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It can drive 600-ohm headphones and reproduces 24-bit audio at up to 192 kHz. This semi-pyramid is packed with a Burr-Brown PCM1794 DAC and manages an SNR of 127dB. You get amplification, Bluetooth with Bluetooth 5 aptX support, RCA and optical ports, and more. In fact, it’s something of a jack of all trades. This is a 100-watt amplifier for connecting desktop speakers, and that accounts for some of that steep price tag. Moreover, this isn’t a standard headphone amp, like most other external sound cards. Well, for starters, you do get the benefit of not having to crack open your PC and installing an expansion card. But over $350? Could it possibly be worth the price? But it’s Creative’s oddball take on an external sound card - a USB-connected desktop DAC and amplifier. Sitting on your desk, the Creative Sound Blaster X7 looks like some sort of Egyptian monument, or perhaps a leftover prop from Battlestar Galactica. I’ve rounded up the best sound cards you can buy today, and this article will help you choose the one that’s right for you. If you want your PC to send the best sound quality possible to your speakers or headphone - while possibly pumping our multi-channel surround sound and having the ability to process audio for sound production, read on. If that sounds like you, fear not: There are still a lot of sound cards out there you can use to upgrade your PC. In the same way, gamers, audiophiles, and creatives who produce audio on their PCs are just some users who may need more sound quality and features than what you can get from the audio that’s built into a typical desktop PC.
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Dedicated gamers aren’t satisfied with the kit mouse that came with their PC - they choose a specialized gaming mouse designed to work with their favorite games. After all, the integrated audio that’s built into computer motherboards is perfectly adequate for most tasks these days, and has been for years.īut that doesn’t mean that it’s good enough for people who really care about their audio experience. A lot has changed since those early days of computing and many PC buyers today may have never experienced that at all. It was right up there with picking a video card, hard drive, and how much RAM to get. There was a time when every PC owner - and in particular, every PC gamer - made choosing a sound card an essential part of buying a new computer. Don't underestimate a sound card's ability to transform your PC gaming experience.
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