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  • #1

    Sound card for M77?

    For starts, let me apologize if I seem a bit out of touch. I built my first system back when the 386DX-40 was state of the art, but I've spent most of the last 5 years being unemployed/under-employed, and painfully broke. OK, so, financial situation improved drastically about 60 days ago, and I just built my first system in 5 years.

    Asrock Z77 mobo
    i5-3570K CPU
    EVGA Nvidia 680 video card
    ...and I doubt the rest is relevant here.

    System works great, all good. My problems began when I noted that the onboard sound is lame, and wanted to add a sound card. The mobo doesn't have a plain PCI slot, and my SB Audigy won't fit in the PCI-E slots.

    NewEgg, which is usually a great source, doesn't seem to have any sound cards that will fit this mobo, and I'm at a loss for what to do. Is an external USB soundcard in a box my only option? Am I doing something horribly wrong or making a dumb mistake here? Someone please enlighten my ignorance :)

    i r teh confuse!
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Sound card for M77?

    Hello and Welcome.

    NewEgg PCIe x1 Sound Cards
    #1 - Please, when seeking help, enter the make and model of ALL parts that your system is comprised of in your Signature, or at least the model #'s in your System Specs, then "Save' it.
    ____If you are overclocking, underclocking, or undervolting any parts, informing us of this and their values would prove beneficial in helping you.


    #2 - Consider your PSU to be the foundation from which all else is built upon. Anything built upon a weak foundation is poorly built.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Sound card for z77? OK, what kind?

      Originally posted by - wardog - View Post
      Hello and Welcome.

      NewEgg PCIe x1 Sound Cards
      Well, how's that for embarrassing? I'm not sure how I missed those.

      OK, next question, Creative or ASUS? I'm minded to stick with the old favorite Creative Labs, but I know relative quality of computer hardware manufacturers can shift very quickly, and I have been out of touch for a while...

      (Edit: I too bought a fractal design case, and they are the cat's pyjamas, no?)

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Sound card for M77?

        Meh. I'm an AC'97 guy. When I want to listen to quality I go in the living room and spin a SACD up. But for MP3, FLAC, and the occasional scare the bejessus outta me "Congratulations, you're the next contestant ...." pop-ups, AC'97.

        Creative or ASUS? Can't wait to see the divided responses you get from asking that q?

        And yea. Fractal makes one of the nicest cases I've had the pleasure of building with. Fit, finish, and general aesthetics are amazing. A bit pricy but I was not disappointed in the least.

        You know you have a winner when the Wife says she likes the case !

        And she's seen plenty come and go through here.
        #1 - Please, when seeking help, enter the make and model of ALL parts that your system is comprised of in your Signature, or at least the model #'s in your System Specs, then "Save' it.
        ____If you are overclocking, underclocking, or undervolting any parts, informing us of this and their values would prove beneficial in helping you.


        #2 - Consider your PSU to be the foundation from which all else is built upon. Anything built upon a weak foundation is poorly built.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Sound card for z77?

          Thanks, Wardog, but I'm not sure what the AC'97 comment means, even after I looked it up on wikipedia :) Were you saying you thought the RealTek onboard sound was good? It just sounds very thin and flat to me.

          I spent the last hour looking at cards at NewEgg, and reading some very scary reviews. Sad thing is, every product they sell in the sound card category that's under $100 has a lot of bad reviews. I'm thinking hard about an external USB after all, if only because they're the cheapest solutions with a 5-egg rating. Then again, is that simply because you cannot FUBAR the install?

          I don't know WTF to do, but I'm not spending $200 on a sound card. I mean, I spent $500 on a video card, yes, but that's different...

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Sound card for z77?

            Originally posted by Redpossum View Post
            TWere you saying you thought the RealTek onboard sound was good?
            Good? Heck no. Yet for what, and maybe more importantly when, I do listen to while seated in front of a computer it works for me. No sense waking the Wife in the wee hours. I get into enough trouble w/o cranking some youtube video up at 3am. The things we do for companionship I guess ..............

            Look up Altec Lansing 641 speakers. Sadly, boxed and in the basement now. Those will make the carpeting crawl and even the kitchen windows would quake and rattle.

            hhehe, you're funny. $500 on eye candy yet balk at $200 for the accompanying audio ............. Althewhile telling me "very thin and flat". Sure, I understand completely. Not!
            #1 - Please, when seeking help, enter the make and model of ALL parts that your system is comprised of in your Signature, or at least the model #'s in your System Specs, then "Save' it.
            ____If you are overclocking, underclocking, or undervolting any parts, informing us of this and their values would prove beneficial in helping you.


            #2 - Consider your PSU to be the foundation from which all else is built upon. Anything built upon a weak foundation is poorly built.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Sound card for M77?

              Ok, ok. I lied.

              Act of Valor, 45:25 in, where the Riverine SOC-R's come round the bend, Dillion Aero M134 Miniguns blazing 3k rnds/min. She doesn't much care for that. That I crank on the stereo and on the 'puter, whether shes sleeping or not.

              She loves me.
              #1 - Please, when seeking help, enter the make and model of ALL parts that your system is comprised of in your Signature, or at least the model #'s in your System Specs, then "Save' it.
              ____If you are overclocking, underclocking, or undervolting any parts, informing us of this and their values would prove beneficial in helping you.


              #2 - Consider your PSU to be the foundation from which all else is built upon. Anything built upon a weak foundation is poorly built.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Sound card for M77?

                +
                IMO, PC audio is terrible, all I use, if that, is the SPDIF output of the board to an external DAC, etc. Are you having noise issues, which is common with PC audio?

                ("PC Audio", a contradiction in terms, the inside of a PC is the worst environment for an audio signal, all the ultra high frequency switching and noise it creates, any cables to the front panel audio connectors all unshielded, lousy pin connectors for outputs, so called six or eight channel sound, but many without any type of surround sound decoding at all.)

                Creative is generally despised for their terrible drivers and support. If I had to choose, I would choose ASUS. I personally would use a out-board DAC or DAC/Preamp that can be used with USB ports, or SPDIF inputs.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Sound card for M77?

                  Originally posted by parsec View Post
                  +
                  +??

                  Someone help me. I'm being outflanked by audiophiles and or recovering audioholics
                  #1 - Please, when seeking help, enter the make and model of ALL parts that your system is comprised of in your Signature, or at least the model #'s in your System Specs, then "Save' it.
                  ____If you are overclocking, underclocking, or undervolting any parts, informing us of this and their values would prove beneficial in helping you.


                  #2 - Consider your PSU to be the foundation from which all else is built upon. Anything built upon a weak foundation is poorly built.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Sound card for M77?

                    Originally posted by parsec View Post
                    +
                    IMO, PC audio is terrible, all I use, if that, is the SPDIF output of the board to an external DAC, etc. Are you having noise issues, which is common with PC audio?

                    ("PC Audio", a contradiction in terms, the inside of a PC is the worst environment for an audio signal, all the ultra high frequency switching and noise it creates, any cables to the front panel audio connectors all unshielded, lousy pin connectors for outputs, so called six or eight channel sound, but many without any type of surround sound decoding at all.)

                    Creative is generally despised for their terrible drivers and support. If I had to choose, I would choose ASUS. I personally would use a out-board DAC or DAC/Preamp that can be used with USB ports, or SPDIF inputs.
                    In the summer of 1981, I stopped by the ATM on my lunch break to get some cash, and there was a guy selling these huge speakers out of the back of his van. He had a dozen or so of the damn things, and they were all new in the box. I haggled him down to about half his initial asking price, and made the major investment of $110 in a pair of these beasts that he called "studio monitors" with huge 12" woofers in them. Well, they seemed huge to me, at the time.

                    This called for an amplifier, so I bought a JVC R-X110, which put out a meagre 25 watts per channel, but hey, I was only making $7.20 an hour plus commission.

                    Fast forward 30 years or so, and the same gear is still sitting here at my right hand. I finally replaced the cones in my speakers last month, tossing out the rotted-rubber woofer cones, and replacing them with a pair of 12" Pyle red label sub-woofers. As of about 10 days ago, I was running my old box with an SB Audigy SE PCI card, patching the line-out from the Audigy to the line-in on the back of my JVC receiver, and playing all computer sound either through the speakers or through my new headphones (JVC HA-RX700, and a magnificent set of cans for $55). And for a cheapo audio setup, it sounded amazingly good.

                    When I built my new box, I just used the line-out of the onboard audio the same way, running it to the line-in of my stereo receiver. And it's alright, but it does sound "thin and flat", (sorry, wardog, it's the best description I can give). Yes, the RealTek onboard sound on my new Z77 mobo is inferior to the old SB Audigy SE. Sorry, but it's true.

                    So, Parsec, to answer your question directly - no, I am not having noise issues, if by that you mean line noise, hissing, pops, crackling, static, etc. None of that at all. The sound is just cheap and tinny.

                    I was confused by your advice, (not surprisingly, given my state of abject ignorance), but I think by DAC you mean "digital to analog converter". Umm, well, I understand digital and analog, but not what significance that has with regard to sound. Is there an online document somewhere that summarizes the basics of this whole sound issue?

                    Anyhow, after reading all the above, and careful thought, I threw up my hands, said "screw logic!", and just ordered one of these -Encore ENMAB-8CM. I looked at the SIIG, which is apparently made by the same company, but that one doesn't appear to support win7-64. Go figure. I will definitely let you know how this works out. It should arrive Monday.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Sound card for M77?

                      OK, the Encore box arrived, and it is made of pure win! :)

                      Big, fat, sassy sound from a box slightly larger than a hardpack of Marlboro 100's. And the fact that it's external contributes to my cable mess, yeah, but it also gets the soundcard out of the case. I spent an hour just listening to music, and dancing around the room playing air guitar, which is probably the best comment on how I feel about this product.

                      One thing I also realized, after checking the difference between jacking my headphones into the back of the Encore box, and jacking them into their usual hole in the front of my JVC receiver. That old JVC may have some great memories, but it's not doing my sound quality any good running the signal through 30 year-old electronics that have had bongwater spilled in the vents once too often. I need to replace that old receiver with a new amp ASAP.

                      But yeah, recommend the Encore box to anyone, without reservations. Good buy for $26.00

                      Oh, one last question, how do I disable the onboard sound? I was poking through the BIOS (or UEFI), but didn't see an option.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Sound card for M77?

                        Originally posted by Redpossum View Post
                        Oh, one last question, how do I disable the onboard sound? I was poking through the BIOS (or UEFI), but didn't see an option.
                        Never did post just which board, but ........

                        Advanced > South Bridge Config
                        #1 - Please, when seeking help, enter the make and model of ALL parts that your system is comprised of in your Signature, or at least the model #'s in your System Specs, then "Save' it.
                        ____If you are overclocking, underclocking, or undervolting any parts, informing us of this and their values would prove beneficial in helping you.


                        #2 - Consider your PSU to be the foundation from which all else is built upon. Anything built upon a weak foundation is poorly built.

                        Comment

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