Sound Output and Quality?

[crisscross]

Hey guys!

Just a general question. I was wondering if a set of Klipsch with a high-end sound card like a Hercules Game TheaterXP can produce sound better than a hig-end stereo system like say a Bose? What do u think?

Thanx

P.S. My PC hangs whenever I try to post a message and I end up posting twice! can I delete one of my posts by any chance?

 

[sMashPiranha]

I highly doubt it, Bose systems just sound too damn nice

 

[sohcrates]

no matter what, your sound card is still stuck in a pc, which is a big electrical noise producing environment...so you're never gonna be able to get the cleanest signal out of it.

in addition, even expensive computer speakers for the most part do not have quality drivers in them.

so overall, you CAN get a nice sounding, loud computer speaker setup, but i'd take a nice home stereo over it anyday

 

[erikiksaz]

that sound card is definately not high end. high end sound cards will cost upwards of 150+ dollars.

 

[mindiris]

As long as the sound stays digital until the it hits the speakers, electrical noise from the case shouldn't be a factor.

Bose...they are high end and sound good, but once past a certain point, it starts becoming a matter preference as to what is "more perfect".

 

[StrangeRanger]

A pc sound card/speaker combo will never be close to being equal to a nice home rack system. Not without an external amp etc. at least driviing some non-pc speakers.


<< high end sound cards will cost upwards of 150+ dollars. >>


Dood, high end at $150? hmm..not likely. &quot;Professional&quot; sound cards start close to $350-400 and move quickly into the thousands of $$$.
j

 

[QuestionsandAnsweres]

That sound card is HIGH end for consumers.

 

[Workin']

<< Bose...they are high end >>

NOT! Couldn't let that slide by. Bose is mainstream consumer gear, not &quot;high end&quot; by any stretch of the imagination. And anything that says &quot;Acoustimass&quot; on it is a laugh-out-loud joke in terms of accurate sound reproduction.

There's a world of difference between PC sound cards connected to PC-oriented speakers and true high-performance audio equipment.

 

[StrangeRanger]

<< NOT! Couldn't let that slide by. Bose is mainstream consumer gear, not &quot;high end&quot; by any stretch of the >>



Amen Workin'. I saw that b/f but didn't feel like getting into it. But you are soooo right.
j

 

[erikiksaz]

don't know, i believe the higher end of things start at the 24/96 conversion rates.

 

[Flat]

anything sounds better than Bose! no highs no lows... must be bose

 

[yaethom]

I think the clear answer to the main post is:

No consumer end Sound card and Computer Speakers can be better than the &quot;high end&quot; stereo system.

No consumer end stereo system (such as &quot;Bose&quot can be better than the &quot;high end&quot; soundcard and computer speakers.

A high end consumer stereo system (such as &quot;Bose&quot can be as good as, if not better, than a high end consumer soundcard and computer system.

And when it comes to sound quality, if you are trying that hard to determine the difference between both those high quality sound systems, you should just shell out ten thousand bucks for whatever all these guys are talking about.

Oh and one more thing is for certain:

&quot;Good things are never cheap, and cheap things are never good.&quot;

Tom


edit: thx to pariah for taking note of my typo.

 

[Pariah]

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=27&amp;threadid=499133

Yaethom, your post doesn't make any sense.

 

[yaethom]

I think my post is actually pretty clear.
There is no definite answer when it comes to comparing a stereo system with a computer sound system. It just comes down to a matter of price.... And like is said at the end: &quot;Good things are never cheap, and cheap things are never good.&quot;

Tom

 

[Pariah]

nm

 

[yaethom]

Well, im under the opinion that Bose is a high end consumer item.
It's good, but its not professional. And i thought that was clear enough by the usage of the word &quot;consumer&quot;

And on top of that, YES, something can be worse and better than something else. It depends on what u are comparing. I'm sure sound quality isn't the ONLY issue here. There is compatibility, versitality, and even price. So in this discussion, a stereo system CAN be worse AND better than a sound card system, depending on how u use them.
Tom

EDIT: Oh and i didn't notice the typo i made. (concerning the better than itself part) i'll fix that part of the post.
I hope everything else is clear now.

 

[DamienVorlion]

I have a bose and it sounds better than anything I have heard on the consumer level. Sure you can spend $15,000 for some high end speakers but my $1,200 bose system will outperform anything else you can get for under $3,000.

 

[flood]

if you think bose is &quot;high end&quot; read this:
The Bose FAQ

 

[sohcrates]

i'm really tired of BOSE getting hit on so hard all the time. they're a company who puts a LOT of time into research and development of new and unique audio equipment...have you HEARD their waveradios? VERY impressive..i actually give them lots of props because the same cannot be said about most &quot;cookie cutter&quot; audio companies.

for most general consumers, BOSE IS high end....

but for anyone who is serious about their music, we all know to shy away from them....but that's not the point. the point is that BOSE is NOT aiming for the high end market..they've found a nice little niche market with entry level consumers, and they're gonna stay there. so it's not fair that everyone keeps bashing them!

 

[DamienVorlion]

the bose faq....a bose sale....No such thing, Bose prices are fixed year round and everyone that sells them has to have the same sale price, its on the contract.

 

[flood]

<< I have a bose and it sounds better than anything I have heard on the consumer level. Sure you can spend $15,000 for some high end speakers but my $1,200 bose system will outperform anything else you can get for under $3,000. >>



Magneplanar 1.6 QR $1500
REL Strata III $900
Cambridge Audio D500 $260
NAD C340 $300

Try to beat that with a $5k system

 

[flood]

<< the bose faq....a bose sale....No such thing, Bose prices are fixed year round and everyone that sells them has to have the same sale price, its on the contract. >>



try reading the whole thing first and not the first paragraph

 

[Workin']

<< I have a bose and it sounds better than anything I have heard on the consumer level. >>

Then you must not have heard very much! You should shop somewhere besides Best Buy.

<< but my $1,200 bose system will outperform anything else you can get for under $3,000 >>

Oh man, you are a sucker (or deaf). There are literally DOZENS of speakers that cost substantially less than Bose that will stomp those putrid things into dust. For $1200? My God, there are probably HUNDREDS of better choices. And when you start talking about comparably priced gear, well, then there is no comparison. Bose ALWAYS falls to the bottom of the pack. But the Bose name does impress the ignorant, because 30 years ago Amar Bose was truly an innovator. Just like 30 years ago Fisher, Scott, and KLH were names to be reckoned with. But, ummm, that's not the case now, is it?

<< it's not fair that everyone keeps bashing them! >>

It's completely fair to bash a product that costs 80% more than the competition and provides inferior performance in comparison.

<< &quot;Good things are never cheap, and cheap things are never good.&quot; >>

I can think of lots of good things that are FREE! Perhaps a better adage would be:

&quot;The bitter taste of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price has faded.&quot; Except with Bose you get reamed both ways - high price and low performance!

 

[flood]

Audioreview Hall Of SHAME
3 entries for Bose - speakers

Audioreview Hall Of FAME
1 entry for Bose - their noise cancelling headset

maybe bose should quit the speaker business and make headsets exclusively

 

[Workin']

<< a bose sale....No such thing >>

You better call Circuit City and Best Buy and tell them that! One model or another is on sale almost every week!

Hey flood5, randomly speaking, how about

any Paradigm model under $1200/pr
any Definitive Technology model under that price
inexpensive B&amp;W's
inexpensive M&amp;K's
Vandersteen's
inexpensive KEF's
NHT
Near Audio
dozens of other British manufacturers
Linn

Those are just a few better ways to spend your money than on Bose...

edit: okay, maybe Linn is pushing the $1200 limit...