For those who also have home theaters...

**amrit50** · 03-19-2004, 01:20 PM

I was wondering, how much better is $1000 digital 5.1 receiver then a $50 5.1 sound card hooked up to a computer? Don't they do the same thing, except that the receiver is also an amp?

Someone was telling me that the sound quality was not comparable coming from a computer.

**Alric** · 03-19-2004, 01:37 PM

If a receiver is decoding a digital signal (spdif) it makes no difference whatsoever. I think you mean to compare a CD or DVD player with the PC, right?

**anaxagoras** · 03-19-2004, 01:47 PM

Well, Electrically PC's are pretty noisy, most home theater parts are seperate which reduces quite a bit of noise i'm sure. Also remember that those high end Recievers output a couple hundred watts, as opposed to whatever a Sound card puts out, a few watts at best.

**Toups** · 03-19-2004, 01:50 PM

not to mention most receivers, Denon for example, have multiple inputs a complex digital switching matrix, and some even have multiple zone outputs.

If you are just looking to save money on a home theater system, just buy a Denon instead and you will not be disappointed.

**Mitokondria** · 03-19-2004, 03:01 PM

Everyone in my family has done great with Yamaha receivers. Have 3 of them and not one problem.

**amrit50** · 03-19-2004, 03:02 PM

but do you think the receivers are significatly better then a sound card?

**Toups** · 03-19-2004, 03:06 PM

when setup by a professional, no doubt as I have been doing home theater systems for 5 years now

**none** · 03-19-2004, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by amrit50

but do you think the receivers are significatly better then a sound card?

They do completely different things, hard to compare.

As always, quality depends on what you spend. Comparing a $50 item to a $1000 item is never going to be fair. Now if you want to talk about a $1000 soundcard, the audio quality will likely blow away any home theater component.

**gangrew** · 03-19-2004, 09:18 PM

I use a M-Audio Revolution outputting analog directly to the amplifier. My stereo has never sounded better. In fact my home system is what first got me thinking that this would work perfectly in a car.

I would not recommend this card if you will not be using the analog output.

check out the HTPC forum at avsforum.com for more

**cproaudio** · 03-19-2004, 10:04 PM

Soundcard will never come close to a home theater receiver. The quality of the processor and amplification of HT receivers is what matters the most. You can build a HTPC but you still need a HT receiver to decode the DD5.1 or DTS. The money you spend on a 5 channel amp plus building a HTPC is just not worth the money. Like Toups said the features of HT receivers surpasses that of a sound card. If you're totally into home theater and not so much about music, then you should check out the Yamaha RX-V1300/2300/3300. I'd avoid the RX-V1400/V2400 b/c the THX certification phucdup the bass responce. the 1300/2300 have higher bass output.