Thread: Improving your Computer's stereo playback on a inexpensive

In a analysis we conducted aftermost September, we apparent that about bisected of FiringSquad readers use a 2-channel audio bureaucracy (headphone or speakers) and bisected of you use a multi-channel system. These allegation aren’t surprising. While multi-channel audio is important for amateur and movies, MP3s and WMAs are stereo.


It turns out that the best complete agenda for multi-channel amateur usually isn’t the best complete agenda for music. The botheration is that best complete cards accomplish at a built-in 48 kHz sampling rate. This agency that for every additional of sound, there are 48,000 slices of the waveform. As you can imagine, the abate the slices, the added authentic the recording will be.


Games, complete effects, and DVDs all use a 48 kHz sampling rate. On the added hand, best PC music is recorded at 44.1 kHz – that’s what music CDs are recorded at. The botheration arises back you accept to catechumen the 44.1 kHz abstracts for a 48 kHz complete card. Since the samples aren’t analogously divisible (i.e. converting 22.05 kHz to 44.1 kHz), the about-face action usually introduces artifacts that abate complete quality.





Therefore, alike if you run the agenda achievement of your motherboard’s complete agenda to a high-end receiver, you’re still ambidextrous with the 44.1 khz to 48 kHz conversion. One access to analytic this adaptation botheration is through adult algorithms. The X-Fi dedicates 7310 MIPS of processing ability aloof for about-face of 44.1 kHz audio to 48 kHz data. However, there’s an easier and cheaper way to add 44.1 kHz audio abutment to your motherboard. It’s alleged the VIA Envy24.


If you have been interested in Computer audio for a moment, this is former news to you. The Envy24 has been around for over 1/2 a decade. Despite its age, it even stays my “sound card of option” for 2006. Still for the hardcore double graphics processing unit gamers, the on-board sound card determined on most new CPU boards is more than sufficient for games and films. Upgrading to the X-Fi just offers excellent recording or slightly excellent EAX support, but it is even an incremental development for a comparatively high cost.


The Envy24HT is excellent because it furnishes a dirt cheap result to high-end audio. For less, you acquire fact 16-bit/44.1kHz audio, important for MPIII and CD audios, but too 24-bit/96kHz playback affirm. Since the plan of the sound card is exceptionally easy, manufacturers are even capable to add high-end DACs less raising the price. Best of all, the Envy24HT “plays nice” as a second sound card. This creates it a excellent add-on to your CPU board sound card or still another PCI sound card.