Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums (been lurking for a few weeks, but only just registered). As such, a hearty hello to you all before I continue. A friend of mine is bringing me some gaming-oriented gear from the US, such as a Logitech G5 with a mousepad, teflon feet, the works. I also want to get a USB sound card. In particular, I want to get a USB sound card that takes 5.1 output (that is to say, it doesn't just upmix stereo output) and uses CMSS-3D or something similar to provide virtual surround on headphones. As far as I can tell, my available options are these: 1. Creative Audigy 2 NX 2. Creative SoundBlaster Live! USB Yes, it's a rather limited list; that's why I'm asking for advice from anyone who knows of other sound cards with similar features. Is there an external version of the X-Fi? That would be perfect for me. An alternative would be to get a stereo USB sound card and a 5.1 pre-amp (such as JVC's recently announced SU-DH1), but that's (a) expensive, (b) upmixing stereo, and (c) not even out yet. While I'm at it, I'd also appreciate any suggestions regarding a good pair of headphones to go with the sound card. Thanks in advance!
First of all welcome to the forums . I don't have much experience with sound cards, but as far as I can tell there is no external USB version ofthe X-Fi audio chip. However, the Audigy 2 NX you've linked seems very good. Whether it might be a bit of overkill for use with headphones I'm not too sure about. As for headphones go, you don't want to skimp out on it. A review of Sennheiser HD 201 seems good.
Thanks. It probably would be, but I need CMSS-3D and I'm willing to pay for it! Well, not really, but I don't seem to have much choice. Those sound — er, look — great. I wish they were available as headsets instead... hmm... The PC160 binaural headset is a (rather more expensive) possibility. From the reviews, it seems to be a good fit for what I want. EDIT: I won't get any sound card. I got carried away and forgot my original goal: to get some decent gaming gear without breaking the bank. An external sound card would definitely do that. As for the headphones, I'll have to wait and see what my budget ends up at. I will probably forgo the PC160 in favour of something more affordable.
Any reason why you want an external soundcard? You can get some very good internal PCI sound cards without spending a fortune.
One reason: it's a whole lot easier to plug an external sound card into a computer a gaming parlour than a PCI sound card. Anyway, like I said, I decided against it. I certainly don't need it just for occasional gaming trips; I already have serviceable onboard sound in my desktop PC; so why waste money on it? The rest of the stuff I use whether at home or out, with a tangible improvement in each case.
