5.1 speakers for hostel around Rs. 7000

Hey guys...
As the title suggests, I am on the lookout for 5.1 speakers for my hostel room.
I am quite a n00b when it comes to speakers and I don't know anything about them.
My sources will be:
1. Lenovo Ideapad Y500
2. Xperia Z1
3. iPod Touch 4g
4. iPad Mini

Now, my questions are:

1. Suggest some good models around Rs. 7000.

2. Will I have to buy a sound card to get true 5.1 surround sound??? I don't want all of the speakers to play the same sound. It should be like in the movies where different sounds come from different speakers. Kinda like you have stereo for 2.0/2.1 setups, I want the equivalent for my 5.1 setup.

3. Feel free to suggest or recommend anything.

Pardon my n00bishness in this field!!!

You have many choices so I am listing some of them.Ok.

Edifier M3500 5.1 -6500,
F&D F3000-F 5.1 -6300,
Logitech Z506 5.1 -6000.

Wait for other members opinions also...

Tagging some of you guys now: (Mods may remove if this is not allowed)

@rider [MENTION=82407]sandynator[/MENTION] @mayanksharma [MENTION=119314]Vignesh B[/MENTION] @coolest111 @Chaitanya @anirbandd @Nerevarine @hitesh @Hrishi @anupam_pb @bavusani [MENTION=119688]true_lies[/MENTION] [MENTION=145143]SaiyanGoku[/MENTION] @harshilsharma63 @nikhilsharma007nikx @rachitboom2 [MENTION=115573]Sarath[/MENTION] @dashing.sujay @aniket.cain [MENTION=115573]Sarath[/MENTION] @Faun [MENTION=52329]tkin[/MENTION] @GhorMaanas

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bavusani said:
You have many choices so I am listing some of them.Ok.

Edifier M3500 5.1 -6500,
F&D F3000-F 5.1 -6300,
Logitech Z506 5.1 -6000.

Wait for other members opinions also...

Thanks for the suggestions...

Any idea about my other questions???

powerhoney said:
2. Will I have to buy a sound card to get true 5.1 surround sound??? I don't want all of the speakers to play the same sound. It should be like in the movies where different sounds come from different speakers. Kinda like you have stereo for 2.0/2.1 setups, I want the equivalent for my 5.1 setup.

Pardon my n00bishness in this field!!!

No need for any separate sound card as on board sound is enough.

V

1. F&D F6000.
But I do recommend the Edifier DA5000 Pro, but it would be a tad above your budget.

2. Sound card for such low-mid range speakers might be an overkill. SOmething lile the Asus Xonar DX will set you back by another 6k. Output depends on the source. If the source is made for 2.1 system, the output will be the same, though some speakers(read Logitech) and some sound cards do support the virtualization technology which upscale 2.1 to 5.1 and so on. Though I find that gimmicky.

Btw if the speakers are for only music, a decent 2.1 system will make more sense. A 5.1 system is good only if you're going to watch plenty of movies that support 5.1 audio output.

Vignesh B said:
1. F&D F6000.
But I do recommend the Edifier DA5000 Pro, but it would be a tad above your budget.

2. Sound card for such low-mid range speakers might be an overkill. SOmething lile the Asus Xonar DX will set you back by another 6k. Output depends on the source. If the source is made for 2.1 system, the output will be the same, though some speakers(read Logitech) and some sound cards do support the virtualization technology which upscale 2.1 to 5.1 and so on. Though I find that gimmicky.

Btw if the speakers are for only music, a decent 2.1 system will make more sense. A 5.1 system is good only if you're going to watch plenty of movies that support 5.1 audio output.

Thanks for the info... The EdIfier one is a bit over my budget though...
I have mentioned my source as Lenovo Ideapad Y500, Xperia Z1, ipod and ipad mini...

I would be watching a lot of movies with 5.1 surround sound... So, does the y500 support 5.1 channel sound???

V

powerhoney said:
I have mentioned my source as Lenovo Ideapad Y500, Xperia Z1, ipod and ipad mini...

By source I meant the audio/video file, not the device.
Btw, my bad, I assumed a desktop motherboard and the 3 audio ports in that.

You may need to buy an external USB soundcard like Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB to obtain 5.1 audio output.
Y500 would support 5.1 audio if you use the HDMI out, but you would need a speaker set with the HDMI input.

Vignesh B said:
By source I meant the audio/video file, not the device.
Btw, my bad, I assumed a desktop motherboard and the 3 audio ports in that.
You may need to buy an external USB soundcard like Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB to obtain 5.1 audio output.
Y500 would support 5.1 audio if you use the HDMI out, but you would need a speaker set with the HDMI input.

Okay... So, seems like I will have to buy a sound card too...
The Creative one you mentioned is around 5-6k... Isn't there anything that is cheaper??? I saw one Asus Xonar Card and a Stellseries Siberia card which were relatively cheaper but I couldn't make out whether they support 5.1 sound...

The Steelseries one had something called 7.1 Virtual surround sound... What's that???

And, another question... How many audio ports are needed for 5.1??? 3 ports???

you realise none of the sources will be able to output true 5.1 channel audio right ? for that you need an external soundcard
and yes 3 ports are needed for 5.1 surround

V

powerhoney said:
The Creative one you mentioned is around 5-6k... Isn't there anything that is cheaper??? I saw one Asus Xonar Card and a Stellseries Siberia card which were relatively cheaper but I couldn't make out whether they support 5.1 sound...

The Steelseries one had something called 7.1 Virtual surround sound... What's that???

And, another question... How many audio ports are needed for 5.1??? 3 ports???

Usually, they are not of optimum quality. Generally, a 5.1 supporting cad will mention it in its name only.
Virtual surround makes a headphone/speaker sound like as if the sound is coming from a 5.1 or a 7.1 set.
5.1 requires 3 ports - 1 for the front speakers, 1 for the rear ones and the last for the center and the sub-woofer.

generally speaking, if you have an HDMI out, and if you can directly stream 5.1 or 7.1 sound from your movies to your speakers. but this means you must have a capable HT system with HDMI in.

but if you use mobile/ipod which use only 3.5mm port, then you will listen to stereo sound. then the onboard dsp will split the stereo channels into 5.1, which is not the way to listen to music, IMO.

PS: optical out also does the same, but the cables are damn costly.

Nerevarine said:
you realise none of the sources will be able to output true 5.1 channel audio right ? for that you need an external soundcard
and yes 3 ports are needed for 5.1 surround

Yeah, I realise that... I will maybe get a sound card too after a couple of months...

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Vignesh B said:
Usually, they are not of optimum quality. Generally, a 5.1 supporting cad will mention it in its name only.
Virtual surround makes a headphone/speaker sound like as if the sound is coming from a 5.1 or a 7.1 set.
5.1 requires 3 ports - 1 for the front speakers, 1 for the rear ones and the last for the center and the sub-woofer.

Okay, got it... I will be buying a sound card to a couple of months later...

Anyway, where do you suggest to buy the speakers from??? The Edifier one you quoted is not available on Flipkart...
Is theitdepot.com reliable???

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anirbandd said:
generally speaking, if you have an HDMI out, and if you can directly stream 5.1 or 7.1 sound from your movies to your speakers. but this means you must have a capable HT system with HDMI in.

but if you use mobile/ipod which use only 3.5mm port, then you will listen to stereo sound. then the onboard dsp will split the stereo channels into 5.1, which is not the way to listen to music, IMO.

PS: optical out also does the same, but the cables are damn costly.

I won't be listening to much music on the speakers, anyway... They are mostly for the movies...

Any speakers around my budget with HDMI input???

V

powerhoney said:
Anyway, where do you suggest to buy the speakers from??? The Edifier one you quoted is not available on Flipkart...
Is theitdepot.com reliable???
Any speakers around my budget with HDMI input???

1. The IT depot is quite reliable. Have made plenty of purchases from them.
2. Can't find good ones in that range.

Vignesh B said:
1. The IT depot is quite reliable. Have made plenty of purchases from them.
2. Can't find good ones in that range.

Oh... Thats very good to know...
So, how is their packaging??? Considering they will be having to deliver from Chennai to my NIT in Silchar...

Confused between the Edifier and the F&D one now... :-?

Also, so many negative reviews of theitdepot.com!!!! :-(

V

*www.digit.in/forum/shopping/145536-iii-online-shopping-discussion-post-your-feedback-queries.html
IT Depot has pretty good packaging(among the best in India). Even I had ordered the Z5500 from them.

Both are decent speaker sets. But if your budget allows go for the DA5000 Pro.

Okay, will be buying around last week of July anyway when college restarts so have got about 45 days to think about it...

Btw, which sound card do you use???
Is the creative one you mentioned the same as this one :-
Creative 70SB109500000 X-Fi External Sound Box - Newegg.com

Edifier and F&D are both good VFM in that range. if you can give them an audition in a shop/friend's place.

anirbandd said:
Edifier and F&D are both good VFM in that range. if you can give them an audition in a shop/friend's place.

Will try to do that... The problem is that everything is available in the local shops in my city Guwahati... At competitive prices too... But, at my NIT, no decent local shop is there!!! :-(

Also, most of the online shops don't ship there... :-(

V

powerhoney said:
Btw, which sound card do you use???
Is the creative one you mentioned the same as this one :-
Creative 70SB109500000 X-Fi External Sound Box - Newegg.com

I use Apogee Symphony 64 ThunderBridge.
Yes, exactly.

Vignesh B said:
I use Apogee Symphony 64 ThunderBridge.
Yes, exactly.

Will try to purchase that then...

There was a similar model in Amazon.in but it doesn't come with a remote... Couldn't find the sound card on theitdepot or flipkart... :-(

Whoa, just realised your sound card costs around 500 dollars!!! Wow!!! :-D

B-)

powerhoney said:
Will try to do that... The problem is that everything is available in the local shops in my city Guwahati... At competitive prices too... But, at my NIT, no decent local shop is there!!!
Also, most of the online shops don't ship there...

cant you buy it and carry it there?? it will be 6-7kgs tops.

anirbandd said:
cant you buy it and carry it there?? it will be 6-7kgs tops.

I go there by flight and since the only aircrafts that flu that route are ATR-50s with 15 Kg baggage limit, it's not really a possibility... I have to carry my college stuff too...

I could order one from a local shop and courier it there too... That's also possible... Lets see...

Anyway, so it's between the. Edifier DA 5000 and the F&D F6000, now...
Any other models I should know of???

There are two models of the F&D one:
F&D F6000 and F&D F6000u... What's the difference between them???

V

powerhoney said:
There are two models of the F&D one:
F&D F6000 and F&D F6000u... What's the difference between them???

The U edition supports USB.

powerhoney said:
I go there by flight and since the only aircrafts that flu that route are ATR-50s with 15 Kg baggage limit, it's not really a possibility... I have to carry my college stuff too...

I could order one from a local shop and courier it there too... That's also possible... Lets see...

Anyway, so it's between the. Edifier DA 5000 and the F&D F6000, now...
Any other models I should know of???

the courier might charge another 1000 bucks

Vignesh B said:
The U edition supports USB.

Okay...

anirbandd said:
the courier might charge another 1000 bucks

Yeah...

By courier, I meant sending the speakers by bus along with one of my college mate on the route from Guwahati to Silchar...

That way it would be free for me... B-)

powerhoney said:
Yeah...

By courier, I meant sending the speakers by bus along with one of my college mate on the route from Guwahati to Silchar...
That way it would be free for me... B-)

ah i see. that'd be good.

Vignesh B said:
The U edition supports USB.

Just found out that the U edition doesn't have tweeters... Bummer!!! :-(

correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you require the source media to have 5.1 channel mapped audio to get proper 5.1 output. AFAIK, most of the ahem and torrented media have stereo audio configuration.

[MENTION=139494]powerhoney[/MENTION] now I understand why you were "period" sure on that odia line in the offtopic thread being not Assamese.

(Damn! The off topic thread needs to be reopened.)
BTW try Datamation and Computer Heart. They used to house a lot of speakers. And it may be economical considering the shipping charges to Guwahati.
Also Creative Inspire T6160 is available at your range. You can have a demo of it.

SaiyanGoku said:
correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you require the source media to have 5.1 channel mapped audio to get proper 5.1 output. AFAIK, most of the ahem and torrented media have stereo audio configuration.

Don't worry... My source media has 5.1 mapped audio...

nomad47 said:
[MENTION=139494]powerhoney[/MENTION] now I understand why you were "period" sure on that odia line in the offtopic thread being not Assamese.
(Damn! The off topic thread needs to be reopened.)
BTW try Datamation and Computer Heart. They used to house a lot of speakers. And it may be economical considering the shipping charges to Guwahati.
Also Creative Inspire T6160 is available at your range. You can have a demo of it.

He he... Hope the mods are reading this!!!

Off-topic ftw!!! :-D

About the shops you mentioned, I have had bad experience with computer heart...

About datamation, yeah will certainly check them out... The only problem is how I am gonna send it to Silchar...

I could have ordered from their online shop too but it's currently stopped taking orders...

Btw, you from Assam too???

powerhoney said:
He he... Hope the mods are reading this!!! Off-topic ftw!!!

About the shops you mentioned, I have had bad experience with computer heart...

About datamation, yeah will certainly check them out... The only problem is how I am gonna send it to Silchar...

I could have ordered from their online shop too but it's currently stopped taking orders...

Btw, you from Assam too???

Yes

.
Communication to Silchar us a real PITA. But I think you will have to travel by bus for it. I had mixed experience with Computer Heart. Their prices are low but they will dupe you if you are not careful.

nomad47 said:
Yes .
Communication to Silchar us a real PITA. But I think you will have to travel by bus for it. I had mixed experience with Computer Heart. Their prices are low but they will dupe you if you are not careful.

That's why I take the flight always and that's why I am eager to buy the speakers online... Will be asking Datamation if they can courier it to me there or else will order from theitdepot or mdcomputers...

I was in the same boat, and finally purchased a Logitech Z506 (got delivered yesterday). I haven't heard the Edifier and F&D one, and since I didn't want the system to be too loud (this apartment has really thin walls.

), I settled for Z506 for 5.6k from eBay. These sound good enough, but have a constant faint buzzing sound on the rear satellites (audible when you bring the speakers close to your ears). Last night I played some BF4, and saw Fight Club again, and was satisfied with the surround sound considering the price.

Both Creative T6160 & Logitech Z506 are good. Have a demo and then take a decision for yourself.
One suggestion...why go for 5.1 when you can have descent 2.1 setup options within that budget?
You live in hostel and setting up 5.1 system could be an issue. There would be occasional gatherings in your room and trust me 5.1 won't do justice with music listening.
Now unless your prime objective is playing games and watching movies all day long, then 5.1 all the way.

Random suggestion.
u can get a better 2.1 that would save you trouble of space required & extra sound card + you can get a lot better quality of sound.
My personal take ?? I rather buy a headphone something like H&K CL

Chaitanya said:
Random suggestion.
u can get a better 2.1 that would save you trouble of space required & extra sound card + you can get a lot better quality of sound.
My personal take ?? I rather buy a headphone something like H&K CL

I will be using them specifically for movies... So no 2.1... About headphones, already have a lot of them which do a decent enough job...

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mayanksharma said:
Both Creative T6160 & Logitech Z506 are good. Have a demo and then take a decision for yourself.
One suggestion...why go for 5.1 when you can have descent 2.1 setup options within that budget?
You live in hostel and setting up 5.1 system could be an issue. There would be occasional gatherings in your room and trust me 5.1 won't do justice with music listening.
Now unless your prime objective is playing games and watching movies all day long, then 5.1 all the way.

Prime and sole objective is movies all along!!! Mentioned that in the op!!!

About the occasional gatherings, crazy sh!t happens in hostels anyway so that is not such a big issue!!! :-D

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aniket.cain said:
I was in the same boat, and finally purchased a Logitech Z506 (got delivered yesterday). I haven't heard the Edifier and F&D one, and since I didn't want the system to be too loud (this apartment has really thin walls. ), I settled for Z506 for 5.6k from eBay. These sound good enough, but have a constant faint buzzing sound on the rear satellites (audible when you bring the speakers close to your ears). Last night I played some BF4, and saw Fight Club again, and was satisfied with the surround sound considering the price.

Congrats on the purchase... Are you able to utilize the true 5.1 channels??? What are your sources??? Are you using sound cards???

Have made my mind up to buy either the F&D F6000 or the Edifier DA 5000 pro!!!

powerhoney said:
I will be using them specifically for movies... So no 2.1... About headphones, already have a lot of them which do a decent enough job...

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Prime and sole objective is movies all along!!! Mentioned that in the op!!!

About the occasional gatherings, crazy sh!t happens in hostels anyway so that is not such a big issue!!!

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Congrats on the purchase... Are you able to utilize the true 5.1 channels??? What are your sources??? Are you using sound cards???

Have made my mind up to buy either the F&D F6000 or the Edifier DA 5000 pro!!!

The Edifier one costs 11.5k. :shock:

nomad47 said:
The Edifier one costs 11.5k.

Yeah... Plus the sound card will cost another 6k... And am thinking about a 27" monitor too which will set me back by another 18k!!!

powerhoney said:
Yeah... Plus the sound card will cost another 6k... And am thinking about a 27" monitor too which will set me back by another 18k!!!

That's some heavy upgrades.

nomad47 said:
That's some heavy upgrades.

Yeah... All in the name of aural and visual nirvana!!! B-)

powerhoney said:
Yeah... All in the name of aural and visual nirvana!!! B-)

what if i tell you that

a low priced home theater sound system is as far from aural nirvana as heaven in from hell

anirbandd said:
what if i tell you that

a low priced home theater sound system is as far from aural nirvana as heaven in from hell

Lend me more money!!! ;-)

Okay, guys...

I couldn't find the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB (THX) model in India... The one that has the remote...
Only the SBX model is being sold and it sadly doesn't have a remote...

Anyway, while searching for the sound card, I came across another sound card called the ASUS SOUND CARD XONAR U7...
Here's the link for it: ASUS SOUND CARD XONAR U7 (Xonar U7 - 90YB00AB-M0AC00 - 886227439515 )

As you can see, it's a 7.1-channel sound card...

So, will I be facing any problem if I use it with my 5.1 setup???

Also, which one is the better of the two???

- - - Updated - - -

Tagging some of you guys now: (Mods may remove if this is not allowed)

@rider [MENTION=82407]sandynator[/MENTION] @mayanksharma [MENTION=119314]Vignesh B[/MENTION] @coolest111 @Chaitanya @anirbandd @Nerevarine @hitesh @Hrishi @anupam_pb @bavusani [MENTION=119688]true_lies[/MENTION] [MENTION=145143]SaiyanGoku[/MENTION] @harshilsharma63 @nikhilsharma007nikx @rachitboom2 [MENTION=115573]Sarath[/MENTION] @dashing.sujay @aniket.cain [MENTION=115573]Sarath[/MENTION] @Faun [MENTION=52329]tkin[/MENTION] @GhorMaanas

powerhoney said:
Okay, guys...

I couldn't find the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB (THX) model in India... The one that has the remote...
Only the SBX model is being sold and it sadly doesn't have a remote...

Anyway, while searching for the sound card, I came across another sound card called the ASUS SOUND CARD XONAR U7...
Here's the link for it: ASUS SOUND CARD XONAR U7 (Xonar U7 - 90YB00AB-M0AC00 - 886227439515 )

As you can see, it's a 7.1-channel sound card...

So, will I be facing any problem if I use it with my 5.1 setup???

Also, which one is the better of the two???

- - - Updated - - -

Tagging some of you guys now: (Mods may remove if this is not allowed)

@rider @sandynator @mayanksharma @Vignesh B @coolest111 @Chaitanya @anirbandd @Nerevarine @hitesh @Hrishi @anupam_pb @bavusani @true_lies @SaiyanGoku @harshilsharma63 @nikhilsharma007nikx @rachitboom2 @Sarath @dashing.sujay @aniket.cain @Sarath @Faun @tkin @GhorMaanas

What is your actual budget for 5.1 speakers and actual budget for a sound card?

bssunil said:
What is your actual budget for 5.1 speakers and actual budget for a sound card?

Actual budget for speakers was around 10k...
Am thinking about getting the Edifier DA 5000 pro from theitdepot at around 13k...
Budget for sound card is around 5k...

powerhoney said:
Actual budget for speakers was around 10k...
Am thinking about getting the Edifier DA 5000 pro from theitdepot at around 13k...
Budget for sound card is around 5k...

Speakers:
Edifier DA5000PRO 5.1 Speaker System - Buy Online @ Rs.10301/- | Snapdeal

Sound card:

Amazon.in: Buy Creative SB1350 Sound Blaster Recon3D THX Quadcore Sound Core3D PCIE Gaming Card for PC & MAC Online at Low Prices in India | Reviews & Ratings

bssunil said:
Speakers:
Edifier DA5000PRO 5.1 Speaker System - Buy Online @ Rs.10301/- | Snapdeal

Sound card:

Amazon.in: Buy Creative SB1350 Sound Blaster Recon3D THX Quadcore Sound Core3D PCIE Gaming Card for PC & MAC Online at Low Prices in India | Reviews & Ratings

I'll be buying the speaker from itdepot since the other sellers don't courier to my area...

About the sound card, need an usb one since I will be using it with my laptop...

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Guys, help me with this:

Anyway, while searching for the sound card, I came across another sound card called the ASUS SOUND CARD XONAR U7...
Here's the link for it: ASUS SOUND CARD XONAR U7 (Xonar U7 - 90YB00AB-M0AC00 - 886227439515 )

As you can see, it's a 7.1-channel sound card...

So, will I be facing any problem if I use it with my 5.1 setup???

Also, which one is the better of the two???

^^^

Bump and help me guys...

wow you taking that thing to the hostel??

hope the boys are civilised

anirbandd said:
wow you taking that thing to the hostel??

hope the boys are civilised

I am hoping for that too!!! :razz:

Hope it lasts longer than a day, at least!!! :-D

Btw, help me with this:

Anyway, while searching for the sound card, I came across another sound card called the ASUS SOUND CARD XONAR U7...
Here's the link for it: ASUS SOUND CARD XONAR U7 (Xonar U7 - 90YB00AB-M0AC00 - 886227439515 )

As you can see, it's a 7.1-channel sound card...

So, will I be facing any problem if I use it with my 5.1 setup???

Also, which one is the better between this and Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB (THX) model???

No idea about external USB sound cards.

Bought the Edifier DA 5000 Pro... Still unsure about the USB sound-card though...

Guys, need some help...

Should I buy a 5.1 or a 7.1 sound card??? Will the 7.1 sound card work with the 5.1 Edifier system???

Am currently checking the following cards:

1. The 5.1 one:

Creative X-Fi 5.1 Speaker System - Buy Online @ Rs.3950/- | Snapdeal

2. The 7.1 one:

ASUS SOUND CARD XONAR U7 (Xonar U7 - 90YB00AB-M0AC00 - 886227439515 )

- - - Updated - - -

Tagging some of you guys now: (Mods may remove if this is not allowed)

@rider @sandynator @mayanksharma [MENTION=119314]Vignesh B[/MENTION] @coolest111 @Chaitanya @anirbandd @Nerevarine @hitesh @Hrishi @anupam_pb @bavusani [MENTION=119688]true_lies[/MENTION] @SaiyanGoku @harshilsharma63 @nikhilsharma007nikx @rachitboom2 @Sarath @dashing.sujay @aniket.cain @Sarath @Faun [MENTION=52329]tkin[/MENTION] @GhorMaanas

Go with this: Creative X-Fi 5.1 Speaker System - Buy Online @ Rs.3950/- | Snapdeal

bssunil said:
Go with this: Creative X-Fi 5.1 Speaker System - Buy Online @ Rs.3950/- | Snapdeal

What about the 7.1 one??? Won't it be better???
Guys, help soon...

Bumpity bump!!! Guys, please help!!!

7.1 will be a waste of purchase if you are going to stick to using it with a 5.1 system

Nerevarine said:
7.1 will be a waste of purchase if you are going to stick to using it with a 5.1 system

Okay... Will buy the 5.1 sound card then!!!

late here.
i second what nerevarine wrote. hope you've placed the order for the creative card by now.

M

Sorry buddy for late replie. Hope you haven't ordered Sound Card Yet Get Asus Xonar U7 has better specification than that creative sound card mentioned above. Creative sound cards has poor driver support you may face in future When they retire a product they simply stop providing drivers.

Minion said:
Sorry buddy for late replie. Hope you haven't ordered Sound Card Yet Get Asus Xonar U7 has better specification than that creative sound card mentioned above. Creative sound cards has poor driver support you may face in future When they retire a product they simply stop providing drivers.

Damn... I have placed the order for the Creative Sound Card... :cry:

Is the driver support that bad???

Am on Windows 8.1 Update 1, btw...

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Nerevarine said:
7.1 will be a waste of purchase if you are going to stick to using it with a 5.1 system

Was my sopund card purchasing decision wrong???

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GhorMaanas said:
late here.
i second what nerevarine wrote. hope you've placed the order for the creative card by now.

Same question for you too...

M

^Cancel it get Asus Xonar U7 Specification are lot better than creative.Driver support is good too.

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Creative one doesn't support windows 8.1
LINK
*asia.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-x-fi-surround-5-1-pro

While Asus Xonar U7 supports Windows 8.1
LINK
*www.asus.com/Sound_Cards/Xonar_U7/HelpDesk_Download/

Can't cancel it now... Hope it is not that bad!!! Fingers crossed!!!

that was/is a good find from minion! but don't worry unduly. though i understand that this creative card could be an outgoing one (to be replaced with a newer model), but i suppose i saw a driver for it from as recent as May '14.
you could've benefited from a higher-spec card had you been listening to a good source (lossless music, on some very good monitors), whereas here, your priority is mostly movie-watching. prioritywise, your purchase is still good. better you saved some money than splurging it all in these tough times.

remember, an audio-chain (must) start(s) with the source first. then come the various media one-by-one, in their respective order. don't bother too much about the high bit-rate and stuff, unless you are very keen on listening to HQ music, and have above average speakers (esp., 'musical' speakers). anyway, in a hostel environment (with cabins smaller than your room at your home), with your various bugger-mates roaming in-and-out of your cabin, stuff 'vanishing', with all the mess and all, you wouldn't want to turn into a sound/music connoisseur, do you?!

anyway, i guess you can still cancel the order, even if its via CoD. just call the CC and request them. and if not, you can still thoroughly enjoy the card's capabilities. lastly, check the first few pages of the following link, and you might get a whiff of apparently why (even) some people who dabble in sound & music call the 24-bit thing & other specs flashed on audio-products as 'pointless' and 'hype':

The Audio Board's Frequently Asked Questions, Pre-answered! - Audio - Linus Tech Tips

P.S. - had i noticed your thread earlier, would have suggested you against the DA5000 Pro. i find them more suited to music and gaming than movies. but nevermind. with the correct gear and sound-settings, you won't be disappointed in your movie-viewing experience too.

GhorMaanas said:
that was/is a good find from minion! but don't worry unduly. though i understand that this creative card could be an outgoing one (to be replaced with a newer model), but i suppose i saw a driver for it from as recent as May '14.
you could've benefited from a higher-spec card had you been listening to a good source (lossless music, on some very good monitors), whereas here, your priority is mostly movie-watching. prioritywise, your purchase is still good. better you saved some money than splurging it all in these tough times.

remember, an audio-chain (must) start(s) with the source first. then come the various media one-by-one, in their respective order. don't bother too much about the high bit-rate and stuff, unless you are very keen on listening to HQ music, and have above average speakers (esp., 'musical' speakers). anyway, in a hostel environment (with cabins smaller than your room at your home), with your various bugger-mates roaming in-and-out of your cabin, stuff 'vanishing', with all the mess and all, you wouldn't want to turn into a sound/music connoisseur, do you?!

anyway, i guess you can still cancel the order, even if its via CoD. just call the CC and request them. and if not, you can still thoroughly enjoy the card's capabilities. lastly, check the first few pages of the following link, and you might get a whiff of apparently why (even) some people who dabble in sound & music call the 24-bit thing & other specs flashed on audio-products as 'pointless' and 'hype':

The Audio Board's Frequently Asked Questions, Pre-answered! - Audio - Linus Tech Tips

P.S. - had i noticed your thread earlier, would have suggested you against the DA5000 Pro. i find them more suited to music and gaming than movies. but nevermind. with the correct gear and sound-settings, you won't be disappointed in your movie-viewing experience too.

Thanks for the kind words... Comes as a bit of a relief...

Hope my speakers and stuff survive the ordeal from my hostel mates!!! :-x

Anyway, guys, will I have to change the settings on my sound card/speakers when I play some stereo stuff like music??? Most of my other stuff have mapped 5.1 audio... Will I have to change from 5.1 to stereo and vice-versa every time or will the sound card/speakers detect the change automatically??? :-?

take due care, and try to keep your peripherals secure when not in use. although better said than done in a hostel.

you may have to change to stereo-mode in the card's software to listen to stereo music. there's an option for it.

GhorMaanas said:
take due care, and try to keep your peripherals secure when not in use. although better said than done in a hostel.

you may have to change to stereo-mode in the card's software to listen to stereo music. there's an option for it.

Okay... Good to know that...

[MENTION=139494]powerhoney[/MENTION] congrats on the purchases. Review them if possible

nomad47 said:
[MENTION=139494]powerhoney[/MENTION] congrats on the purchases. Review them if possible

Will do once I receive them...

so, what's the update? any?