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Premium Sound Blaster Quality for Your Notebook - Page 3

post #41 of 53
12/7/04 at 4:08am
I use good quality headphones exclusively on my M6805 for stereo music, mostly rock, some classical. Anyone have an opinion whether I'd be better off getting this SB card or getting a headphone amp for the onboard Realtek AC97 audio? (If an amp, recommendations up to $100 cost?) Thanks.
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post #42 of 53
12/7/04 at 9:49pm
Interesting benchmarks over at gamespot show that a dedicated sound card improved performance in HL2 by about 9 frames per sec. Your mileage may vary based on system config, but even 5 frames would be a huge boost for gaming on a laptop.

I'll be picking up this card after I can scrape together some more money.
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post #43 of 53
12/8/04 at 5:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by grateful lurker
I use good quality headphones exclusively on my M6805 for stereo music, mostly rock, some classical. Anyone have an opinion whether I'd be better off getting this SB card or getting a headphone amp for the onboard Realtek AC97 audio? (If an amp, recommendations up to $100 cost?) Thanks.
If you use nice quality headphones, you probably can answer this question for yourself. I haven't heard any AC97 audio that's even close to any standalone soundcard in terms of audio quality. The M505X was cool at first with its 4-channel possibility on a laptop, but I tested it out and the noise level and overall sound wasn't great compared to the audigy 2 NX I currently use.

So, if you're any where serious about sound quality, get some kind of soundcard AND get the amp if your headphone needs it.
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post #44 of 53
12/8/04 at 3:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brib3
anyway i WILL enjoy this one . just looking for some good 100$ headphones that go with it
__________________
i woun't deny it, i'm a straight rider u don't wanna f4ck with me
I've got it and it's NOT a USB port!
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post #45 of 53
6/21/05 at 1:26pm
so what is the final verdict of the audigy add on card?
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post #46 of 53
6/21/05 at 1:47pm
The final verdict? Many users have reported problems with audio hissing/popping/static. Also, whereas the Audigy 2 64-bit drivers worked with the Notebook when they were in beta, the final versions do not work at all. I have been contacting Creative repeatedly about this issue and get absolutely no response at all.
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post #47 of 53
6/21/05 at 2:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tntoak
Many users have reported problems with audio hissing/popping/static.
That's what I was most worried about happening. I was ecstatic when I got to toss all my SB junk in the garbage when I bought an nForce2 MB for my desktop with the included MCP-T SoundStorm chip. Its quality is between the Audigy and Audigy 2, without the Rice Krispies soundtrack that Creative Labs has insisted on including with every card since the Awe64, if it wasn't on the SB32 as well. Sucks to hear they still haven't bothered to fix that problem after all this time.
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post #48 of 53
6/21/05 at 2:57pm
Some people have reported success by manually changing the PCI latency settings for the card. There is a forum on Creative's website relating to this issue.
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post #49 of 53
6/21/05 at 3:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tntoak
Some people have reported success by manually changing the PCI latency settings for the card. There is a forum on Creative's website relating to this issue.
I don't know about this product that people are talking about in this thread, but I can tell you that on my AWE64, SBLive! 5.1, and Audigy (OK OK so I'm slow learner~) that all the workarounds combined never truly eliminated the problem. I was fortunate enough to have systems that allowed me to configure all the necessary options; plenty of people aren't that lucky. I've had beautiful success with my MCP-T chipset. I recommended to a friend that has a much more discerning ear than I do to save $60 and get the top-of-the-line Turtle Beach card instead of the SB he was looking at, and he tells me that he's not at all dissatisfied with my recommendation. If there are any similar, competing products for notebooks, I'm certainly going to be looking at those. If there aren't, I'll stick with AC 97. At least with that, I know I'm getting what I paid for.
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post #50 of 53
6/29/05 at 2:34pm
I Just got my PCMCIA Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS and I already love this damn thing !

all my movies have crystal CLEAR audio and I can Raise the volume with the mixer very high, for those downloaded movies that have low audio...

Bass is very nice with the headphones they give you, but I don't care much for the ear bud types...

The THX setup console is soo cool, THX sound quality from a laptop, that just r0x! none of that damn static or background noise from all the notebook components..

7.1 AUDIO !!!

No demo games!? awe nutz oh well, i guess...
Cool Audigy2 sticker!
2 cds of useless demos
be careful when using headphones, unplugging and repluging in. when i do that it blares the audio really loud for a sec and resets to headphone mode.
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post #51 of 53
6/29/05 at 8:16pm
This looks very nice, but since I move my laptop around the house a lot while watching movies or listening to streaming audio, I'm looking for a wireless solution like a PCMCIA sound card with an FM transmitter. My MyFi XM radio has an FM transmitter built in and it's great. Is there a product out there for notebooks with this feature?
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post #52 of 53
6/30/05 at 5:53pm
As far as I know, there isn't anything that combines a sound card with an FM transmitter in PCMCIA formfactor. There's not that many PCMCIA soundcards available anyways.
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post #53 of 53
7/1/05 at 9:09pm
just got this baby(Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS for notebook).
as good as the Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS PCI on my desktop
no problem with my m6811 at all
it makes me a happy man..
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