Buyers Guide Part 9 – Sound Cards and Speakers

Posted Monday, May 17, 2004

 E-mail this page    Printer-friendly page

So what do you look for? Well its quite simple, soundcards and speakers, come in several formats, all of which will be written on the box. They are rated as 2.1, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1. For example 7.1 means 7 satellite speakers and 1 sub-woofer, 5.1 means 5 satellite speakers and 1 sub-woofer. (I hope you get the idea) The more speakers the higher quality the sound will be, and the more amazing the effects.

When it comes to sound always buy quality. Creative Labs Sound card and speakers series is well recommended, and always buy the speakers that match the sound card.

An important note, when buying is to check your DVD’s, Games or Music CD’s to see what they support. Most say 5.1 audio, this will work fine on all cards and speakers 5.1 and below, but you will only receive 5.1 audio on a 7.1 system. So if you have 7.1 set up, don’t get annoyed if two of your speakers don’t work.