PCI vs USB Sound Card

**Maegnas** · 07-31-2008, 11:21 PM

First, my car will be running 4 speakers through a 4 channel amp, as well as 2 subs through a 2 channel bass amp. So I need 5.1 Sound Card options. Running RoadRunner.

I am having a lot of trouble figuring out what sound card to put in my car, as it seems there is no preferred card. I have searched for many USB options, and have heard many mixed reviews on them, so I am wondering, would it be better to get a PCI Card (with a PCI riser cable, as my case doesn't have room), or get a USB sound card? Is there a real sound improvement with either one?

Also... in your opinions for USB:

Sound Blaster Live! (Is this one 5.1?)

Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX (discontinued)

Sound Blaster X-Fi

Turtle Beach Roadie

Zalman ZM-RSSC

Which is the best? Or do you have a different one to recommend?

If PCI is the way to go, I would greatly appreciate some recommendations for those too.

Please if anyone can give some recommendations, it would be a great help to me.

My last hold-up before I can move forward, ugh.

Thank you to all those who reply!

**scott_fx** · 08-01-2008, 12:11 AM

you dont 'really' need a 5.1 card. a stereo card or dac will do just fine. it all depends on what you want and how much you want to spend. if you want clean sound and usb go with a usb dac like the bloat. it's a 2 chan dac but if you take advantage of your amps internal x-overs and pass through outputs you can easily get really good sound that way (think, daisy chaining your amps)

**Maegnas** · 08-01-2008, 10:50 AM

I was thinking about the Bloat, the only problem is I don't really want to pay 200 bucks. At least right now. Is there a different card that you have experience with, or at least know of that would be better than the Sound Blaster Live! with KX drivers? I was told that this was a good option that's cheap. I am looking for more input as well.

If there is a really big difference in sound quality using the bloat, I would consider it, so please let me know if it's quite a big jump.

Thanks scott fx!

**scott_fx** · 08-01-2008, 11:17 AM

i dont have experience with the bloat. just basing my statement on all the reviews i've read on it. i do have a douglas hpdac that i could maybe be swayed to sell if you want to try it. it's built as a headphone amp but you could use it as a pre-amp as well. I have great results with sb live/kx driver combo with an audiocontrol 24xs x-over/line driver. it's a great 'budget' setup imho

**Maegnas** · 08-01-2008, 07:00 PM

Cool, thanks for the info. I'm looking to spend quite a bit less than the bloat would set me back. Now the SB Live! you are referring to is the PCI card? Not the USB?

I looked at the audiocontrol 24xs and it's a little more expensive than I want.

Would the Douglas give me better sound quality than would the SB? I haven't read anything on it, is there a thread on it somewhere?

Thanks for your help!

**scott_fx** · 08-01-2008, 10:45 PM

http://www.ecp.cc/HPDAC.html

the douglas dac would most likely sound better as long as you had some way of eq'ing on the software side. the sb live pci card that i had was great, but adding the x-over made a very noticable difference. you could look for an active 2-way x-over on ebay that isn't audiocontrol, maybe you'd find an old phoenix gold unit. just make sure it has a line driver in it.

**scott_fx** · 08-03-2008, 02:58 AM

check out this thread:
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/...ad.php?t=43531

he has a 2xs for 50 bucks

**Maegnas** · 08-03-2008, 11:59 AM

I don't know much about the crossovers, pretty noob on that subject

. I'm wondering what it does for me (in lame man's terms)? Is it that it allows me to control the levels all my speakers and subs?

I noticed on that 2xs it looked like it only had 2 inputs? How would I plug in my 4 speakers/2 subs to it? (Is there enough to run my 3 rca cables directly into it?)

That is a good deal for that crossover, and thanks for the heads up, though before I buy one I think I should know a little bit more about them :P.

Thanks a lot for the help, and for all the replies guys!

**Maegnas** · 08-03-2008, 12:00 PM

Oh... 1 more thing, and if it is for controlling the levels of my speakers and subs, isn't there a way to do this software end through the computer? Is it as effective?

Thanks.

**scott_fx** · 08-03-2008, 12:31 PM

a crossover send the correct signals to the correct speakers. you have your one set of rca's going into it and it splits them up to the correct frequencies for your speakers and your sub. the 2xs also incorperates a line driver which boosts the voltage of the rca's before it gets to the amp reducing the audible noise that gets introduced along the rca leads.

it's not optimal since i ran it with just front speakers and a sub, but it can still work. i'd get a y-adapter for the high pass output and run that to your front and rear speaker amp, then the low pass output directly to your sub.

what kind of car do you have? do you need the rear speakers? personally i don't like them so i leave them out.