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Old ProMedia 2.1(2002) versus New ProMedia 2.1(2015) - Old has much better sound!


DRC72

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Lenovo 64 Bit Intel I7 12Gb of onboard RAM

My sound system card indicates Realtek High Definition Audio. I'll get you the other info when I get chance.

Oh, a laptop. So, you don't even have a sound card (that's what I like to call "onboard audio"). So, you're not really hearing the full potential of the ProMedia 2.1 system. ;) You can get an external USB Digital-to-Analog Converter ("DAC") such as the Schiit Modi 2, but it's about $110 after shipping. That's a large amount of money for me, but if you happen to feel that this is no big deal (like, if it's pretty affordable), then I would highly recommend it because it is highly recommended by audiophiles for people who would like to keep their costs as low as possible while still getting a huge upgrade.

To be clear, every digital device that can play sound has a DAC. You see, digital audio has to be converted to analog audio so that we can understand it, but the quality of that DAC determines the quality of your audio output, and Realtek is really a producer of low-quality audio products that are "good enough for most people".

The only potential problem with a USB DAC is (including the USB "sound cards") is, there's a very small chance that you'd also need something like this:

http://schiit.com/products/wyrd

...and it costs $99.99 before shipping as well. Of course, that's a "wait and see" situation.

No it's a full size desktop.

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

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Lenovo 64 Bit Intel I7 12Gb of onboard RAM

My sound system card indicates Realtek High Definition Audio. I'll get you the other info when I get chance.

Oh, a laptop. So, you don't even have a sound card (that's what I like to call "onboard audio"). So, you're not really hearing the full potential of the ProMedia 2.1 system. ;) You can get an external USB Digital-to-Analog Converter ("DAC") such as the Schiit Modi 2, but it's about $110 after shipping. That's a large amount of money for me, but if you happen to feel that this is no big deal (like, if it's pretty affordable), then I would highly recommend it because it is highly recommended by audiophiles for people who would like to keep their costs as low as possible while still getting a huge upgrade.

To be clear, every digital device that can play sound has a DAC. You see, digital audio has to be converted to analog audio so that we can understand it, but the quality of that DAC determines the quality of your audio output, and Realtek is really a producer of low-quality audio products that are "good enough for most people".

The only potential problem with a USB DAC is (including the USB "sound cards") is, there's a very small chance that you'd also need something like this:

http://schiit.com/products/wyrd

...and it costs $99.99 before shipping as well. Of course, that's a "wait and see" situation.

No it's a full size desktop.

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

 

 

Hmm. Well, I'd hate to be responsible for you spending even more money, but there are some options out there that shouldn't cost more than roughly $100 to help you get a noticeably big improvement to your audio quality (meaning, you'd get a LOT closer to hearing the full potential of the ProMedia 2.1 system). Based on what I'm reading, the Schiit Modi 2 seems to be one of those options, even for a desktop PC.

 

Now, I prefer having a global Graphic Equalizer that enhances EVERYTHING, including things that don't have a built-in EQ option like YouTube - even with the ProMedia 2.1s (either it's my hearing, or it's the speakers - I don't know). So, I prefer a good sound card, particularly Creative's sound cards. My sound current card is the X-Fi Ttianium HD. It's a very high-end card, but it's no longer available. Well, it is, but the prices I've seen lately are so ridiculously high on the ones that ARE availalble that I've written this card off as being one that I can recommend to anyone, unless they are filthy rich. lol

 

A quick word about my preference for a Global EQ (this is mostly directed at anyone who knows Creative's sound cards and is wondering if I really know what I'm doing): you can rest assured that I use Audio Creation Mode with Bit-Matched Playback enabled for all DVDs (in WinDVD) and all music files and CDs in Winamp, using their built-in Graphic Equalizers. For games, I use Game Mode. For everything else, I use Entertainment Mode with enhancements enabled like Crystalizer, Speaker (it's a little bit like a bass boost), and when I'm watching certain YouTube videos, I'll even enable Surround. I always leave Smart Volume and Dialogue Plus disabled.

 

So, the next card that I can recommend that's made by Creative is the Sound Blaster Z, which can be had for $99.84 shipped from Amazon.com. You'll also find the Zx, and this appears to be the exact same sound card with a different accessory. You'll also find the ZxR, but it's not worth looking at. Now, the Sound Blaster Z isn't as good as the Titanium HD, but it's still quite good - and it has a superior headphone amplifier in it (600 Ohm amp vs. just 330). Of course, with the ProMedia 2.1 system, why would you want to use headphones? hehe :)

 

Some people might recommend an ASUS sound card (either the inexpensive Xonar DG, or the expensive Xonar Essence STX), but I've never had a good experience with their software. I had the Xonar D1 which was once highly recommended, but I couldn't get the Graphic Equalizer to work at all. So, I can't recommend any of their cards in good conscience, even though MANY people will swear by these cards and say that they are superior to anything that Creative makes. In my personal experience though, I have NEVER had one single problem with any of Creative's sound cards or their software. Not one! To put that into perspective, I've been using their cards since the mid 90s, beginning with the Sound Blaster 16. I'm on my 5th Creative card now, and still 100% happy.

 

Anyway, I don't really know which option you'd be happiest with (or what your best option is here), but I think that you'd experience a very noticeable upgrade either way. However, that's a cost of about $100. :/

Edited by TwoCables
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Lenovo 64 Bit Intel I7 12Gb of onboard RAM

My sound system card indicates Realtek High Definition Audio. I'll get you the other info when I get chance.

Oh, a laptop. So, you don't even have a sound card (that's what I like to call "onboard audio"). So, you're not really hearing the full potential of the ProMedia 2.1 system. ;) You can get an external USB Digital-to-Analog Converter ("DAC") such as the Schiit Modi 2, but it's about $110 after shipping. That's a large amount of money for me, but if you happen to feel that this is no big deal (like, if it's pretty affordable), then I would highly recommend it because it is highly recommended by audiophiles for people who would like to keep their costs as low as possible while still getting a huge upgrade.

To be clear, every digital device that can play sound has a DAC. You see, digital audio has to be converted to analog audio so that we can understand it, but the quality of that DAC determines the quality of your audio output, and Realtek is really a producer of low-quality audio products that are "good enough for most people".

The only potential problem with a USB DAC is (including the USB "sound cards") is, there's a very small chance that you'd also need something like this:

http://schiit.com/products/wyrd

...and it costs $99.99 before shipping as well. Of course, that's a "wait and see" situation.

No it's a full size desktop.

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

 

 

Hmm. Well, I'd hate to be responsible for you spending even more money, but there are some options out there that shouldn't cost more than roughly $100 to help you get a noticeably big improvement to your audio quality (meaning, you'd get a LOT closer to hearing the full potential of the ProMedia 2.1 system). Based on what I'm reading, the Schiit Modi 2 seems to be one of those options, even for a desktop PC.

 

Now, I prefer having a global Graphic Equalizer that enhances EVERYTHING, including things that don't have a built-in EQ option like YouTube - even with the ProMedia 2.1s (either it's my hearing, or it's the speakers - I don't know). So, I prefer a good sound card, particularly Creative's sound cards. My sound current card is the X-Fi Ttianium HD. It's a very high-end card, but it's no longer available. Well, it is, but the prices I've seen lately are so ridiculously high on the ones that ARE availalble that I've written this card off as being one that I can recommend to anyone, unless they are filthy rich. lol

 

A quick word about my preference for a Global EQ (this is mostly directed at anyone who knows Creative's sound cards and is wondering if I really know what I'm doing): you can rest assured that I use Audio Creation Mode with Bit-Matched Playback enabled for all DVDs (in WinDVD) and all music files and CDs in Winamp, using their built-in Graphic Equalizers. For games, I use Game Mode. For everything else, I use Entertainment Mode with enhancements enabled like Crystalizer, Speaker (it's a little bit like a bass boost), and when I'm watching certain YouTube videos, I'll even enable Surround. I always leave Smart Volume and Dialogue Plus disabled.

 

So, the next card that I can recommend that's made by Creative is the Sound Blaster Z, which can be had for $99.84 shipped from Amazon.com. You'll also find the Zx, and this appears to be the exact same sound card with a different accessory. You'll also find the ZxR, but it's not worth looking at. Now, the Sound Blaster Z isn't as good as the Titanium HD, but it's still quite good - and it has a superior headphone amplifier in it (600 Ohm amp vs. just 330). Of course, with the ProMedia 2.1 system, why would you want to use headphones? hehe :)

 

Some people might recommend an ASUS sound card (either the inexpensive Xonar DG, or the expensive Xonar Essence STX), but I've never had a good experience with their software. I had the Xonar D1 which was once highly recommended, but I couldn't get the Graphic Equalizer to work at all. So, I can't recommend any of their cards in good conscience, even though MANY people will swear by these cards and say that they are superior to anything that Creative makes. In my personal experience though, I have NEVER had one single problem with any of Creative's sound cards or their software. Not one! To put that into perspective, I've been using their cards since the mid 90s, beginning with the Sound Blaster 16. I'm on my 5th Creative card now, and still 100% happy.

 

Anyway, I don't really know which option you'd be happiest with (or what your best option is here), but I think that you'd experience a very noticeable upgrade either way. However, that's a cost of about $100. :/

 

Well to be quite honest with you I'm pretty happy with the sound. I probably do have a mid grade sound card in my system. Does Realtek have any high end cards? 

My processor is a Intel Core i7-2600 CPU @3.40GHz 64 Bit Operating System

Edited by DRC72
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Well to be quite honest with you I'm pretty happy with the sound. I probably do have a mid grade sound card in my system. Does Realtek have any high end cards? 

My processor is a Intel Core i7-2600 CPU @3.40GHz 64 Bit Operating System

 

I wrote this post over 12 hours ago, but I got sidetracked. I apologize for it being too long, but I'm very passionate about this stuff and I also feel that a short post would be more of a disservice than anything.

 

Believe it or not, you don't have a sound card; you have a chip that's soldered to the motherboard (it's what I like to call "onboard audio"). Worse yet, realtek doesn't make anything that's "good". When it comes to audio products, Realtek just makes onboard chips; they don't make any sound cards. In the world of onboard audio though, they do have a couple of chips that are among the best, but that's not saying much. When it comes to sound cards - particularly the ones mentioned here, onboard audio is noticeably very inferior, especially with good speakers. The better the speakers, the easier it is to hear the improvement that a good sound card makes. So, if you had like cheap $10 desktop speakers, then you probably wouldn't notice a difference, but you have the ProMedia 2.1 system. Therefore, upgrading to a good sound card would be very noticeable. I think almost anyone who has a setup like yours would have a blast with such an upgrade. It's kind of like upgrading from a low-quality cheap 2.1 speaker system to the ProMedia 2.1. It's great fun!

 

If you can find one of these sound cards at a local store, then I would strongly recommend buying it just so you can test it to see what you think. You can return the card the next day (or the same day if you buy it early enough in the day to give yourself enough time to try it out). You won't find the Schiit Modi 2 though, unless you happen to have a local store that specializes in such products.

 

Don't get me wrong; I know the feeling of having someone recommend an upgrade like this (the kind where you have to take the person's word for it). When I had the Audigy 2 ZS, I thought that it couldn't get any better. I had the Altec Lansing VS4121 speaker system and I was extremely happy with my sound; I felt that I had nice clear mids and highs and great low end (especially because the subwoofer is inside of a wooden cabinet). My Audigy 2 ZS started dying on me one day, and so I replaced it with the XtremeGamer. It's a simple-looking card, but holy crap; that thing destroyed the Audigy 2 ZS. The low end was the biggest improvement; it went MUCH deeper (all the way down to 36 Hz very cleanly and powerfully - 35 Hz worked, but it was comparitively weak), and it was much, much cleaner and more powerful and very thunderous. It reminded me of the kind of delicious low end in some of the better THX-Certified theaters. I had no idea that my subwoofer could produce such awesome and pleasing low end.

 

With the Audigy 2 ZS, my VS4121's subwoofer sounded comparitively boomy and it would distort for certain things, but that stopped happening with the XtremeGamer. It was like I upgraded to much better speakers. So, I was shocked. Of course, the mids and highs were improved quite noticeably too, and so was the sound stage. Simply put, everything was much better, and I was previously convinced with the Audigy 2 ZS that it couldn't get any better. After this upgrade though, I was like, "Ok, NOW it can't get any better. Finally!" Even so, I always secretly wanted the ProMedia 2.1 system thanks to hearing it at a friend's house. Except, I kept putting it off by saying, "pff, with the sound quality I have now, I seriously doubt that I'd notice enough of an improvement to justify the cost".

 

Then I upgraded to the X-Fi Titanium HD, and I was blown away even more. However, even though it was a nice upgrade to my sound, it wasn't HUGE, not like I was expecting. I later realized that the reason why was, I was already hearing just about the fullest potential of my VS4121s on the XtremeGamer. You see, my VS4121s weren't allowing me to hear the full potential of the X-Fi Titanium HD (they were bottlenecking it). I had effectively reached the fullest potential of those speakers while still having a MUCH larger potential from the sound card that could be had with better speakers. So, my upgrade to the X-Fi Titanium HD sounded small to me even though the sound card upgrade was huge. Even so, there were still certain improvements to my audio quality that still made me go, "Whoa!" So, I knew deep down that I would have to upgrade to better speakers some day if I want to feel better about the money that I spent on the Titanium HD ($162.98).

 

Then recently I finally replaced those VS4121s with the ProMedia 2.1 system (it was actually just a couple of weeks ago), and now I think I'm finally hearing the X-Fi Titanium HD's full potential, or I'm at least a lot closer to it. Prior to getting the ProMedia 2.1 system, I thought that my audio quality was already extremely good and I'd even tell audiophiles that I think they'd be impressed with what I achieved without spending a fortune. I still secretly wanted the ProMedia 2.1s, but I thought that I'd never buy them because I believed that the upgrade wouldn't be big enough to justify the cost, but I was wrong.

 

After making all of these upgrades to my audio, I can truly speak from experience that upgrading to a good sound card can make a big difference, and so can upgrading from a good sound card to an even better one. So yeah, you would DEFINITELY notice an improvement to your audio quality and I'd bet that you'd be extremely glad you did it. I think that you'd even wonder why you were happy with it before the upgrade.

Edited by TwoCables
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Well to be quite honest with you I'm pretty happy with the sound. I probably do have a mid grade sound card in my system. Does Realtek have any high end cards?

My processor is a Intel Core i7-2600 CPU @3.40GHz 64 Bit Operating System

I wrote this post over 12 hours ago, but I got sidetracked. I apologize for it being too long, but I'm very passionate about this stuff and I also feel that a short post would be more of a disservice than anything.

Believe it or not, you don't have a sound card; you have a chip that's soldered to the motherboard (it's what I like to call "onboard audio"). Worse yet, realtek doesn't make anything that's "good". When it comes to audio products, Realtek just makes onboard chips; they don't make any sound cards. In the world of onboard audio though, they do have a couple of chips that are among the best, but that's not saying much. When it comes to sound cards - particularly the ones mentioned here, onboard audio is noticeably very inferior, especially with good speakers. The better the speakers, the easier it is to hear the improvement that a good sound card makes. So, if you had like cheap $10 desktop speakers, then you probably wouldn't notice a difference, but you have the ProMedia 2.1 system. Therefore, upgrading to a good sound card would be very noticeable. I think almost anyone who has a setup like yours would have a blast with such an upgrade. It's kind of like upgrading from a low-quality cheap 2.1 speaker system to the ProMedia 2.1. It's great fun!

If you can find one of these sound cards at a local store, then I would strongly recommend buying it just so you can test it to see what you think. You can return the card the next day (or the same day if you buy it early enough in the day to give yourself enough time to try it out). You won't find the Schiit Modi 2 though, unless you happen to have a local store that specializes in such products.

Don't get me wrong; I know the feeling of having someone recommend an upgrade like this (the kind where you have to take the person's word for it). When I had the Audigy 2 ZS, I thought that it couldn't get any better. I had the Altec Lansing VS4121 speaker system and I was extremely happy with my sound; I felt that I had nice clear mids and highs and great low end (especially because the subwoofer is inside of a wooden cabinet). My Audigy 2 ZS started dying on me one day, and so I replaced it with the XtremeGamer. It's a simple-looking card, but holy crap; that thing destroyed the Audigy 2 ZS. The low end was the biggest improvement; it went MUCH deeper (all the way down to 36 Hz very cleanly and powerfully - 35 Hz worked, but it was comparitively weak), and it was much, much cleaner and more powerful and very thunderous. It reminded me of the kind of delicious low end in some of the better THX-Certified theaters. I had no idea that my subwoofer could produce such awesome and pleasing low end.

With the Audigy 2 ZS, my VS4121's subwoofer sounded comparitively boomy and it would distort for certain things, but that stopped happening with the XtremeGamer. It was like I upgraded to much better speakers. So, I was shocked. Of course, the mids and highs were improved quite noticeably too, and so was the sound stage. Simply put, everything was much better, and I was previously convinced with the Audigy 2 ZS that it couldn't get any better. After this upgrade though, I was like, "Ok, NOW it can't get any better. Finally!" Even so, I always secretly wanted the ProMedia 2.1 system thanks to hearing it at a friend's house. Except, I kept putting it off by saying, "pff, with the sound quality I have now, I seriously doubt that I'd notice enough of an improvement to justify the cost".

Then I upgraded to the X-Fi Titanium HD, and I was blown away even more. However, even though it was a nice upgrade to my sound, it wasn't HUGE, not like I was expecting. I later realized that the reason why was, I was already hearing just about the fullest potential of my VS4121s on the XtremeGamer. You see, my VS4121s weren't allowing me to hear the full potential of the X-Fi Titanium HD (they were bottlenecking it). I had effectively reached the fullest potential of those speakers while still having a MUCH larger potential from the sound card that could be had with better speakers. So, my upgrade to the X-Fi Titanium HD sounded small to me even though the sound card upgrade was huge. Even so, there were still certain improvements to my audio quality that still made me go, "Whoa!" So, I knew deep down that I would have to upgrade to better speakers some day if I want to feel better about the money that I spent on the Titanium HD ($162.98).

Then recently I finally replaced those VS4121s with the ProMedia 2.1 system (it was actually just a couple of weeks ago), and now I think I'm finally hearing the X-Fi Titanium HD's full potential, or I'm at least a lot closer to it. Prior to getting the ProMedia 2.1 system, I thought that my audio quality was already extremely good and I'd even tell audiophiles that I think they'd be impressed with what I achieved without spending a fortune. I still secretly wanted the ProMedia 2.1s, but I thought that I'd never buy them because I believed that the upgrade wouldn't be big enough to justify the cost, but I was wrong.

After making all of these upgrades to my audio, I can truly speak from experience that upgrading to a good sound card can make a big difference, and so can upgrading from a good sound card to an even better one. So yeah, you would DEFINITELY notice an improvement to your audio quality and I'd bet that you'd be extremely glad you did it. I think that you'd even wonder why you were happy with it before the upgrade.

Lol! Damm your good. I think I'm gonna have to upgrade my sound card. I didn't realize how much better my system can sound. Also I didn't realize that Realtek was only a chip on my motherboard.. I thought it was a sound card all this time. Ok my next question? Are they easy to install? I can get into my desktop no problem, but I don't really have any experience with this type of thing? Is it simply plugging into one of the slots inside? And what do I do on the software side?

Appreciate your help.

Dave

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

Edited by DRC72
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Lol! Damm your good. I think I'm gonna have to upgrade my sound card. I didn't realize how much better my system can sound. Also I didn't realize that Realtek was only a chip on my motherboard.. I thought it was a sound card all this time. Ok my next question? Are they easy to install? I can get into my desktop no problem, but I don't really have any experience with this type of thing? Is it simply plugging into one of the slots inside? And what do I do on the software side?

Appreciate your help.

Dave

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

 

 

If you go the route of trying a sound card, then you're right that it's mostly just a matter of inserting the card into the slot and then installing the software and driver, more or less (you might be able to find 'how to' videos on YouTube, like "how to install a sound card" or something like that). Of course, if the onboard audio can be disabled, then you will want to do so just to help avoid the possibility of hardware conflicts. You'll also want to uninstall the Realtek audio driver and any Realtek software that's related to sound. Disabling it is done in the BIOS, and the BIOS can either be very easy to get into, or somewhat tricky - but usually not VERY tricky. Your computer's manual might show how to access it. Finding the onboard audio in the BIOS can be easy if you spend the time looking around - sometimes it's pretty obvious once you find it. If you find that Lenovo didn't provide a way to disable it (or even a way to get into the BIOS), then that's ok. After all, you can select the default audio device in Windows.

 

Anyway, inside the computer case at the rear (the lower section in the back with a bunch of little horizontal 'panels'), you'll find expansion slot covers (the 'panels', as it were) that help keep the rear looking pretty from the outside when they are still in place. The one that's in line with the slot you'll install the card into will have to be removed. Actually, it's slightly lower than the slot. Anyway, if you're lucky, then it's being held in with a screw (almost always a philips screw too). If you're not lucky, then it will have to be "broken" off. If it has to be broken off, then be careful because all of the edges where the separation happens can be very sharp. If you're VERY lucky, then you'll find a fancy plastic screwless design holding the slot cover in place!

 

So yeah, again, to know which slot cover to remove, it's the one that's almost in line with the PCI-E x1 slot (it's slightly lower). The slot itself will look like the tiny white one in this photo. Yours will probably be a different color though and it might be located in a slightly different place (like, it could be the topmost slot or something like that). If you don't have one of these slots, then any PCI-E slot will work. I'm just trying to help you avoid consuming a bigger slot just in case you may need it in the future. Oh, and this reminds me: make sure the card you buy isn't a plain "PCI" card because you might not have any PCI slots on your motherboard. Most sound cards these days though are PCI-E x1.

 

Installation is just a matter of making sure the card gets inserted all the way, and flat in the slot. Cards can be fussy about being perfectly installed, and about being installed all the way in (or, maybe it's the motherboard that's fussy). So, take the side panel off the computer, lay it down on its side and use the sturdy parts of the card that can't be broken (like the edge of the card that will be facing you) to push it straight down into the slot, with your downward force going directly toward the slot itself, making for a nice square insertion.

 

After inserting the card all the way (and perfectly), it's always a good idea to secure the card to the case using a screw, and you'll see where the screw goes. This part is difficult to explain, so this is where a YouTube video can come in handy. You can watch almost any video for this, including any that talk about how to install a video card, or just generic 'how to install a PCI card" or something. Most of them, if they're any good, should show securing the card with a case screw (and that's what you'll need; a "case screw"). If you're lucky enough to have the screwless design, then you won't have to worry about the screw at all. However, I still use them because I have a preference for everything being rock solid (I guess I'm a bit old-school). If you want to use a case screw but you don't have any, then you should be able to find one at Micro Center or you MIGHT even be able to get one at Best Buy. I'm sure about Micro Center, but I'm not about Best Buy. I've never tried to buy any small parts from them. If you're lucky enough to have a small computer shop near you that sells parts for building computers, then you're golden.

 

Software installaton is usually a snap. After installing the card and connecting the ProMedia 2.1 to it, you just turn the computer back on, wait for Windows to start up all the way (which will include the automatic installation of a generic driver for the new card), and then you insert the CD that has the driver and software on it (some cards might come with more than 1 CD - one for the driver and software, and the other for additional software if you want any of it).

 

After the installation of the software, you will restart the computer and get started on enjoying the new card! This can (and should) include trying all the various audio enhancements available to you in the software, including the Graphic Equalizer. I feel that it's usually best do to this with some kind of audio that you're extremely familiar with, such as a song or a movie. Adjusting all of these things is kind of like flavoring food with condiments, spices and/or seasoning. You just keep experimenting until it's perfect for you, and for you alone. Of course, you don't have to always use those settings for everything. ;)

 

If you find yourself feeling that you don't know how to adjust the Graphic Equalizer, then here's a tip: while playing something very familiar to you, adjust each frequency one by one, going all the way up and then all the way down. You will hear the sound of each frequency, and you'll then begin to know how you want to adjust all of them as a whole (this can be fun, by the way - so, don't get too carried away by the entertainment value that this process can have. lol). Remember though, your Bass and Treble adjustments are completely independent of the Graphic Equalizer (or the other way around, if you want to see it that way). So, it can be a balancing act, but it's worth it. Of course, other audio enhancements can affect the lows, mids and highs as well. Everything's independent, while working together at the same time.

 

Just a quick word about the software installation: if you're interested in making sure you don't install anything that you don't need, then I can help with that, especially if it's a Creative sound card. Generally though, you want the "Custom" or "Advanced" installation option (it's the one that is NOT labeled "Recommended" or "Express" or "Typical", or "Full", or "Minimal" etc.). From there, you should see everything that can be installed, and you can even Google each thing to learn more about it in order to see what you want and don't want on your computer.

 

So yeah, this can consume some time, but I think it will be very worth it in the end. It's just about the best way to hear what your new sound card is capable of. You might even find yourself listening to things as though you're hearing them for the first time! Like I said, this can be a lot of fun.

 

If you go the route of trying a USB DAC like the Modi 2, then yeah, that's simple: just plug it in and enjoy. :) Windows SHOULD automatically select it as the default device, but you'll know because you have to plug your speakers into it with the Modi 2 connected to the computer via USB. So, the output path is Computer >  USB cable > Modi 2 > speaker connector cable on the Modi 2's "Line Out" connectors >  speakers. Therefore, if you have sound, then you're using the Modi 2. If not, then you just select the Modi 2 as the default device. Or, make sure your sound isn't muted. :) In your movie and music playback software, look into adjusting their built-in graphic equalizers, if one is available.

 

I hope that I covered everything so that if you go through with this, then you'll be fully prepared. The proverbial rabbit hole goes even deeper than this, but we can explore the depths later. :)

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Lol! Damm your good. I think I'm gonna have to upgrade my sound card. I didn't realize how much better my system can sound. Also I didn't realize that Realtek was only a chip on my motherboard.. I thought it was a sound card all this time. Ok my next question? Are they easy to install? I can get into my desktop no problem, but I don't really have any experience with this type of thing? Is it simply plugging into one of the slots inside? And what do I do on the software side?

Appreciate your help.

Dave

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

If you go the route of trying a sound card, then you're right that it's mostly just a matter of inserting the card into the slot and then installing the software and driver, more or less (you might be able to find 'how to' videos on YouTube, like "how to install a sound card" or something like that). Of course, if the onboard audio can be disabled, then you will want to do so just to help avoid the possibility of hardware conflicts. You'll also want to uninstall the Realtek audio driver and any Realtek software that's related to sound. Disabling it is done in the BIOS, and the BIOS can either be very easy to get into, or somewhat tricky - but usually not VERY tricky. Your computer's manual might show how to access it. Finding the onboard audio in the BIOS can be easy if you spend the time looking around - sometimes it's pretty obvious once you find it. If you find that Lenovo didn't provide a way to disable it (or even a way to get into the BIOS), then that's ok. After all, you can select the default audio device in Windows.

Anyway, inside the computer case at the rear (the lower section in the back with a bunch of little horizontal 'panels'), you'll find expansion slot covers (the 'panels', as it were) that help keep the rear looking pretty from the outside when they are still in place. The one that's in line with the slot you'll install the card into will have to be removed. Actually, it's slightly lower than the slot. Anyway, if you're lucky, then it's being held in with a screw (almost always a philips screw too). If you're not lucky, then it will have to be "broken" off. If it has to be broken off, then be careful because all of the edges where the separation happens can be very sharp. If you're VERY lucky, then you'll find a fancy plastic screwless design holding the slot cover in place!

So yeah, again, to know which slot cover to remove, it's the one that's almost in line with the PCI-E x1 slot (it's slightly lower). The slot itself will look like the tiny white one in this photo. Yours will probably be a different color though and it might be located in a slightly different place (like, it could be the topmost slot or something like that). If you don't have one of these slots, then any PCI-E slot will work. I'm just trying to help you avoid consuming a bigger slot just in case you may need it in the future. Oh, and this reminds me: make sure the card you buy isn't a plain "PCI" card because you might not have any PCI slots on your motherboard. Most sound cards these days though are PCI-E x1.

Installation is just a matter of making sure the card gets inserted all the way, and flat in the slot. Cards can be fussy about being perfectly installed, and about being installed all the way in (or, maybe it's the motherboard that's fussy). So, take the side panel off the computer, lay it down on its side and use the sturdy parts of the card that can't be broken (like the edge of the card that will be facing you) to push it straight down into the slot, with your downward force going directly toward the slot itself, making for a nice square insertion.

After inserting the card all the way (and perfectly), it's always a good idea to secure the card to the case using a screw, and you'll see where the screw goes. This part is difficult to explain, so this is where a YouTube video can come in handy. You can watch almost any video for this, including any that talk about how to install a video card, or just generic 'how to install a PCI card" or something. Most of them, if they're any good, should show securing the card with a case screw (and that's what you'll need; a "case screw"). If you're lucky enough to have the screwless design, then you won't have to worry about the screw at all. However, I still use them because I have a preference for everything being rock solid (I guess I'm a bit old-school). If you want to use a case screw but you don't have any, then you should be able to find one at Micro Center or you MIGHT even be able to get one at Best Buy. I'm sure about Micro Center, but I'm not about Best Buy. I've never tried to buy any small parts from them. If you're lucky enough to have a small computer shop near you that sells parts for building computers, then you're golden.

Software installaton is usually a snap. After installing the card and connecting the ProMedia 2.1 to it, you just turn the computer back on, wait for Windows to start up all the way (which will include the automatic installation of a generic driver for the new card), and then you insert the CD that has the driver and software on it (some cards might come with more than 1 CD - one for the driver and software, and the other for additional software if you want any of it).

After the installation of the software, you will restart the computer and get started on enjoying the new card! This can (and should) include trying all the various audio enhancements available to you in the software, including the Graphic Equalizer. I feel that it's usually best do to this with some kind of audio that you're extremely familiar with, such as a song or a movie. Adjusting all of these things is kind of like flavoring food with condiments, spices and/or seasoning. You just keep experimenting until it's perfect for you, and for you alone. Of course, you don't have to always use those settings for everything. ;)

If you find yourself feeling that you don't know how to adjust the Graphic Equalizer, then here's a tip: while playing something very familiar to you, adjust each frequency one by one, going all the way up and then all the way down. You will hear the sound of each frequency, and you'll then begin to know how you want to adjust all of them as a whole (this can be fun, by the way - so, don't get too carried away by the entertainment value that this process can have. lol). Remember though, your Bass and Treble adjustments are completely independent of the Graphic Equalizer (or the other way around, if you want to see it that way). So, it can be a balancing act, but it's worth it. Of course, other audio enhancements can affect the lows, mids and highs as well. Everything's independent, while working together at the same time.

Just a quick word about the software installation: if you're interested in making sure you don't install anything that you don't need, then I can help with that, especially if it's a Creative sound card. Generally though, you want the "Custom" or "Advanced" installation option (it's the one that is NOT labeled "Recommended" or "Express" or "Typical", or "Full", or "Minimal" etc.). From there, you should see everything that can be installed, and you can even Google each thing to learn more about it in order to see what you want and don't want on your computer.

So yeah, this can consume some time, but I think it will be very worth it in the end. It's just about the best way to hear what your new sound card is capable of. You might even find yourself listening to things as though you're hearing them for the first time! Like I said, this can be a lot of fun.

If you go the route of trying a USB DAC like the Modi 2, then yeah, that's simple: just plug it in and enjoy. :) Windows SHOULD automatically select it as the default device, but you'll know because you have to plug your speakers into it with the Modi 2 connected to the computer via USB. So, the output path is Computer > USB cable > Modi 2 > speaker connector cable on the Modi 2's "Line Out" connectors > speakers. Therefore, if you have sound, then you're using the Modi 2. If not, then you just select the Modi 2 as the default device. Or, make sure your sound isn't muted. :) In your movie and music playback software, look into adjusting their built-in graphic equalizers, if one is available.

I hope that I covered everything so that if you go through with this, then you'll be fully prepared. The proverbial rabbit hole goes even deeper than this, but we can explore the depths later. :)

Being that the bios is a tricky item to mess with, and could cause havoc. I rather avoid touching that. If simply disabling the Realtec driver is enough then I would go with that.

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

Edited by DRC72
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OH YEAH!!!! The new cables kick A$$! Even with the Realtek audio chip, I could hear details that I didn't hear before. That and any distortion I would get with some music is pretty much wiped out.

Edited by DRC72
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Being that the bios is a tricky item to mess with, and could cause havoc. I rather avoid touching that. If simply disabling the Realtec driver is enough then I would go with that.

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

 

 

I've given it a lot of thought, and I realized that the reason why I was believing it's necessary to completely uninstall and then go into the BIOS to disable the onboard audio chip is, I've never questioned why it's necessary. So, I asked Google just now. lol As you might be guessing, it's not necessary in the least bit unless leaving it installed and fully enabled ends up causing problems for some reason, which is very unlikely.

 

So, if you decide to get a sound card (be sure to invest in a good one), then let's leave the onboard audio fully installed and enabled just to see what happens. Of course, one benefit of uninstalling the driver and software is, if there's any software for the onboard audio that starts up with Windows, then uninstalling it will get rid of it (obviously, I suppose).

 

:)

 

 

OH YEAH!!!! The new cables kick A$$! Even with the Realtek audio chip, I could hear details that I didn't hear before. That and any distortion I would get with some music is pretty much wiped out.

 

Oh awesome!! That makes me very happy.

 

I admit to also being relieved that what I experienced wasn't just the Placebo Effect. I mean, I was actually becoming a little worried after you placed your order that I may have just been experiencing the Placebo Effect because I only experienced the stock cables for about 2 and a half days! So, not only am I glad that you did this because you just improved your audio quality, but I'm also glad to learn that I'm not crazy. hehe

 

You might enjoy learning that another reason why I was beginning to worry that this was the Placebo Effect was, I had this rolling around in my head:

 

https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/42737-the-41-monster-cable-upgrade/

 

Particularly, this reply:

 

https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/42737-the-41-monster-cable-upgrade/#entry398989

 

I didn't read the article that he linked to, but I began to wonder anyway. I guess this means that Jay481985 was wrong! Speaking of which, I realized that there are yet two more reasons why these cables are superior. One of the three reasons is, the wire strands in the stock cables are just aluminum (inferior conductivity), but the strands in these premium cables are not. I don't know what they're made from, but they're oxygen-free. So, I think it's copper, but copper has an orange/gold-like color, so these might be Silver, which is better only by an extremely small percentage (there's no perceivable difference). You see, both Copper and Silver are extremely conductive.The other reason is, the satellite connectors used are "Neutrik (Rean) brand Gold connectors". but I'm not sure what difference this makes. So, now we have a total of 4 reasons why these are superior, with a possible 5th actually:

  1. The ends are soldered with a Silver solder
  2. There are several more strands, making for 16 AWG vs. the thinner 22 AWG. Oh, and each strand could be thicker as well.
  3. The strands are NOT aluminum (they could be copper or silver, but I know that they're oxygen-free)
  4. The connectors are "Neutrik (Rean) brand Gold connectors"
  5. The way the strands are wound together could be superior.

So, wires aren't just wires after all. Alright, maybe that can be true once you reach a certain point in speaker cable quality (I'd bet good money that there's a such thing as overkill), but we have heard for ourselves that upgrading the speaker wires for this speaker system definitely improves its audio quality!

 

Hey, I forgot to ask: did your low end improve at all? The reason I ask is, one of the claims for these speaker wires is tighter, deeper bass. Did you experience that at all? I wouldn't know if I did because I didn't spend enough time with my stock wires. I really don't see how the subwoofer's performance could improve though since these wires are strictly for the satellites.

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Being that the bios is a tricky item to mess with, and could cause havoc. I rather avoid touching that. If simply disabling the Realtec driver is enough then I would go with that.

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

I've given it a lot of thought, and I realized that the reason why I was believing it's necessary to completely uninstall and then go into the BIOS to disable the onboard audio chip is, I've never questioned why it's necessary. So, I asked Google just now. lol As you might be guessing, it's not necessary in the least bit unless leaving it installed and fully enabled ends up causing problems for some reason, which is very unlikely.

So, if you decide to get a sound card (be sure to invest in a good one), then let's leave the onboard audio fully installed and enabled just to see what happens. Of course, one benefit of uninstalling the driver and software is, if there's any software for the onboard audio that starts up with Windows, then uninstalling it will get rid of it (obviously, I suppose).

:)

OH YEAH!!!! The new cables kick A$$! Even with the Realtek audio chip, I could hear details that I didn't hear before. That and any distortion I would get with some music is pretty much wiped out.

Oh awesome!! That makes me very happy.

I admit to also being relieved that what I experienced wasn't just the Placebo Effect. I mean, I was actually becoming a little worried after you placed your order that I may have just been experiencing the Placebo Effect because I only experienced the stock cables for about 2 and a half days! So, not only am I glad that you did this because you just improved your audio quality, but I'm also glad to learn that I'm not crazy. hehe

You might enjoy learning that another reason why I was beginning to worry that this was the Placebo Effect was, I had this rolling around in my head:

https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/42737-the-41-monster-cable-upgrade/

Particularly, this reply:

https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/42737-the-41-monster-cable-upgrade/#entry398989

I didn't read the article that he linked to, but I began to wonder anyway. I guess this means that Jay481985 was wrong! Speaking of which, I realized that there are yet two more reasons why these cables are superior. One of the three reasons is, the wire strands in the stock cables are just aluminum (inferior conductivity), but the strands in these premium cables are not. I don't know what they're made from, but they're oxygen-free. So, I think it's copper, but copper has an orange/gold-like color, so these might be Silver, which is better only by an extremely small percentage (there's no perceivable difference). You see, both Copper and Silver are extremely conductive.The other reason is, the satellite connectors used are "Neutrik (Rean) brand Gold connectors". but I'm not sure what difference this makes. So, now we have a total of 4 reasons why these are superior, with a possible 5th actually:

  • The ends are soldered with a Silver solder
  • There are several more strands, making for 16 AWG vs. the thinner 22 AWG. Oh, and each strand could be thicker as well.
  • The strands are NOT aluminum (they could be copper or silver, but I know that they're oxygen-free)
  • The connectors are "Neutrik (Rean) brand Gold connectors"
  • The way the strands are wound together could be superior.
So, wires aren't just wires after all. Alright, maybe that can be true once you reach a certain point in speaker cable quality (I'd bet good money that there's a such thing as overkill), but we have heard for ourselves that upgrading the speaker wires for this speaker system definitely improves its audio quality!

Hey, I forgot to ask: did your low end improve at all? The reason I ask is, one of the claims for these speaker wires is tighter, deeper bass. Did you experience that at all? I wouldn't know if I did because I didn't spend enough time with my stock wires. I really don't see how the subwoofer's performance could improve though since these wires are strictly for the satellites.

Actually yeah the bass seems to be very tight now., although I wouldn't necessarily say deeper. That was one of my first observations of the cables. I'm sure the sub signal has not been affected, but with the added detail going into the satellites, that may of affected the sound of the bass even though the bass signal is still the same. Of course that's my opinion only LOL. It also seems like I need to crank the sub up just a tad, along with the volume.

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

Edited by DRC72
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Actually yeah the bass seems to be very tight now., although I wouldn't necessarily say deeper. That was one of my first observations of the cables. I'm sure the sub signal has not been affected, but with the added detail going into the satellites, that may of affected the sound of the bass even though the bass signal is still the same. Of course that's my opinion only LOL. It also seems like I need to crank the sub up just a tad, along with the volume.

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

 

 

Interesting. Maybe I'll have to go back to my stock cables someday soon here (just for a few minutes or so) now that I've been able to experience the premium ones this long.

 

Anyway, are you saying that it seems you need to increase the subwoofer level ever since you switched to the premium cables?

Edited by TwoCables
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Actually yeah the bass seems to be very tight now., although I wouldn't necessarily say deeper. That was one of my first observations of the cables. I'm sure the sub signal has not been affected, but with the added detail going into the satellites, that may of affected the sound of the bass even though the bass signal is still the same. Of course that's my opinion only LOL. It also seems like I need to crank the sub up just a tad, along with the volume.

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

 

 

Interesting. Maybe I'll have to go back to my stock cables someday soon here (just for a few minutes or so) now that I've been able to experience the premium ones this long.

 

Anyway, are you saying that it seems you need to increase the subwoofer level ever since you switched to the premium cables?

 

Yeah just slightly. The sound is somewhat brighter.

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Yeah just slightly. The sound is somewhat brighter.

 

I wouldn't have expected that. I wonder if it's some kind of illusion. Either way, have you ever adjusted the Bass and Treble in Windows, either in any Realtek control panel that you might have or in the generic Windows control panel for the sound?

Edited by TwoCables
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Yeah just slightly. The sound is somewhat brighter.

I wouldn't have expected that. I wonder if it's some kind of illusion. Either way, have you ever adjusted the Bass and Treble in Windows, either in any Realtek control panel that you might have or in the generic Windows control panel for the sound?
I have, but the current equalizer settings where used with the old wire as well. Could be in my head? Who knows lol?

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

Edited by DRC72
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Yeah just slightly. The sound is somewhat brighter.

I wouldn't have expected that. I wonder if it's some kind of illusion. Either way, have you ever adjusted the Bass and Treble in Windows, either in any Realtek control panel that you might have or in the generic Windows control panel for the sound?
I have, but the current equalizer settings where used with the old wire as well. Could be in my head? Who knows lol?

Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk

 

 

I don't think so because I had to use lower levels in the high frequencies in my Graphic Equalizer after upgrading to the premium cables, especially for dialog (like for 'S' sounds). To be very specific, I'm referring to my current favorite YouTube channel called Good Mythical Morning, which is actually a good test because they have a very high-end condenser mic. On the stock speaker cables, my Graphic Equalizer looked like this:

 

Graphic%20EQ%20stock%20wires.png

 

 

The exact levels on 2k, 4k, 8k and 16k are as follows:

  • 2.9dB
  • 4.7dB
  • 5.6dB
  • 4.7dB

(forgive my obsession with the number 11 please! lol)

 

All of their videos in 1080p sounded perfect on the stock wires with these levels. After installing the premium cables though, I ended up lowering each frequency more and more until I settled on these levels:

 

Graphic%20EQ%20premium%20wires.png

 

 

The exact levels are:

  • 2.2dB
  • 3.3dB
  • 3.6dB
  • 3.3dB

There's something else: when I still had the stock wires, I was also playing with the Treble knob on this control panel (Creative's "Console Launcher") because I was always trying to increase the clarity. The default is 50%, but I went all over the place with it from like 65% all the way to about 85%. Sometimes a higher setting was better for certain things while other times it was too much. When I upgraded to the premium wires, I landed on my current Treble setting in combination with this EQ setting and I no longer felt a need to adjust the Treble. Everything is just perfect now.

 

When I play music files or CDs or DVD movies though, I switch to "Audio Creation Mode" (the screenshots show "Entertainment Mode"). In Audio Creation Mode, there's a nice setting called "Bit-Matched Playback" for even better audio quality. With it enabled, you can't adjust the Treble or the Bass. Well, it LOOKS like you can adjust it in the generic Windows control panel, but it doesn't make any difference - all the way up or down, it makes no difference. The only way to adjust the tone while in Audio Creation Mode with Bit-Matched Playback enabled is by using the built-in Graphic Equalizer in the media player. So, I use Winamp's Graphic Equalizer for my music files and my store-bought CDs, and I use WinDVD's built-in Graphic Equalizer for my DVDs. Fortunately, there's no need to adjust the Bass or Treble in Audio Creation Mode. You can do it with Bit-Matched Playback disabled, but it's still not needed - even at 50% bass. In Entertainment Mode, 50% bass is too high, as you can see in my screenshots; I have it at 15%! My subwoofer level is right at the 10 o'clock position too, and believe me, I carefully experimented with the subwoofer level from having it all the way down to all the way up and this 10 o'clock position really is the best (at least for me with my current setup and desk location and subwoofer location).

 

So yeah, you're definitely not just hearing things: it's a very real difference!

 

I want to give some credit to Klipsch for the ProMedia 2.1 system though because when I had the Altec Lansing VS4121, my levels for 2k and up were A LOT higher than they were in the first screenshot above:

 

2k: 4.0dB

4k: 7.6dB

8k: 8.6dB

16k: 8.6dB

 

Here's a screenshot. I even had the Treble knob up a little higher than I do now. You might also notice that my Bass knob is a little lower (it's at 10% instead of 15%). 10% is still plenty and it's probably what I should be using, but I am just "getting it out of my system" because the quality of low-end that the ProMedia 2.1's subwoofer produces is very pleasing. Don't get me wrong, the VS4121's subwoofer produced a very similar quality of low-end, but it only has 19W of power while the ProMedia 2.1's sub has 130W, and I can definitely hear that difference. Actually, I feel it!

Edited by TwoCables
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The Titanium HD card is bada$$$, but yeah way to expensive(took a look at amazon). Creative doesn't even have it listed in their website. But the sound blaster Z has caught my eye. With the specs that I gave you, would this card work in my system? I'm running Windows 7. I just don't want to buy a card that won't fit or work in my system.

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The Titanium HD card is bada$$$, but yeah way to expensive(took a look at amazon). Creative doesn't even have it listed in their website. But the sound blaster Z has caught my eye. With the specs that I gave you, would this card work in my system? I'm running Windows 7. I just don't want to buy a card that won't fit or work in my system.

 

I would have to see your motherboard to know (that's really all there is to it). You'd need an open PCI-E slot. Any type of PCI-E slot will do, but the tiny x1 slot is preferred so that you don't consume like a PCI-E x16 slot that a video card would go into. That's all that you would need to make sure of.

 

Anyway, that price of $385 for the used one is more than twice what I paid for mine brand new. I don't know why people are selling it for such extremely high prices these days, but I guess they figure they can get away with it since it's so difficult to find now. To be honest, it's not worth $385, especially used. Then you have the other seller selling it for $2,064.25. I don't know what to say about that. I paid $149.99 before shipping for mine. That was the retail price. It's definitely worth that much brand new, but not any more than $200 to $250. Well, it might be worth $200, but I don't think I'd let anyone pay $250 for it unless $250 was nothing to them. $300 is going way over the line though, and so $385 for a used one is just flat-out insane, and I don't care that it's "like-new". For that price used, it had better come with like 10 different kinds of Op-Amps that I can experiment with (since this card has 4 swappable Op-Amp sockets, with 4 stock ones already installed for you), a bunch of fancy high-end audio cables, and maybe even a set of nice speakers. For a used Titanium HD, I wouldn't pay any more than about $75. It's going on 3 years old now (but it's still among the best).

 

OMG, then there are the brand new retail ones for $399 and $477. You'd have to be filthy-rich to justify spending that much on this card.

 

Anyway, so yeah, all you have to do is make sure you have an open PCI-E slot.

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The Titanium HD card is bada$$$, but yeah way to expensive(took a look at amazon). Creative doesn't even have it listed in their website. But the sound blaster Z has caught my eye. With the specs that I gave you, would this card work in my system? I'm running Windows 7. I just don't want to buy a card that won't fit or work in my system.

 

I would have to see your motherboard to know (that's really all there is to it). You'd need an open PCI-E slot. Any type of PCI-E slot will do, but the tiny x1 slot is preferred so that you don't consume like a PCI-E x16 slot that a video card would go into. That's all that you would need to make sure of.

 

Anyway, that price of $385 for the used one is more than twice what I paid for mine brand new. I don't know why people are selling it for such extremely high prices these days, but I guess they figure they can get away with it since it's so difficult to find now. To be honest, it's not worth $385, especially used. Then you have the other seller selling it for $2,064.25. I don't know what to say about that. I paid $149.99 before shipping for mine. That was the retail price. It's definitely worth that much brand new, but not any more than $200 to $250. Well, it might be worth $200, but I don't think I'd let anyone pay $250 for it unless $250 was nothing to them. $300 is going way over the line though, and so $385 for a used one is just flat-out insane, and I don't care that it's "like-new". For that price used, it had better come with like 10 different kinds of Op-Amps that I can experiment with (since this card has 4 swappable Op-Amp sockets, with 4 stock ones already installed for you), a bunch of fancy high-end audio cables, and maybe even a set of nice speakers. For a used Titanium HD, I wouldn't pay any more than about $75. It's going on 3 years old now (but it's still among the best).

 

OMG, then there are the brand new retail ones for $399 and $477. You'd have to be filthy-rich to justify spending that much on this card.

 

Anyway, so yeah, all you have to do is make sure you have an open PCI-E slot.

 

Are PCI-E slots pretty universal when it comes to PCs? I haven't added any cards to my system, and I remembered seeing some open slots in there when I was looking at the power supply.

 

UPDATE:

Looking at my computer hardware manual. These are the slots listed.

PCI Express x 16 graphics adaptor connector

PCI Express x 1 adapter connectors (2)

PCI Express x 16 graphics adapter connector

 

Now I'm not sure if any of these slots are being used, but one or two of these have got to be open.

Edited by DRC72
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