Epia Onboard audio Vs Creative Audigy?

KMPorter · 10-24-2003, 11:13 AM

As I'm becoming more and more serious about purchasing parts for my carputer I'm getting more and more worried about using onboard sound. In the past I have had only bad experiences with the onboard audio. Lots of clicking, poor overall audio quality, etc.

Will I see better audio quality using one of the creative audigy boards?
Do the epia audio drivers have equalizer settings and other advanced audio controls?
Can I put a dual PCI riser on an epia that only has one PCI slot?

-Keith M Porter
sixflagsmedusa@comcast.net

hijinks21 · 10-24-2003, 11:15 AM

you will see a lot better quality going with an audigy then onboard

wi77iam · 10-24-2003, 02:39 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by KMPorter

Will I see better audio quality using one of the creative audigy boards?
Do the epia audio drivers have equalizer settings and other advanced audio controls?
Can I put a dual PCI riser on an epia that only has one PCI slot?

Yes, definitely.
Don't know, maybe.
Yes, if you have the right size case.

hijinks21 · 10-24-2003, 03:01 PM

also you can put a dual riser card. Mini-itx sells them and says they will work

adamis · 10-24-2003, 08:07 PM

I used the on board sound without much problems. I had a ground loop somewhere so I threw in an isolator between the amp and the outputs on the sound card and it took care of that. Maybe my ears aren't that good, or maybe I haven't heard better but for me the onboard was engouh.

aethernaut · 10-25-2003, 07:28 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by adamis

I used the on board sound without much problems. I had a ground loop somewhere so I threw in an isolator between the amp and the outputs on the sound card and it took care of that. Maybe my ears aren't that good, or maybe I haven't heard better but for me the onboard was engouh.

Will an isolator take care of alternator whine, and what is an isolator and where do yo buy them?

Hey!!! A buddy of mine is Ski Patrol in Chico! (darn lucky bum...)

hijinks21 · 10-25-2003, 07:32 PM

alternator whine is something else. places like autozone sell something to fix that. It sits on you 12v line in front of your inverter.

adamis · 10-26-2003, 01:57 AM

Ski patrol in Chico? I haven't seen any ski slopes in Chico. But Tahoe, and Lassen are only a few hours away....

As for the ground loop isolator I got it at WalMart in Williams which is on I5 (It's the freeway that runs from one end of California to the other.) The alternator noise was driving me so crazy that I stopped on my trip and bought the thing. It plugs right into the RCA jacks between the sound card and the amp.

Ideally I should have fixed the ground loop but I got lazy since this thing solved it. Anyway, look for a ground loop isolator at WalMart that plugs in with the RCA jacks (not one that plugs into the 12v wiring). To be honest I have no clue why it worked by being plugged into the RCA jacks. Ordinarly I agree that alternator noise comes through the power source.

But, putting an isolator inline with the RCA jacks worked for me and I'm not going to complain.