So I am buying Z-5500's, what sound card should I buy?

T

thehyecircus

New Member
And, I want to put Linux on my next computer, so I'd like the sound card to work on Linux. For example, X-Fi does NOT.

Try not to make it very expensive? Thanks everyone.
 
whatever's cheap and has an optical out for the z5500's. they're not exactly fantastic speakers, so money would be my deciding factor. All the talk of 'better' sound cards that cost $100's is nonsense, they all sound the same.

So seriously, find the cheapest you can, you'll probably just end up playing mp3's through it anyway, and even if you play DVD audio disks, you aint ever gonna know the difference
 
PunterCam said:
whatever's cheap and has an optical out for the z5500's. they're not exactly fantastic speakers, so money would be my deciding factor. All the talk of 'better' sound cards that cost $100's is nonsense, they all sound the same.

So seriously, find the cheapest you can, you'll probably just end up playing mp3's through it anyway, and even if you play DVD audio disks, you aint ever gonna know the difference
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I beg to differ, sound cards DO make a difference. There was a huge difference between my HD onboard sound and my X-fi Xtrememusic, even with my crappy speakers, and even bigger difference with my headphones.

Anyways, maybe try this one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829118105

Reviews says that it works with Linux.
 
You're running a digital out. That means no d-a, which means no quality can be gained anywhere. Keep it cheap, buying an expensive soundcard for this application is like spending £20 a metre on expensive speaker cable - it's wire, it makes absolutely **** all difference
 
PunterCam said:
You're running a digital out. That means no d-a, which means no quality can be gained anywhere. Keep it cheap, buying an expensive soundcard for this application is like spending £20 a metre on expensive speaker cable - it's wire, it makes absolutely **** all difference
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No I'm running analog out, I don't have digital speakers.

And wires also makes a difference..especially if you're running long distances. I switched the longest wires in my home theater to 16 gauge cables (not $20 a meter, but still better than the stock hair thin cables), and the far speakers sounded much better.
 
diduknowthat said:
No I'm running analog out, I don't have digital speakers.

And wires also makes a difference..especially if you're running long distances. I switched the longest wires in my home theater to 16 gauge cables (not $20 a meter, but still better than the stock hair thin cables), and the far speakers sounded much better.
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I didn't mean you specifically with that comment. The z5500's have digital ins, so I was saying the card would make no difference in this situation.

And I don't believe a word about the speaker cable, unless you were running that really really thin stuff that computer speakers come with in the first place.
When it comes to speaker cable it's all the same. I was buying some the other day for a new hi-fi, and the guy in the shop recommended the £10 a meter stuff as 'much better, I'd really hear the difference'. No I won't, I'll have the 50pence a meter stuff thanks. Wire is wire. Unless you're running it passed a huge amount of transformers etc... you don't need any of the extra shielding, and as for it 'sounding better', **** off, what a load of rubbish (aimed at shop guy, not you!)

Sorry to go off a bit, but it really annoys me how people think things like this make a difference in music. No one even knows what 'good' is anyway, least of all the twat in the hi-fi shop. Can't get a real job mate? Right, I'll trust you with expensive decisions then
 
PunterCam said:
I didn't mean you specifically with that comment. The z5500's have digital ins, so I was saying the card would make no difference in this situation.

And I don't believe a word about the speaker cable, unless you were running that really really thin stuff that computer speakers come with in the first place.
When it comes to speaker cable it's all the same. I was buying some the other day for a new hi-fi, and the guy in the shop recommended the £10 a meter stuff as 'much better, I'd really hear the difference'. No I won't, I'll have the 50pence a meter stuff thanks. Wire is wire. Unless you're running it passed a huge amount of transformers etc... you don't need any of the extra shielding, and as for it 'sounding better', **** off, what a load of rubbish (aimed at shop guy, not you!)

Sorry to go off a bit, but it really annoys me how people think things like this make a difference in music. No one even knows what 'good' is anyway, least of all the twat in the hi-fi shop. Can't get a real job mate? Right, I'll trust you with expensive decisions then
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, forgot about his speakers.

And yes, I was running the REALLY thin stuff that first came w/ the speakers.
 
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