Question about dacmagic and gaming?

[flognuts]

is it great for PC gaming too? or should I be using a dedicated gaming card like a xonar dx or something similar?

thanks.

[Riverback]

I'd assume so, but you'd still need an amp.

If the game has good sound, then the DACMagic would probably show it

[theeyealtering]

What are the advantages of having soundcards specifically designed for gaming, rather than using the DACMagic or STX?

Is it just Dolby Headphone and EAX, things like that?

[daystrom_matthew]

If the game has good sound, then the DACMagic would probably show it

Games generally have really crappy sound quality. Usually a 128kbps mp3/ogg/etc

What are the advantages of having soundcards specifically designed for gaming, rather than using the DACMagic or STX?

Is it just Dolby Headphone and EAX, things like that?

Pretty much.

[ledge]

If the game has good sound, then the DACMagic would probably show it

Games generally have really crappy sound quality. Usually a 128kbps mp3/ogg/etc

What are the advantages of having soundcards specifically designed for gaming, rather than using the DACMagic or STX?

Is it just Dolby Headphone and EAX, things like that?

Pretty much.

Developers in the past have kinda neglected the audio, but with stuff like Bad Company2, and more recently Brink, they have really put an effort in ...

going with a soundcard to the dacmagic, you will output a digital signal only as well as providing hardware acceleration benefits ..... however the dacmagic will be doing the signal
processing and conversion to audible sound for whatever amp your running ...

its probably the best setup, for those that game, but also listen to a good amount of music.

[ledge]

is it great for PC gaming too? or should I be using a dedicated gaming card like a xonar dx or something similar?

thanks.

run both, and get the best of both worlds.

[G-rig]

Haven't bothered playing any games yet but going to load up BF3 soon.

Just wondering if there is any advantage in running optical from my sound card through the DACMagic, ie whether the different sound card effects will carry through or if the DACM does it's own processing? Would you tell much of a difference anyway? The DACM may be good enough 2ch sound as it is??

[dingostolemyipod]

Haven't bothered playing any games yet but going to load up BF3 soon.

Just wondering if there is any advantage in running optical from my sound card through the DACMagic, ie whether the different sound card effects will carry through or if the DACM does it's own processing? Would you tell much of a difference anyway? The DACM may be good enough 2ch sound as it is??

For a lot of games there will be a difference. For BF3, the sound is completely software based, so soundcards won't make a difference to the quality of the sound (assuming 2ch or headphone listening).

[G-rig]

Would you tell much of a difference anyway? The DACM may be good enough 2ch sound as it is??

For a lot of games there will be a difference. For BF3, the sound is completely software based, so soundcards won't make a difference to the quality of the sound (assuming 2ch or headphone listening).[/quote]

Thanks for that, may play around with it later if I get any other games.

[Zeruel83]

I use a DacMagic for gaming and I've very pleased.

I've noticed over the years the trend in sound within gaming. The slow demise of hardware solutions (ie, Creative audio tech) and the rise of software based effects etc. So people above a pretty spot on. A lot of game Audio is software based. With so much gaming being cross platform (or shoddy PC ports grrrr) No one is going to exploit the features on a high end Creative sound card or something. I Don't think I've seen specific extra support for their stuff in a game in YEARS.

I think a lot of gamers on PC are using integrated sound too. You practically can't even buy a mainboard without it. Integrated Audio doesn't suck like it did years ago so is pretty passable for most.

I use the optical on my mainboard going out to a DacMagic. As served well. I don't use the USB as my USB slots are at a premium these days. So I'm not giving one up for 16bit, 44.1khz support only.

I've been using http://www.myears.net.au/ for a little while, and I've very pleased with the simulated directionality (for headphones) in game audio. I've not tried with DacMagic as I've actually been away from my home setup for a while. So I'm midly concerned about their implementation in regards to external DACs.