Hey all,

I'm upgrading my comp in the next month and need to know what combo will work best.

My sound card choices:

Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS Platinum Pro (http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=29-102-164&DEPA=0)

or

Turtle Beach 6-Channel PCI Sound Card, Model "Santa Cruz" (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=29-118-102&depa=0)

Speaker choices are:

Klipsch ProMedia ultra 5.1 Personal Audio System (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=36-119-106&depa=0)

or

Logitech THX Certified Z-680 5.1 Speaker 500Watt (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=36-121-105&depa=0)

For the sound card, the price difference is huge, is the creative one really all that much better than the turtle beach?

For the speakers, I'm pretty set on the Kilpsch's, every review says the mids, and highs sound much better. Anyone heard these in person?

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks,

-Chris

My personal preference isn't for either of them. Get mid level sound card - SB Live is a good one. Then buy a cheap home theatre setup off ebay. Plug it all into the amp, and buy a sub. Now that will RAWK! :D

Wonder how much that would run me... I'll check some prices...

Whats a good type of home theater? I dont know too much about sound choices...

I've been very happy with my Audigy 2 and I have a friend that has the Klipsch speakers and they rattle my teeth. :smile:

Something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3702&item=3836838422&rd=1

Only $30 USD approx.

I've been very happy with my Audigy 2 and I have a friend that has the Klipsch speakers and they rattle my teeth. :smile:

Know anything about turtle beach cards? If I could save the extra $100 or so buying the Santa Cruz over the audigy, i could afford the Klipsch's a lot faster :)

-Grendel

I have a sound blaster audigy external pro. It rocks.

Know anything about turtle beach cards? If I could save the extra $100 or so buying the Santa Cruz over the audigy, i could afford the Klipsch's a lot faster :)

-Grendel

My friend used to have a Turtle Beach. He didn't have a very good experience with it. Compatibility issues I think and it didn't sound as good as his SoundBlaster. I'm sure it's different for each person, but I've always had good luck with Creative Labs's stuff.

My friend used to have a Turtle Beach. He didn't have a very good experience with it. Compatibility issues I think and it didn't sound as good as his SoundBlaster. I'm sure it's different for each person, but I've always had good luck with Creative Labs's stuff.

cool, thanks for the info. I'll keep saving for the audigy...

Gotta pick up a new vid card first too, Lookin at the 256bit 128mb 9800 Pro... heard a bunch of good things about that card...

-Chris

I'd go with the Santa Cruz and Klipsch's

Also look into terratec's sound cards; they're the best when paired with the promedia ultras.

I'd go with the Santa Cruz and Klipsch's

Also look into terratec's sound cards; they're the best when paired with the promedia ultras.

have you heard the Klipsch's with the Santa Cruz? The Audigy 2 has a lot of stuff I will never use, that is more for the musician type...

-Chris

My friend uses a Santa Cruz/Klipsch setup; It sounds the same as an Audigy 2 setup. The reason i would pick Turtle Beach over Creative labs is the way they package their control panels and drivers. Creative labs packs way to much crap with their software bundles, that nobody ever really uses. I'm not saying that Creative labs is bad; I've used many of their products. Its just that audiophiles still controvert over their driver/software packaging methods. Turtle beach gives you the same bang, for less buck. The audigy has no technical advantages over the santa cruz, other than that front 5.25 control panel, which is functionally the same as hooking up your connectors in the rear.

Stated in one of the above posts, is that there was a compatibility issue. Its quite simple really; Turtle beach has been giving out the same driver cd since the Santa Cruz was released, which only contains drivers for win9x and me setups. No biggie, just go to the turtle beach website and download the win2k/xp drivers (assuming you're on 2k/xp). Fixed. Done.

Either way you can't go wrong. I'm just suggesting the Santa Cruz because its a cleaner setup.

My friend uses a Santa Cruz/Klipsch setup; It sounds the same as an Audigy 2 setup. The reason i would pick Turtle Beach over Creative labs is the way they package their control panels and drivers. Creative labs packs way to much crap with their software bundles, that nobody ever really uses. I'm not saying that Creative labs is bad; I've used many of their products. Its just that audiophiles still controvert over their driver/software packaging methods. Turtle beach gives you the same bang, for less buck. The audigy has no technical advantages over the santa cruz, other than that front 5.25 control panel, which is functionally the same as hooking up your connectors in the rear.

Stated in one of the above posts, is that there was a compatibility issue. Its quite simple really; Turtle beach has been giving out the same driver cd since the Santa Cruz was released, which only contains drivers for win9x and me setups. No biggie, just go to the turtle beach website and download the win2k/xp drivers (assuming you're on 2k/xp). Fixed. Done.

Either way you can't go wrong. I'm just suggesting the Santa Cruz because its a cleaner setup.

Thanks for the info... Santa Cruz it is :D

-Chris