External Sound Card for Retro Gaming

Ninco! · 12 Jan 2019 at 20:24

Hi all, I am messing about with Thin Clients (HP T610) for my retro gaming and wondering the best way to improve onboard sound and using an external card/DAC which I can plug into my amp (Denon PMA-50)?

Now wondering if there is a USB DAC or external sound card which is compatible with Windows XP and has a optical out so I can send sound from my HP to my stereo?

Flibster · 12 Jan 2019 at 21:06

Soundblaster X-Fi HD is a usb device and genuinely an excellent thing. Using one on my Win7 SFF machine and it's great.

Theres also a lesser model called the X-Fi surround 5.1 Pro. Still good, but not as good.

Flibster · 12 Jan 2019 at 21:06

Double post...

Ninco! · 12 Jan 2019 at 23:05

Flibster said:
Soundblaster X-Fi HD is a usb device and genuinely an excellent thing. Using one on my Win7 SFF machine and it's great.

Theres also a lesser model called the X-Fi surround 5.1 Pro. Still good, but not as good.

Awesome Flibster, massive thank you, looks perfect!

Flibster · 12 Jan 2019 at 23:58

No problem. Only downside with them is they're not cheaper.

Ninco! · 25 Jan 2019 at 19:50

Thanks again Flibster. I picked up a Soundblaster X-Fi HD. As you mention its not the cheapest option. Personally the flexibility makes it worth it.

I downloaded the latest drivers which installed fine with Windows XP SP3. The only minor hitch; whilst the headphones worked perfectly straight away there was no sound coming from my stereo.

It dawned on me that it was the Realtek driver stopping any sound being piped to my stereo. Once I disabled Realtek in Device Manager for XP, the external sound now works perfectly.

It sounds great and messing about with some older games (Blood etc) it really packs a punch and placement sound wow! Normally for retro gaming I have played using older speakers - piping through stereo, sounds epic. Positional sounds and details I have missed, delighted with this card.