Windows 7 - Best Sound Card

[jeremyofmany]

I recently did a clean install of Windows 7.
I have the Razer Barracuda Gaming Headphones.
I have a 7 going on 8 year old Sound Blaster Live! card.
I am wondering which sound card to buy. Logically, the Razer Barracuda sound card seems nice.
I've never had a surround sound setup so I am just wondering about that. I watch TV, movies and play FPS/RPG games on the PC. I'm assuming I will have totally immersive 5.1/7.1 surround sound in all of that?
My only concern is, if I eventually want to hook up my sound card to my TV/VCR/DVD player, the Razer sound card does not appear to have the outputs for it.
Would I be better off going with a high-end Creative card for the EAX?


Thanks,
Jeremy

[JD]

EAX doesn't exactly work in Windows 7, and I don't think too many games are bothering implementing it anymore.

I run an ASUS Xonar DX which does the trick and sounds great. Has an optical output so you could easily hook it up to a home theatre system.

[jeremyofmany]

I have read reviews on this card you mentioned and it looks great.
I'm just trying to figure out the connectors.
http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/im.../Large/PCI.jpg

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/R...nverterbig.jpg

I'm guessing they go like this?:
pink = far left
black = front?
yellow/green = side/rear?

As I said, I'm a n00b when it comes to this stuff.

If my headphones are only 5.1, can I use them with a 7.1 sound card?

[JD]

You just set it to 5.1 output in the control panel software that comes with it.

From that picture, from left-to-right:
Pink | Green | Black | Orange | Empty
However I think the labeling on the card is wrong. As I have my 5.1 speakers plugged in like above, minus the pink since I don't have a microphone. And they work properly with the correct channels coming out of the speakers. By that picture it would be Pink | Green | Empty | Orange | Black.

Pink might go in the Empty one, not sure. Though by the labeling, it should be the first one. This however takes up the Optical output since it's a multi-jack.

And should your PC not have PCI-Express, then you'll want the Xonar DS or D1 as those are PCI.

[lowfat]

Originally Posted by jdrom17

EAX doesn't exactly work in Windows 7, and I don't think too many games are bothering implementing it anymore.

I run an ASUS Xonar DX which does the trick and sounds great. Has an optical output so you could easily hook it up to a home theatre system.

Yes it does. OpenAL fully supports it and hardware acceleration. Only older games you need to install Alchemy but it still works.


What are you using for speakers? Just 5.1 headphones?

I bought an auzentech card for the eax 5.0. And yes it does work in win7 just fine. Asus for music/media. Auzentech games/music/media.

[jeremyofmany]

Originally Posted by jdrom17

And should your PC not have PCI-Express, then you'll want the Xonar DS or D1 as those are PCI.

I have a DFI LanParty UT NF4 Ultra-D Motherboard. It has 2 PCI-E slots. By default, one is x16 and the other is x1. I have moved the jumpers to change it from SLI to Single VGA Mode (2 @ 8x).
I have one of PCI-E slots for the slot type on the Asus card mentioned above.

Originally Posted by lowfat

What are you using for speakers? Just 5.1 headphones?

No speakers. Just the 5.1 headphones.

Originally Posted by HaDeS

I bought an auzentech card for the eax 5.0. And yes it does work in win7 just fine. Asus for music/media. Auzentech games/music/media.

The question is, does it work with Windows 7 x86, x64 or both?
It is interesting that you recommend Asus for music/media and Auzentech for those plus games.
The review on the ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 shows that it works good for gaming.
I suppose that is based on personal experience?

I went back to XP Pro SP3 x86 last night just to get my Sound Blaster Live working again.
Once I get a new sound card, depending on the driver compatibility, I will go back to Windows 7 x86/x64.

I have not decided on the card yet, though.

Another concern I have is the hook up that would go to the entertainment center for movies.
I do not have a high definition TV. I used to use S-Video and a cable that takes the (line-in?) and splits it into the left/right (red/right) audio cables in the back of the TV.
I've been doing that for years but always had to put up with the buzzing sound. I guess that is because of the shielding in the wiring? Not sure.

Anyway, I want a card that can:
- Give me surround sound in media and gaming
- Work in Windows 7 (preferably x64)
- Have a hook up for my entertainment center that will not give me the buzzing sound. Is that the card's fault, or the cable's fault?

[ayah]

Mmm DFI NF4.. A blast from the past. My router runs a DFI NF4 Ultra.

I'd probably go Asus if I were you.

[JD]

Originally Posted by lowfat

Yes it does. OpenAL fully supports it and hardware acceleration. Only older games you need to install Alchemy but it still works.

Well whatever. Can't say I miss EAX. Games still sound fine so I don't know if I'm missing out on anything and I came from a X-Fi.

And I suppose the ASUS cards have some EAX support anyhow using GX2.0/2.5. Though I haven't seen the EAX logo in any games I've played recently. Only one I can recall is BF2142.

[jeremyofmany]

Originally Posted by ayah

I'd probably go Asus if I were you.

What is the reasoning behind your recommendation?

To all/any:
What about this card?
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...nufacture=ASUS