I finally upgraded my aging Sound Blaster Audigy 1 to an Asus Xonar DX card last night. It's the first time I've had a sound card that requires an additional power source (floppy connector) like current video cards do. I have a pair of Audioengine A5+'s already so it's matched with a very capable set of speakers.

So far I'm not crazy impressed though. The bass seems more powerful and present than it did before, but the clarity doesn't seem *that* much better. It is better, don't get me wrong, but it's fairly minor from what I've heard so far.

Anyway, just thought I would share my personal experience. I haven't used on-board sound for a long time now, so it may have gotten much better, but the last time I tried it out compared to a sound card (Sound Blaster Live! 5.1) it was practically a night and day difference.

I've been using the onboard sound on my HTPC, it's udder crap. It was terrible on the Atom so I got a Audigy NX for it, but that got fried when my UPS blew up, I've replaced the Atom with a Q6600/P5Q Deluxe and the onboard sound is terrible on that as well. And that's an high end mobo.

I believe that; but I always hear people saying that on-board has gotten so much better over the years. I've had a sound card since... well since the Sound Blaster 16 days (early 90's), so I've never really been using on-board enough to tell.

One time I did have a receiver and bookshelf speakers set up to my computer and my friends computer side-by-side and flicked back and forth between input A and B while we both played the same MP3 file and coming from my system it was much better. As long as Realtek is making on-board audio chipsets I don't think that will change much.

I figure most onboard (even if they are SB) audio solutions are crap. I've only got el-cheapo speakers and since living in an apartment requires me to not make piles of noise after hours, I figure it's not worth the 400$+ investment for good speakers and a sound card.

Mind you for what it is (realtek), it's ok.

If I had another choice, I would get a banging system.

I'm now in the same boat as Steve-o with the apartment and not being able to make a lot of noise.
That said I am still rocking my Auzentech HDA X-plosion from back in 2006-2007. Got it hooked up to a 2 channel mini-system, but really don't want to move on from that system given the 2 8"subs... haha. My only regret now is that I can't let 'em run loose. The only problem with the HDA X-plosion is that it's PCI and going forward PCI-e will be needed.

I found this article does a good job of comparing onboard vs dedicated sound processing in a subjective way that really you can only get without "hearing it in person".

http://www.techspot.com/article/751-sho ... ound-card/

I was pretty much in the same boat as this guy except that I was used to sound cards, and his description on how they are different is pretty spot on from my experience as well. I just wasn't as good at putting it into words.

I like how the article stated he's been "on the fence" for 11+ years about discrete vs onboard.

Personally I'd rather just spend the 50$ extra on better speakers or headphones.

Course none of it matters if all you do is "listen to CD's burnt from songs ripped from YouTube"...