Soundstorm or Sound Card?

Nolf-JobNolf-Job Inside each and every one of you!
edited August 2003 in Hardware
I was just wondering which would sound better if connected digitally to a set of Logitech Z-680's. So would Soundstorm beat out say a Fortissimo III or M-Audio Rev? And if any of you have the Z-680's, have you ever encoutered a problem with them hissing?

Comments

  • AMD-FanAMD-Fan Virginia Beach
    edited July 2003
    Do your speakers hiss? Tell us about your system if they do.
    We need to know your motherboard and current soundcard. I
    seriously doubt a hiss would be speakers bot a soundcard or
    motherboard type problem. I have Logitech speakers but not the
    same set and they work perfectly with the hercules game card
    it sounds like a home stereo system to me.
  • Nolf-JobNolf-Job Inside each and every one of you!
    edited July 2003
    I don't have either yet. I was considering getting an epox 8rda+ and the z680's and wondered whether I'd need a sound card. The hissing thing just seems to be common to that model, or so I've seen on AMDMB.
  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited July 2003
    only input i can give you is that an Audigy or Audigy 2 DEFINITELY sound better than ALC650, but i've heard soundstorm is much better. the alc650 sounds scratchy when no sound is playing, giving off a lot of noise
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited July 2003
    I've got an Audigy2 Platinum, and I have an A7N8X-Deluxe, which has soundstorm audio. With both cards set up @ the driver default settings, the Audigy2 sounds better. HOWEVER, if you tweak the graphics EQ in the soundstorm control panel (the audigy2 has no graphics eq btw... at least not that I've stumbled across) the Soundstorm is, for all intents and purposes, indistinguishable from the Audigy2. My speakers certainly aren't the limiting factor here either- I've got Altec Lansing ADA-890Rs. They may not be as powerful as the Z680s or the Klipsch Promedia 4.1/5.1s, but they are THX certified, so they should be in the same league as the Z680s in terms of quality (if not quantity) of sound... The bottom line: Stick with the soundstorm audio.
  • Nolf-JobNolf-Job Inside each and every one of you!
    edited July 2003
    That's what I was hoping for, thanks Geeky1
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited July 2003
    Originally posted by Nolf-Job
    I don't have either yet. I was considering getting an epox 8rda+ and the z680's and wondered whether I'd need a sound card. The hissing thing just seems to be common to that model, or so I've seen on AMDMB.

    Make sure you get the 8RDA3+. It has MCP-T chip (Soundstorm audio)
  • Nolf-JobNolf-Job Inside each and every one of you!
    edited July 2003
    I'm pretty sure that the 8rda+ has MCP-T, it's the 8rda that uses the lower MCP southbridge.
  • leishi85leishi85 Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    Originally posted by Omega65


    Make sure you get the 8RDA3+. It has MCP-T chip (Soundstorm audio)

    are you sure, i thought the 8RDA3+ use the MCP instead of the MCP-T, which is one of the things that is weird about the 8rda3+, they used C-Media CMI9739 for the 6 channel sound.
  • Nolf-JobNolf-Job Inside each and every one of you!
    edited July 2003
    Originally posted by leishi85


    are you sure, i thought the 8RDA3+ use the MCP instead of the MCP-T, which is one of the things that is weird about the 8rda3+, they used C-Media CMI9739 for the 6 channel sound.

    From what I've read the 8rda3+ is just a little better version of the 8rda and both use MCP.
  • LIQuidLIQuid Raleigh, NC
    edited August 2003
    I have an n7f-s 2.0 and i love the damn sound. Much Much MUCH clearer than my old sblive, thats the first thing i noticed when i put theboard it. Also, it has optical out for those dolby 5.1 speakers :)
  • stoopidstoopid Albany, NY New
    edited August 2003
    There were known issues with the z680s and hissing. If you're unlucky to get one of the earliest versions of the speakers (prior to their revision), then you may have to RMA them to solve the issue. Sadly, despite being very pleased with my z540s, I wouldn't recommend the 680s for that reason alone, why buy something to have to just RMA it?
    From what I've read the 8rda3+ is just a little better version of the 8rda and both use MCP.

    That's right.
  • Nolf-JobNolf-Job Inside each and every one of you!
    edited August 2003
    Originally posted by stoopid
    There were known issues with the z680s and hissing. If you're unlucky to get one of the earliest versions of the speakers (prior to their revision), then you may have to RMA them to solve the issue. Sadly, despite being very pleased with my z540s, I wouldn't recommend the 680s for that reason alone, why buy something to have to just RMA it?


    From what I've found out, you're right about it being the earlier versions are the ones that hiss, but apparently its due to the control pod and logitech will replace that for free. Now its time to deal hunt :D
  • stoopidstoopid Albany, NY New
    edited August 2003
    Originally posted by Nolf-Job
    but apparently its due to the control pod and logitech will replace that for free. Now its time to deal hunt :D

    That was kinda my point, without the control pod the thing doesn't work, so you buy it then wait for them to ship a new one... just seems like a really poor job of customer satisfaction. The thing requires a recall and they're not doing it, instead inconveniencing their customers.

    It wouldn't be a big deal but I heard the defective units really sound aweful there's so much hissing.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited August 2003
    Stoopid, but you're forgetting that the Z680s are supposed to sound much better than anything else on the market. The extra sound quality is worth the extra hassle imo...
  • leishi85leishi85 Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
    edited August 2003
    From all i have seen, the 8RDA+ use the Nvidia Nforce2 SPP Chipset + Nvidia Nforce2 MCP-T, and the 8RDA3+ use the Nvidia Nforce2 SPP Chipset + Nvidia Nforce2 MCP, and they use cmedia chip for the 6ch sound instead of just going MCP-T for the soundstorm.
  • BobyJoBobyJo N C Texas
    edited August 2003
    We have three A7N8X/Deluxe systems, on the one I use I have the Logitec's Z640 5.1 SS speakeres.
    These speakers do not work well with the SoundStorm onboard sound equipment. This is due to the fact that the Bass and rear speakers do not come out from the three sound wires to the Main Box for the Z640's.
    A lot of people have these speakers and all have the same problem. nVidia has come up with a fix that is supposed to help.
    "NVSwap" this file is supposed to swap the rear and bass outlet to a different outlet to the wires.
    If your speakers have a Fiber Optics or Cable outlet, you will probably be OK..If not you may have the same problems I and others have had.
    It certainly would not hurt to attempt to see if the Z680's will work with the SoundStorm onboard sound equipment.
    If it does not work, it is not a big deal to install a sound card of your likeing in the system.
    Then you have a diagramed setup for the outlet's going to your speakers.
    I would have loved the Z680's, just did not have the $$ for them. The Z640's are great sounding SS Speakers if hooked to a good sound card.
    I use the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz Sound card, only the Audigy 2 is better IMO::
    I have listened to a bunch in the systems we have built & sold to our customers.
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