Get Better Sound from Your PC with a Dedicated Soundcard

7 Parts:

Do I Need a sound card?

Understanding Audio Reproduction

What To Look For When Choosing A sound card

Recommendations

Tips, Tricks & Warnings

Questions and Answers

Comments

In times past, before the PC had become a mainstream fixture in most of our homes and offices, every computer needed a sound card if you wanted to get any sound from your PC that went beyond high pitched beeps and blips. But today, a sound card is not often something that's even considered when buying, building or upgrading a PC. Motherboards in modern PCs have sound hardware built into them and many even have high definition multi-channel output as well. These on-board chips can produce decent enough sound for basic use, but if you want high quality sound in gaming, movies and music playback while also getting the most from a decent set of speakers or headphones, installing a dedicated sound card in your PC is the only way to do it. Read on below to find out why.

A sound card isn't for everyone, but if you're reading this article in the first place, then you are probably already wanting to get better sound quality from your PC. It's a good idea to invest in a dedicated sound card if:

• You are using mid to high quality headphones, especially those that require amplification to reach their full potential.
• You are using a mid to high quality set of speakers or home theater setup. While on board audio solutions will get the job done, they also introduce noise into the signal chain, which can reduce the clarity heard in your movies, games and music.
• You have a general sense that you're not hearing any "wow" factor from your PC. Modern games and movies have excellently produced audio. If you have a general opinion that the sound from your PC is dull or doesn't have a "sparkle" to it, or if you are just not satisfied with the quality, then you are probably in need of a dedicated sound card.

First things first, in audio reproduction, every single part of your source material and signal chain will affect the end result of what you hear. Before starting the search for your new sound card, you should be aware of the following components and their role in the signal chain.

1. 1
   The source of the sound

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   In this case it may be a film, a game, or music on your PC. With video and games, you are almost always guaranteed to get good quality source material as long as the files were legitimately obtained. So when playing a DVD or Blu-ray you won't need to worry about your source material, but downloading compressed versions of movies will mean that there is potential for degraded audio quality. With music, make sure that you have ripped or purchased files that are of a high bit rate. If you're playing straight from a CD, then you won't have troubles, but for digital copies you want something that is 192 Kbps or higher. Lossless audio formats are the best for audio, so look out for file formats like FLAC and WMA lossless.

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2. 2
   The sound card

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   The sound card does all the work of taking the digital signal coming from your PC and turns it in to an analogue signal that can be reproduced and heard through your speakers or headphones. This is done through a number of processes, the most important being the digital to analog conversion using hardware called a D/A converter (sometimes just DAC). Standalone sound cards have higher quality components, especially the D/A converter which means better sounding audio reaching your ears.

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3. 3
   Cables

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   Cables carry the signal from the sound card to your speakers and are as important as anything else in the signal chain. Cheaper, low quality cables may be unshielded or use low quality copper that can reduce the clarity and frequency range of the sound you hear. Because the cables are likely running alongside electricity, the computer itself and monitors, etc., it's especially important to use good quality shielded cables.

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4. 4
   Speakers and Headphones

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   You will start to notice the big theme here as we make our way through the signal chain. Every single link in the chain can make or break the sound quality in the end. So just as with everything else, your speakers or headphones should be of sufficient quality for you to enjoy the sound as intended. You don't need to break the bank here; quality Bose, Yamaha, Harmon-Kardon, and other such speakers will produce excellent results. As far as headphones go, consumers are really spoiled for choices these days with the likes of Beats, Sony, SkullCandy, Sennheiser, SteelSeries, AKG and more being good choices for your personal audio needs. It goes without saying that even with the best digital files, sound cards and cables, if your speakers or headphones are not up to it, you won't get the sound quality that you're expecting.

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Because there are a lot of options on the market and in the aim of keeping things simple, we will point out the main things to consider when looking at a sound card to buy. Because not all manufacturers publish all the specifications and many companies have different ways of measuring them, we have provided recommendations at the end of the article in case you're not comfortable with tackling all the technicalities when choosing a card.

1. 1
   Available Connectors

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   The connectors available will determine if you can easily connect the sound card to your speakers. Most devices will come with a standard 3.5 mm output, and some will come with RCA type connectors, 1/4 inch connectors and even digital outputs for connecting to home theater receivers. Check the connections for your speakers or receivers and make sure that the card will support these connections.
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