DestroidsRage Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 My computer went haywire a while back, and so I got a new computer. A nice brand new Dell with good specs. However, I had an Audigy 2 card in my old 600mghz rig, and it didnt perform that well, so I opted to go with the Sounblaster Live series card offered. A high level one I think. So I get my system set up, hook up my sexy Klipsch THX 5.1 speakers, and start playing some MP3s... and... It sounds like crap. I enabled the Bass Management setting, which made it better. Then I tweaked the Treble and Bass settings, that got it closer. Finally I resorted to using the Winamp Equalizer on Rock preset!! But that doesnt work for all songs! I dont get it! I didnt have to tweak the sound on my OLD rig at all! It sounded just fine with an OLD Soundblaster Live card! What the hell is up with this? I buy a brand new computer and the sound is exceptionally WORSE than on my 600mghz derelect?? Is this some sort of ploy to get me to buy a better soundcard? Cause its freakin working! I want EVERY one of my favorite tunes to sound GREAT. Not one. Not two. All of them. I want them to sound like they do when I listen to them on my cheap headphones! At LEAST that good! Is that too much to ask for? Surely some of you have had a similar problem. What do I do? I've already downloaded the latest sound drivers for my soundcard.. And my friends tell me its probably not the sound card.. but then what the poo else could it be?? Any help would be incredibly welcome. Sorry this is off topic! But I cant listen to me freakin Fire Bomber music in all its glory at ALL anymore. It sounds like far away distant CRAP. No OOMPH. No oomph at all. And boosting the treble and bass only makes it sound oomphy, but like its comming from 15 feet away. So no matter how much I crank it up it doesnt sound /right/. So yes. ANY help would be appreciated. Blargh! -BEN-MAN-
Oihan Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 (edited) I have a Dell Dimension 4600 Computer. With a 2.8GHz w/HT chip, 1GB DDR RAM, 128MB DDR GeForce FX video card, a 120GB HD, and the SoundBlaster Audigy 2 soundcard. The specs don't matter...just had to gloat Apparently the Audigy 2 soundcard is supposedly superior to the Live card. I'd put your Audigy 2 card back in, and install any software you had with it, and go from there. I'm still trying to make the sound coming from my 4.1 speaker system to sound just right.... I've got it close, but no cigar...can't really complain. Anyway..... Edited November 6, 2003 by Oihan
JB0 Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 Apparently the Audigy 2 soundcard is supposedly superior to the Live card. Well, it IS two generations later...
Oihan Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 (edited) Apparently the Audigy 2 soundcard is supposedly superior to the Live card. Well, it IS two generations later... lol.... I don't know much about soundcards, but the damn card costs more than the Live card, so it had to be better. Was doing the comparision crap on the Dell website, they said that'd be the best card for audio listening... So I just figure.... Edited November 6, 2003 by Oihan
dna Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 Audigy line is better. You didn't mention anything about what speakers you're using, the most important link in the audio chain. Did you switch speakers as well? Speakers can sound as different as night and day, even in the same brand and line. That's why fantatics have to break open multiple sets and do a little timbre-matching. My wife thouhgt that was a stupid thing and wouldn't let me
Jawjaw Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 For starters, make sure you are using current drivers and any built in sound systems are disabled. Also check your speaker settings (tell the machine how many you have) and such. The SoundBlaster cards should have their own utilities. Go through them and make sure there are no funky reverbs turned on and everything looks okay. Next, check your speaker wires and make sure they are in good shape and plugged in right. Last, borrow some speakers from a friend and make sure the problem is not in your speakers.
Hurin Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 As others have said, the Audigy 2 is the successor (by 2+ generations) to the SB Live. So the SB Live is a downgrade. Your Klipsch speakers are great as far as desktop speakers go. Make sure you don't have EAX enabled. . . I don't know why it would have been enabled for desktop sound by default, but look in your sound control panels (perhaps in "Audio HQ") for an EAX control panel. Turn that crap off! H
Nightbat Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 heh "2 generations later" ...they are still using the 1995 16-bit Creative Soundchip only thing different is the PCI cip and Dolby signal proccessor
imode Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 As others have said, the Audigy 2 is the successor (by 2+ generations) to the SB Live. So the SB Live is a downgrade. Your Klipsch speakers are great as far as desktop speakers go.Make sure you don't have EAX enabled. . . I don't know why it would have been enabled for desktop sound by default, but look in your sound control panels (perhaps in "Audio HQ") for an EAX control panel. Turn that crap off! H Best advice so far. Make sure the EAX is disabled, or not running some kind of funky Environmental Audio filter. The SB Lives came with a slew of simualted filters so mimic reverbs in different kinds of rooms, hallways, caves, etc. Of course it's always best to check first with the plug for the speakers. Did you plug it into the right hole? Did you plug it in correctly? That distant empty sound also comes from when speakers are not completely plugged in to its jack. After that, make sure you have the newest drivers for your sound card. Try to lock down the problem to maybe a specific program next. Try playing an mp3 in the old wmp6.4 then compare it with winamp. If they sound the same, then you know it's not your software or your winamp's equalizer settings.
Recommended Posts