Need more sound!

RichWill44

RichWill44

RichWill44

Associate
Joined
20 Jan 2009
Posts
10
Hi all

So i have just got myself a projector to watch tv/films on but the only sound i have atm is my headset.
Im running it off my gaming pc which has a 5.1 system on it but its off to 1 side and quite old.

Now i am considering buying these....
Edifier R1600T Studio Plus 2.0 Monitors to use with the projector and just keeping the 5.1 for general sound and headset for gaming.

So the main question, do i need a sound card? i have a Asrock extreme 6 mobo which has ALC898 audio codec which i have read is good for onboard audio...i think.
What card would you recommend? i have roughly £50-£60 left after buying speakers

If i do get a sound card would i be able to keep the 5.1 speakers connected to the mobo and the new speakers on the sound card? or will they both have to be on the sound card?

Then my last question (for now) My headset is a corsair vengeance 2000 wireless, would these benefit from the sound card as they are USB connection?

Thank you for your time :)
 
R1600T are a great buy, and probably the best speakers you can get for £50. ALC898 is indeed one of the better onboard audio codecs, although if it were me I'd probably get a Xonar DGX for £20+.

You can leave the 5.1 speakers connected to onboard audio, or you could connect both to the sound card, but that will require a 3.5mm splitter cable. There is the front case connection which you could use, but they can be prone to interference issues, plus you may not want cables dangling from the front of your PC.

The headset won't make use of a sound card, as USB devices have their own sound processing.
 
Melmac i have a creative inspire P5800, i would estimate it at about 8 years old, dont get me wrong they are great speakers but considering how much a projector costs it would be a shame to ruin that experience with mediocre audio :)

I think those speakers would be a bit overkill for what i need, although im a fan of overkill i dont think i would ever use them to their capacity.

Xonar DGX with some 3.5mm splitters as i wont have to keep the onboard audio drivers installed and avoid any complications and R1600T it is then :)

One last question, if i buy both of them will i be able to expand in the future? as in rear speakers or a central speaker ect...?

Thanks
 
Trying to create 5.1 from various speaker sets is not a good idea really. It's too much of a hassle and a compromise. Far easier and better to buy a 5.1 speaker set.
 
RichWill44 said:
Melmac i have a creative inspire P5800, i would estimate it at about 8 years old, dont get me wrong they are great speakers but considering how much a projector costs it would be a shame to ruin that experience with mediocre audio :)

I think those speakers would be a bit overkill for what i need, although im a fan of overkill i dont think i would ever use them to their capacity.

Xonar DGX with some 3.5mm splitters as i wont have to keep the onboard audio drivers installed and avoid any complications and R1600T it is then :)

One last question, if i buy both of them will i be able to expand in the future? as in rear speakers or a central speaker ect...?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I am not sure I am following you. The 5.1 speakers you have at the moment at pretty good. Personally I don't think you are going to get much better audio out of the the edifiers, well maybe a little better for music, but not for movies. You bought a projector and obviously want big sound, either stay with the 5.1 system you have or get a set of really good stereo speakers that can fill a room.

What size room are you in? You must be in a big enough room if you bought a projector. If you want to fill a big room with sound, they won't do it. Plus they give you no upgrade path.

and I agree with Marsman, don't mix and match if you can help it at all. If you really want to get decent sound system, keep what you have for the moment and plan out an upgrade path.

Sorry, don't get me wrong, the edifiers are great. I just think you are going about this all wrong.
 
Those Edifiers although dont have a big base sound...they are very good speakers for movies and music too ...cant comment on games though ( I use headphones for gaming ) ...but I have heard they are good for gaming too.

I have them myself via a Xonar DGX which also has a headphone amp built in to it....both are worth buying :)
 
My room is about 18ft by 12ft. The 5.1 i have is good but i think 2 of the speakers are broken so more like a 3.1 now, there fine for general sound and playing games like supcom and aoeHD, for any other gaming i use my headset.

Im not really concerned with the volume that the speakers will go to, i just want good clear sound. Would you say that this would be more suitable for my needs then?
MicroLab FC360 5.1 Home Theater Entertainment System
with the Xonar DGX

Thanks
 
RichWill44 said:
My room is about 18ft by 12ft. The 5.1 i have is good but i think 2 of the speakers are broken so more like a 3.1 now, there fine for general sound and playing games like supcom and aoeHD, for any other gaming i use my headset.

Im not really concerned with the volume that the speakers will go to, i just want good clear sound. Would you say that this would be more suitable for my needs then?
MicroLab FC360 5.1 Home Theater Entertainment System
with the Xonar DGX

Thanks
Click to expand...

Been a good speaker isn't only about how loud it will go, but also how good it will sound at low volumes. Another characteristic of a good speaker is how little it will distort the sound at high volumes.

18ft by 12ft is a good size room, and I think you are going to be missing out by not getting a good system, especially as you say you want the sound to match the projector. And I don't care what anyone says, if you want home cinema you need good sound.

And no, I wouldn't buy the microlab fc360 either :) My point was that you should either get the best stereo speakers you can afford or save up and start building a proper 5.1 system.

And you don't even have to go that expensive to start off. For example, you can buy a pair of JBL control one speakers and a Sony STRDH520 receiver which will cost about £140 and will sound way better than what you plan to get and leave you with an upgrade path for the future. As you get more funds you could get a sub and more speakers without changing anything.

It's definitely the route I would take.

Oh, I know this goes a little beyond your budget, but hey it's xmas :D
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom