# What's a good sound card to use with Linux?

## IQgryn

Hey, folks,

I will be buying a new system as soon as AMD releases Bulldozer, and I'd like to get some of the peripherals figured out now so I'm not spending too long figuring that all out when the time comes.

The hardest piece of hardware to set up alway seems to be the sound card.  I've Googled around a bit, but I can't seem to find a good list of sound cards with full Linux support.  The kernel lists several PCI cards, but no PCI-E ones that I can see.  It also doesn't really say what level of support each card has.

I'm looking for a card that can do 5.1 and would prefer a PCI-E card.  Digital output is nice but not required.  I'll most likely be using pulseaudio with ALSA actually talking to the card, though I'm open to suggestions if that's no longer the best way to go.

Any recommendations?  Bonus points if you link to it on Newegg.

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## aCOSwt

You did not tell anything about the amount of money you are ready to spend on this.

1/ So... I will assume... unlimited  :Twisted Evil:  and suggest without a single doubt in the category pci-e + full linux support + >=5 analog i/o + best-in-class : 

http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_overview_pci_express.php.

I am personally happy with my Multiface II.

Of course, with such a thing... you... definitely... do not want PulseAudio...   :Razz: 

2/ At the extreme opposite of the other end, I mean limited budget + consumer needs, the X-FI Titanium series could fit your requirements.

The snd-ctxfi driver appears to drive them correctly. 

http://ixbtlabs.com/articles3/multimedia/creative-x-fi-pcie-p1.html

About these ones, IMHO, some non-[pci-e] devices of different brands are offering better value for money.

Edit : Other very important points you should tell us about :

- Do you intend to record ? (What - How)

- Why do you need something else than the standard built-in HDA.

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## IQgryn

 *aCOSwt wrote:*   

> You did not tell anything about the amount of money you are ready to spend on this.
> 
> 1/ So... I will assume... unlimited  and suggest without a single doubt in the category pci-e + full linux support + >=5 analog i/o + best-in-class : 
> 
> http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_overview_pci_express.php.
> ...

 

Thanks for responding!

My budget is around $200, though it could be stretched a bit (and a good option that's cheaper is ok too  :Smile: ).  I'd definitely be willing to pay more (up to ~$300) for a card from a company that actively supports Linux.  I don't intend to record, but I will be using a headset for voice chat.

I suppose I'm not completely sure that I need something beyond the built-in audio.  I know that in the past it was required for good performance in games, especially when using voice chat at the same time.  Since I'll have a 6-8 core CPU, that may no longer be necessary.  I will be using surround sound (5.1), but after a bit of looking it seems that every motherboard I'd consider has that anyway.  Is there still an advantage to a discrete card?

My current card is a Creative SB Live! 5.1 (PCI).  While I have most things working well enough, it has several quirks that I'd rather not deal with -- the mic has to be routed through the output in order for it to actually be readable as input, you have to manually configure it (with a lot of trial and error, including sometimes days of waiting to see if it worked) for ALSA/pulseaudio in order to use 5.1, etc.

One requirement I did not mention is that I need analog output for the speakers I will be starting with.  It looks like the ones you suggested have it, but I figured I'd throw that in while I was clarifying.

What would you recommend instead of PulseAudio?  I'm not afraid of some setup/configuration time as long as:

  - There's some logical path to arriving at a working system

  - I can tell for sure once everything is working (and it will stay that way).

Also, what non-PCI-E options were you thinking of?  I was under the impression that everyone had moved to PCI-E, but I am probably underinformed.

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## Mad Merlin

 *IQgryn wrote:*   

> What would you recommend instead of PulseAudio?

 

Personally, I wouldn't recommend PulseAudio to anyone. Use ALSA directly.

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## IQgryn

 *Mad Merlin wrote:*   

>  *IQgryn wrote:*   What would you recommend instead of PulseAudio? 
> 
> Personally, I wouldn't recommend PulseAudio to anyone. Use ALSA directly.

 

Perhaps I should rephrase my question.  What do you recommend instead of PulseAudio that will still let me change the volume of individual applications and redirect output on the fly?  As far as I know ALSA doesn't do that, but if I'm wrong I'd be happy to learn that.

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## cach0rr0

 *IQgryn wrote:*   

> 
> 
> Perhaps I should rephrase my question.  What do you recommend instead of PulseAudio that will still let me change the volume of individual applications and redirect output on the fly?  As far as I know ALSA doesn't do that, but if I'm wrong I'd be happy to learn that.

 

jack might be worth looking into

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## aCOSwt

 *IQgryn wrote:*   

> I don't intend to record

 

- So you do not need >48KHz >16bits ADCs which are, by far, the most expensive components of a sound device.

- And, as >48KHz >16bits medias are not common among those who do not record, you should not need >48KHz >16bits DACs as well.

Additionally, I would be dishonest if I said that my ears make any difference when playing back 44,1KHz 16bits, that is to say Audio CD quality, on a HDA vs any high end sound device implemented in a system made without special care in reducing the noise.

 *IQgryn wrote:*   

> but I will be using a headset for voice chat.

 

I personally use my HDA for that purpose.

 *IQgryn wrote:*   

> I know that in the past it was required for good performance in games

 

I suppose you mean these games which heavily rely on MIDI for sound synth.

You get some sound devices (such as SoundBlasters) which get a built-in hardware MIDI synth in addition with on board memory loaded with General-Midi-Like banks of samples.

This technology indeed saves cpu time and master bus bandwidth.

I made my first steps with MIDI ten...   :Shocked:  hmmm... twent...   :Shocked:   :Shocked:  hrm... a couple of years ago   :Razz: , on a Turtle-Beach Monterey implementing such a system, that was the only solution for seriously working with MIDI on my 486 DX2 66.

When I need MIDI, I now work with software synths such as FluidSynth or preferably LinuxSampler and never experienced any performance problem with my Core II duo E8500.

But I do not run any game engine in // so I cannot really tell.

 *IQgryn wrote:*   

> especially when using voice chat at the same time.

 

As you will necessarily implement some software mixing at some point in your system, there will be no overhead on the device itself.

 *IQgryn wrote:*   

> Is there still an advantage to a discrete card?

 

In a pro-audio environment there are hundreds.

In your environment you might find handy to get rid of some potentially annoying mixings by directing your music apps to one device and things such as speech-synthesis / skype / Desktop-events sounds to another one.

 *IQgryn wrote:*   

> My current card is a Creative SB Live! 5.1 (PCI)...you have to manually configure it (with a lot of trial and error, including sometimes days of waiting to see if it worked)...etc.

 

 :Laughing:   :Laughing:   :Laughing: 

<trolling>

- My current card is a Basic-HDA... I have to manually configure it (with a lot of trial and error, including sometimes days of waiting to see if it worked)...etc.

- My current card is a M-AUDIO Delta Audiophile 2496... I have to manually configure it (with a lot of trial and error, including sometimes days of waiting to see if it worked)...etc.

- My current card is a high-end Multiface... I have to manually configure it (with a lot of trial and error, including sometimes days of waiting to see if it worked)...etc.

- Eventually, when changing my sound server... redo from start !

</trolling>

Well, as my troll suggests, this is not specific to you or your SB... This is... ALSA !

The only thing interesting with ALSA being that, at the end of the da...  :Confused:  at the end of the month...   :Mad:  well... at the end of some period of time...   :Razz:  it will work reliably !

 *IQgryn wrote:*   

> I need analog output for the speakers I will be starting with.

 

What do you mean by "analog output for the speakers" ?

If you mean amplified analog output then forget it.

The only audiophile output from sound devices is at line level.

Some sound systems (particularily on laptops) implement class B amplifiers which are indeed suboptimal.

So you must plan to output to an external hi-fi amplifier or to active speakers.

 *IQgryn wrote:*   

> What would you recommend instead of PulseAudio?

 

PulseAudio has a long history of threads in which the most frequent sequence of letters found is "s u c k s"

The most objective defect reported used to be its ability to crunch up to 10% of CPU ressources where other sound servers only need 2-3%

It is also true that the first job most audiophiles running Ubuntu-Like distros (in which PulseAudio is installed as default) undertake is... to get rid of PulseAudio...

However, water has flown under bridges thanks to devs such as Colin Guthrie. And Phonon (the kde multimedia framework) devs, considering that, as long as phonon capable apps are consumer-grade, strongly advise PulseAudio as sound server.

I personally do not use PulseAudio.

Because I need low latency => near real time capabilities and a great flexibility in cascading my sound apps, I chose Jack.

But Jack is indeed not the best choice for consumer apps (vlc, flash, skype, PortAudiosed apps...) 

 *IQgryn wrote:*   

> what non-PCI-E options were you thinking of?

 

PCI-E is a technological option. You can take it or not irrespective of pure functionnal considerations.

I only meant that as a technological option, it has its cost per se. => You will find non PCI-E devices with the same sound performances for less money.

As a summary, I would advise :

1/ You plug your existing SB into your new system

2/ Thanks to Alsa plugins you split the outputs of your sound apps on both, built-in HDA / SB

3/ You run PulseAudio free.

Then you discover by yourself the limitations of your configuration. This way you will understand exactly what you need, why and what for.

Depending on this, and probably some help from the forum, you will then implement or not some sound server exactly fulfilling your needs, some new sound device with the capabilities you need.

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