NotebookForums.com › Forums › General Notebook Discussions › Notebook Forums - General › External sound card for laptop
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

External sound card for laptop

post #1 of 9
2/15/06 at 12:29pm
Thread Starter 
I have a Sony VGN-FS28GP laptop and was considering buying Logitech's Z-5500 speaker system, but the only problem with it is that I need some kind of good sound card so that I can enjoy the full 5.1 surround sound.

The reason why I did not post this in the Sony section was because maybe everyone will be able to benefit from the replies in my post.

So my question was, what is a good external sound card for a laptop that has only got a stereo out (i.e.: the headphones jack)?

Thanks in advance.
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 9
2/15/06 at 3:01pm
Even better than external....



Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook - sound card

Reply
Reply
post #3 of 9
2/15/06 at 3:08pm
I was thinking about the same, it's a shame how mobile sound cards have not kept up with other components. We can now enjoy near to desktop quality features on a notebook, but sound is not one of them.

Too bad that even with that card you won't make sound any better with your original laptop speakers... Will the difference be noticeble with headphones?

I will search for some reviews on that sound card...

Good one bluefish
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 9
2/15/06 at 3:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluefish



it helps with headphones too... just make sure if you have read high end head phones you get an amp for them. nothing like having the best of the best and not being able to power them...

but yea, that card kicks but. as an audiophile, if i were to get a laptop, that would be my first accessory. i believe lots of people on this forum have them, hopefully they will reply too
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 9
2/15/06 at 3:56pm
I was going to get one for my new laptop with some Zalman 5.1 Surround headphones, but it only has an expresscard slot.

Reply
Reply
post #6 of 9
2/15/06 at 6:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by zaphod911


it helps with headphones too... just make sure if you have read high end head phones you get an amp for them. nothing like having the best of the best and not being able to power them...

but yea, that card kicks but. as an audiophile, if i were to get a laptop, that would be my first accessory. i believe lots of people on this forum have them, hopefully they will reply too
really? what about with my speakers. ive been thinking about this card for months now, but so much $. I heard this uses up a lot of system resources thuogh, since its in the PCI slot.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 9
2/18/06 at 7:15am
Thread Starter 
Well, I've been reading around, it seems that the only two choices are that card, and http://www.creative.com/products/pro...4&product=9103

The only difference seems to be that one is PCMCIA, and the other USB. That only problem with the PCMCIA one is that I already have a TV tuner, in my PCMCIA slot, but if there is enough of a difference between the two, and the PCMCIA one is actually better, I may go for it, but other wise, I would like the USB one.

Also, MasterQ said the PCMCIA card uses more resources. I was confused by that statement, because I think I read that it is the USB card that takes up more resources, and not the PCMCIA.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 9
2/18/06 at 7:59am
Would this http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...225231-6143006
http://www.creative.com/products/pro...ct=10702&nav=1

Card improve game performance?

Just Wondering!
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 9
2/18/06 at 11:03am
Thread Starter 
Ok, I did some more reasearch, and found the following link:

http://www.ocprices.com/index.php?rev_id=246

Go to the 4th page of the article here:

http://www.ocprices.com/index.php?ac..._id=246&page=4

and if you scroll down a little bit, you will see a graph comparing the FPSs in Quake III, the Creative Audigy 2 ZS is a much better choice, as it allows for more of your CPU to be utilized by other programs.

The ZS is obviously the better choice. I'm going to buy it. Thanks for helping out.

suddste223: I'm guessing that card will not be of as great quality as the Audigy range, but if that is what your budget permits, Creative products are amazing.



Oh yeah, I was also looking at this:

http://europe.hercules.com/showpage....K&p=84&b=1&f=1

and found it really nice looking, but it's seems to be very old.
Anybody have any experiences with it?
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Notebook Forums - General
NotebookForums.com › Forums › General Notebook Discussions › Notebook Forums - General › External sound card for laptop