Whats a good 5.1 Sound Card, with Digital Outputs?

I have some new Logitech z680 5.1 sourround sound speakers comming,
and need to get a new 5.1 (or above) sound card for my computer.

What do you recommend?
I need an optical or coaxial digital ouptut,
and needs to be under $40

What should I get?

~John

Here are a few I have found, any good?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=6808055832&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=6809083550&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=6808509061&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

I know sound blaster is a good brand,
but i dont seem to see many with digital ouputs.

~John

OK, im trying to choose between the Audity 2 and Audity 2 ZS,,, but, whats the diff ????

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=6807693741&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/Creative-Sound-...01810QQcategoryZ44981QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

the more i read, the more confused I am.

Having fun yet ticey?

You were no help to me in chat,,, now you are no help here

just a quick glance it seems the ZS is 7.1 vs 6.1 capable. I personaly don't feel the need for "x channel" audio. It's getting like those razors. More isn't always better.

If the Audigy does what you need, then don't spend the extra for the ZS if you don't need the 7.1/etc..

Issac,

Yea noticed that,

It seems the ZS comes with more software, has 7.1 vs 6.1, and decodes DTS.

The DTS is what worries me,, almost no DVDs have that yet, but I want this card to last.

You right, more speackers isnt always better, ,,, for music.
But MAN a good sourround sound system REALLY improves movies.
I have a multi thoughsand $ home theater system,
but I find myself using the comp to watch more and more DVDs on it also,

7.1 is highly over rated i think though,
unless you have a very large room, you cant get the seperation you need.

Ya for movies I'd be plenty happy with a 5.1 or even a 4.1 if the room was small enough.

If you ever do go for a system get at least 5.1

The Center channel is VERY important, it hadles over 75% of the sound !!
Not 75% in volume, but 75% in content.
When done right, thats hard to notice, but its working hard.

I donno, I may go for the ZS model just to have greater compatibilites etc. for a longer time, so its not outdated sooner.

The Audigy cards you've named are from the Audigy 2 series. I have the original Audigy 1 cards (5.1) in all three of my home PCs. The Audigy 2 cards deliver the same quality, with a few dB more of S/N ratio. There are probably other sonic improvements that I can't remember.

Audigy is the default choice for decent sound at the level just below audiophile. As you've discovered, you can buy an Audigy 2 card quite cheaply if you buy one that's factory reconditioned or OEM.

Other brands, favored by audiophiles, offer lower latency (important if you will be composing music) and more inputs and outputs. But I doubt the sound is much better. Audigy's EAX software has become an industry standard for games and gives you many ways to adjust how your music sounds.

The hardware has been reliable, but I can't say the same for the software. It seems that at least once a year, the sound card ceases to "find" the software and I must reinstall it--all of it. Updates are available on a regular basis, but you need to know what you're doing--what to install in what order--because Creative has not automated the installation sequence.

Jtice: true, thats why I don't like most 5.1 systems. The center channel is the loudest and thats all you hear. Stereo seperation goes out the window. And usualy the center channel is some smaller setup than your 2 main front L&R tower speakers, so you get less mid-range and mid-bass. Call me old fashioned. I haven't seen any setups I liked. I'll probably build my own anyways when I have a house. That way I can pick the drivers, and tune the box to my liking. Maybe I'll mount 2 tower speakers horiztonal on the wall above the TV and call it good for a center channel. LOL

Isaac,

Won't work for way too many reasons to get into here.

If you want the BEST sound in HT, all the speakers should be identical and receive the appropriate signal.

Towers sound terrible laid down flat!! They are designed, at least the better ones, with floor and ceiling bounce calculated in, laying them flat obviously screws that up!

If you are going to build, build for projection with an acoustically neutral screen, but identical, well designed speakers for all channels in place, have it professionally balanced and designed for the room size and shape and enjoy!!

Bill

Bill, agreed, I was being a bit goofy on purpose. The setups I've seen aren't matched very well, except for the small dvd combo packages out now. I really haven't looked hard since they first came out. I agree 100% on matched speakers. The more speakers you throw in the mix the more chance for freq cancelations/amplficiations. I'll get off this subject as I've take the thread Off topic.

Jtice once you get everything post what you thinka bout those speakers, I might upgrade my aged PC speakers someday... I might have a job soon.. but it will be a 30min commute..

Proper ADJUSTMENT of a system is JUST as important as the components involved.
If you heard alot of systems playing music with way too much center, they are simply not adjusted right.

My Home Theater plays music very well, but thats largely to due with the settings,
I change the preset to one adjusted for music, it tones down the center on purpose.

And yes, building your own would be VERY hard to get right.
I have built a few, and alot of car stereos,
Matching the speakers to one another is very important, its all about the the way the sound waves mesh.
Thats why all the new systems you see use the exact same driver, and sometimes the same exact enclosure, for each speaker.

Anyway, I could go on and on about audio

I will post here once I have it setup,
I think I may go for the ZS model, wont really make a diff though, till the DTS stuff is more common.

~John

im no sound card guy matter fact i have no speakers on pc no sound at all.the sounds allways scare me lol but i heard some bad things about cretive labs but i forget the details

Good news is, i have a Creative Labs Audigy 2 ZS on the way!

Bad news? I screwed up my ebaying,
long story short, I have TWO of them on the way!

So, who wants to buy one? lol
They are both Identical.
Im willing to sell the one I got cheaper, this is the auction for it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6809465706&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

Factory refurbished by Creative Labs, and factory resealed.
Comes with all the software bells and whistles that it should.
I beleave these are not returned cards, but rather ones that had a flaw when they got to QC, and were fixed in house at Creative Labs.
They have a good track record for these.
30 day replacement if anything is wrong with it.

Ill let it go for $55 Shipped.
This is the cheapest these ever go for.

Thanks,
~John

Hi Jtice,

I wish I would have seen this thread a bit ago. At least for future reference, this is the card I would recommend:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829120103
I think this is the most underated card out there. It's awesome.