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How to get the best audio from a desktop pc?

@trickson Your system is better than anything I could imagine :) so this is too much to me. All I want a good, clear sound with an adequate bass with sound isolation. But I'm not sure if I have to buy a sound card?
 
mclaren85 said:
@trickson Your system is better than anything I could imagine :) so this is too much to me. All I want a good, clear sound with an adequate bass with sound isolation. But I'm not sure if I have to buy a sound card?
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Thank you.
First off if you can all you need to do for awesome sound is this.
Find a nice stereo or AVR system you can get an awesome AVR system for $150 bucks (Even my system is now only $150 bucks WHEN I PAID $1,300!) Then just plug the sound card from the PC (if it has a fiber optic line out you are so golden) to that system, Pick up some good speakers at the pawn shop ( just to start ) you can pick up some really nice stuff for cheep.
Then enjoy your setup.
Sorry but you just are NOT going to get awesome sound from PC speaker systems that can compare to this if done right,NO WAY IN HELL!
 
How much money do you have, because its endless. But a separate system away from your PC is best

Now if you have a small budget, and you want PC speakers. Than Klipsch Pro audio 2.1 with a Xonar $50 sound card
 
For sure, no PC speakers exist than can come close to what you can do with a receiver and some home theater speakers. I once found some stereo speakers and a really old receiver that took CDs, or even cassette tapes, but it had an auxiliary input I connected my PC to. Before it died (speakers were already damaged before I got it) it gave really nice sound. If you want a good starting point, check your local Craigslist, thrift stores etc and see if you can find such a system (hopefully in better shape than mine was). People who don't want them anymore are probably selling them for peanuts, especially if it was mostly used to listen to CDs or something... but as long as there's an auxiliary input for at least stereo, that's a good start. Then you can decide if you want more.
 
Jetster said:
How much money do you have, because its endless. But a separate system away from your PC is best

Now if you have a small budget, and you want PC speakers. Than Klipsch Pro audio 2.1
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Yes and no.
Like I have said and that others have said you can get some really nice stuff for peanuts! It's really insane.
I got the Klipsch speakers for 370 each for the rf5000 and 500 each for the rf6000f.
 
@trickson
lol @pc speakers are (always) crap.
you do realize there are speakers outside of logitech or those 30$ no-name speakers.
i had/have a 2.1 "THX" (certified) systems from a few different brands, and all sounded better than any of the pc speakers from any brand (outside some creative/edifier).
and definitely better than boomy BOSE stuff (2.1/5.1), that cant even get DD/DTS nor Hi-Res certified (that some brands have on their cans) even on their biggest HT systems.


@mclaren85
if you want to use the onboard/not buy a SC, its usually ok to use digital out from it to feed active speakers/dac,
but with analog HP/HS/Speakers, a decent SC will definitely improve sound.
 
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trickson said:
Yeah that's what my current neighbors keep saying lol.
Once I got the new Klipsch speaker system they just HATE me!
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Just a guess but I think his budget is much lower

And here we go again, this will be locked soon
 
Fry178 said:
@trickson
lol @pc speakers are (always) crap.
you do realize there are speakers outside of logitech or those 30$ no-name speakers.
i had/have a 2.1 "THX" (certified) systems from a few different brands, and all sounded better than any of the pc speakers from any brand (outside some creative/edifier).
and definitely better than boomy BOSE stuff (2.1/5.1), that cant even get DD/DTS nor Hi-Res certified (that some brands have on their cans) even on their biggest HT systems.


@mclaren85
if you want to use the onboard/not buy a SC, its usually ok to use digital out from it to feed active speakers/dac,
but with analog HS/Speakers, a decent SC will definitely improve sound.
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Sorry no I did not. I mean I really haven't bothered to look into it. Ever since hooking my systems to the stereo became my norm like years ago too. Nothing has been able to hold a candle to my hook up other than ATMOS that is about all that can "Beat" my setup in sound quality. sorry I am partial to my audiophile setup.

Jetster said:
How much money do you have, because its endless. But a separate system away from your PC is best

Now if you have a small budget, and you want PC speakers. Than Klipsch Pro audio 2.1 with a Xonar $50 sound card
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OMG Klipsch makes a speaker system for PC's?
Okay I need to see this if so I may just get them!
OKAY I am so sorry I really did not know Klipsch made pc speaker systems.
I am going to look into this even more see if I can get a theater setup for my bedroom computer THANK SO MUCH SO SWEET!
 
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trickson said:
OMG Klipsch makes a speaker system for PC's?
Okay I need to see this if so I may just get them!
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I have a set in my garage, not even hooked up to a PC. Because they are also Blue tooth I just use my phone. Sound amazing
 
Jetster said:
I have a set in my garage, not even hooked up to a PC. Because they are also Blue tooth I just use my phone. Sound amazing
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OMG! Okay so you have the BEST speakers made by one of the best manufacture there is (IMHO) and you have them just sitting in the garage?
BLASPHEMY! HERETIC!
Can I have them? ;)
 
mclaren85 said:
I prefer a well isolated mid level headphone .
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If this is just for listening and your headphones are over 80 ohms, something like a Schiit Magni 3 will do you fine for around a hundred bucks.

It's really all about budget though. You can spend a couple hundred and have good sound or a few thousand and have good sound. It's really up to you.
 
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unfortunate no one carries the 1st gen (real power switch etc), but this is pretty good for the price.

Amazon.com: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker: Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker: Computers & Accessories
smile.amazon.com

im running it off an Asus DX i got for 50$, and some modded Sennheiser HD 558,
and anything that would really improve on those, would cost a bit more than i care to spend for now..

Might go back to these, if i can find a decent unit below 100$, as i loved the sub output (power), even at higher vol (apart from the 10 on on the Z with 5.1).
www.ign.com

Logitech Z-2200 Review - IGN

Big bass and wide open sound makes this 2.1 system a serious contender.
www.ign.com www.ign.com
 
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trickson said:
Sorry but I am confused, first you say you want the best well PC speakers are not the best.
I have what you would consider the best sound. (Opinion).
First My PC is connected to my Denon AVR-3802 VIA Fiber optic cable ( only other way is 4 individual 3.5mm to RCA inputs on the back of ARV unit.) from there the sound enters the BEST SPEAKERS on the consumer market (IMHO) RF5000f Klipsch and RF6000F Klipsch with a huge 800w sub and DBX rear speakers This is the best sound that I can get.
If you want good sound you are going to have to step it up you are listening to a tin can IMHO!

I know not everyone can afford an audiophile setup like mine so don't be a hater, I am telling the OP he is WAY off base if he thinks logitecs are going to give him what he really wants. STEP IT WAY WAY UP BRO!


Again not the BEST more of a tin can comparatively speaking. My god that is like listing with my iphone S6! LMFAO!
THE "BEST"? That is the BEST? Man mine must be out of this UNIVERSE then! LOL.
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I've been in rooms with audio setups worth more than your average house. I know what sounds good and what doesn't, they are plenty loud and clear enough for most people. That being said there is a small percentage of the population who spend more on speakers than a used car, the more you spend the louder your setup can go, but clarity comes from your dac and your source audio.

If you feed bad quality audio into $5000 speakers it's going to sound garbage, same can be said of a good $100 setup. I know for fact I can hear audio compression and glitches clearly with even 320kbps mp3's and prefer the flac version of music because it's uncompressed and glitch free and you can absolutely hear the difference between low and high end audio even on a modest setup.
 
out of the box they have a bit too much bass, but easy to fix (dial) and i like that the mids are not too much (at least for me)
 
I'm happy with my $100 logitechs coming off my Xonar on my main upstairs rig. It sounds great for what I need it to do.

But my downstairs HTPC runs though my late 1980s era Sony stereo and boy that just sounds so good and very loud and no distortion even at maximum volume. Pretty sure the whole neighborhood hears it.
 
oobymach said:
I've been in rooms with audio setups worth more than your average house. I know what sounds good and what doesn't, they are plenty loud and clear enough for most people. That being said there is a small percentage of the population who spend more on speakers than a used car, the more you spend the louder your setup can go, but clarity comes from your dac and your source audio.

If you feed bad quality audio into $5000 speakers it's going to sound garbage, same can be said of a good $100 setup. I know for fact I can hear audio compression and glitches clearly with even 320kbps mp3's and prefer the flac version of music because it's uncompressed and glitch free and you can absolutely hear the difference between low and high end audio even on a modest setup.
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Right I was eyeing these speakers that cost each one mind you $10,000.00 I would have spent 50k if he would have spent ten more minutes on me for REAL!
There were the largest massivest speakers I have ever seen! And the sound OMG HEAVE came to Earth! I would be homeless now and have no place for them but it would have been the best 30 days of my ears life. LOL.
 
ador250 said:
A 100$ motherboard built-in audio codec + a 100$ good stereo speaker is 95% as good as the most expensive stereo system. My advice don't waste ur money for that 5%.
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I agree. I find the realtek audio on most current motherboards to be more than good enough for general listening, and imo i think that the recommendations for expensive high quality audio equipment is overblown and goes above the area of diminishing returns on anything but audio\music productions needs
 
@Solid State Soul ( SSS )
until you realize "you" can hear hear someones position on stereo HP/and over larger distances,
and other asking me how i could hear something they couldnt, while being one floor closer to source (bomber on siege).
seen the same with a friend that switched to (open) sennheisers, and could then hear ppl from the other side of the map, thinking they were just outside the building.
compared to any HP/HS he had before (include Astros).

im not gonna waste the money on some 800$ HP (or more) to connect them to the pc,
but just the ~200$ i spend on the card/HD558 (modded to "598") were def worth it,
and a day and night difference to stuff that was sometimes even close in price.
 
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All I can say is the OP said that they wanted "The best audio from a desktop pc". I have to say $100 Bucks just isn't going to cut it.
See you want cheep anyone can get cheep crap the OP wants the best,RIGHT!?
Well I am mealy stating fact if you want the BEST sound from a PC you need to step up the game and pay for it.
It's the fact you can say what you want but it still will not be the "BEST" unless you PAY for it. I mean it is just common sense, You put thousands into your PC and then just say plastic speakers at $100 bucks is going to cut it?
The sound card that comes with most MB or should I say good gaming Motherboards is more than fine if you pair it with the right setup. But you can keep buying up Logitech speakers thinking you got it when in fact "THEY GOT YOU".
Good luck.
 
i think the "problem" is the definition of "BEST" for the different users.
if i asked whats the best car, and the answer is "500HP, 2 door, RWD...",
now put THAT car into 5ft of snow. still the best car? nope. but also not the cars fault, as it wasn't made for that.

one reason i got the SC was to feed my cans at least a decent signal, and even with my latest board (Aorus Ultra),
still havent seen a reason to remove it, and use the onboard.
but i wont have a sleepless night running the 2.1 thx klipsch i got for 100$ (when i dont want to use the HPs),
as anything better than this would be in the 3-500$ range (edifier etc), which i rather spend on going from 2080 to a ti ;)
 
Fry178 said:
i think the "problem" is the definition of "BEST" for the different users.
if i asked whats the best car, and the answer is "500HP, 2 door, RWD...",
now put THAT car into 5ft of snow. still the best car? nope. but also not the cars fault, as it wasn't made for that.

one reason i got the SC was to feed my cans at least a decent signal, and even with my latest board (Aorus Ultra),
still havent seen a reason to remove it, and use the onboard.
but i wont have a sleepless night running the 2.1 thx klipsch i got for 100$ (when i dont want to use the HPs),
as anything better than this would be in the 3-500$ range (edifier etc), which i rather spend on going from 2080 to a ti ;)
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Yes but when you put 2-4K in a computer and set cheep drivers and amp on it doesn't that just make you go :kookoo::confused:
I have my bedroom system the ryzen 3 1300x on a yamaha stereo with some vintage magnovox 1975 stereo loud speakers and I can assure you the sound is FANTASTIC! I would go even as far as say it is defiantly stereo audiophile level. ALL FROM GOODWILL! Yeah it's just analog 2 channel but it's still better than ANY AND I MEAN ANY plastic 100 dollar pc speaker setup and I only paid 20 bucks total!
So this stuff is NOT hard just need a good AMP/AVR system that can do the heavy lifting no need to worry about the sound card today's sound cards are more than ample to give the sound out it's the system you hook it to that will depend on the quality of sound.
It is just like every thing in life if you want better it is just going to cost you or at least make you do some looking for a find like me :p
 
mclaren85 said:
I think without loudest volume and with headphones we can get the clear sound with decent bass, isn't it?
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Actually i prefer dedicated soundcard than on board although for highend motherboard now got better sound processing, the input (the file), output (cables and speaker/headset) and decent bass? Wide bass, deep bass, detail bass or chasing SPL?
 
@micropage7 I don't know what the wide bass, deep bass and detail bass are yet. :)
 
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