Sound Card or Not?

[Sarah]

Hi,

I have a Dell Dimension 4300 PC, with something called "integrated audio,"
as opposed to a real sound card. I have this "integrated audio" channeled to
my home stereo via my computer's line out jack, and the sound seems pretty
good. Someone told me, however, that adding a new sound card to my computer
would dramatically improve the audio. This seems illogical to me since I
assumed the quality of the audio was determined by my stereo system, not my
computer.

So I would love it if any of the experts out there who really know about
this stuff would offer an opinion and/or recommendation (including, if you
recommend doing so, what sound card you would suggest). Many thanks in
advance.

Sarah

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Sarah

There could be issues with the quality of the signal into your stereo
system, but you would have to be a cat or a dog to pick up the nuances..
neither animal has ever been known to have a true appreciation of human
music, so I wouldn't worry about it, if I were you..

 

[Yves Leclerc]

You nedd to know that the "integrated audio" uses RAM and other motherboard
resources at th same time you are using them. A sound card will help with
the sound quality by:
1) Having memory dedicated to the sound card itself. Not shared
like "integrated audio"
2) Adding an separate processor which will only do the sound.
3) Giving additional sound featue. Will allow you simulate
different style of rooms (large, small, auditorium, bathroom).

 

[Ted Zieglar]

You've raised a pretty big topic. Here are some pointers to start you off.
I'm sure others will fill in my blanks.

It is incorrect to say that "the quality of the audio [is] determined by my
stereo system, not my computer." Neither determines the quality of audio.
The quality is established at the time the audio is recorded. Electronic
equipment can reproduce the audio with varying degrees of fidelity to the
original recording, but it will never sound better than the quality with
which the audio was originally recorded.

A computer can perform all of the functions of a stereo system equally well.
However, both rely on speakers, which are far and away the most important
factor in the quality of what you hear..

Therefore, your decision between the sound chip on a motherboard and a
separate sound card is based on features, not audio quality.

 

[Chris Priede]

This seems illogical to me since I assumed the quality of the
audio was determined by my stereo system, not my computer.

It is limited by everything involved, starting (as someone pointed out) with
the recording itself. Any one thing can be the bottleneck. The simple
answer, however, is that the particular chip your Dell uses is not likely to
be the the bottleneck, unless you are feeding the signal into *very* good
stereo equipment and have a trained audiophile ear.

if you recommend doing so, what sound card you would
suggest.

I do not necessarily recommend doing so, but I can make a suggestion if
you'd like. Without getting into high-priced specialized use cards, one of
the best choices for music playback is M-Audio Revolution:

http://www.techspot.com/reviews/hardware/revolution71/index.shtml

 

[Sarah]

Very informative. Thank you all!

Sarah