Whats a decent sound card for under £30?

eatingrich · Aug 30, 2008, 06:55 PM

Hello all,

I'm looking for a new sound card, it doesn't need to be anything super flashy. I'll be using it mostly for listening to music and playing games, although the missus will also use it for Sibelius and Cubase occasionally when planning lessons.

Ideally I'd spend about £20 for one but if going an extra tenner means I get a much better card I'd be willing.

It seems that the Audigy SE still seems one of the better budget 'brand' sound cards, would this be what you recommend?

It seems sound cards are either no-brand 5.1 PCI cards or branded super-expensive cards, with not much in between.

Can anyone guide me to some decent sound cards? I use XP.

Cheers

cozumel · Aug 30, 2008, 07:10 PM

The Audigy SE is probably the best you'll get at that price.

Edit: I apologise in advance if I'm out of order for mentioning this. But I'm looking to sell a used Audigy 2 ZS for under £30 if you're interested. I've actually got it listed at £25 in this thread. The games "Hitman: Contract" and "Thief: Deadly Shadows" are included in the retail box.
Aplogies again for bad etiquette

eatingrich · Aug 30, 2008, 08:20 PM

Unless you're planning on ripping me off I don't see why that was bad etiquette!

Thanks for the offer, I'll have a think about it. There is a card only thing on ebay for about a tenner with no bids, but otherwise your price seems good (compared to other auctions).

How much would postage be, to the UK?Thanks again for the offer.

**kris23** · Aug 30, 2008, 08:49 PM

hes in the UK man

**MIG-31** · Aug 30, 2008, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eatingrich

Unless you're planning on ripping me off I don't see why that was bad etiquette!

I just see he is just simply giving you an offer on your request that falls within your budget.And if i am not mistaken about the etiquette comment,Cozumel dont want to be seen pimping his own sales unintentionally.

Quote:

How much would postage be, to the UK?Thanks again for the offer.

he lives in london.So he should be posting by the uk postal rate

eatingrich · Aug 30, 2008, 09:40 PM

Yes I knew he was in the UK, but obviously it depends on the size of the package! That's all I meant.

cozumel · Aug 31, 2008, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIG-31

And if i am not mistaken about the etiquette comment,Cozumel dont want to be seen pimping his own sales unintentionally.

he lives in london.So he should be posting by the uk postal rate

Not just any part of London either. I live in the ghetto lol

And yes MIG, you're correct about me being uncomfortable about it being 'pimping'

Anyhow, eatingrich. I just checked and it costs £4.20 for parcel delivery in mainland UK with Royal Mail Service due to the size of the retail box. The actual card (in its anti-static bag), documentation, driver/software disk, games and cables would all fit in a smallish padded envelope and cost a lot less. I would have buy a larger box to place the retail box into otherwise it would turn up looking scruffy. So postage and packing would cost £5 all-in. I'd be prepared to share the cost of that with you though if you were interested. So in other words delivery would be £2.50 extra = £27.50 incl delivery. (I think I just waffled a bit

)

Matth · Aug 31, 2008, 05:35 PM

Found this one
Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCI-Express - OEM - Ebuyer - and while trying to find if it is better than an Audigy SE, it seems like Creative have done the old rebadge and device ID switch.

Jimmy’s Junkyard Blog Archive X-Fi Xtreme Audio = Audigy SE ???

I used to like Creative, I've had Creative cards from a SB16 MCD ASP (retail) - nice, I still have it to put in an oldbox resurrection.
PCI128 - though the true power behind that was Ensoniq, not Creative
Last one I bought was an OEM Live.

And now... onboard HD-Audio, and curse you, C-Media, for cancelling the "Hydrogenaudio" driver update - other than that, it's ok, makes noises out of the right places. The only progress from C-Media of late, seems to have been LOSING their .COM website address, and stiffing other card makers with an exclusive 8788 chip deal with ASUS.

cozumel · Aug 31, 2008, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matth

Found this one
Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCI-Express - OEM - Ebuyer - and while trying to find if it is better than an Audigy SE, it seems like Creative have done the old rebadge and device ID switch.

Jimmy’s Junkyard Blog Archive X-Fi Xtreme Audio = Audigy SE ???

I used to like Creative, I've had Creative cards from a SB16 MCD ASP (retail) - nice, I still have it to put in an oldbox resurrection.
PCI128 - though the true power behind that was Ensoniq, not Creative
Last one I bought was an OEM Live.

And now... onboard HD-Audio, and curse you, C-Media, for cancelling the "Hydrogenaudio" driver update - other than that, it's ok, makes noises out of the right places. The only progress from C-Media of late, seems to have been LOSING their .COM website address, and stiffing other card makers with an exclusive 8788 chip deal with ASUS.

I started a thread on the X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCIe back in November when I was thinking of buying one.

Here is a couple of the replies I got:

Quote:

Originally Posted by stormy13

I assume this is the card you ordered,

PCI Express Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio SB1040EF - Sound Blaster - Your Movies and Music. Way Better

If so do yourself a very big favor and cancel/return it. The Xtreme Audio and gaming are a contradiction in terms. For starters that card is purely software/host based (meaning the cpu still does all the work), and the only thing it has in relation to a regular X-Fi is the X-Fi name. card never should have been called a X-Fi in the first place.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arklon

Return that thing ASAP. The X-Fi Xtreme Audio is just a rebranded Audigy SE, which was a rebranded Live 24-bit. It does not have EAX5 and it offers no hardware DSP acceleration (EAX is done in software).
And definitely get the X-Fi Prelude. It's a PCB full of awesome.

The full thread is here. I didn't buy one!!

Judas · Aug 31, 2008, 08:09 PM

personally i wouldn't touch any sound card with a creative name on it anymore.. specially when it comes to vista relations..

eatingrich · Aug 31, 2008, 10:01 PM

I have to admit I'm tempted, it's a bit above what I originally intended but after scouring the net it seems you either buy a no-name generic card for less than a tenner, or something quite expensive from a more modern card.

I don't have PCI-E sadly so those cards are out.

Checking ebay, you can get the card on its own for a few quid less, but in terms of re-selling value its always best to have everything original, boxed...

Will the ZS 2 take some of the load off the CPU when playing games, as I'm currently using an onboard sound card?

And what would the relative merits be of getting something a bit older like a Soundblaster Live - what would you be missing out on there? Stuff like EAX support?

cozumel · Aug 31, 2008, 10:40 PM

Whether something sounds better or not is all personal taste, the acoustics of the room, furniture, cables, speakers etc. I cannot answer either of your questions. I don't know enough technically. If you re-post in the "Audio General" forum (4 above this one) and ask about Soundblaster Live vs Audigy2 ZS (pros & cons) then I'm sure some of the true audiophiles will answer.

eatingrich · Sep 1, 2008, 12:39 PM

Cheers, I'm not an audiophile myself which is why I want to be cautious and not go overboard buying a sound card I'm not really going to maximise to the fullest.

I was originally going to post on that board but this thread said hardware so I posted on here. I'll post on there too. Thanks!

BlueMak · Sep 1, 2008, 04:03 PM

I used to have (and still do) an X-Fi Fatality and while the sound quality is indeed very good, all the driver related problems plus the bugs in the design/drivers of the card just killed it for me. I use the mainboard's onboard 7.1 solution realtek 885 or 8, and I just don't see myself going back to any Creative soundcard for a long time.
In other words, if you have a mainboard with a good/recent realtek sound solution, I wouldn't advice going for a seperate soundcard.

eatingrich · Sep 1, 2008, 10:14 PM

Interesting, I have a friend that insists that sound cards aren't worth the hassle and you're just as well off using the onboard card. The thought of it adding to the CPU load annoys me though.

The driver for my onboard sound is from 2003, so relatively recent.

BlueMak · Sep 1, 2008, 10:44 PM

I hope you are kidding.

cozumel · Sep 1, 2008, 11:28 PM

You would definitely notice the difference. If you went to store with your rig and asked them to set up some soundcards with your rig to test you would hear the difference immediately.

Now, with the newer generation Realtek on-board sound chips on modern mainboards, they can provide a performance comparable if not better than some of the offerings of Creative. If you lived in London I would invite you round with your computer just to listen. If I knew you, I would lend you my Audigy and post you the card so you could hear and compare.

eatingrich · Sep 4, 2008, 07:14 PM

Cheers for the replies, I've always felt that if I sat them side by side I'd be able to guess more objectively.

Very generous offer re: visiting to test and the loan of the card - I live in Yorkshire though.

Aug 30, 2008, 06:55 PM	#1
eatingrich HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 159 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Whats a decent sound card for under £30? Hello all, I'm looking for a new sound card, it doesn't need to be anything super flashy. I'll be using it mostly for listening to music and playing games, although the missus will also use it for Sibelius and Cubase occasionally when planning lessons. Ideally I'd spend about £20 for one but if going an extra tenner means I get a much better card I'd be willing. It seems that the Audigy SE still seems one of the better budget 'brand' sound cards, would this be what you recommend? It seems sound cards are either no-brand 5.1 PCI cards or branded super-expensive cards, with not much in between. Can anyone guide me to some decent sound cards? I use XP. Cheers __________________ Check out my gaming blog for stuff about Windows Phone, retro gaming and Xbox - www.zombiesatemyxbox.com

Aug 30, 2008, 07:10 PM	#2
cozumel I'm dangerous but cute... Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Under the waves... Posts: 3,577 Rep Power: 60 System Specs	The Audigy SE is probably the best you'll get at that price. Edit: I apologise in advance if I'm out of order for mentioning this. But I'm looking to sell a used Audigy 2 ZS for under £30 if you're interested. I've actually got it listed at £25 in this thread. The games "Hitman: Contract" and "Thief: Deadly Shadows" are included in the retail box. Aplogies again for bad etiquette __________________ Don't worry about money - Be a beach bum! Scuba Rocks

Aug 30, 2008, 08:20 PM	Thread Starter #3
eatingrich HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 159 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Unless you're planning on ripping me off I don't see why that was bad etiquette! Thanks for the offer, I'll have a think about it. There is a card only thing on ebay for about a tenner with no bids, but otherwise your price seems good (compared to other auctions). How much would postage be, to the UK?Thanks again for the offer. __________________ Check out my gaming blog for stuff about Windows Phone, retro gaming and Xbox - www.zombiesatemyxbox.com

Aug 30, 2008, 08:49 PM	#4
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	hes in the UK man __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Aug 30, 2008, 09:40 PM	Thread Starter #6
eatingrich HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 159 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Yes I knew he was in the UK, but obviously it depends on the size of the package! That's all I meant. __________________ Check out my gaming blog for stuff about Windows Phone, retro gaming and Xbox - www.zombiesatemyxbox.com

Aug 31, 2008, 05:35 PM	#8
Matth Flash Banner Hater Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: UK Posts: 3,426 Rep Power: 93 System Specs	Found this one Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCI-Express - OEM - Ebuyer - and while trying to find if it is better than an Audigy SE, it seems like Creative have done the old rebadge and device ID switch. Jimmy’s Junkyard Blog Archive X-Fi Xtreme Audio = Audigy SE ??? I used to like Creative, I've had Creative cards from a SB16 MCD ASP (retail) - nice, I still have it to put in an oldbox resurrection. PCI128 - though the true power behind that was Ensoniq, not Creative Last one I bought was an OEM Live. And now... onboard HD-Audio, and curse you, C-Media, for cancelling the "Hydrogenaudio" driver update - other than that, it's ok, makes noises out of the right places. The only progress from C-Media of late, seems to have been LOSING their .COM website address, and stiffing other card makers with an exclusive 8788 chip deal with ASUS. __________________ Mary had a little lamb, Her father shot it dead Now Mary takes her lamb to school, Between two crusts of bread

Aug 31, 2008, 10:01 PM	Thread Starter #11
eatingrich HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 159 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	I have to admit I'm tempted, it's a bit above what I originally intended but after scouring the net it seems you either buy a no-name generic card for less than a tenner, or something quite expensive from a more modern card. I don't have PCI-E sadly so those cards are out. Checking ebay, you can get the card on its own for a few quid less, but in terms of re-selling value its always best to have everything original, boxed... Will the ZS 2 take some of the load off the CPU when playing games, as I'm currently using an onboard sound card? And what would the relative merits be of getting something a bit older like a Soundblaster Live - what would you be missing out on there? Stuff like EAX support? __________________ Check out my gaming blog for stuff about Windows Phone, retro gaming and Xbox - www.zombiesatemyxbox.com

Aug 31, 2008, 10:40 PM	#12
cozumel I'm dangerous but cute... Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Under the waves... Posts: 3,577 Rep Power: 60 System Specs	Whether something sounds better or not is all personal taste, the acoustics of the room, furniture, cables, speakers etc. I cannot answer either of your questions. I don't know enough technically. If you re-post in the "Audio General" forum (4 above this one) and ask about Soundblaster Live vs Audigy2 ZS (pros & cons) then I'm sure some of the true audiophiles will answer. __________________ Don't worry about money - Be a beach bum! Scuba Rocks

Sep 1, 2008, 12:39 PM	Thread Starter #13
eatingrich HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 159 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Cheers, I'm not an audiophile myself which is why I want to be cautious and not go overboard buying a sound card I'm not really going to maximise to the fullest. I was originally going to post on that board but this thread said hardware so I posted on here. I'll post on there too. Thanks! __________________ Check out my gaming blog for stuff about Windows Phone, retro gaming and Xbox - www.zombiesatemyxbox.com

Sep 1, 2008, 04:03 PM	#14
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,465 Rep Power: 349 System Specs	I used to have (and still do) an X-Fi Fatality and while the sound quality is indeed very good, all the driver related problems plus the bugs in the design/drivers of the card just killed it for me. I use the mainboard's onboard 7.1 solution realtek 885 or 8, and I just don't see myself going back to any Creative soundcard for a long time. In other words, if you have a mainboard with a good/recent realtek sound solution, I wouldn't advice going for a seperate soundcard. __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Sep 1, 2008, 10:14 PM	Thread Starter #15
eatingrich HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 159 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Interesting, I have a friend that insists that sound cards aren't worth the hassle and you're just as well off using the onboard card. The thought of it adding to the CPU load annoys me though. The driver for my onboard sound is from 2003, so relatively recent. __________________ Check out my gaming blog for stuff about Windows Phone, retro gaming and Xbox - www.zombiesatemyxbox.com

Sep 1, 2008, 10:44 PM	#16
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,465 Rep Power: 349 System Specs	I hope you are kidding. __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Sep 1, 2008, 11:28 PM	#17
cozumel I'm dangerous but cute... Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Under the waves... Posts: 3,577 Rep Power: 60 System Specs	You would definitely notice the difference. If you went to store with your rig and asked them to set up some soundcards with your rig to test you would hear the difference immediately. Now, with the newer generation Realtek on-board sound chips on modern mainboards, they can provide a performance comparable if not better than some of the offerings of Creative. If you lived in London I would invite you round with your computer just to listen. If I knew you, I would lend you my Audigy and post you the card so you could hear and compare. __________________ Don't worry about money - Be a beach bum! Scuba Rocks

Sep 4, 2008, 07:14 PM	Thread Starter #18
eatingrich HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 159 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Cheers for the replies, I've always felt that if I sat them side by side I'd be able to guess more objectively. Very generous offer re: visiting to test and the loan of the card - I live in Yorkshire though. __________________ Check out my gaming blog for stuff about Windows Phone, retro gaming and Xbox - www.zombiesatemyxbox.com