sound cards

[HoyaSaxa03]

OK, it's time to upgrade from my piece of crap soundblaster live! sound card, but i'm a bit stuck on what to buy ... i don't have incredible speakers (Logitech X-530 5.1), but i know i can get better sound than what i have now ... i'm looking in the $100 range and have found two soundblaster cards that look pretty good:
 
  X-Fi XtremeMusic
 
 and
 
  Audigy2 ZS
 
 can anyone explain the difference between the two? is the x-fi worth the extra $50?  any other suggestions?
 
 gracias.

[HoyaSaxa03]

oh, and i'm not a gamer, i'd just be using this for MP3s ... it seems like a lot of these higher-end cards have tons of features for gamers, i don't think i need any of them ...

[kosmo vinyl]

anything but soundblaster... just because they put the term pro in the cards name..

[chaz]

If not for games I think your $$ would be better spent upgrading your speakers....you don't really need 5.1 for stereo music.  I'd put my cash into a better 2.1 set of speakers.  But that's just me!

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Chaz, Lover of all Beings:
  If not for games I think your $$ would be better spent upgrading your speakers....you don't really need 5.1 for stereo music.  I'd put my cash into a better 2.1 set of speakers.  But that's just me!

My thoughts exactly! Unlike speakers for regular stereo componets, etc., good computer speakers are dirt cheap and make a world of difference. Worry about the sound card later.
 
 I have a pair of Altec Lansing speakers with a subwoofer that I bought years and years ago for about $189 that are still going strong and have spoiled me when it comes to computer listening. By now, there's probably plenty more out there that are comparable in price that blow mine away.

[MindCage]

Originally posted by Jaguar:
 I have a pair of Altec Lansing speakers with a subwoofer that I bought years and years ago for about $189 that are still going strong and have spoiled me when it comes to computer listening. By now, there's probably plenty more out there that are comparable in price that blow mine away.

I wonder if they're the same system I got years and years ago from a Gateway computer my cousin wasn't using. They're 30-35W speakers with a subwoofer, and they do sound pretty damn good!  Hell, I use to do some mixing of tracks while in the office at work on them  
 
 MindCage
 Mindless Faith
 Deep6 Productions

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by Chaz, Lover of all Beings:
  If not for games I think your $$ would be better spent upgrading your speakers....you don't really need 5.1 for stereo music.  I'd put my cash into a better 2.1 set of speakers.  But that's just me!

i've read really good reviews of the speakers i have (check out the link to newegg), even though they're cheap, they seem to be top of the line for the cheapies ... do you really think that upgrading my sound card wouldn't help?

[Jaguar]

Hoya, it wouldn't hurt but your sound will still sound like shit if you use shit speakers.
 
 -Edit-
 Sorry, I just went back and reread what you wrote, Hoya. You may be okay in the speaker department. Still need to find that link you are talking about.
 
   

Originally posted by MindCage:
   

Originally posted by Jaguar:
 I have a pair of Altec Lansing speakers with a subwoofer that I bought years and years ago for about $189 that are still going strong and have spoiled me when it comes to computer listening. By now, there's probably plenty more out there that are comparable in price that blow mine away.

I wonder if they're the same system I got years and years ago from a Gateway computer my cousin wasn't using. They're 30-35W speakers with a subwoofer, and they do sound pretty damn good!  Hell, I use to do some mixing of tracks while in the office at work on them      
 
 MindCage
 Mindless Faith
 Deep6 Productions [/b]

Here's what I have. This is a used pair and if these are as good as claimed, this is a steal.
 
 Hoya, with these, you could spring for both the speakers and a new sound card!

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by Jaguar:
  Still need to find that link you are talking about.

click on the first link of my first post for the logitech x-530 speakers ... they seem to be pretty well-regarded ... and everything i've been reading has said that an upgrade in sound card will help ... the clarity of my mid-range sounds like vocals just isn't what i would like

[Jaguar]

They look good! Another steal. Of course, listening is everything. Maybe the sound card is the way to go.
 
 Wish they could make good stereo component speakers so cheaply! It's amazing how expensive they are especially compared to halfway decent computer speakers. I know that when it comes down to it, they sound completely different. It's just that I don't have a good $5,000+ to throw out on the speakers I'd really like to have. Not to mention that I need to replace just about every other part of my system. That's why I stick with using my computer and my car for all of my listening. On rare occassions, the crap portable I won from Sony several years ago if I'm in another room.

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
 Audigy2 ZS

i went with this thing and the difference from my old card is incredible ... really an amazing turnaround, almost like hearing a song on my etymotics inner-ear buds for the first time