JKDDragon said:
From other forums, I hear the Audigy2 PCMCIA really makes a difference if you are intending to 5.1. Most people seem to be telling me that if you're just going for headphones and not doing anything intensive like music editing etc. the onboard sound is fine. So if you're not terribly rich like me and can stand not really using 5.1, I think the onboard should be fine. Well, we'll see anyway when I get this laptop tomorrow (I hope). I'd really love to avoid spending $300+ (or whatever price this thing costs right now) if I could.
Hey sorry, cricket was on, havent been on.
Ok, if you're primarily using headphones, the onboard is fine, since you wont be able to access the other channels unless you plan a headphone front, rear satellites as background, but seeing as you probably wont be lugging satellites around, theres no real point.
seremify007 said:
*reads*
I didn't even know audio CDs had rear audio channel data... thought that was only in SACDs/etc..? Not even HDCD.
But what I don't get is.. howcome when I listen to music on 5.1, the front and rear have different audio channels without even enabling any kind of audio stereo upmix? *shrugs* I was wondering if it's like that when using an integrated audio because I heard on some forums that when using onboard 5.1, the only time you hear 5.1 is when the program was designed for it; whereas with my sound blaster 5.1, it's always using all 5 speakers even in stereo output programs? *shrugs* I'm pretty sure the front/rear channels are different (i've listened very closely).
Hmm, not entirely sure what you're situation's about, but normally standard mp3s on 5.1 can be simulated to be 5.1, by moving part of the signal and a slight delay, you can simulate the rear as 'surround' and this can either be software or hardware activated.
If you're using CDs, then that would be reading off the stream, and the differences would most likely be due to the player. Not sure if winamp handles it automatically, but with foobar, it reads it and has the option of running a few processes to downmix it or simulate or if its 5.1 read it and play it accordingly.
Additionally it could be how the system is set up, some onboard cards, since they use the windows onboard standards, will then most likely only play 2.1 rather than the 5.1 unless specified. Cards with ASIO or with their own independent chips bypass this windows process and thus play it seamlessly.
