7.1 Sound Card for HTPC

slash_gnr3k

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Hi Everyone,
I am just about to finish upgrading my PC to a HTPC hopefully ordering the last of the case fans next week :arty:

I had a quick set up of VLC etc last night. At the moment I have onboard sound from my MSI G41M-P25 G41 Socket 775 mobo. This is connected via the green speaker out on the motherboard to one of the RCA inputs on my Sony STR-DH 500 amp. I know the sound is not good enough (onboard card and connected by RCA) but was shocked at how poor it sounded watching a movie (Transformers). I had the amp set on the same volume as i watch DVDs through my current DVD player (which I have connected to the amp via Digi-Coax) and the sound did not seem anywhere near as loud and bassy as it does through the DVD player.

I am looking to get the same quality sound for movies through the PC soundcard as I do my current DVD player (which is to be sold to fund the soundcard) I would like a 7.1 card so I am futureproofed for future amp / blu ray drive upgrade and will be connecting via optical to the reciever. The card can be PCI or PCI-E and my budget is about £65.

Does anyone have any suggestions of cards that will deliver sound on a par with that of my DVD player?

For reference, this is my dvd player LG RHT497H Digital TV Recorder with 160GB Hard Disc Drive & DVD Recorder: Amazon.co.uk: TV

I have found the following soundcards:

Creative Soundblaster Recon3D Fatal1ty Professional PCIe Sound Core3D Card: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

The following would need a SPDIF bracket (seem to be about £6 on Ebay)

Asus Xonar DSK 7.1 PCI Express 1.0 Sound Card: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

This one doesn't seem to have an SPDif header

Creative Audigy SE 7.1/PCI Bulk Sound Card internal PCI: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Any suggestions would be appreciated, I am concerned that i will sell my DVD player and the sound will not be up to standard!
 
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What amp do you have slash....does it have hdmi inputs?? if it does other soundcards and videocards with hd sound , may become an option....I can recommend the asus sound cards
 
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I would suggest holding back on the purchase of a sound card.
1. Get new AV amp that handles HDMI Audio with the money you save.
2. Connect sound card into AV with HDMI cable.

All the channels you need in excellent quality are there. Also look at using XBMC 12.1, it is free and extremely good.
 
I have the Sony str mentioned in the post. It only does hdmi video so sound needs to be fed through optical or digit coax.

Plus I wire my pc direct to tv with hdmi so i can have the pc sound running while I have the tv on a different channel (so i can listen to playlists while playing on consoles etc)
 
"It only does HDMI video"
I realise that. But by the time you spend money on a quality sound card which by the way will only give stereo out (optical or analogue) unless an actual DVD is playing (PC limitation) in the DVD drive you are limited. Especially if you go Blu-ray, yet the need for expensive software etc.
My whole collection is ripped to a server (could have been drives within the HTPC) as MKV's, selected by XBMC and connected to a HDMI AV amp and I get anything from stereo to HD DTS master audio out.
Cheapest AV amp with HDMI audio that I know of is Denon AVR1513 Black | AV Receiver | Richer Sounds try getting a quality sound card for that price.

A 7.1 card will NOT future proof anything as sound cards become redundant with HDMI.
 

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