playback via my soundcard in my PC and through the surround speakers. I take it the Xi-Fi can do this without any hassle?

Cheers,

 

[Tommy B]

Well I dunno which amp you have and I dunno if Eltax Symphony 2.0's are any good (can't even find them on the eltax website), but Creative/Logitech speakers certainly aren't hi-fi quality. Bookshelf speakers, if that's what those Symphony 2.0s are, need to be on solid mass filled stands to bring out the bass.

I've got the Eltax Monitor 3's on Atacama SE24 stands, and they have plenty of bass.

The amp is about 10-15 years old.

The speakers are about 3 years old. Although they are Symphony 6 not 2 like I thought.

 

[Tommy B]

The speakers have loads of bass, but not the earth-shattering type I'm after in some songs

Some songs are perfect, but in others there is a serious lack of bass. Would an investment in an Xi-Fi be worth it? Hip-Hop is usually fine, but Rock is much worse.

You can't buy just subs either which is annoying.

 

[Tommy B]

Kenwood KA-550

 

[Tommy B]

Are you sure I shouldn't start with a new sound card?

If I play something like "Black Eyed Peas - My Humps" (I do loathe the song entirely but it's a good example) my entire house shakes and you can feel the vibrations from any room.

So you're both 100% that my HiFi setup would be superior to the top of the range Logitech/Creative sets?

In order to get decent bass I have to use the iTunes equalizer.