ds4 mobo sound quality?

domyboy · 12 Dec 2006 at 19:04

hello, im at the edge of buying a new rig, however im debating weather or not to buy a creative sound card to add to the spec, is it worth getting a sound card or is the onboard sound quality from the ds4 good enough?

i know the signal to noise ratio of the creative x-fi extreme music is 109dB, which is pretty good (anythign over 100dB is considered good) so what is the snr of the ds4 outputs? i cant find anything on the gigbyte website, which is odd.

I also realise that depending on the speakers and amps performance this will be irrelevent, however i would like to know

WJA96 · 12 Dec 2006 at 19:16

It's not quoted anywhere as far as I can see. Intel's Azalia HDA spec. require an SNR>95db, which, as it's an Intel chipset, I would imagine the DS4 complies with.

domyboy · 12 Dec 2006 at 19:21

thankies wja96

i just downloaded the pdf for the ds4 and its 7mb :eek:

, and still cant find anything on the sound spec output :rolleyes:

WJA96 · 12 Dec 2006 at 19:21

This translated from the chinese version of Gigabyte's website

"Main Board of network functions, Marvell's chip can be used for adaptive network 88E8053-NNC1 10/100/1000M network functions PCI-Express specifications are Gigabit Ethernet Controller, which supports Gigabit Ethernet connectivity; integrating sound effects, using the Realtek's ALC888 8-channel chip It is the latest HD Audio Codec standards. In addition to supporting its ALC8xx with "Jack-Sensing" "PCBEEP Generator" and "Interrupt Capability" and other functions, Microsoft WLP 3.0 specifications through the Microsoft certification a Windows Vista Premium certification. 同时支持Azalia技术，它的DAC与ADC噪讯比(SNR)分别可达到98dB与95dB。Support the Azalia technology The ADC and DAC hearing noise ratio (SNR) of 98dB and 95dB respectively can be achieved. "

WJA96 · 12 Dec 2006 at 19:23

Obviously my chinese translation skills are a little rusty.

domyboy · 12 Dec 2006 at 19:28

ha

wel thanks again. hmm athough thats the digital to analouge converters not the overall performance but its close enought to let me see what sort of dB's its aimed at, pondering on weather or not to buy the sound card, any ideas?

WJA96 · 12 Dec 2006 at 19:37

domyboy said:
any ideas?

No sir! I just like to pull hard to find information off the internet for folks

It makes me feel useful. I think there is a sound card forum, no?

domyboy · 12 Dec 2006 at 19:44

okies, ty again

yup there is a sound forum but im comparing it with a mobo, so i like it on this forum

cos i get a response time in pico seconds(not really) rather than an aeon(also not really) on the sound forum, although a forum mod will probably move it soon

im just not sure if the ds4's sound quality is gonna be good enough, as u could probably tel im a bit of an audiophile

WJA96 · 12 Dec 2006 at 20:09

domyboy said:
as u could probably tel im a bit of an audiophile

Then you don't want to go anywhere near the sound forum

When I told somone about my integrated Linn setup I was accused of being 'Lifestyle' oriented. I have to admit I did buy my first Michell turntable because of how it looked though :rolleyes:

. Spie, who owns OcUK, is a big Naim fan, but I don't hold it against him.

squiffy · 12 Dec 2006 at 20:16

If you're an audiophile don't buy Creative soundcards, the EMU based card or M-Audio cards are higher end stereo soundcards. Something like the M-Audio 2496 or Audiophile 192. Seems to have better drivers than Creative pap, and not have Creative "LP crackling" feature

domyboy · 12 Dec 2006 at 20:21

lol thanks for the advice

naim, wel i hant personnely heard there euipment although id guess it would be good.
I have heard bang and olufsen equipment and it was pretty good i must say but the price is a bit shady as with all high end stuff.

For me however i could build an amp with a better signal to noise ratio then half of the b and o stuff, and for about 300 quid, as for the speakers and cd player i would need to buy good 1s since i cant build them...yet

Not using valves in the amp though cos there crap, but i do like good old vinyle, pure analouge

domyboy · 12 Dec 2006 at 20:23

squiffy said:
If you're an audiophile don't buy Creative soundcards, the EMU based card or M-Audio cards are higher end stereo soundcards. Something like the M-Audio 2496 or Audiophile 192. Seems to have better drivers than Creative pap, and not have Creative "LP crackling" feature

yes but how much more exspensive are they?, and everyone only seems to sell creative stuff, or am i looking in the wrong direction :O

squiffy · 12 Dec 2006 at 20:30

M-Audio 2496 is £55. Similar in price to the CL X-Fi Music. Competitors sell M-Audio, but then I guess CL sell dime a dozen, and better sounding cards don't!

Stop looking at specifications, that has nothing to do with sound quality. Because if you put that before sound quality, vinyl must sound rubbish because of the terrible noise floor, distortion.

WJA96 · 12 Dec 2006 at 20:31

domyboy said:
yes but how much more exspensive are they?, and everyone only seems to sell creative stuff, or am i looking in the wrong direction :O

What you mean is OcUK only sell Creative? The M-Audio 2496 looks lik eit retails for about £50 and the Audiophile 192 about £100. That seems quite reasonable to me. Just google.

WJA96 · 12 Dec 2006 at 20:33

squiffy said:
Stop looking at specifications, that has nothing to do with sound quality. Because if you put that before sound quality, vinyl must sound rubbish because of the terrible noise floor, distortion.

I sort of agree about the numbers bit, but not on a Linn LP12 - the specs are good and the vinyl sound is too. The pictures ain't bad either

domyboy · 12 Dec 2006 at 20:41

everything is presumed good by ones own oppinion however to look at what is actually better specifications do have to be looked at.

also i have a good hifi, so i just dont want to spend too much on a sound card as can listen to good quality on my hifi, i just want decent enough sound quality from my computer by either adding a 50 quid sound card or using the onboard sound chip on the ds4 mobo.

ps thanks for looking those things up wja96

domyboy · 12 Dec 2006 at 21:06

just looked at the m audio range , the audiophile 2496 does appear better than the creative one, thanks for pointing that out squiffy

still not sure if its worth buying though. what sound card, if you have one, do you have?

squiffy · 12 Dec 2006 at 21:29

M-Audio Revolution 5.1, only using the digital output though. Bought it because it has proper ASIO drivers, and outputs 44.1khz as 44.1khz, and not upsampling to 48khz (as some other soundcards do) Also streams Dolby Digital & DTS to the digital output. Using Lexicon AV pre-amp for surround sound processing/digital to analogue conversion/bass management. oh I plan to buy the 2496, once a competitor has them in stock. oc uk aren't interested in getting them in (used to stock m-audio though)

squiffy · 12 Dec 2006 at 21:31

WJA96 said:
I sort of agree about the numbers bit, but not on a Linn LP12 - the specs are good and the vinyl sound is too. The pictures ain't bad either

Actually the LP12 is overrated, many feel simpler designs ie Rega P3 offer superior sound quality.

WJA96 · 12 Dec 2006 at 22:10

squiffy said:
Actually the LP12 is overrated, many feel simpler designs ie Rega P3 offer superior sound quality.

Funny - I've got a Planar 2 with the RB250 tonearm right by me now. It's very nice (as is the Planar 3), but the Sondek is just sublime. I've been through umpteen different turntables - Michell, Pink Triangle, Revolver, Rega but this is my third LP12 and I really do prefer it to anything else. I really do prefer finesse to umpteen thousand watts and a kickin' bass bin. You are, as always, entitled to your opinion.