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    Are external sound cards 5.1/7.1 good?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by want2buy, Aug 21, 2008.

  1. want2buy

    want2buy Notebook Enthusiast

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    Simple question.. :) I've googled it for about an hour and a half now and no real answers. They seem to be cheaper, which to me would indicate not as good, but I dont know. I want to hook it up to my laptop, which right now has an integrated hd 2.0 sound...

    Thanks,
    WTB
     
    want2buy, Aug 21, 2008
    #1
  2. K-TRON

    K-TRON Hi, I'm Jimmy Diesel ^_^

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    You should not need an external sound card to play music over a 5.1 or 7.1 sound system. Most laptops have pretty good sound cards, and they should be able to play music over any setup.
    If you have the sound system already, try running it off your laptop. If the music is choppy on the sound system, than you would need the external sound card. I am not sure who makes the best external sound card, but probably any external sound card would do fine.

    K-TRON
     
    K-TRON, Aug 22, 2008
    #2
  3. want2buy

    want2buy Notebook Enthusiast

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    My soundcard is only a 2.0. Wouldn't i need a 5.1 to play on a 5.1 sound system??

    Which is why I thought I'd just get an external if they weren't crappy, just plug it in and play it...
     
    want2buy, Aug 23, 2008
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  4. nizzy1115

    nizzy1115 Notebook Prophet

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    Ive used / own a soundblaster live external and its pretty good. I cant notice a difference between it and my audigy 2 in my desktop on my 5.1 e5300's.
     
    nizzy1115, Aug 23, 2008
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  5. ARom

    ARom -

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    Unless you have 5.1 speakers, don't get an external card just yet. Or at least external 2.1's (left,right,subwoofer)... I don't think a sound card is necessary for laptop speakers.
     
    ARom, Aug 23, 2008
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  6. ARom

    ARom -

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    Yeah? My audigy 2 zs sounds pretty awesome, I donno .... :D
     
    ARom, Aug 23, 2008
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  7. nizzy1115

    nizzy1115 Notebook Prophet

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    Yeah, the external ones sound pretty good!
     
    nizzy1115, Aug 23, 2008
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