One concern before I pull the trigger

So I've been researching mid/high range gaming laptops in the $1000-1500 range for awhile now. I've made comparisons between asus, msi, lenovo, and sager. Sager is seeming like the most attractive option at the moment (I'm looking at the NP170 specifically).

I've watched a couple review videos, and read on several forums that the sager models have poor headphone audio quality? Is there any way to alleviate these audio problems without using external devices? The laptop is mainly for school so I can't really lug around additional peripherals. Can software solve the problem, or should I look elsewhere for a laptop?

 

If there was a non-clumsy solution, surely this laptop product line would not be said to have poor headphone audio quality...

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/680221-how-fix-sound-headphones.html

Headphone quality sounds fine after doing these adjustments to me. I'm not an audiophile though.

You can get a device pretty cheaply that fits on a keyring that can improve sound if you are concerned about size of the peripherals.

 

Do you guys still recommend the sager over its competitors, regardless of the audio quality, or would you pick up something else if you had the chance?

 

I'm trying not to be biased (since I'm typing on the keyboard of my NP9170 right now) but I'd still take the Sager over the other brands. I've only owned two ASUS laptops before this one (non-gaming line, mind you) but I wanted more power than the G55/G75 offers. I looked at MSI as well but they look a little flashy IMO. No, I'll take the subtlety of the Sager that's hiding some massive power if I had to do it all over again.

 

While Sager doesn't have audiophile quality sound you really cant beat them in every other aspect. You'll have to decide whats most important to you and take it from there. If you compare the hardware options and price they're gonna be hard to beat. Not being biased either as we are around other brands other then Sager.

 

It's fine, the only people who are disappointed are audiophiles and that's understandable. It's certainly not the best speaker quality, but it is bearable and average quality. Through headphones/earphones the sound should sound just fine.

 

I didn't buy my Sager because I needed it to be my best sound source for music, I bought it because the CPU and GPU were the best I could get at the time I bought it. I have other means to listen to music and such. My Lappy is for work, and my headphones sound very good, although I have a PH, not the new model.

If I want to hear music in it's purest form, I don't use any of my laptops for that.

 

To be honest I've found the headphone quality to be fine. It's quite loud and clear for me at least. I've even been using the built in speakers for gaming quite a bit and they suffice for me. Usually use headphones for video content though.

 

The built in sound card wasn't designed for 2.0 Speakers/Headphones. If you look at the THX panel and the Realtek panel, you'll find out the only way to gain decent bass on the P150EM/P170EM is by using 2.0(with self bass boost)/2.1/5.1/7.1 headphones/speakers with it, by the x.1 I mean here is the ones that also have LFE jack, not just the stereo jack.

 

Honestly just go for the laptop you want and pick an X-FI Blaster.



Cost me £40 in the UK so I would assume in dollars around 60-70 and it single handedly changed my entire surround sound experience. For my setup the sound is out of the this world and for my 5.1 headphones next to none. Pick up the laptop you want and get one of these.

 

I have one of those, the on board sound card was doing pretty much the same thing as that external usb 5.1 and I ended up using the on board on the P150EM and X-Fi 5.1 usb on the G73JW, both are pretty much the same on sound quality too, the only thing that's different is the X-Fi 5.1 usb can adjust EQ while the on board sound card in P150EM can't.