What affects the sound card in the computer. The best sound card for your computer
Does it make sense to equip your PC with a discrete audio adapter if the vast majority of motherboards have an integrated audio subsystem with multi-channel output? To answer this question, it is necessary to take into account both the specifics of the tasks for which the computer is used, and the individual characteristics of its owner.
Child of compromise
An integrated audio adapter with multichannel output is now available on almost every motherboard. But does this "shareware" embedded solution always fully satisfy the user's needs? Unfortunately no.
First of all, you need to understand that an integrated sound subsystem (as, indeed, any superbudget solution) is a child of many compromises, born under the motto "maximum functions for minimum money." For the sake of a significant gain in cost, you have to pay with quality and functionality.
To begin with, the number of hardware components of the integrated audio subsystem has been reduced to a minimum. As a result of radical "surgical intervention" the integrated sound adapter has lost its own processor. Its functions (including processing, switching and mixing of audio streams) are implemented at the software level (as a rule, in the audio subsystem driver). Of the hardware components, only the DAC and ADC remained, operational amplifiers with the necessary harness, as well as a controller that provides data exchange with the south bridge of the motherboard chipset. And this is the fundamental difference between an integrated solution and a discrete sound adapter.
Thus, the very concept of an integrated sound subsystem contains fundamental disadvantages. The most obvious (but not the only) one is a significant increase in the load on the central processor. Of course, the processor performance of even budget models of modern PCs makes it easy to solve sound processing tasks in the background. However, in a situation where the CPU is almost 100% loaded (and this can happen when launching games with detailed 3D graphics, in the process of decoding high-definition video, etc.), even a small increase in load can become a critical factor leading to undesirable consequences. For example, to an increase in the delay of the audio signal (as a result of which the synchronicity of sound and video sequence is disrupted), and in some cases - even to "stuttering" or short-term loss of sound.
Another significant drawback of integrated solutions is the rather mediocre characteristics of the analog part of the audio path (in particular, the signal-to-noise ratio). This is partly due to the use of the cheapest components that do not have the most perfect characteristics. However, another aspect must be taken into account: all the elements of the analog circuits are mounted directly on the motherboard and are not protected by anything from pickups and high-frequency interference from components and printed conductors located in the immediate vicinity. And even if individual components (in particular, DACs and operational amplifiers) themselves are characterized by a relatively low level of intrinsic noise, the real performance of the integrated audio adapter turns out to be much worse due to the listed reasons.
The third drawback, which is not as obvious as the two above, is the very limited capabilities of the integrated audio subsystem for connecting external devices. The fact is that the characteristics of the analog part of the audio path are optimized for working with multimedia speaker systems, as well as headphones, microphones and budget-level headsets. Connecting higher-end devices (such as a Hi-Fi amplifier or high-impedance headphones) may cause problems.
The fact is that the analog path, which provides amplification of the signal of the line output of the front stereo pair (and in conjunction with headphones), is designed to work mainly with low-power models with an impedance of about 16-32 Ohm. When connecting high-impedance headphones (with an impedance of 100 ohms or more), there is often simply not enough power headroom to ensure an acceptable volume level. As a result, noticeable frequency response distortions appear. Of course, many entry-level discrete audio adapters have a similar disadvantage. However, in most modern models, a separate power amplifier is used when connecting headphones, and in some devices it is even possible to select an impedance value for the corresponding correction.
The situation is no better with the connection of microphones. The integrated audio microphone amplifier is designed exclusively for use with multimedia microphones and headsets. Alas, the integrated sound subsystem is not able to realize the potential of even inexpensive semi-professional-level dynamic microphones (not to mention higher-level models).
Of course, all of the above does not mean that integrated solutions are worthless. There are many tasks for which more is not required, such as playing Internet radio programs, IP telephony and video conferencing applications, transmitting voice messages in multiplayer games, etc. However, it is important to understand that the range of tasks that an integrated sound subsystem able to perform with acceptable quality, not unlimited. As soon as a PC owner goes beyond this framework, he immediately faces various problems.
Special tasks
What tasks require the use of a more advanced sound subsystem? The most obvious example is a PC used to work with music projects (Desktop Music Production, DMP). At the same time, it is not fundamental how the computer is used - only as a digital tape recorder or performs the functions of a full-fledged virtual studio.
Those who have come across specialized software for multitrack audio recording at least once know from their own experience that one of the prerequisites for the operation of such applications is the presence of ASIO drivers for sound devices. Due to the fact that many functions of the integrated audio subsystem are implemented at the software level, it is almost impossible to keep within the signal delay values \u200b\u200bacceptable for multichannel audio recording.
M-Audio FastTrack external audio adapter -
one of the popular models of the DMP segment
Of course, this is due to the fact that multimedia applications (with the expectation of which, in fact, integrated solutions are designed) do not impose such strict requirements on latency. For example, even when watching a video displayed at a frequency of 30 frames per second, the lag of the soundtrack by 30-40 ms from the picture will hardly be noticed by the viewer. However, to work well with multichannel recording applications, a signal delay of less than 2 ms is required.
If, in the process of working on a music project, you need to record vocals or some instruments from a microphone, additional difficulties will arise due to the poor quality of the microphone amplifier of the integrated sound subsystem. As practice shows, problems arise even when digitizing records from analog devices (tape recorders, turntables, etc.): the quality of the resulting phonogram leaves much to be desired.
Sound cards oriented towards the DMP segment provide much higher signal conversion accuracy, as well as significantly lower noise and distortion levels. This is achieved both through the use of better components (operational amplifiers, DACs, ADCs, etc.), and through the implementation of a number of effective measures to protect the audio signal from interference and interference (shielding of analog circuits, installation of additional filters and power bus stabilizers etc.). In addition, these models are usually equipped with high-quality microphone amplifiers and universal analog inputs with the possibility of balanced connection and phantom power supply.
Another aspect is the presence of a MIDI interface, which may be required for the PC to interact with external music equipment (synthesizers, samplers, processing modules, etc.). If earlier even inexpensive multimedia sound cards were equipped with a MIDI interface, now this option is available only in specialized models.
Even with a noticeable decline in demand for discrete audio adapters, over the past few years, quite a few new models (mostly external) have been released for the DMP segment. And this is no coincidence. Such devices allow, at quite acceptable (even for non-professional home users) costs, to significantly improve the quality of the recorded recordings and also provide the ability to work with a wide range of signal sources (including microphones of different types, electric musical instruments, etc.) both on a regular and on a symmetrical line. In addition, external sound cards of this class can be connected to laptops, which allows you to get high-quality recording even in mobile conditions.
Discrete audio adapters are often used in gaming PCs. This solution allows not only to improve the quality of sound reproduction (due to the use of more advanced components), but also to reduce the load on the central processor. Equally important, only discrete sound adapters can fully realize the potential of today's games, which support the latest surround sound APIs for the most realistic imitation of spatial effects.
Asus Xonar Essence STX Multimedia Sound Card
It should be noted that the time of universal sound cards has passed. The discrete audio adapter market is now clearly segmented. In particular, there is a segment of models for sound recording and work on music projects (DMP), as well as a segment of multimedia sound cards for gaming PCs and HTPCs. For obvious reasons, the models targeted at different market segments have significant differences - this applies to the design of the hardware, and the set of functionality, and the features of software components. So, for multimedia sound cards, the following factors are important: the presence of a multichannel analog output (for connecting active speakers) and digital outputs (S / PDIF, HDMI) for connecting to receivers and home theater systems, a function for decoding multichannel digital phonograms (Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, etc.), as well as support for modern surround sound APIs.
Not a single card
Installing a discrete audio adapter is a necessary but not always sufficient step towards better sound quality. This measure will be effective only if at least two more conditions are met.
The first is the quality of the original phonogram (it can be a media file played by a media player or an audio stream, a software synthesizer, a game application, etc.). It is quite understandable that it is impossible to get "crystal clear sound" from the output of even the most advanced sound system when listening to Internet radio or compressed files with a bitrate of 128 Kbps.
The second condition is that the remaining components of the sound path (in the simplest case, an active speaker system or headphones) correspond to the level of the sound adapter used. Since all components of the audio path are connected in series, its capabilities are limited by the characteristics of the worst of them. Naturally, a cheap "computer" speaker with tiny full-range speakers enclosed in an eggshell-thick plastic case simply won't let you hear (let alone appreciate) the difference between an integrated solution and an expensive sound adapter.
However, business is not always limited to replacing the speaker system. The higher the level of requirements for sound quality rises, the wider the range of factors that must be taken into account becomes. The perception of sound is influenced by the acoustic characteristics of the room, noise from a working system unit, etc. As a result, questions appear on the agenda that the user had never thought about before: reducing the noise generated by the computer, acoustic treatment of the room, selection of special furniture, etc.
Thus, sound improvement should be viewed as a complex problem, the key to solving which is to build the most balanced system within the budget allocated for this purpose.
How to evaluate quality
There is another problem that one has to face in the process of finding the optimal solution to improve the sound subsystem of a PC. The fact is that there are simply no methods that allow to unambiguously assess the quality of sound, expressing it in some absolute units. Of course, it is possible to measure such characteristics of the sound path as frequency range, total harmonic distortion, signal-to-noise ratio, etc. However, as practice shows, the numerical values \u200b\u200bof these parameters by themselves are not able to give complete information about the capabilities of the audio path. Moreover: comparing two sound devices (speakers, amplifiers, etc.) solely by comparing the characteristics declared by the manufacturer can be more misleading than giving an idea of \u200b\u200bits real sound.
It is pertinent to mention here one of the alternative methods - comparison by contrast, which was proposed in the mid-1990s by the head of Audio Note, Peter Qvortrup. Despite the fact that Kvortrup's position is often criticized - both from the so-called connoisseurs of sound (audiophiles) and manufacturers of audio equipment - there is undoubtedly a rational grain in his approach. In addition, the contrast comparison method has at least two indisputable advantages. Firstly, it is available to everyone, because to obtain a result, expensive measuring equipment and a special “damped” room are not needed. Secondly, this method allows you to get a personalized result - that is, to find the optimal combination of the components of the sound path from the point of view of the person who is listening.
Conclusion
Well, it's time to return to the question in the title of this article. There is no point in debating whether discrete audio adapters have any advantages over integrated solutions. Do not hesitate: even models costing about 1000 rubles. (not to mention the more expensive ones) are able to provide unconditional superiority both in sound quality and in a set of functionality. So, by and large, you just need to answer two questions as honestly as possible: firstly, are you able to personally hear this difference and, secondly, do you consider the cost of the chosen sound card to be a justified payment for the advantages obtained. If both answers are yes, then you really need a discrete audio adapter.
Every person needs a tool to work. It just so happened that a person began to be called rational from the moment the tool was used for any kind of activity (the wording is lame, but in general it is). Actually, any musician, being a reasonable person, should be able to at least to some extent own a musical instrument. However, within the framework of this article, we will not talk about a musical instrument in the usual sense (guitar, piano, triangle ...), but about an instrument that is further necessary for processing a sound signal. It's about the audio interface.
Theoretical basis
Let's make a reservation right away, the sound interface, the audio interface, the sound card are contextual synonyms within the framework of the presentation. In general, a sound card is a subset of the sound interface. From the point of view of systems analysis, the interface is something, designed for interaction of two or more systems. In our case, the systems can be something like this:
- sound recording device (microphone) - processing system (computer);
- processing system (computer) - sound reproducing device (speakers, headphones);
- hybrids 1 and 2.
Formally, all that an ordinary person needs from an audio interface is to remove data from a recording device and give it to a computer, or vice versa, take data from a computer by sending it to a playback device. During the passage of the signal through the audio interface, a special transformation of the signal is performed so that the receiving side can further process this signal. The playback device (final) somehow reproduces an analog or sine signal, which is expressed in the form of a sound or elastic wave. A modern computer works with digital information, that is, information that is encoded in the form of a sequence of zeros and ones (more precisely, in the form of signals of discrete bands of analog levels). Thus, an obligation is imposed on the audio interface to convert the analog signal to digital and / or vice versa, which is actually the core of the audio interface: a digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converter (DAC and ADC or DAC and ADC, respectively), as well as binding to the form of a hardware codec, all kinds of filters, etc.
Modern PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc., as a rule, already have a built-in sound card, which allows you to record and play sounds, if there are recording and playback devices.
This is where one of the most frequently asked questions arises:
can i use the built-in sound card for sound recording and / or sound processing?
The answer to this question is very ambiguous.
How does a sound card work
Let's figure out what happens to the signal that passes through the sound card. First, let's try to understand how a digital signal is converted to analog. As mentioned earlier, a DAC is used for this kind of conversion. We will not go into the jungle of hardware filling, considering various technologies and element base, we will simply designate “on our fingers” what is happening in the “hardware”.
So, we have a certain digital sequence, which is an audio signal for output to the device.
111111000011001 001100101010100 1111110011001010 00000110100001 011101100110110001
0000000100011 00010101111100101 00010010110011101 1111111101110011 11001110010010
Here the colors are the coded little pieces of sound. One second of sound can be encoded with a different number of such pieces, the number of these pieces is determined by the sampling frequency, that is, if the sampling rate is 44.1 kHz, then one second of sound will be divided into 44100 such pieces. The number of zeros and ones in one piece is determined by the sampling depth or quantization, or, simply, the bit depth.
Now, to imagine how the DAC works, let's recall the school geometry course. Imagine that time is the X-axis, the level is Y. On the X-axis we mark the number of segments that will correspond to the sampling rate, on the Y-axis - 2 n segments that will indicate the number of sampling levels, after which, gradually we mark the points that will be match specific sound levels.
It should be noted that in reality, coding according to the above principle will look like a broken line (orange graph), however, during the conversion, the so-called. approximation to a sinusoid, or simply approximation of the signal to the form of a sinusoid, which will lead to smoothing of the levels (blue graph).
Something like this will look like an analog signal, which is obtained as a result of digital decoding. It should be noted that the analog-to-digital conversion is performed exactly the opposite: every 1 / sampling_frequency seconds, the signal level is removed and encoded based on their sampling depth.
So, we figured out how the DAC and ADC work (more or less), now it is worth considering what parameters affect the final signal.
Basic parameters of the sound card
In the course of considering the operation of converters, we got acquainted with two main parameters, these are the frequency and sampling depth, we will consider them in more detail.
Sampling frequency Is, roughly, the number of time intervals into which 1 second of sound is divided. Why is it so important for sound people to have a sound card that can operate at a frequency higher than 40 kHz? This is due to the so-called. Kotelnikov's theorem (yes, yes, again mathematics). If it is trivial, then, according to this theorem, under ideal conditions, an analog signal can be reconstructed from a discrete (digital) signal arbitrarily accurately if the sampling frequency is greater than 2 frequency ranges of this same analog signal ... That is, if we work with sound that a person hears (~ 20 Hz - 20 kHz), then the sampling frequency will be (20,000 - 20) x2 ~ 40,000 Hz, hence the de facto standard 44.1 kHz, this is the sampling frequency for the most accurate encode the signal plus a little more (this, of course, is exaggerated, since this standard is set by Sony and the reasons are much more prosaic). However, as stated earlier, this is in ideal conditions. Ideal conditions mean the following: the signal should be infinitely long in time and not have singularities in the form of zero spectral power or peak bursts of large amplitude. It goes without saying that a typical audio analog signal is not suitable for ideal conditions, due to the fact that this signal is finite in time and has bursts and drops to "zero" (roughly speaking, has time gaps).
Sample rate or bit depth - this is the number of powers of the number 2, which determines by how many intervals the signal amplitude will be divided. A person, due to the imperfection of his sound apparatus, as a rule, feels comfortable in perception with a signal bit depth of at least 10 bits, that is, 1024 levels, a person is unlikely to feel a further increase in bit depth, which cannot be said about technology.
As you can see from the above, when converting a signal, the sound card makes certain "concessions".
All this leads to the fact that the resulting signal will not exactly repeat the original.
Problems when choosing a sound card
So, a sound engineer or musician (choose your own) bought a computer with a brand new OS, a cool processor, a large amount of RAM with a sound card built into the motherboard, which is promoted by the manufacturer, has outputs to provide a 5.1 sound system, the DAC-ADC has a sampling rate of 48 kHz (this is no longer 44.1 kHz!), 24-bit and so on and so forth ... To celebrate, the engineer installs the software for sound recording and discovers that this sound card cannot simultaneously "shoot" sound, apply effects and instantly play it right there. The sound, even if it turns out to be of very high quality, however, between the moment when the instrument plays the note, the computer processes the signal and plays it back a certain time or, in simple terms, there is a lag. It's strange, because the consultant from the Eldorado praised this computer so much, talked about the sound card and in general ... and here ... eh. With grief, the engineer goes back to the store, gives the purchased computer, pays a fabulous sum in order to replace the returned one with a computer with an even more powerful processor, more RAM, a 96 (!!!) kHz and 24-bit sound card and ... in the end the same thing.
In fact, typical computers with standard built-in sound cards and stock drivers for them are not originally designed to process sound and play it in near real-time mode, that is, they are not designed for VST-RTAS processing. The point here is not at all in the "basic" stuffing in the form of a processor-RAM-hard disk, each of these components is capable of such a mode of operation, the problem is that this sound card, at times, simply cannot "work" in real time ...
During the operation of any computer device, due to the difference in operating speeds, so-called. delays. This results in the processor waiting for a set of data that it needs to process. In addition, when developing both the operating system and drivers, as well as application software, programmers resort to the so-called. creation of the so-called software abstractions, this is when each higher layer of the program code "hides" all the complexity of the lower level, providing at its level only the simplest interfaces. Sometimes there are tens of thousands of such levels of abstractions. This approach simplifies the development process, but increases the time it takes for data to travel from source to destination and vice versa.
In fact, lags can occur not only for built-in sound cards, but also for those that are connected via USB, WireFire (rest in peace to him), PCI, etc.
To avoid this kind of lag, developers use workarounds that get rid of unnecessary abstractions and software transformations. One of these solutions is the beloved ASIO for OS Widows, JACK (not to be confused with a connector) - for Linux, CoreAudio and AudioUnit - for OSX. It is worth noting that OSX and Linux are doing just fine without the crutches like Windows. However, not every device is capable of operating at the required speed and required accuracy.
Let's say that our engineer / musician belongs to the Kulibins category and was able to set up JACK / CoreAudio or make his sound card work with an ASIO driver from the "folk craft" company.
In the best case, this way our master reduced the lag from half a second to almost acceptable 100ms. The problem of the last milliseconds lies in everything else and in the internal signal transmission. When the signal passes from the source through the USB or PCI interface to the central processor, the signal is supervised by the south bridge, which actually deals with the fact that it works with most of the peripherals and is directly subordinate to the central processor. Nevertheless, the central processor is an important and busy character, so he does not always have time to process sound right now, so our master will either have to accept that these 100 ms can "jump" by ± 50 ms if not more. The solution to this problem can be the purchase of a sound card with its own microcircuit for data processing or DSP (Digital Signal Processor).
As a rule, most of all "external" sound cards (so-called game sound cards) have a coprocessor of this kind, however, it is quite inflexible to work with and is essentially intended to "improve" the reproduced sound. Sound cards that were originally designed for sound processing have a more adequate coprocessor, or, in the edge version, such a coprocessor is sold separately. The advantage of using a coprocessor is the fact that if it is used, special software will process the signal, practically without using the central processor. The disadvantage of this approach may be the price, as well as the "sharpening" of the equipment to work with special software.
Separately, I would like to note the interface for pairing a sound card and a computer. The requirements here are quite acceptable: for a sufficiently high processing speed, such interfaces as USB 2.0, PCI will be enough. An audio signal is not really any large amount of data, like a video signal, so the requirements are minimal. However, I'll add a fly in the ointment: the USB protocol does not guarantee 100% delivery of information from the sender to the recipient.
We decided on the first problem - long delays when using standard drivers or a high price for using a sound card with adequate latency.
Earlier, we realized that it is not an easy task to achieve perfect analog signal transmission. In addition to this, it is worth mentioning the noises and errors that arise in the process of removing / converting / transmitting a signal as data, since, if we recall physics, any measuring device has its own error, and any algorithm has its accuracy.
This joke is very indicative in view of the fact that the operation of the sound card is also affected by the radiation of the equipment located nearby, up to the ultrasound emitted by the central processor during operation. To everything else, it is worth adding distortions to the characteristics of the recorded / reproduced signal, which depend on the final device (microphone, pickup, speakers, headphones, etc.). Often, for marketing, manufacturers of various audio devices deliberately increase the possible frequency of the signal being received / reproduced, from which a person who taught biology and physics at school arises a completely conscious question "why, if a person does not hear outside the range of 20-20 kHz?" As they say, there is a grain of truth in every truth. Indeed, many manufacturers only on paper indicate better quality characteristics of their equipment. Nevertheless, if the manufacturer actually made a device that is able to remove / reproduce a signal in a slightly larger frequency range, it is worth thinking about buying this equipment at least for a while.
The point is this. Everyone perfectly remembers what the frequency response is, beautiful graphs with irregularities and so on. When picking up a sound (consider only this option), the microphone distorts it accordingly, which is characterized by unevenness of its frequency response within the range that it "hears".
Thus, having a microphone that is able to pick up a signal within the standard range (20-20k), we will get distortion only in this range. As a rule, distortions obey a normal distribution (remember the theory of probability), with small interspersed with random errors. What happens if we, other things being equal, expand the range of the signal being picked up? If we follow the logic, then the “cap” (graph of the probability density) will stretch in the direction of increasing the range, thereby shifting the distortions outside the audible range of interest to us.
In practice, it depends on the hardware designer and should be checked very carefully. Nevertheless, the fact remains.
If we return to our hardware, then, unfortunately, not everything is so rosy. Similar to the claims of the microphone and speaker developers, the sound card manufacturer also often lies about the operating modes of their devices. Sometimes, for a specific sound card, you can see that it operates in 96k / 24bit mode, although in reality it is still the same 48k / 16bit. Here the matter may be that within the driver, the sound can indeed be encoded with the specified parameters, although in reality the sound card (DAC-ADC) cannot produce the necessary characteristics and simply discard the most significant bits at the sampling depth and skipping part of the frequencies at the sampling frequency. The simplest built-in sound cards often sinned with this. And although, as we found out for human hearing, such parameters as 40k / 10bit are quite enough, for sound processing this will not be enough due to the distortion introduced during sound processing. That is, if an engineer or musician filmed the sound using an average microphone or sound card, then using even the best software and hardware it will be very difficult to clean up all the noise and errors that were introduced during the recording stage. Fortunately, manufacturers of semi-professional or professional audio equipment do not sin of this.
The last problem is that the built-in sound cards simply do not have enough connectors to connect the necessary devices. In fact, even a gentleman's set in the form of headphones and a pair of monitors will simply have nowhere to connect, and even about such delights as outputs with phantom power and separate controls for each of the channels will have to be completely forgotten.
Total: The first thing that needs to be determined for the further choice of the type of sound card is what the wizard will do. It is likely that for rough processing, when there is no need to record in high quality, or to simulate the "ears" of the final listener, a built-in or external, but relatively cheap sound card may be sufficient. It can also be useful for novice musicians, if they are not too lazy to deal with reducing delays in real-time processing. For masters who are exclusively engaged in offline processing, you should not bother to reduce delays and focus on devices that will actually give out their assigned hertz and bits. For this, it is not necessary to buy an overly expensive sound card, in the cheapest version a more or less adequate "game" sound card may be suitable. BUT, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that drivers for such sound cards try to improve the sound in a certain way, which is unacceptable, since for processing it is necessary to get the sound as pure and balanced as possible with a minimum interspersed with driver "enhancement".
However, if you, as a master, need a device that will meet the requirements for the quality of the recorded-reproduced signal, as well as for the processing speed of this signal, then you will either have to pay extra by receiving a device of proper quality or choose 2 things to sacrifice: high quality, low price, high speed.
Approx. Ed .: If you are a musician and do not want to understand all the complexities of modern processing - order mixing and mastering in our studio, and we will do everything necessary for you to receive high-quality material! -\u003e
Hello friends! Today we will think about whether you need a sound card when assembling a computer. This refers to a discrete device, the purchase of which can result in a decent amount.
Disadvantages of integrated sound cards
Many users, when assembling a PC, do not even think about the fact that a discrete sound system may be required. Still: this device is almost always integrated into the motherboard, and it is not clear for what no one wants to overpay, right?
Unfortunately, such a "shareware" solution does not always satisfy the user's needs. Why it happens? Sounds built into a PC or laptop motherboard have a number of disadvantages that you should be aware of.
At firstTo make the device cheaper, engineers are trying to make it as simple as possible. It is not always possible to achieve a balance between price and quality, as is the case with any component. The main feature of integrated sound cards is that they lack their own processor, and the task of processing sound falls on the CPU.
This includes channel mixing, switching and processing of the audio stream, which are also often handled in software using a sound driver. Naturally, software is always inferior to the "stone".
From the hardware components, the DAC and ADC, operational amplifiers with strapping and a controller for data exchange with the south bridge are left. The disadvantages of this solution are obvious: the load on the central processor increases.
Despite the fact that the "stone" handles most streaming tasks with ease, situations of its full load are possible.
This is especially true for games: the detailing of 3D objects can "gobble up" all the resources of a computer, as a result of which there is a desynchronization of the video sequence and accompanying sound, a short-term lack of sound or "stuttering". 
This often happens if, on a not very powerful computer, you run in parallel a resource-demanding game and an audio player.
Secondly, for internal soundtracks, the analog part of the audio path almost always has very mediocre characteristics, which is due to the use of cheap components. All these elements are mounted directly on the board, which means they are in no way protected from high-frequency noise pickup, which certainly occurs during computer operation.
Third disadvantage, not so obvious - the limited zvukovuhi, in terms of connecting external devices. Most often, such a card has only three slots: line and microphone inputs, as well as a stereo output for headphones or speakers.
In addition, they are "sharpened" for connecting budget devices, which are most often used by most users.
If we talk about headphones, then the focus is on low-power models with an impedance of up to 32 ohms. High-impedance headphones (100 and above) will no longer have enough power from the sound card, so the sound will be very quiet and distortion of the amplitude-frequency characteristic is possible.
The microphone amplifier of such a board is designed to use multimedia microphones and headsets. Realizing the full potential, even of a semi-professional dynamic microphone, alas, will not work.
However, this does not mean at all that the built-in sound cards are worthless: they do an excellent job with the target tasks. For playing streaming radio, watching a movie, organizing a conference or video call, using voice chat in multiplayer games, their parameters are usually sufficient.
If your computer has special tasks, you will need an external card.
What is important to consider before buying a device
The use of a more advanced system requires all tasks, one way or another associated with semi-professional sound processing - composing and recording music, vocals, multitrack sound recording, editing, digitizing records from analog media. Most of these tasks require ASIO drivers on the computer. 
To record vocals or a musical instrument, an amplifier is required, which is not always available in the built-in sound card. We are talking about vocals: a voice message or podcast with a normal voice volume can be recorded on any sound.
Also, in the absence of an amplifier, digitized recordings are usually of disgusting quality, although in this case a lot depends on the source. It should also be borne in mind that the built-in sound cards are almost never equipped with the MIDI interface required for connecting many instruments.
I would also like to mention streamers and letsplayers who specialize in games. In the first case, the load on the computer increases: in addition to the fact that the game itself is running, the video sequence and sound must be broadcast to a specialized resource. And in good quality, as their audience is very demanding in this regard.
When recording gameplay and further processing for publication on a video hosting, another unpleasant surprise may lie in wait: the game worked without lags, but, for example, BandiCam or Fraps recorded the process with "stuttering".
Dancing with a tambourine and tinkering with the settings of the video grabber and the game itself are usually useless: the reason is the insufficient power of the sound card, which no longer draws sound recording without delays. 
But even if you are not a streamer or letsplayer, but just want to build a powerful gaming computer, having a good discrete sound card will not be superfluous.
Gentlemen, music lovers and other audiophiles with expensive high-quality stereos also deserve attention. In order for the sound to be decent, the appropriate sound will be required. Alas, the sound quality is the concept is subjective and not measurable.
In this case, many other factors should be taken into account: the size of the room, its shape, the location of the stereo system, etc., as well as the noise emitted by the computer itself. It is possible that in this case it will already be necessary to take care, including of its reduction.
Author's opinion
Today the market of sound cards has undergone a clear division into devices aimed at professional use in sound recording and music creation and multimedia sound devices used in gaming PCs as well.
When choosing, you should take into account the features of the device: the presence of ports for a USB microphone, for 7.1 headphones, output power, if there is a receiver, and much more. But even having bought a relatively inexpensive device costing from 1,000 rubles, when you upgrade your computer, you can already feel the difference.
If you agree with me on this issue and intend to purchase a sound card, I advise you to read the publication about it. Also useful may be articles and about in the computer.
Where is the best place to make a purchase? You can find the necessary components in this popular online store... By the way, I personally recommend. Thanks for your attention, friends, and see you next time. I would be grateful to everyone who shares this publication on social networks.
There was a time when the question of the need for a sound card was not at all raised. If you need a computer sound a little better than the grunting of a speaker in the case, buy a sound card. Not needed - don't buy. The cards were quite expensive, however, especially while they were being made for the prehistoric port of ISA.
With the transition to PCI, it became possible to transfer part of the calculations to the central processor, as well as to use RAM to store music samples (in ancient times, such a need was not only among professional musicians, but also among normal people, because the most popular music format on computers was 20 years ago there was MIDI). So soon, entry-level sound cards became much cheaper, and then built-in sound appeared in high-end motherboards. Bad, of course, but free. And this dealt a severe blow to the manufacturers of sound cards.
Today, built-in sound is found in absolutely all motherboards. And in expensive ones, it is even positioned as high-quality. That's right Hi-Fi. But in reality, unfortunately, this is far from the case. Last year I was assembling a new computer, where I put one of the most expensive and objectively the best motherboards. And, of course, they promised high-quality sound on discrete chips, and even with gold-plated connectors. They wrote so deliciously that they decided not to install a sound card, to do with the built-in one. And he did. About a week. Then he disassembled the case, put the card down and didn't do any more nonsense.
Why is the embedded audio not very good?
First, the question of price. A decent sound card costs 5-6 thousand rubles. And it's not about the greed of manufacturers, it's just that the components are not cheap, and the requirements for build quality are high. A serious motherboard costs 15-20 thousand rubles. Is the manufacturer ready to add at least three thousand more to them? Will the user get scared not having time to evaluate the sound quality? Better not to risk it. And they do not risk it.
Secondly, for a truly high-quality sound, without extraneous noise, interference and distortion, the components must be located at a known distance from each other. If you look at the sound card, you will see how unusually large it is on it. And on the motherboard it is barely enough, everything has to be put very tightly. And, alas, there is simply nowhere to do really well.
Twenty years ago, consumer sound cards cost more than any other computer and had memory slots (!) For storing music samples. In the photo, the dream of all computer scientists of the mid-nineties - Sound Blaster AWE 32.32 is not a bit depth, but the maximum number of simultaneously reproduced streams in MIDI
Therefore, integrated audio is always a compromise. I saw boards with a kind of built-in sound, which, in fact, hovered from above in the form of a separate platform connected to the “mother” only by a connector. And yes, that sounded good. But can this sound be called integrated? Not sure.
The reader who has not tried discrete sound solutions may have a question - what, in fact, means “good sound in a computer”?
1) He's corny louder... An amplifier is built into a sound card even at a budget level, which can “pump” even large speakers or high-impedance headphones. Many are surprised that the speakers stop wheezing and choking at maximum. This is also a "side" of a normal amplifier.
2) The frequencies complement each other, and do not mix, turning into a mess... A normal digital-to-analog converter (DAC) solidly “draws” bass, middle and highs, allowing you to very accurately tune them using software to your liking. When listening to music, you suddenly hear each instrument separately. And films will delight you with the effect of presence. In general, the impression is as if the speakers used to be covered with a thick blanket, and then they removed it.
3) The difference is felt especially clearly in games.... You will be surprised that the noise of the wind and dripping water does not drown out the quiet footsteps of competitors around the corner. That in headphones, not necessarily expensive, there is an understanding - who is moving from where and at what distance. This directly affects performance. Sneaking up / driving up on the sly to you simply will not work.
What sound cards are there?
When this type of component began to interest only connoisseurs of good sound, of which, unfortunately, there are very few, very few manufacturers remained. Only two - Asus and Creative. The latter is generally a mastodon of the market, who created it and set all the standards. Asus entered it relatively late, but it still does not leave it.
New models come out extremely rarely, and old ones are sold for a long time, for 5-6 years. The fact is that in terms of sound, nothing can be improved there without a radical increase in price. And few people are ready to pay for audiophile perversions in the computer. I would say no one is ready. The quality bar is already raised too high.
The first difference is the interface. There are cards that are intended only for stationary computers, and they are installed in the motherboard via the PCI-Express interface. Others are USB connected and can be used with both large computers and laptops. In the latter, by the way, the sound is disgusting in 90% of cases, and the upgrade will certainly not hurt him.
The second difference is the price. If we are talking about internal cards, then for 2-2.5 thousand models are sold that are almost identical to the built-in sound. They are usually bought in cases when the connector on the motherboard died (a phenomenon, alas, common). An unpleasant feature of cheap cards is their low resistance to interference. If you put them close to the video card, background sounds will be very annoying.
The golden mean for embedded cards is 5-6 thousand rubles... There is already everything to please a normal person: anti-interference protection, high-quality components and flexible software.
Per 8-10 thousandthe latest models are sold that can reproduce 32-bit sound in the 384 kHz range. This is right here top-top. If you know where to get files and games in this quality - by all means buy :)
Even more expensive sound cards differ little in hardware from the already mentioned options, but they acquire additional body kit - external modules for connecting devices, companion boards with outputs for professional sound recording, etc. It already depends on the real needs of the user. Personally, the body kit never came in handy, although it seemed to be needed in the store.
The price range of USB cards is about the same: from 2 thousand alternative to built-in sound, 5-7 thousand strong middle peasants, 8-10 high end and above that, everything is the same, but with a rich body kit.
Personally, I stop hearing the difference in the middle. Simply because cooler solutions require high-end speakers with headphones, and, to be honest, I don't see much point in playing World of Tanks with headphones for a thousand dollars. Probably, each problem has its own solutions.
Several good options
Several sound cards and adapters that I tried and liked.
PCI-Express interface
Creative Sound Blaster Z... It has been on sale for 6 years already, it costs about the same in different computers, and it is still very happy. The CS4398 DAC used in this product is old, but audiophiles have compared it to $ 500 CD players. The average price is 5500 rubles.
Asus Strix Soar... While Creative's product is shamelessly geared towards games, Asus has taken care of music lovers as well. The ESS SABER9006A DAC is comparable in sound to the CS4398, but Asus offers more fine tuning for those who like to listen to Pink Floyd in HD quality on their computer. The price is comparable, about 5500 rubles.
USB interface
Asus Xonar U3 - a small box, when inserted into a laptop port, takes the sound quality in it to the next level. Despite its compact dimensions, there was even a place for a digital output. And the software is surprisingly flexible. An interesting option to try is why you need a sound card at all. The price is 2000 rubles.
Creative Sound BlasterX G5.A device the size of a pack of cigarettes (smoking is evil) is almost indistinguishable from the internal Sound Blaster Z in characteristics, but you don't need to climb anywhere, just plug the plug into the USB port. And right away you will get seven-channel sound of impeccable quality, all sorts of gadgets for music and games, as well as a built-in USB port in case they are not enough for you. The presence of space made it possible to add an additional headphone amplifier, and, once hearing it in action, it is difficult to wean. The main functions of the software are duplicated by hardware buttons. The issue price is 10 thousand rubles.
Play and listen to music with pleasure! There are not so many of them, these pleasures.
Anyone who owns a computer or laptop has at least once listened to music, watched a movie or talked with family members via Skype or Viber. This opportunity has become an integral part of the life of any computer user, but he does not even know how it works. So it’s about the sound card, which is responsible for these processes and capabilities, we will talk further. You will learn why you need a sound card and what it does and how it reproduces sound.
An audio card is a chipset or expansion board for creating sound that can be played through headphones, speakers, or loudspeakers, or recorded with a microphone.
Principle of operation
Typically, audio cards use a digital-to-analog converter to convert audio signals from digital to analog. They are output to any acoustic and sound-reproducing devices, be it speakers, headphones, etc. Modern advanced units include not one sound chip, but several, which is done to ensure the highest possible data rate and perform several functions at the same time.
Types of cards
There are two types of audio cards - integrated and discrete. External ones are connected via FileWire or USB. Internal ones when assembling a computer by attaching expansion slots inside the system unit.
The main disadvantage of built-in devices is a huge risk in case of poor-quality PC power supply, that is, power surges and in the event of a power supply failure. External ones are more practical, which is explained by external volume controls. Moreover, the unit of this type can work both with a laptop, and with a laptop or netbook.
In the case of an integrated card, its functions are performed by a processor that processes signals and converts sound. The discrete card has a personal sound processor, and some models even have their own memory.
So why do you need an external sound card if there is a built-in one? It's simple, with its help you can achieve the highest quality and purest sound possible, as well as gain access to a number of important settings.
Where is she located?
Often, a sound device is included in an expansion slot, connected via an external port, or integrated into the motherboard. As for the latter option, this makes the assembly much cheaper and faster than an expansion board with an imperceptible loss of audio quality. Some devices are only needed for audio professionals or for use in the event of an integrated breakdown.
The unit is installed on a modern motherboard in PCI and PCIe slots. A standard PC card has an interface that can be accessed from the rear panel, where there are various input and output ports, as well as on the sides and in the upper part of the case, depending on the individual PC structure.
For computers that are improving at the level of replacing a hard disk or increasing RAM, you can use a discrete sound device that is connected via a standard USB port.
Software
Usually, an audio card comes with proprietary software on a special disc, or you can download it from the manufacturer's official website. However, do not worry about this, since modern operating systems automatically detect and load drivers for any components, including sound cards.
Moreover, such software allows each user to make the maximum fine-tuning and use a number of tools for editing, recording, etc.
Sound features
Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround are surround sound standards used in the DVD format. If the PC is equipped with an audio card that supports the same standards, then the sound is reproduced without any distortion and noise, creating a sense of presence.
Today, the standards of audio devices for the highest quality reproduction of music and sounds are incredibly diverse. One of them EAX and its improved version EAX ADVANCED HD guarantee excellent sound quality, which is achieved through the use of modern effects technology.
Analog 3.5mm jacks
Almost all audio cards have a range of ports for connecting microphones, headphones, speakers and other auxiliary devices. But there are devices that have more output and input ports for advanced users and their tasks.
Among the most common audio connectors are:
- Pink - audio output for microphone.
- Blue is linear.
- Green - headphone or speaker output.
- Orange - for subwoofer or center channel.
- Black is for surround sound.
- Gray is for side speakers.
Also worth mentioning is the game MIDI port - this is a 15-pin connector designed to connect additional devices.
Summing up
We have carefully analyzed this topic and now you know exactly what a sound card is needed for and what advantages it gives us, and we, in turn, can say with confidence that the capabilities and functions of speakers, a sound card, and the entire system as a whole, directly affect the quality of sound reproduction.
Most motherboards are equipped with built-in audio boards, they have special chips, and the ports are brought out to absolutely any place, it depends solely on the wishes of the user, design and technical capabilities of the device. However, you can use third-party sound-playing cards and external audio devices, buy and supply them separately.
Just keep in mind that the potential of the integrated devices is sufficient for users who are not fans of strong and powerful sound reproduction. Therefore, whether you need an external sound card is up to you, based on your own needs and wishes.
