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Thread: Why are Sound Cards not as Competitive as are Video Cards?

  1. #31
    Anodized. Again. Konrad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why are Sound Cards not as Competitive as are Video Cards?

    I'm guessing that sound hardware already exceeds the fidelity most people can discern unless they spend substantial $$$ on speakers and amps and stuff. But advances in video are instantly obvious to everyone, even with a low-cost display (which doesn't add cost because every computer already has one). Even a toddler will complain about a sucky graphics card, yet be perfectly content with the most awful headphones playing simple 8-bit pong noises if the graphics look awesome.

    The way I see it, only people with serious audio hardware are much concerned with the nerdspecs on audio cards, anything which seems to meet/exceed the system reqs for the latest software title is good enough for most.

    Fanatic audiophiles already disdain CD audio, it just ain't "audiophile" quality. Most seem to be musicians of some sort, and most claim to strongly prefer analog audio technologies even though the reality is they'll just buy the baddest sound card they can afford and do their day to day audio work with digital formats. Maybe they spend big bucks on fancy audiophile-quality recording software, I dunno.
    My mind says Technic, but my body says Duplo.

  2. #32
    Water Cooled Stonerboy779's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why are Sound Cards not as Competitive as are Video Cards?

    Quote Originally Posted by Konrad View Post
    I'm guessing that sound hardware already exceeds the fidelity most people can discern unless they spend substantial $$$ on speakers and amps and stuff. But advances in video are instantly obvious to everyone, even with a low-cost display (which doesn't add cost because every computer already has one). Even a toddler will complain about a sucky graphics card, yet be perfectly content with the most awful headphones playing simple 8-bit pong noises if the graphics look awesome.

    The way I see it, only people with serious audio hardware are much concerned with the nerdspecs on audio cards, anything which seems to meet/exceed the system reqs for the latest software title is good enough for most.

    Fanatic audiophiles already disdain CD audio, it just ain't "audiophile" quality. Most seem to be musicians of some sort, and most claim to strongly prefer analog audio technologies even though the reality is they'll just buy the baddest sound card they can afford and do their day to day audio work with digital formats. Maybe they spend big bucks on fancy audiophile-quality recording software, I dunno.
    Nothing wrong with CDs and not sure where you got the idea that audiophiles would look at it with disdain. 44kHz, 16bit wav is a pretty much standard of digital file type as that what is ripped from a CD. There are other things like digital studio files and bluray audio disks etc but in reality the CD is pretty much the highest in digital.

    My quest for better audio gear comes from the audio gear I have. Ihave very efficient and sensitive gear that picks up the smallest bits of background noise. Especially so in the case of my canalphones. They just **** all over whatever audio source I provide them

    My onboard "beats" audio on my lappy sounds like the bloody ocean. Even my audioengine d1 USB dac and my UD100 USB DAC have background noise that isn't noticeable on my AKG Q701s but my AF56m canalphones bring out those small bits of noise.

  3. #33
    100% Recycled Pixels. Twigsoffury's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why are Sound Cards not as Competitive as are Video Cards?

    Quote Originally Posted by Konrad View Post
    Fanatic audiophiles already disdain CD audio, it just ain't "audiophile" quality. Most seem to be musicians of some sort, and most claim to strongly prefer analog audio technologies
    I always love when someone tells me that, Then you notice they're playing that record player through a solid state / digital amplifier

  4. #34
    baaah. billygoat333's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why are Sound Cards not as Competitive as are Video Cards?

    ^ this. lol Nothing like a good ole' fashioned tube amp to bring some warmth to music. I miss my parents' old tube amp running a turntable and some hefty speakers (don't remember the brand, I was young ok? lol)
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  5. #35
    100% Recycled Pixels. Twigsoffury's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why are Sound Cards not as Competitive as are Video Cards?

    Quote Originally Posted by billygoat333 View Post
    ^ this. lol Nothing like a good ole' fashioned tube amp to bring some warmth to music. I miss my parents' old tube amp running a turntable and some hefty speakers (don't remember the brand, I was young ok? lol)
    Oh they still make them, I know Marantz Electronics makes tube type amplifiers. I remember the feet would be blue when you first turned the amplifier on, and would gradually turn to a red'ish orange and click over whenever the tubes warmed up.

    That day was also the loudest I've ever heard a movie in my whole life.


    and as far as the OP, I think a lot of people aren't consumer educated about the differences between standard, and premium audio.

    if you play BF4 on my boards realtek.. i mean it "sounds" the same but you're missing more of the sounds happening in game.. such as planes flying over or tanks.. people shooting and birds chirping (in nerd speak i think its called maximum hardware voice number).. its like you hear gaps in audio or missing audio from things you see happening. on the screen

    but if its on my Azuentec, well i still hear the footsteps of shooting soldiers while a dog barks across the street and an explosion goes off in the distance from a plane flying over head which causes some bricks to fall as i clank a new magazine into my gun....all at the same time.

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