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Topic: On-board Motherboard Sound (Read 7435 times) previous topic - next topic
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On-board Motherboard Sound

What is the best ?

OK. My Asus P4PE is officially going in the trash complete with its crap
SoundMAX audio.
I have tried every damn thing to fix an intermittent clicking and popping
sound with winamp - out of both the analog and digital outputs.
PCI Latency 32 / 64.  Delay Transaction on / off - different bus clock
speeds because of AGP / PCI locking bug, in earlier firmwares. Also tried
every firmware up to and including latest 1006.
I have managed to fix this problem before, but on latest BIOS / OS upgrade
its back again.

Also seemed to be specific to playing back compressed audio formats (mp3,
ape) but its there on wav files this time.  I want to find a P4 Intel
chipset board that just plain works, straight out of the box - no messing
about. And all I want to do more or less is code and playback clean mp3s.

Oh - also the onboard firewire on this crapheap works like 10% of the time,
otherwise it fails to start. Its VIA chipset Have tried as I say every bios,
new cmos battery - nothing helps. Gave up and used PCI card instead - also a
VIA - not the greatest but it starts every time.

I now have my eye on Intel D865PERL (hell, they design the chipset, and the
cpus, they must be able to get the boards right !!)

Can anyone recommend for or against this board, esp. with regard to onboard
sound and firewire performance? I'd be really grateful for any input.

Anyone know of any good reviews / comparisons on onboard sound solutions?

regards

Clunes

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #1 –
The Soundstorm interface that can be found on several Boards featuring the nForce Ultra 400 chipset gets good reviews ... but this is an AMD platform, of course.

Any actual Intel-865- or 875-based Mainboard should work fine, though ... the ASUS P4C800 (i875P) is believed to be state-of-the-art at this time from what I've heard ...
The name was Plex The Ripper, not Jack The Ripper

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #2 –
I think it's not worth the time, all this trouble with onboard sound... why don't you simply buy a soundcard? Just calculate 20€ / hour, and then look at how many hours you have already spent by installing drivers, upgrading BIOS, reading reviews, posting questions to forums, ...

my 0,02€

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #3 –
The soundstorm on the nForce2 chipset actually has some problems so I would not be recommending it.

I would have to agree with fileman (which is what I actually did) of going out and getting an add-in card (in my case a SB Audigy)

It really sucks to buy a board and have built in sound and then to have all kinds of problems, so that the extra $$ spent on it could have been used on the add-on card. I feel my next MB will be a bare MB so that I don't pay for stuff that the manufactures can't get it working properly.
On a seperate note - I won't be buying a MB with a VIA chipset soon after my last one was introducing random errors in files while transferring!

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #4 –
Several monts ago, I had a similar "click problem".
In my case, the clicks started after upgrading to winamp 2.9x.(the version
which video playback support, not sure)
Maybe you're right about your mobo being defective, but before
trashing it, give a try on any winamp 2.8x
Good luck.
"Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life" (Art Blakey)

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #5 –
I recently bought an Abit NF7-S and am now using Soundstorm in combination with two other sound cards in my system (A2 and Revo).  I have yet to experience any of the issues some users complain about.

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #6 –
Quote
I recently bought an Abit NF7-S and am now using Soundstorm in combination with two other sound cards in my system (A2 and Revo).  I have yet to experience any of the issues some users complain about.

Abit NF7-S 2.0 definitely rulez ...

I use the soundstorm for gaming only since I enjoy music playback/recording with an EWX24/96 ... both sound controllers work absolutely flawlessly together and can be easily activated from within Win2k/XP ... and the soundstorm interface sounds really good to my ears ...
The name was Plex The Ripper, not Jack The Ripper

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #7 –
Your best bet for onboard sound is probably one of the Albatron boards that implements the Envy24PT solution.
 
  Barring that, searching out motherboards that use the latest CODECs (usually the culprit of onboard sound quality problems) will likely give you the best guarantee of quality. Unfortunately in my experience, the implementation of the CODEC is also a very important part of the output.

  Newer AC97 2.3 or PC2001 compliant CODECs like the Realtek ALC658, the VIA VT1618, ADI 1985 (SoundMAX high-end) and the CMI 9761 should all provide very good sound quality, along with some of the better AC97 2.2/2.3 products (VT1616, CMI9739, ALC655).

    Remember to update your CODEC drivers, they can make a difference.

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #8 –
Quote
The soundstorm on the nForce2 chipset actually has some problems so I would not be recommending it.

and what are these problems with the SoundStorm APU ?
I have a ASUS A7N8X Deluxe rev. 2.0 with the Nforce 2 Ultra/400 MCP-T chipsets, and the sound works and sounds bloody good.. its the best onboard sound you can get, and been rated in SB Audigy class.. and you get it for "free" ..

note: i am only using SPDIF out, as that sounds best.. but i tested analog out, and didnt have a problem with that either..
myspace.com/borgei - last.fm/user/borgei

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #9 –
Quote
but i tested analog out, and didnt have a problem with that either..


Remember, the analog-out quality is to a large degree determined by the CODEC being used as a D/A converter by the motherboard and how well it was implemented. Likely other factors (EMI inside the case?, ground loops, etc.) can influence this greatly as well.

  One or some of these factors are probably responsible for the widespread problems that users have been having with the sound quality, most notably with your board (which is probably one of the best selling NF2 board).
  This is not to say that every board of that model has these problems, but if you'd care to take a gander over at the NForcersHQ boards, I'm sure you'll be able find dozens of users with your board and analog sound problems.

Once again, The APU does not do digital to analog conversion at all! Meaning it itself is unlikely to be the culprit in analog-out quality problem cases because there is nothing analog about it.

The Asus (and probably the Abit) uses the Realtek ALC650 CODEC for DAC duties, which may be the culprit in some cases.

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #10 –
Quote
The Asus (and probably the Abit) uses the Realtek ALC650 CODEC for DAC duties, which may be the culprit in some cases.

Yep i know it uses the Realtek ACL650 DAC's.. which arent the best around, to be modest.. But there's a simple solution to all of this - use SPDIF out.. any person that cares about audio quality should do this anyway!

The occasional pop'n'click i know about, but that was fixed with a new driver-set long ago. I myself havent had any problems with this though, as i bought the rev. 2.00 board just about 1 1/2 month ago.
myspace.com/borgei - last.fm/user/borgei

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #11 –
@bidz
Quote
its the best onboard sound you can get, and been rated in SB Audigy class.. and you get it for "free" ..


I get pissed off by people who come along and say this or that is the best without any other considerations.
You can go here and look up the post by Senor Panadero on sound problems of the A7N8X (eight different threads), and then ask all the people who posted whether they agree that it is the "best onboard sound you can get".

If it is "free" I wonder why it is only on the Deluxe model which costs more?

Quote
use SPDIF out.. any person that cares about audio quality should do this anyway!

Maybe it has something to do with cost - not everyone has or can afford a stereo, or speakers that accepts SPDIF. I suppose any person that cares about audio quality should have an Mark Levinson amplifier as well!

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #12 –
Quote
@bidz
Quote
its the best onboard sound you can get, and been rated in SB Audigy class.. and you get it for "free" ..


I get pissed off by people who come along and say this or that is the best without any other considerations.
You can go here and look up the post by Senor Panadero on sound problems of the A7N8X (eight different threads), and then ask all the people who posted whether they agree that it is the "best onboard sound you can get".

If it is "free" I wonder why it is only on the Deluxe model which costs more?

Quote
use SPDIF out.. any person that cares about audio quality should do this anyway!

Maybe it has something to do with cost - not everyone has or can afford a stereo, or speakers that accepts SPDIF. I suppose any person that cares about audio quality should have an Mark Levinson amplifier as well!

Well, of all the reviews i've read, i've heard nothing about problems, except pop'n'click which was apparent with early drivers (that has been fixed).

regarding SPDIF.. well.. a std. coax cable doesnt cost that much, now does it? and mostly all receivers sold in the last 2-3 years supports SPDIF coax input.
myspace.com/borgei - last.fm/user/borgei

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #13 –
Odd also that the reviews of Pintos didn't mention anything about them bursting into flames when rear ended? Wonder if that would have affected sales?

So the problem is fixed - thats great - I guess I'm just imagining the distortion coming from my speakers - silly me.

No a coax cable doesn't cost much - in fact i have one here just waiting to be plug into a reciever as soon as I have $300 to spend on one.

Count yourself lucky that you fell into the majority of people that don't have problems with the onboard sound but don't presume that just because you don't have problems that they don't exist.

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #14 –
Quote
So the problem is fixed - thats great - I guess I'm just imagining the distortion coming from my speakers - silly me.

Well, as i've only used analog out (through the shitty Realtek DAC) a few hours, i really can't say how good it is quality-wise. Maybe that's the source of your distortion. I dont have any distortion when using SPDIF atleast.

Maybe, if you have a rev. 1.00 board, there's a problem with distortion that i'm not aware of, as i'm on a rev. 2.00 board.
myspace.com/borgei - last.fm/user/borgei

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #15 –
On a somewhat related issue, which audio device would you chose of a SoundMAX integrated on the P4C800-E Deluxe or a SB Live [CT4760] with the latest kX drivers? I use the composite SP/DIF output.
Stay sane, exile.

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #16 –
Quote
On a somewhat related issue, which audio device would you chose of a SoundMAX integrated on the P4C800-E Deluxe or a SB Live [CT4760] with the latest kX drivers? I use the composite SP/DIF output.


It shouldnt matter much at all if you're just using digital pass-through.
The ADI SoundMAX CODEC may not resample 44.1KHz digital material to 48KHz on the way out like the Live!, that's about the only difference there could be AFAIK.

edit:
Quote
Maybe, if you have a rev. 1.00 board, there's a problem with distortion that i'm not aware of, as i'm on a rev. 2.00 board.


  Quite frankly given the volume of complaints after the patch, it sounds to me as if the A7N8X DLX model has the ALC650 poorly placed or otherwise somehow poorly implemented so that the board is either less resistant to inside-case EMI or some other trivial factor (connectors?) is coming into play that varies from board to board and got past the Asus QC department. I have not heard similar problems reprted with digital-out, but it's possible there are problems.

  As an experiment, anyone with the board can run the ALC650 as a "dumb" CODEC quite easily - uninstall the nvidia audio drivers and install the ALC650 driver from realtek.com.tw . If the same analog output problems persist then it's clearly not the APU or the connection between the APU and the CODEC.
  The ALC650 is not that bad of a CODEC, and though it's certainly not the best availible, it is cheap 

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #17 –
Quote
Once again, The APU does not do digital to analog conversion at all! Meaning it itself is unlikely to be the culprit in analog-out quality problem cases because there is nothing analog about it.

While the APU does not do any D-A conversion, but the digital signal did go through the APU before send to DAC, so technically you can't rule out APU as a culprit here.
Break The Rules!!!

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #18 –
Quote
the digital signal did go through the APU before send to DAC, so technically you can't rule out APU as a culprit here.


Which is why I suggested to experiment by uninstalling the nvidia drivers and using the CODEC as a "dumb" CODEC 

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #19 –
The P4PE's SoundMax fails for me for a different reason. It does not do clicks, but has distortion unacceptable for me. The volume control has to be set quite low, even the HD580 not to be too loud. Then the sound of the SoundMax is just plain distorted. (Maybe that is what I am sensitive to?)
But I had to pull out an Audigy of that computer, because video transfer over the 1394 interface failed every few seconds. Like clicks in audio, a frame was not put back to the video recorder once in a while. The Audigy can grab the PCI bus for sooooo long that the 1394 transfer fails. Could similar thing happen to you? Or just the processor is busy? Do you have DMA enabled for the HDs?
Anyway, I am using an SB MP3+ external USB box and I am happy with it's sound and the video transfer over 1394 is also fine.

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #20 –
I've got the Abit IC7-G (Intel P4) motherboard. It has an ALC650 codec. How will that compare to say Audigy2 on analog output?

On-board Motherboard Sound

Reply #21 –
From the SoundMax website  (I have an intel865 board running this sound solution)

" How do I stop the crackling/clicking sound when I play MP3 (or other audio) files?

There is a bug on some computers where there is a faint clicking or crackling sound when playing audio. This can often be fixed by going into the mixer and muting the Bass Boost (or just turn the volume of Bass Boost all the way down). If you don't see Bass Boost in the mixer, look at the Properties area of the mixer and make sure the checkbox is checked for Bass Boost.

Another possible fix for this problem is to go into the mixer and lower the volume of the "wave" slider. You can then increase the volume on your speakers to bring the listening volume back up again.

By the way, SoundMAX requires DirectX 8.1 or greater. You can download DirectX from the Microsoft website."

I tried the suggested fixes, and the clicks and pops did indeed go away. I am still contemplating an M Audio Revolution 7.1 card...
you will make mp3's for compatibility reasons.