on board audio sound quality

[Rikmeister]

I've seen a couple of motherboard reviews that have mentioned the sound quality of the motherboard with Realtek ACL1220 as being a step up from the more basic onboard audio (like the alc887). One review mentioned better signal to noise ratio.

Is there anything to consider regarding on board audio?

 

[theforce]

The chip might be better, but it also depends on the motherboard's overall onboard audio implementation. What speakers or headphones are you planning to use on the PC?

 

[Rikmeister]

Thanks for the reply. I should say I'm not looking for audiophile quality, just decent sound at a budget. Currently I put audio from my present PC through a Sony music system and I'm reasonably happy with that.

However, I'm planning on building a new system in a couple of months and if I'm looking at 2 motherboards and one offers better sound than the other it could swing my decision.

 

[Marsman]

Unless the boards are identical enough in other areas, then I wouldn't choose one over the other, based purely on which has the supposed superior audio, if it means getting a lesser board feature wise.

Quality of onboard audio can be addressed by adding a sound card, internal or external, or a DAC.

As theforce says; the chip/codec may be better, but it depends on the implementation. In other words, you can't know for sure just by looking at what Realtek codec is used. Some motherboard audio can work perfectly well, another may be susceptible to interference. That is not decided by which Realtek codec is used, but by the implementation by the board manufacturer.

Not just that, but the choice of other system parts may have an impact. That is almost impossible to account for. I've seen someone with perfectly working motherboard audio, go from no problems, to having interference, just by changing to a different graphics card.

If you miss out some other feature, just to get a better Realtek codec, which for whatever reason ends up being poor, then that's a shame; when adding a sound card or DAC is easy and doesn't have to cost a lot.

 

[Rikmeister]

Thanks Marsman. I'll have a look at sound cards and DACs.

 

[JasonM]

It's as the others have said, the chip might be good, however it's the output stage that mainly determines the quality. This is why you can have a high quality CD player from 80's or 90's, the chips on that old CD player are obsolete, however because the manufacture took such care in the output stage and electronics it still sounds very good.

The problem with on-board audio is the manufacturer has little budget for it. Say you pay £150 for a motherboard, this has to cover all the parts, chipset, licencing, manufacturing, shipping, packaging, final profit. It normally means the on-board has just a few dollars worth of sound components.

Now compare that few dollars worth of sound hardware compared to £150 worth of external DAC or soundcard and you begin to understand why onboard is normally inferior to these other solutions.

All the above said, your best listing to the motherboard audio first, then if you don't like it get a soundcard or external DAC.

 

[Rikmeister]

Thanks JasonM. I've decided to get a second hand ASUS Xonar DG. It will give me a point of comparison to the on board audio and if I decide to get better sound card or external DAC later I woun't have wasted much money.