Sound Blaster/Vibra 128 vs. SB Live

So which one is better with regards to Signal to Noise ratio? - the SB/Vibra 128 or the SB Live?

Either technical doco, or user experence if u have tried both cards in a mp3car setup.... or is it just that the SB Live has the dolby surround/5.1 features that gives it the inflated costing?

I ask since I currently have a Vibra/SB 128 and whilst very, very slight I have a little hissing in the output....... I would like to bump the gains on my pre-amp/amp up a bit to get this thing louder (more power!) but it will start to get a little bit audible this slight hissing..... I wonder if shelling out the cash on a SB Live would help that? Im guessing that since marketed as a 'higher end' sound card that it would have better sound specs?

if no-one know the answer, I will just shell out the cash and try it anyway...... I can put a spare sound card to use somewhere....

on a related topic - I used to have a link to a website that rated alot of sound cards, in great detail... with S/N raitings/etc.... does anyone know of such a website?


cheers guys....

I would be curious to know also if it is worth getting a sb live over the normal vibra 128. The sb live are double the price of the vibra 128's over here in aus.

Here is some stuff off the creative site comparing the soundcards.
http://www.soundblaster.com/compare/

nice find mate!!.... I did some searching and found the following results...

http://www.soundblaster.com/products/sb128/specs.asp

the SB128/Vibra has a S/N ratio of 90DB

http://www.soundblaster.com/products...e5.1/specs.asp

the SB LIVE 5.1 has a S/N radio of > 96DB


take these raitings as gospel? I dont know, but if a manufacturer rates one of their products lower that another then I guess they are fair in saying that the cheaper SB128 is targeted at the budget 'i need sound' user, rather than the anal audiophile (which I wanna be!)

I think this is enuff for me to try the SB LIVE.... and the cost aint that much. was at the swap meets yesterday, a SB128 goes for $28 the SB LIVE $65.... not too nasty if it makes a difference I reckon....

only bugger is I need to then re-install my W98 OS again.... doh! oh well, should be worth it.... ;)

I went from using an SB Live 5.1 to using an SB Live Audigy and about the only difference I can tell is that it seems like the line-out from the Audigy is about 2x as powerful as the one in the 5.1. I only know this because my usual playing loudness was at around 35 (on my head unit) on the 5.1, and it's around 20 or so now with using the Audigy.

thats sounds great..... a higher output voltage on the sound card is better, since I can turn back gains to achive the same output level and achive less hiss.... also looking at the Audigy specs page they claim 100db S/N ratio.... wow.... and make a bit note of it...


a bit pricey looking at local computer store prices, but if it works like it claims then I will be in it......