# Recommend me a sound card that can do this.



## Anusha (Aug 1, 2011)

Hi guys,

I bought the Roccat Kave 5.1 for games (they are great, a bit heavy, but great) and I have a cheap 2.1 speakers for listening to stuff when I am not in front of the PC. I am no audiophile by any means, but I can hear nosie from my Realtek onboard sound when listening to headphones - and yes, the mic ports are muted. Besides, jack retasking feature doesn't work with this Realtek 892 chip for me. So currently I have the speakers plugged into the front port. (If retasking worked, I could have plugged it to the blue free port) Like I said, I don't need great quality audio out of the speakers (I cannot turn them up anyways) but I don't want any crackling sounds.

And I don't want to plug the damn speakers to the front audio port! It is disgusting. Not for the audio quality, not for the looks, but for the ports on the RV03 not liking the stereo jacks. They don't seem to stuck in all the time. I lose the right audio once in a while, and I have to push it in again. >_<

*So basically I am looking for a sound card that does the following.*

1. 5.1 surround + stereo from direct ports out of the sound card. (I know I will have to connect the speakers to the headphone jack, but there is no other option, other than buying speakers with a digital in right? And they aren't seen on cheap speakers)
  From what I read, the X-Fi Titanium does support 5.1 + headphones using the 7.1 outputs. Is that true? I don't need headphone and speakers outputting at the same time, but I don't want to mess with the plugs every time I need to switch the output)

Does Xonar DX or D2X support this feature? Because, THEY say Xonars sound better (while I may not be an audiophile, I wouldn't mind getting the most out of the Kaves) and Creative drivers are crap. (except I don't know how those PAX drivers work) Also, there is a Audiotrak PRODIGY 7.1e X-Fi card with a dedicated headphone jack, but that uses X-Fi Extreme Audio chip, not the real DSP based X-Fi chip. 

2. PCI-E connectivity as if I buy a second graphics card, the sound card will be smack in between the two graphics cards and the top graphics card's fan will be disrupted. God help the sound card too! XD

Also note that I can get a second hand Titanium for less than a Xonar DX or half the price of a D2X.  (as I cannot find second hand DXs or D2X, but D1 is there but that's PCI)

Or can someone recommend me a solution? I would definitely buy a sound card anyway. Need to kill two birds with one stone.


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## Maban (Aug 1, 2011)

Why not just get a simple Y splitter?


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## Anusha (Aug 1, 2011)

but then i will have to change the sound output from 5.1 to 2.1 every time i listen through the speakers right? besides, isn't it unbalanced or something? i mean, less load on front speakers (two loads in parallel means less resistance than the individually least resistance) and other 4 channels having higher load?

also, since you have a titanium, can you confirm that the 5.1 + headset works?


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## Crap Daddy (Aug 1, 2011)

I have the Xonar D1, PCI version, chose that since it doesn't need any aditional power, I think the DX is the PCI-E version and the same headset as you. Use a splitter on the front speakers jack out to go to my amp. Works great. You'll have to switch in the xonar audio center from 5.1 to stereo if you want to hear the speakers in 2.0.


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## Maban (Aug 1, 2011)

I've never actually used my front panel jacks before since I have easier access to the back of my PC. Just tried it with some headphones and it works fine. Automatically muted speakers and dropped system volume.

A Y splitter won't noticeably degrade quality. And certainly contrary to what one user has said here before, your speakers _will not_ blow up. And if the splitter is short enough, it won't mess with the latency to the front channel to the headset. Don't get me wrong though, I think you would love a new sound card. Even if you aren't listening for the quality difference onboard and dedicated, you'll surely notice it.


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## Anusha (Aug 2, 2011)

Maban said:


> I've never actually used my front panel jacks before since I have easier access to the back of my PC. Just tried it with some headphones and it works fine. Automatically muted speakers and dropped system volume.
> 
> A Y splitter won't noticeably degrade quality. And certainly contrary to what one user has said here before, your speakers _will not_ blow up. And if the splitter is short enough, it won't mess with the latency to the front channel to the headset. Don't get me wrong though, I think you would love a new sound card. Even if you aren't listening for the quality difference onboard and dedicated, you'll surely notice it.


i wasnt talking about front panel port mate. just one of the ports in the back that they call headphone port, which is also used when you haev 7.1 speakers. the case i was talking about was, 5.1 speakers in the first 3 jacks, stereo headphone in the other jack. although, in my case, speaker and headphone will have to be switch, but sound card doesn't care, right?


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## Maban (Aug 2, 2011)

Titanium doesn't have a dedicated headphone jack. The green Line Out 1(Front Out) would be used for that. You would still need a splitter for that situation.


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## Anusha (Aug 2, 2011)

Maban said:


> Titanium doesn't have a dedicated headphone jack. The green Line Out 1(Front Out) would be used for that. You would still need a splitter for that situation.


i see. then i was misinformed! 

which drivers are you using? regular ones from creative or the PAX drivers?


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## Maban (Aug 2, 2011)

I've been using the official ones. I might try the modded ones when I reinstall after I get Sandy Bridge.


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## Anusha (Aug 2, 2011)

Maban said:


> I've been using the official ones. I might try the modded ones when I reinstall after I get Sandy Bridge.


so if i go with the splitter, which card do you recommend for GAMING with my 5.1 headphones? 
Xonar DX or X-Fi Titanium? (should i get the Titanium Professional Audio over vanila model?) 
Thing is, I can only find DX brand new for almost $118, Titanium and Titanium Professional Audio can be found second hand for $94 and $118. Brand new of either is more expensive than Xonar DX of course.


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## Maban (Aug 2, 2011)

Do you really need top of the line? A sound card, almost regardless of what you get, is going to sound better than onboard.

Is that Titanium Professional Audio the non-Fatal1ty Asia-only model?


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## Anusha (Aug 2, 2011)

Maban said:


> Do you really need top of the line? A sound card, almost regardless of what you get, is going to sound better than onboard.
> 
> Is that Titanium Professional Audio the non-Fatal1ty Asia-only model?


looks like it doesn't have fatal1ty branding. but it uses the same EMI shield. take a look. it's in Japanese.
http://www.sofmap.com/product_detail/exec/_/sku=41097435/-/gid=UD04020400

issue with the price is, i need a PCI-E model. most of the times only the highend cards come with them. otherwise i would have settled for a Xonar D1 which is essentially a DX, but with PCI connectivity.


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 2, 2011)

Anusha said:


> looks like it doesn't have fatal1ty branding. but it uses the same EMI shield. take a look. it's in Japanese.
> http://www.sofmap.com/product_detail/exec/_/sku=41097435/-/gid=UD04020400
> 
> issue with the price is, i need a PCI-E model. most of the times only the highend cards come with them. otherwise i would have settled for a Xonar D1 which is essentially a DX, but with PCI connectivity.



Xonar DX is PCIEx1 and will set you back maybe $60 if you can find one.


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## Maban (Aug 2, 2011)

Anusha said:


> looks like it doesn't have fatal1ty branding. but it uses the same EMI shield. take a look. it's in Japanese.
> http://www.sofmap.com/product_detail/exec/_/sku=41097435/-/gid=UD04020400
> 
> issue with the price is, i need a PCI-E model. most of the times only the highend cards come with them. otherwise i would have settled for a Xonar D1 which is essentially a DX, but with PCI connectivity.



Yup, that's the one. Personally, I would get that. There's actually a few Asia-only sound cards that I would kill to have.

From the prices on that site, it looks like the standard Titanium would be your best bet. The Xonar DX seems to be hard to come by in Japan. Only one I could find is here.


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## Anusha (Aug 2, 2011)

Maban said:


> Yup, that's the one. Personally, I would get that. There's actually a few Asia-only sound cards that I would kill to have.
> 
> From the prices on that site, it looks like the standard Titanium would be your best bet. The Xonar DX seems to be hard to come by in Japan. Only one I could find is here.


funny how there are so many STXs around, but not many DX and D2X. 

so you think that EMI shield is not necessary? i'll go for it then.



NdMk2o1o said:


> Xonar DX is PCIEx1 and will set you back maybe $60 if you can find one.


no dude, the cheapest i can find is $119!!!


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## Maban (Aug 2, 2011)

For someone who doesn't consider themselves an audiophile, I think you can happily do without an EMI shield.


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## Anusha (Aug 2, 2011)

Maban said:


> For someone who doesn't consider themselves an audiophile, I think you can happily do without an EMI shield.


great then


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## Anusha (Aug 2, 2011)

one more thing. what's so special about the asian editions?


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## Maban (Aug 2, 2011)

Well, I like the Titanium Professional because it has an EMI shield and it's not Fatal1ty branded. I will not buy anything Fatal1ty. Unless it's an absolutely great deal of course.

And you can't get the Onkyo SE-300PCIE here, which is a shame.


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## Anusha (Aug 2, 2011)

Maban said:


> Well, I like the XFi Professional because it has an EMI shield and it's not Fatal1ty branded. I will not buy anything Fatal1ty. Unless it's an absolutely great deal of course.
> 
> And you can't get the Onkyo SE-300PCIE here, which is a shame.


Ah you are saying you don't want to pay more for some brand name?

Onkyo is so damn expensive. You would still get it? It's anout $350. :O
Cheapest prices


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## Maban (Aug 2, 2011)

There's also the wanting what you can't have thing. There are cards comparable to the SE-300PCIE here, but where's the fun in that?


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## Anusha (Aug 2, 2011)

Maban said:


> There's also the wanting what you can't have thing. There are cards comparable to the SE-300PCIE here, but where's the fun in that?


lol that's true.


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