sound card... advice

[billenium_uk]

in addition to my last post.. i was wondering if any one can reccomend a decent sound card and the onboard one im using sucks... i wouldnt mind one with optical output. and as mentioned i have logitech z5000 speakers and feel that they are being wasted with the sound card im am currently using which is the standard Realtek AC97. ideally dont want to spend too uch money but am open to suggestions.,... thanks guys!!

Bill

[belama]

Do you mean the z5300? Because I've never heard of Logitech z5000 speakers.

So you would like a sound card with support of 5.1 speakers I suppose...

If you want great sound but dont care about extra features you could opt for the Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live 24-Bit. On TigerDirect.com it sells for $33.99 (US). You could also buy from other brands like AOpen or Chaintech to spend even less. Creative is the best for sound though.

I checked on misco.co.uk (same as TigerDirect but in UK) and the Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live 24-Bit is £22.99.

You could also get the CREATIVE SOUND BLASTER AUDIGY2 ZS 7.1 THX for £54.99.

EDIT: I just saw your other post. The speakers are the z5500!! Nice. I have z5300e and they are enough for me in my little room :D. I had the z560 but the subwoofer and its connectors got screwed up so the sound wasnt there or distorted. Luck for me it was still under waranty. They sent me the z5300e with no charge and didnt have to send back my other system :).

[billenium_uk]

Hey
thanks for the advice ill check out tiger direct.. yeah the speakers i have are fairly new ones i had to double check tho to make sure i wasnt gettin them confused...

http://www.logitech.co.uk/index.cfm/products/details/GB/EN,CRID=2177,CONTENTID=9486

here hey are ^^

I only really need a 5.1 card as the speakers are only 5.1 so anything above would be wasted really, but ill probaly check out the more expensive range as i dont mind spending 50-60 i didnt realise that you could get a decent sounding card for thatprice. I take it i will notice the difference with any new sound tho?

How longis the warranty on the speakers? just out of interest incase mine "mysteriously" stop working near the end of the warranty period..lol

thanks for your help

[belama]

If you have a better sound card the sound might appear to be clearer, especially if you are an audiophile, it should not pop, click or distort unless your speakers are defective. Creative makes the best sound cards out there.

Your sound system has a 2 year limited warranty just like mine had. If they are defective, dont hesitate to call logitech and make sure to keep your receipt. If you dont have your receipt or if you pass the warranty period, you will need to pay an out of warranty fee to get replacements. However, I dont know how much that is.

Cheers,

Mat

[Catweazle]

A SB Audigy card is your card of choice, for sure.

[belama]

I was thinking about getting a SB audigy ZS 2 soon myself. I've always used onboard but im feeling like changing to a dedicated sound card. :D

[billenium_uk]

ok guys ive decided it is the speakers that are deffective... DAMN! i went out and bought me a new sb audigy 2 zs and they still sound awful.. plus ive listened to the same track through the PS2 (optical connection) and it still sounds terible... lookes like ill be gettin touch with logitech! thanks for all your all help. belama... how did u go about doin this?
cheers

Bill

[belama]

If you go on logitech's site you will find this page http://logitech-en-emea.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_emea.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=64&p_created=1083923572&p_sid=Jk2O9VGh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9NCZwX3Byb2RzPTE3LDY0MSZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9Mi42NDEmcF9jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1 . It clearly states
If you have exhausted all the options and tests and are still unable to solve or alleviate the problem, contact your local dealer for a warranty exchange, provided this is still valid. Dealer warranties (at the point of purchase) are valid for a minimum of 2 years in Europe (12 months in Switzerland and UK).

If there is a good reason why the warranty claim cannot be processed by the dealer, or is made outside the minimum (dealer) warranty period, please contact our Customer Support. They will be happy to advise you on what you need to do next. Do not return the product to us unless we have asked you to; unsolicited returns will not be processed. Dealers and distributors should contact their business partner directly, not Customer Support.
So in your case I think your speakers were just bought so after trouble shooting your product, you should return them to the place of purchase for exchange.

Mat

[billenium_uk]

Yeah ok thanks, the thing is though i didnt buy them from logitech directly but i will give this a try. Thank you very much for your help

[belama]

... contact your local dealer for a warranty exchange, provided this is still valid. Dealer warranties (at the point of purchase) are valid for a minimum of 2 years in Europe (12 months in Switzerland and UK)...

That means your local store should provide a minimum of 12 months of warranty on your product.