Onboard vs. Discrete

[RedvGreen]

Having firmly used discrete cards for the past 10yrs, I am dabbling with the onboard option available on my Asus Maximus Formula VI. It purports to deliver:

ROG SupremeFX Formula 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
- Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming
- SupremeFX Shielding Technology
- Cirrus Logic® CS4398 DAC: 120 dB SNR, -107 dB THD+N (Max. 192 kHz/ 24 -bit)
- TI 6120A2 high fidelity headphone amplifier
- WIMA® film capacitors
- ELNA® premium audio capacitors
- High-fidelity audio OP AMP(s)
- Differential circuit design
Audio Feature :
- Blu-ray audio layer Content Protection
- Sonic Radar
- DTS Connect
- Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back pane

I am using 550W 5.1 Creative Gigaworks Surround Sound system.

Yet, having moved from a (now failed) 118dB Xonar Xense, I still feel underwhelmed. Ingame audio is quieter, and doesn't feel as precise.

Previously onboard options have sounded muffled and muted, but this is sharper, yet still lacks something that, despite being 120dB, the Xonar Xense 118dB delivered.

What makes or breaks the soundcard? Is it amplification? Signal enhancement?

Despite the onboard option seemingly being better at 120dB signal to noise, I am assuming that there is so much more to consider than simply this; hence, whilst the onboard option seems superior to every card available minus the ZxR, it is actually far worse than the cards, but one of the better onboard options?

 

[synixx]

It will most likely be amplification. I find a good amplifier makes a big difference even for 32ohm headphones.

 

[hughythomas]

You connecting up to your speakers digitally or over analogue?

Too many variables here to give a specific answer but yer my advice would be sack off the onboard in favour of a dedicated card (if you have the space and care about sonic quality).

However, if you are connecting digitally there is hardly any point moving to a card.

For my gaming machine I simply use an HDMI plugged into my graphics card - this is better than SPDIF/optical options generally as its full lossless multi-channel bit-matched 1s and 0s flying over the cable into a home cinema receiver (with the DAC).

I'm no expert on the gaming audio side of things but IIRC formats like DTS Connect are inherently lossy...

Maybe one of the guys will be able to give you better advice?

 

[Glanza]

I have the same board as you and currently use the onboard sound as to me it's better then my old asus d2x.

I currently use audio-technica at-m50s for my cans.

 

[Marsman]

I have the same board as you and currently use the onboard sound as to me it's better then my old asus d2x.

I currently use audio-technica at-m50s for my cans.

Probably the headphone amp the motherboard has is making the difference. About time motherboards received headphone amps, even if it is the higher end boards; as that is the one thing that makes most onboard audio very average when using headphones, poor amplification.

Whether or not the actual sound quality is better, is debatable. It's common for people to mistake a volume increase for an improvement in sound quality. If the motherboard's headphone amp is providing an increase in volume more to your liking, then it's a good chance that is why you are finding it sounds better.

Audio can be a funny thing though, in a way. Two people may have totally different experiences using the same audio gear.

 

[Glanza]

Probably the headphone amp the motherboard has is making the difference. About time motherboards received headphone amps, even if it is the higher end boards; as that is the one thing that makes most onboard audio very average when using headphones, poor amplification.

Whether or not the actual sound quality is better, is debatable. It's common for people to mistake a volume increase for an improvement in sound quality. If the motherboard's headphone amp is providing an increase in volume more to your liking, then it's a good chance that is why you are finding it sounds better.

Audio can be a funny thing though, in a way. Two people may have totally different experiences using the same audio gear.

This is true, Though now due to the onboard / amp I'm hearing things I'd never heard in games even after using the d2x for the last 2 years. It was a pleasant surprise.

 

[Marsman]

If a headphone amp can be fitted to a £20 Xonar DG, then why didn't Asus consider that with previous cards such as the D2/D2X and D1/DX, I wonder? It wasn't as if it was a new idea and had never been done before.