MSI or Asus onboard Sound better?

mclaren85 · Mar 18, 2022

Hello,

I'm not professional but always consider myself as an audiophile. Therefore when I buy a laptop or desktop, the onboard audio quality and software support is always taken into consideration. So if we look at the two big rivals, Asus and MSI, which one sounds better? Has anyone here experienced and try one of these?

MSI
Nahimic 3 + Audio Boost 5
Realtek ALC4082 + ESS Sabre9018 DAC

Asus
DTS X Ultra + Asus Supreme FX
Asus exclusive S1220A +ESS Sabre9018 DAC

Bill_Bright · Mar 18, 2022

mclaren85 said:
which one sounds better?

The one with the better speakers.

That said, if you consider yourself an audiophile (as I do) does it really matter? I mean no computer speaker will ever come close to my living room system where just one of the front speakers costs way more than an entire laptop or PC computer's surround sound system. And of course, my living room speaker still needs an entire amplifier system not included in the price of the speaker.

claes · Mar 18, 2022

An external DAC is the only answer

JATownes · Mar 18, 2022

I just switched from an Asus X570 Crosshair VIII Hero Wifi to an MSI X570S MEG Ace Max and the onboard sound is head and shoulders above the Asus. Granted, I do my gaming on headphones with a DAC, so can't really speak to that, but the media experience is substantially better on my speakers with the MSI.

I must also admit I thought the Nahimic thing was pretty gimmicky, but it has impressed me upon hearing it.

Just my two cents for what it's worth.

JAT

GerKNG · Mar 18, 2022

every onboard audio solution is crap.

buy a cheap USB DAC (the sharkoon Gaming DAC Pro S costs ~30 bucks and is insanely good)
Sharkoon Gaming DAC Pro S review: Surprisingly cheap USB sound solution with real headphone amplifier as an insider tip for connoisseurs | igor'sLAB (igorslab.de)

eidairaman1 · Mar 18, 2022

Get a Sound Card

mclaren85 · Mar 18, 2022

JATownes said:
I just switched from an Asus X570 Crosshair VIII Hero Wifi to an MSI X570S MEG Ace Max and the onboard sound is head and shoulders above the Asus. Granted, I do my gaming on headphones with a DAC, so can't really speak to that, but the media experience is substantially better on my speakers with the MSI.

I must also admit I thought the Nahimic thing was pretty gimmicky, but it has impressed me upon hearing it.

Just my two cents for what it's worth.

JAT

We use the exact same motherboard! I love the audio quality for sure, but the basses seems weak to me. What do you think for bass and is there any preset to overcome the bass problem?

Bill_Bright said:
The one with the better speakers.

That said, if you consider yourself an audiophile (as I do) does it really matter? I mean no computer speaker will ever come close to my living room system where just one of the front speakers costs way more than an entire laptop or PC computer's surround sound system. And of course, my living room speaker still needs an entire amplifier system not included in the price of the speaker.

Thank you for your explanation. That means everything comes down to money
There's no end in the audio world like many other things..

Cutechri · Mar 19, 2022

GerKNG said:
every onboard audio solution is crap.

buy a cheap USB DAC (the sharkoon Gaming DAC Pro S costs ~30 bucks and is insanely good)
Sharkoon Gaming DAC Pro S review: Surprisingly cheap USB sound solution with real headphone amplifier as an insider tip for connoisseurs | igor'sLAB (igorslab.de)

Hey, are there any drivers for this or is it just plug and play with my Realtek drivers?

Also, any headphone extension cables you recommend? My headphone's cable is a bit too short to reach the back of the PC and I don't wanna plug in the DAC to the front panel. Preferrably one that supports a mic + audio combo, no splitters.

Deleted member 202104 · Mar 19, 2022

Cutechri said:
Hey, are there any drivers for this or is it just plug and play with my Realtek drivers?

Also, any headphone extension cables you recommend? My headphone's cable is a bit too short to reach the back of the PC and I don't wanna plug in the DAC to the front panel. Preferrably one that supports a mic + audio combo, no splitters.

It's plug and play - it actually will act as a second sound device so Realtek won't be a part of it.

As for the cable:

https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00SWYTGLU/

Cutechri · Mar 19, 2022

weekendgeek said:
It's plug and play - it actually will act as a second sound device so Realtek won't be a part of it.

So does that mean I can just disable the onboard audio?

weekendgeek said:
https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00SWYTGLU/

Thanks! Gonna give these two a try after horrible failures with an internal 200 euro Creative sound card. Never again.

Deleted member 202104 · Mar 19, 2022

Cutechri said:
So does that mean I can just disable the onboard audio?

Yep. I have an external USB DAC that I do just that with.

Cutechri said:
Thanks! Gonna give these two a try after horrible failures with an internal 200 euro Creative sound card. Never again.

I haven't tried this particular cable, but I have tried others from this brand. They seem to have held up well.

Cutechri · Mar 19, 2022

Here's hoping I don't regret it like I did with Creative.

GerKNG · Mar 19, 2022

Cutechri said:
Hey, are there any drivers for this or is it just plug and play with my Realtek drivers?

Yes Plug and Play and i recommend to just disabled onboard audio like weekendgeek just said.
i used to have a soundblaster XG6 and it broke after a year. replaced it with the Gaming DAC and it sounds basically identical.

still using it for every audio device i have (Bose companion speakers, Sennheiser/HyperX and Sony Headphones)
especially in teamspeak where my Sennheiser GSP600 sounds over onboard like a walkie talkie and superb with this thing.

Cutechri · Mar 19, 2022

I have HyperX Cloud Alphas, I hope it'll make some sort of difference and that I don't need expensive audiophile grade headphones to notice a difference

Deleted member 24505 · Mar 19, 2022

I'm using a Cambridge audio Dacmagic 100 from my rear USB C lovely.

My board has onboard USB ALC4080

Cutechri · Mar 22, 2022

Update: got it today. Disabled Onboard audio in the BIOS, rebooted, plugged it in, and it just worked. And it sounds amazing. Both for my microphone and for my sound quality be it music or games. I'm in love.

Thanks for the recommendations, this thing is already much better than Creative's sound card. Set it to 96 KHz and detected properly.

Like I legitimately just plugged it in and boom:

Goodbye Realtek!

Thank you @GerKNG and @weekendgeek for your recommendations, both the cable and DAC are working perfectly and the audio is crispy clean even on my microphone, no more crackling.

Would definitely recommend this to anyone with onboard audio.

kapone32 · Mar 22, 2022

GerKNG said:
every onboard audio solution is crap.

buy a cheap USB DAC (the sharkoon Gaming DAC Pro S costs ~30 bucks and is insanely good)
Sharkoon Gaming DAC Pro S review: Surprisingly cheap USB sound solution with real headphone amplifier as an insider tip for connoisseurs | igor'sLAB (igorslab.de)

That is actually no longer true the 1220 codec is really good. I tried a Asus Xonar AE card vs the 1220 adn the 1220 was louder and crisper than that. I must say I was truly impressed. Knock on Wood but the on board audio chip dying prematurely also seems to be resolved.

mclaren85 said:
We use the exact same motherboard! I love the audio quality for sure, but the basses seems weak to me. What do you think for bass and is there any preset to overcome the bass problem?

Thank you for your explanation. That means everything comes down to money
There's no end in the audio world like many other things..

I have that board too and I also find the bass aw little bit weak but the mids are stellar

Cutechri · Mar 22, 2022

kapone32 said:
That is actually no longer true the 1220 codec is really good.

My board has the 1220 yet the Sharkoon delivers better quality sound and much better microphone quality

kapone32 · Mar 22, 2022

Cutechri said:
My board has the 1220 yet the Sharkoon delivers better quality sound and much better microphone quality

Interesting. I have one of those external DACs I might try it and see what happens. Thanks

Deleted member 24505 · Mar 22, 2022

an external dac is better than onboard, my board has alc4080 but using the DAC

ThrashZone · Mar 22, 2022

Hi,
I don't mind supremeFX as long as realtek equalizer works which on win-11 is dead, ms removed it during upgrade from 10
Not sure if it went store only app or what, 11 driver dictator at work.

Might add asus drops bios support after three years
Msi is 5 years I believe so this might make a difference in mobo choice.

mclaren85 · Mar 22, 2022

JATownes said:
I just switched from an Asus X570 Crosshair VIII Hero Wifi to an MSI X570S MEG Ace Max and the onboard sound is head and shoulders above the Asus. Granted, I do my gaming on headphones with a DAC, so can't really speak to that, but the media experience is substantially better on my speakers with the MSI.

I must also admit I thought the Nahimic thing was pretty gimmicky, but it has impressed me upon hearing it.

Just my two cents for what it's worth.

JAT

That is the exact answer I was looking for. I was not sure if I did correct decision by choosing MSI. Thank you!

ThrashZone · Mar 22, 2022

Hi,
One issue with msi is they were caugh red handed scalping their own gpu's during the mining craze.

Think asrock is rated better.

GerKNG · Mar 22, 2022

Cutechri said:
Update: got it today. Disabled Onboard audio in the BIOS, rebooted, plugged it in, and it just worked. And it sounds amazing. Both for my microphone and for my sound quality be it music or games. I'm in love.

Thanks for the recommendations, this thing is already much better than Creative's sound card. Set it to 96 KHz and detected properly.

i am glad that you like it

chr0nos · Mar 22, 2022

Just gonna leave this here so all of u know

System Name	MSI-MEG
Processor	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
Motherboard	MSI MEG X570S ACE MAX
Cooling	AMD Wraith Prism + Thermal Grizzly
Memory	32 GB
Video Card(s)	MSI Suprim X RTX 3080
Storage	500 GB MSI Spatium nvme + 500 GB WD nvme + 2 TB Seagate HDD + 2 TB Seagate HDD
Display(s)	27" LG 144HZ 2K ULTRAGEAR
Case	MSI MPG Velox Airflow 100P
Audio Device(s)	Altec Lansing
Power Supply	Seasonic 750W 80+ Gold
Mouse	HP OMEN REACTOR
Keyboard	Corsair K68
Software	Windows10 LTSC 64 bit

System Name	Brightworks Systems BWS-6 E-IV
Processor	Intel Core i5-6600 @ 3.9GHz
Motherboard	Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 Rev 1.0
Cooling	Quality case, 2 x Fractal Design 140mm fans, stock CPU HSF
Memory	32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 3000 Corsair Vengeance
Video Card(s)	EVGA GEForce GTX 1050Ti 4Gb GDDR5
Storage	Samsung 850 Pro 256GB SSD, Samsung 860 Evo 500GB SSD
Display(s)	Samsung S24E650BW LED x 2
Case	Fractal Design Define R4
Power Supply	EVGA Supernova 550W G2 Gold
Mouse	Logitech M190
Keyboard	Microsoft Wireless Comfort 5050
Software	W10 Pro 64-bit

System Name	boomer--->zoomer not your typical millenial build
Processor	i5-760 @ 3.8ghz + turbo ~goes wayyyyyyyyy fast cuz turboooooz~
Motherboard	P55-GD80 ~best motherboard ever designed~
Cooling	NH-D15 ~double stack thot twerk all day~
Memory	16GB Crucial Ballistix LP ~memory gone AWOL~
Video Card(s)	MSI GTX 970 ~~GOLDEN EDITION~~ RAWRRRRRR
Storage	500GB Samsung 850 Evo (OS X, *nix), 128GB Samsung 840 Pro (W10 Pro), 1TB SpinPoint F3 ~best in class
Display(s)	ASUS VW246H ~best 24" you've seen FULL HD 1O80PP SLAPS~
Case	FT02-W ~the W stands for white but it's brushed aluminum except for the disgusting ODD bays; cries
Audio Device(s)	A LOT
Power Supply	850W EVGA SuperNova G2 ~hot fire like champagne~
Mouse	CM Spawn ~cmcz R c00l seth mcfarlane darawss~
Keyboard	CM QF Rapid - Browns ~fastrrr kees for fstr teens~
Software	integrated into the chassis
Benchmark Scores	9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

System Name	Mr. Reliable
Processor	Ryzen R7 7800X3D
Motherboard	MSI X670E Carbon Wifi
Cooling	D5 Pump, Singularity Top/Res, 2x360mm EK P rads, EK Magnitude/Bitspower Blocks
Memory	32Gb (2x16Gb) GSkill Trident Z5 DDR5 6000 Cl30
Video Card(s)	Asus Tuf 4080 Super
Storage	4 x Crucial P5 1TB; 2 x Samsung 870 2TB
Display(s)	Acer 32" Z321QU 2560x1440; LG 34GP83A-B 34" 3440x1440
Case	Lian Li PC-011 Dynamic XL; Synology DS218j w/ 2 x 2TB WD Red
Audio Device(s)	SteelSeries Arctis Pro+
Power Supply	EVGA SuperNova 850G3
Mouse	Razer Basilisk V2
Keyboard	Das Keyboard 6; Razer Orbweaver Chroma
Software	Windows 11 Pro

Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard	ASRock B650E Steel Legend Wifi
Cooling	Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280
Memory	2x16GB Corsair Vengeance RGB 6000 CL30 (A-Die)
Video Card(s)	RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio
Storage	1TB Samsung 990 PRO, 4TB Corsair MP600 PRO XT, 1TB WD SN850X, 4x4TB Crucial MX500
Display(s)	Alienware AW2725DF, LG 27GR93U, LG 27GN950-B
Case	Streacom BC1 V2 Black
Audio Device(s)	Bose Companion Series 2 III, Sennheiser GSP600 and HD599 SE - Creative Soundblaster X4
Power Supply	bequiet! Dark Power Pro 12 1500w Titanium
Mouse	Razer Deathadder V3
Keyboard	Razer Black Widow V3 TKL
VR HMD	Oculus Rift S
Software	~2000 Video Games

MSI or Asus onboard Sound better?

mclaren85

Bill_Bright

claes

JATownes

The Lurker

GerKNG

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

mclaren85

Cutechri

Deleted member 202104

Guest

Cutechri

Deleted member 202104

Guest

Cutechri

GerKNG

Cutechri

Deleted member 24505

Guest

Cutechri

kapone32

Cutechri

kapone32

Deleted member 24505

Guest

ThrashZone

mclaren85

ThrashZone

GerKNG

chr0nos

System Name	PCGOD
Processor	AMD FX 8350@ 5.0GHz
Motherboard	Asus TUF 990FX Sabertooth R2 2901 Bios
Cooling	Scythe Ashura, 2×BitFenix 230mm Spectre Pro LED (Blue,Green), 2x BitFenix 140mm Spectre Pro LED
Memory	16 GB Gskill Ripjaws X 2133 (2400 OC, 10-10-12-20-20, 1T, 1.65V)
Video Card(s)	AMD Radeon 290 Sapphire Vapor-X
Storage	Samsung 840 Pro 256GB, WD Velociraptor 1TB
Display(s)	NEC Multisync LCD 1700V (Display Port Adapter)
Case	AeroCool Xpredator Evil Blue Edition
Audio Device(s)	Creative Labs Sound Blaster ZxR
Power Supply	Seasonic 1250 XM2 Series (XP3)
Mouse	Roccat Kone XTD
Keyboard	Roccat Ryos MK Pro
Software	Windows 7 Pro 64

System Name	Best AMD Computer
Processor	AMD 7900X3D
Motherboard	Asus X670E E Strix
Cooling	In Win SR36
Memory	GSKILL DDR5 32GB 5200 30
Video Card(s)	Sapphire Pulse 7900XT (Watercooled)
Storage	Corsair MP 700, Seagate 530 2Tb, Adata SX8200 2TBx2, Kingston 2 TBx2, Micron 8 TB, WD AN 1500
Display(s)	GIGABYTE FV43U
Case	Corsair 7000D Airflow
Audio Device(s)	Corsair Void Pro, Logitch Z523 5.1
Power Supply	Deepcool 1000M
Mouse	Logitech g7 gaming mouse
Keyboard	Logitech G510
Software	Windows 11 Pro 64 Steam. GOG, Uplay, Origin
Benchmark Scores	Firestrike: 46183 Time Spy: 25121

System Name	Ghetto Rigs z490\|x99\|Acer 17 Nitro 7840hs/ 5600c40-2x16/ 4060/ 1tb acer stock m.2/ 4tb sn850x
Processor	10900k w/Optimus Foundation \| 5930k w/Black Noctua D15
Motherboard	z490 Maximus XII Apex \| x99 Sabertooth
Cooling	oCool D5 res-combo/280 GTX/ Optimus Foundation/ gpu water block \| Blk D15
Memory	Trident-Z Royal 4000c16 2x16gb \| Trident-Z 3200c14 4x8gb
Video Card(s)	Titan Xp-water \| evga 980ti gaming-w/ air
Storage	970evo+500gb & sn850x 4tb \| 860 pro 256gb \| Acer m.2 1tb/ sn850x 4tb\| Many2.5" sata's ssd 3.5hdd's
Display(s)	1-AOC G2460PG 24"G-Sync 144Hz/ 2nd 1-ASUS VG248QE 24"/ 3rd LG 43" series
Case	D450 \| Cherry Entertainment center on Test bench
Audio Device(s)	Built in Realtek x2 with 2-Insignia 2.0 sound bars & 1-LG sound bar
Power Supply	EVGA 1000P2 with APC AX1500 \| 850P2 with CyberPower-GX1325U
Mouse	Redragon 901 Perdition x3
Keyboard	G710+x3
Software	Win-7 pro x3 and win-10 & 11pro x3
Benchmark Scores	Are in the benchmark section

System Name	HTPC
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Motherboard	Gigabyte X570S Aorus Master
Cooling	BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro 4
Memory	Kingston Fury Renegade RGB 32GB Kit (2x16GB) 3600Mhz DDR4 CL16
Video Card(s)	Sapphire NITRO+ RX 5700 XT
Storage	Acer Predator GM7000 4TB / WD Blue SN570 1TB / TOSHIBA HDWD130 3TB
Display(s)	LG Oled 42C3
Case	Lian Li O11 Air Mini
Audio Device(s)	Creative Labs Sound BlasterX G6
Power Supply	EVGA SuperNOVA 850 P2
Mouse	Logitech G900
Keyboard	SteelSeries Apex Pro
Software	Microsoft Windows 11 Pro