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Adding HD Audigy audio

post #1 of 51
4/27/06 at 10:11am
Thread Starter 
When I bought my e1505 two weeks ago, I don't think it had the HD audio option. Is that a different chip or just a software solution that I can add later. The Dell rep who probably didn't know what I was talking about said it was a chip.
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post #2 of 51
4/27/06 at 11:06am
Pretty sure it's a chip since it says that it's integrated.
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post #3 of 51
4/27/06 at 11:34am
in many other threads about this topic, people have definitley come to the conclusion that it's just some extra software enabling more EAX and whatnot...
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post #4 of 51
4/27/06 at 12:27pm
Well that would be very misleading. I thought that $20 was kind of cheap for some hardware...

Anyway, hope that's not the case because I wouldn't have paid for it (even the $10 that I did) if it is. I don't game and EAX will be useless for me.
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post #5 of 51
4/27/06 at 12:48pm
Thread Starter 

Hope it is

I kind of hope it is software so that I can update it (and I wouldn't feel so bad). The Dell site only has one driver for the sound card.
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post #6 of 51
4/27/06 at 1:08pm
it kinda defeats the point, really, two of the main reasons to get a dedicated sound card are for the multi-speaker support, and traditionally creative labs cards use less CPU cycles than other solutions. if it's a software solution, really the only thing you get is echo effects.

also, it doesn't look like there are any new sound drivers besides the sigmatel c-major drivers for the onboard sound.
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post #7 of 51
4/27/06 at 3:34pm
Here's the relevant link, but for dimension desktops:

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/learnmore/learnmore.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&~id=sndcard&~line=desktops&~lt=popup&~series=dimen& ref=CFG

I'd bet this is the same solution. Note that it adds a few things:
  • Windows® Media 9 support.
  • High fidelity audio file cleanup and playback.
  • Patented CMSS® 3D - Stereo played back in surround (except for E310/3100), virtualheadphone surround& stereo widening with stereo speakers.
  • EAX® effects - Add acoustic effects like Concert Hall to your music.
  • SVMTM - Automatically match volume levels across music tracks.
etc... so it's not totally useless.
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post #8 of 51
4/27/06 at 5:18pm
Thread Starter 

HD Audio

I don't it's separate hardware. Sigmatel only has two chips. The base and one with multichannel sound. They all support HD audio.
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post #9 of 51
4/27/06 at 5:36pm
i installed the files dell has available on their website. didn't install any devices except for the audio mixer software. in there there is a link to upgrade to the full version, and from what i understand it is just software that enables a built-in built-in motherboard audio device to support eax et al. i found this creative press release http://www.creative.com/press/releas....asp?pid=12046 aparently it only works with speciffic configurations, but i believe the core series of inspirons do qualify and you can buy the option from creative for $19.99.
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post #10 of 51
4/27/06 at 7:10pm
R_Mutt: thanks for the link!

That's not the exact same solution, as it's based on an AC97 chip, but it's very similar. The main difference is that the Sigmatel chips are HD audio. So, to be clear: that specific option in your link is *not* compatible with newer inspirons....

However, it's reasonable to expect creative to produce a new press release along the same lines, offering the Audigy software upgrade to HD audio chip owners.
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post #11 of 51
4/27/06 at 11:35pm
somewhat related, but i just found this out today.. if you're reinstalling windows on an E1505/6400 (and E1705/9400 i assume) and you can't get your audio driver to install, apparently there's a hotfix that microsoft released that's required to install first. the link is http://support.microsoft.com/?id=835221
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post #12 of 51
4/28/06 at 11:17am
Thread Starter 

Update

Dell said it's an actual hardware difference and that it can't be upgraded. Darn. I wonder if it mokes that much of a difference.
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post #13 of 51
4/28/06 at 12:40pm
i doubt it. unless they added extra audio jacks (or maybe even an optical out, doubtful), it's not even worth the bother. i'd wager that 95% or more of laptop users don't hook up external speakers, so any difference in sound quality would be undetectable.
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post #14 of 51
4/28/06 at 1:04pm
I find differences in sound quality very very obvious with my headphones... (which many a laptop owner uses)
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post #15 of 51
4/28/06 at 1:33pm
I am sure there is no hardware change, I have it installed on my 1505 that was ordered before the option was available. It costs 19.99 to buy the license through creative. Also they wouldn't add a hardware option to the m710 which is destined to have a short lifespan ahead as it is close to its EOL with the M1210 coming and maybe a m740 core duo model as well.
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post #16 of 51
4/28/06 at 2:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarthPierce
I find differences in sound quality very very obvious with my headphones... (which many a laptop owner uses)


doh! i totally didn't even consider that. thanks for pulling my card!
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post #17 of 51
4/28/06 at 2:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarthPierce
I find differences in sound quality very very obvious with my headphones... (which many a laptop owner uses)
Well that's good to hear.

I was beginning to wonder if it was simply a waste.
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post #18 of 51
4/28/06 at 3:18pm
For the record I wasn't saying I have found a big difference with the audigy integrated thing vs not or anything... I was just trying to say that if you have good headphones, the quality of a laptop's audio is very obvious. (I don't have an e1505 at all)
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post #19 of 51
4/28/06 at 3:29pm
Ah okay, I misinterpreted what you said.
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post #20 of 51
4/28/06 at 3:59pm
I very much agree with Darth. Only takes a decent, not even high end, set of cans to hear the quality in a sound source. The press release highlighted in a link, didn't mention "Audigy" and that's key in this. Also the details page on the integrated Audigy mentions hardware accelerated 64 voices, which Sigmatel chips cannot do. So for me the jury is still out.
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