Internal Sound card sounds horrible

Is it just me? I have Bose computer speakers 2.1 and they sounded great on my last desktop with a Creative fidelity Sound card. Now they sound muddy and horrible. the LAPTOP speakers sound about the same or a tad better. Anyone else have any imput i am bouncing around to get a external sound card for laptop. Is USB better or Expresscard? Any suggestings? Thanks

 

I have to say, one of the things I do like about my M17 is the superb sound quality. One of the ATi advantages-the graphics cards are also sound cards. Plus, 2.1 on the laptop itself is awesome.

Anyway, onto your problem. I'd recommend getting an expresscard sound card. It should boost the sound quality significantly, although there isn't a reason that the sound quality should be horrible in the first place.

 

Well, you've got the choice of commercial USB/Expresscard sound cards; and you've also got the other choice of external DACs, or pro-audio interfaces (firewire/USB/coax) - I'm considering a beresford DAC, or an Emu 0404 USB external recording interface, both around the £150 mark, unless I find something better.

All of these will sound better than the onboard chip by miles, as the M17 onboard realtek chip is pretty average, and the background noise isnt nice on good headphones, I'd imagine you're having the same issue with your M17x.

With the M17 obviously though we have ATI's HDMI PCM output which is excellent, as its a pure digital transfer and allows our AV amps to deal with the DAC, which obviously [potentially] offers very high quality, if we have the kit to use it, however the normal sound output is pretty average-poor via headphone output; and I find I have to set the EQ to powerful when using the speakers, as the mids and bass production is too weak on normal; the speakers at the front of the M17 are effectively just tweeters.


My best advice would be work out your budget; then see what you can get within it!

 

Yes the m17x sound card is horrible but if your using headphones
GET A DAC+ amp (which you should probably have if your using headphones)

if you hook up your laptop to the DAC with usb and amp that signal up, it'll sound great.

Would recommend the AKG 701 or 702 headphones, they're simply amazing.

 

The Sennheiser HD280s are also extremely good. If your on a budget senn has a set I think is called HD208 that are around $45 and really nice for the money. A pro audio interface would sound great and If you ever want to do any recording it's a must.

 

Ya I love my headphones Bose headphones and then the compain 3 series. Was going to return them but used them on intergated. After I bought a fidelity pro sound card it was a huge difference. Just need to decide which one now

 

bose speakers...bose headphones?

jesus christ you have not heard good sound.

try getting a pair of AKG 701/2 and enjoy real sound. Sennheiser 555/595 are good too. If you really want good sound sennheiser 650 are by far the best , cant go wrong.

 

Headphones were a gift so can't complain there lol. Maybe I will give them a shot. Any good speakers while were at it?

 

Thanks to all that helped I decided to get this card seemed like it was best bet. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/...16-5273337?qid=1254173227&a=B001BS3A3E&sr=8-1
I paid 44 shipped though

 

Klipsch pro media are great speakers for their price.

also m-audio audiophile reference speakers are by far the best i've heard in your budget. (which i assume is around >$300)

 

i would take the bose headset lol. I really like bose. I have them in my car also. Don't say that bose doesn't have quality sound.

 

Bose sound quality is rather bad compared to other companies.

 

TBH portable amps sux, he would be much better with a easy drive headphone and a dac only

 

for tv and music etc i find the speakers great, but for gaming i use an external sound card, noticable difference imo