quote:
Originally posted by RaceProUK
Escpecially if you invest in a top-flight professional soundcard.
Of course, but then you are not comparing the same stuff....
There is no difference between a normal budget soundcard and a onboard soundcard.
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It is not like a graphics card which maybe supports hardware rendering and shadowing and what not while an onboard card doesn't. But even then, the stuff which is outputted from a onboard graphics card is just the same as a high classed graphics card: pixels. Essencially it only is a matter of how fast it does it and what the card supports of special commands (so the software doesn't need todo it; thus again speed issues)...
With sound this is just the same; what is outputted is just the same sound. And the factor speed isn't an issue here. It is not like an onboard soundcard is going to mangle up the sound or play it more slowly or whatever.
For sound, the difference lies in the quality of the hardware contacts and stuff, but that shouldn't change anything to the sound. It only may matter after very long (ab)use where the contact doesn't give contact enough anymore. Another difference might be the amount of output channels, but again, sound is sound.
With all this I don't say there are no differences, but the difference are so small, even with comparing an onboard stereo soundcard and a top notch stereo external card, you wont hear a tad difference.
In fact, the major factor in sound are actually the speakers.
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