ok, so I figure most of you guys are into music from what I've learned since being in OD.

do any of you know any good-quality sound cards for desktops? I've got an X-Fi and I'm not sure if I just got a crappy one or if it broke at some point, but it makes everything have random periods of wobbliness. kinda sounds like crap in almost any application. I actually stopped using it in favor of an on-board alternative that doesn't mangle everything.

I have no preference as to internal or external and price doesn't bug me since sound cards are cheap. I DO, however, need it to provide enough ports for a 5.1 surround sound system.

I think you'll have a hard time finding a card that *doesn't* support 5.1 these days.

I'd suggest the Creative Soundblaster line, even though you already have one, since they've never given me any trouble and are popular.

creative's support for anything other than xp is really terrible though

What do you mean by wobbliness? Are you using Vista? Which version of the card do you have? How does one determine that Fatal1ty is 'the best gamer in the world'?

How does one determine that Fatal1ty is 'the best gamer in the world'?

A battle to the death playing Pong?

I personally wouldn't buy anything from Creative.

What do you mean by wobbliness? Are you using Vista? Which version of the card do you have? How does one determine that Fatal1ty is 'the best gamer in the world'?I mean it seems to make everything sound distorted at random intervals. not even necessarily in the same ways each time. sometimes some of my speakers don't sound like they're playing anything, some times the sound comes out, but it sounds really bad, etc. etc.

I personally wouldn't buy anything from Creative. mind providing the reason they're on your list of shame?

Have you tried different speakers or headsets?
Do you have any eletromagnetic fields near your speakers, e.g. the transformer of a desk lamp or a mobile phone during radio transmitting?

-->Shielded speakers

Have you tried different speakers or headsets?
Do you have any eletromagnetic fields near your speakers, e.g. the transformer of a desk lamp or a mobile phone during radio transmitting?

-->Shielded speakersI used to have a 5.1 satellite stereo system, now I'm using 5.1 headphones. I stopped using the card with the satellite system and began again with the headphones and the problem persisted. I use a 2.1 system from my other sound card with no problem, so I don't imagine it's anything to do with electromagnetic fields, unless it's a ridiculously small one, but I really know almost nothing on that subject :p

Well if you have a Creative card, you should check the Creative Audio Panel (or whatever it's called now) to see if it's appying any Environment effect or something to your sound, which would make it sound different than normal.

Well if you have a Creative card, you should check the Creative Audio Panel (or whatever it's called now) to see if it's appying any Environment effect or something to your sound, which would make it sound different than normal.unfortunately the creative program wasn't made vista compatible, so I have very limited use of anything with the sound card. granted the effect is the same with or without the program, so I'm fairly certain it's a problem in and of itsself.

I used to have a 5.1 satellite stereo system, now I'm using 5.1 headphones. I stopped using the card with the satellite system and began again with the headphones and the problem persisted. I use a 2.1 system from my other sound card with no problem, so I don't imagine it's anything to do with electromagnetic fields, unless it's a ridiculously small one, but I really know almost nothing on that subject :p
Well, the 2.1 system or the 5.1 headphones could be of better quality than your 5.1 system, i.e. they could be shielded.
Try the 5.1 system on your onboard sound device to see if the distorted sound persists.
(You can check the rear speakers too by switching the plugs.)

mind providing the reason they're on your list of shame?
The speakers that came with this PC (5.1 surround sound) don't always work properly, and never did. I should have contacted them immediately, but I assumed the problem would go away. There's something wrong with the volume control. Sometimes it will suddenly go quiet, then loud etc. Creative, although aware of the situation don't have a clue how to fix it. Helpful suggestions came from people having the same problem, such as washing the volume control in alcohol, and buying a new volume control from Creative.

Bottom line is, if something goes wrong, you're screwed.

Well, the 2.1 system or the 5.1 headphones could be of better quality than your 5.1 system, i.e. they could be shielded.
Try the 5.1 system on your onboard sound device to see if the distorted sound persists.
(You can check the rear speakers too by switching the plugs.)well, as mentioned, I have switched speaker systems before. would it be possible for that to be a recent developement?

and either way, I still need sound card suggestions, because my wife's sound card has possibly the worst software ever designed. the damn thing plays normal sound through her subwoofer.....and lemme tell ya, that sounds like ass.

I have a Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS.
Has worked flawlessly for the last 2.5 years.

Today you can get it for less than €20 here in Austria.
Should be cheap elsewhere too.

How would 5.1 headphones work then?

Subwoofer on the back of your neck? :p

How would 5.1 headphones work then?

Subwoofer on the back of your neck? :p
Either with digital signal processing:
http://www.dolby.com/consumer/technology/headphone_works.html

Or with true hardware speakers:
http://www.behardware.com/articles/497-1/5-1-headsets-comparative-test.html
(Images of different models on the pages.)