advice on USB audio adapters?

Poe · 10-23-2005, 11:55 PM

i have a PIII motherboard that does not have onboard audio. and i don't want to put in a pci sound card because i want it to go into a flat box. i'm thinking of buying a USB audio adapter to provide sound. has anybody ever used these? how is the sound quality? they're only about $10 shipped on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-USB-Audio-Mi...QQcmdZViewItem

how well do these work?

Sonicxtacy02 · 10-24-2005, 09:22 AM

just LOOK at it. Look how pitiful that thing looks! If ur gonna go usb audio get a Creative Audigy or Extigy card. If you want a step above go with an M-audio card. I just bought my Extigy 2 weeks ago from ebay for 40. I love it

84RegalRider · 10-25-2005, 07:52 PM

u get what u pay for

semovodka · 10-26-2005, 11:00 PM

Just something interesting to think about:
It's a common misconception to associate higher prices with better quality. We are studying it is psychology and applying it to a business look. Talking about how a woman selling some types of stones ( I'm assuming polished and pretty looking ones). She is losing money by not selling any so she decides to take a break from her business. She writes a note 1/2 off. The assistant was not paying attention and marked up all prices by 2 times. When the woman returned to her store she found that almost all of her current stock had been sold. This is a common case of associating higher cost with better quality. Why some prefer intel over amd etc. On and on.

Although that is interesting I doubt this can be applied directly to this case fully. This thing is really really cheaper than any other alternative. It might work it might not, if i was to wager on it I would say it wouldn't be very good. However, it is 10 bucks so you could take the risk and try it out, who knows it may work perfect for you. However, don't always associate greater cost with better products. At the same time this is incredibly cheaper, i would be suprised if it functioned well.

Spike · 11-08-2005, 12:07 AM

Hey great point there...This is exspecially true with some audio devices, where more complex devices mean less quality due to more playing with the sound, i am no expert here by any means...

But i bet that thing is worth $10, but not much more, now in a car setup, where you are spending $100+ on every other component (from amp to speakers, etc) why not spend the same on your sound interface? Your system is only as strong as it's weakest link

and that usb audio card is definately a weak link by the looks of it...

It also does not mention the output voltages, which for our uses should be at least 5v...

Good luck mate

fonseca · 11-08-2005, 01:31 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by semovodka

It's a common misconception to associate higher prices with better quality.

Not really. I understand your point, and it is valid from a marketing perspective, but there is a real correlation between price and quality when it comes to many products. In the case of a soundcard, it's the size and number of capacitors and other components, hardware processing, research and design, etc. Yes, there are ways to produce a better value card of of similar quality to a more expensive one, but you almost always get what you pay for.

The worth of stones is subjective; the quality of hardware is objective and quantifiable. The item above is a joke at any price.