Soundcard and Headphones

[volcore]

Hi everyone,

after my 8 year old SBLive died, I'm looking for a new Soundcard. Since I'm running Linux that gets a little more difficult.

I've quite a lot of questions, maybe some can be answered here:

1. Is 5.1 working in Linux? Is it worth anything? Is it worth anything when using those 5.1 headphones?
2. Is there any good Soundcard with reliable hardware mixing (no dmix/dsnoop crap), sound recording (for voice chatting), several outputs seperately controlable (eg. headphones in one plug, hifi system in another)?
3. Any good headphones? I'm listening to a lot of high quality recorded music (always using flac) and play games sometimes, so thats what the main focus should be.
4. Any good microphone? I don't like the headsets with integrated microphones, I'd prefer one placed on the table. Quality doesn't have to be great, used for VoIP.

Thanks for your time!
Volcore

[Michael]

Originally Posted by volcore

Hi everyone,

after my 8 year old SBLive died, I'm looking for a new Soundcard. Since I'm running Linux that gets a little more difficult.

I've quite a lot of questions, maybe some can be answered here:

1. Is 5.1 working in Linux? Is it worth anything? Is it worth anything when using those 5.1 headphones?
2. Is there any good Soundcard with reliable hardware mixing (no dmix/dsnoop crap), sound recording (for voice chatting), several outputs seperately controlable (eg. headphones in one plug, hifi system in another)?
3. Any good headphones? I'm listening to a lot of high quality recorded music (always using flac) and play games sometimes, so thats what the main focus should be.
4. Any good microphone? I don't like the headsets with integrated microphones, I'd prefer one placed on the table. Quality doesn't have to be great, used for VoIP.

Thanks for your time!
Volcore

Volcore, welcome to the forums. Creative Labs is generally well regarded for producing quality products that work well with ALSA (with the exception of the X-Fi). I personally use multiple Audigy 2 cards (ZS, Platinum, etc...).

The Razer Barracuda AC-1 has lots of hope, but its Chipset currently isn't supported by ALSA. Is handy: http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc/

[volcore]

Thank you for your welcome and reply, however, the Barracuda isn't of any use for me if its "currently" not supported by ALSA, because I'd like to get that stuff now, and I assume there is no ETA when drivers will become available.

About the link you gave me: I've already looked through the list, used it in the past as well, but its very hard to figure out from that list how well the card _really_ runs... for example in my girlfriends machine there is a soundcard that is told to run very well, but it has so many problems, for example the microphone input didn't ever work well enough to understand her in a VoIP tool.

I've heard the Audigy 4 should be worth something, but i'm really interested in actual reports of people using it for more than one week, and about all the aspects I've listed above.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by volcore

Thank you for your welcome and reply, however, the Barracuda isn't of any use for me if its "currently" not supported by ALSA, because I'd like to get that stuff now, and I assume there is no ETA when drivers will become available.

About the link you gave me: I've already looked through the list, used it in the past as well, but its very hard to figure out from that list how well the card _really_ runs... for example in my girlfriends machine there is a soundcard that is told to run very well, but it has so many problems, for example the microphone input didn't ever work well enough to understand her in a VoIP tool.

I've heard the Audigy 4 should be worth something, but i'm really interested in actual reports of people using it for more than one week, and about all the aspects I've listed above.

I have used Sound Blaster Audigy series for years (and the Audigy 2 line for at least 2 years). No problems at all (other than the Creative monopoly).