interested in getting a sound card. i am aware of people saying there is not much difference from on board audio.
how much boast will there be if i am using harman kardon sound stick 3
mind listing some of the slightly cheaper range of sound card which some bro here may recommend.
cheers !
First, what's your main usage? Gaming, music or movies?
Music - go for external Digital-to-Analog Converters (DAC). They give u the best listening experience due to the enhancements in clarity of vocals and instruments. Harmon Kardon Sound Stick excels in music output, so pairing it with a DAC may be the best improvement yet.
Movies - speaker limited. Going for a sound card does not help much, since the explosions will always be this bassy, the vocals will always sound this mid (or high). Adding a sound card only helps a bit, but not much. Onus on the speakers to produce the acceptable mids and lows for movie screening.
Gaming - Sound cards help with positioning of directional sound (i.e. you get a more refined idea where a gunshot or explosion is coming from). Still speaker limited. Not much you can do about it.
If u intend to go for sound cards, plz get those that cost minimally S$100 (Asus Xonar DSX or Creative Sounblaster Z). Internal sound cards below the S$100 mark may sound on par or merely slightly better than your onboard audio, hence not worth the money.
