# Soundcard with perfect Linux drivers

## bedahr

Hello!

First of all, I have got a Creative Audigy 2 ZS at home and... Well, I'm not really happy with it.

The bass is not nearly as discret as with the Windows driver, etc.

To put it in a nutshell: the card+driver is nice, but not anywhere near perfect.

Could anyone of you recommend a soundcard which is perfectly supported by Linux, with well written drivers from the producers?

Thanks in advance.

--bedahr

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## simon_irl

what driver are you using? emu10k1? are you sure your alsa settings are all OK? my audigy sounds great in linux. dolby surround dvd sounds a lot better on my pc than on our home theatre system! but i've never heard it in windows so i guess it's possible it sounds even better    :Shocked: 

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## bedahr

It's emu10k1 and I'm pretty shure I can't get more out of it.

It sounds ok, but the windows driver is _way_ better.

But thats not the question.

There must be a nice little soundcard with l linuxsupport from the producers.

And if there isn't one, are there any external solutions (like processing a raw digital stream and an external "card" which does the same job like a Soundcard does, but independant from the PC itself)?

Would be _very_ nice to stay on linux on my home-cinema box...

--bedahr

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## micmac

Midiman Audiophile 2496 with ice1712 driver. Natural Sound, a very good DAC, awesome stereo outputs, bitperfect digital outputs supporting the whole range of common frequencies (meaning no resampling), driver has been around for ages. Never had an issue.

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## bedahr

Whee, forgot to mention: It should be a 7.1-Soundcard...

Especially for the Outputs. (The Midiman Soundcard seems to have only 2 Outputs - how is that supposed to function?

But thank you anyways.

It is a nice starting point and proves that there are good soundcards out there with good linux support.

Suggestions?

--bedahr

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## micmac

Ah, ok  :Smile: 

There's a Midiman that could be for you. But please take this suggestion with caution as I don't have one of these myself. It's the Revolution 7.1.

Check the Alsa soundcard matrix.

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## bedahr

Designed for Windows XP? lol

You know, it is not that the Audigy 2 ZS isn't good. And I'm sure that the driver is one of the most advanced linux soundcard drivers, because there are so many who use this card.

But I heard it at windows and I have to say that it sounds much smoother, and ways more precise with the original Creative driver.

But hence I purged my Windows drives I kinda miss that sound.

If anyone who really knows both cards says, that the Midimans are better than the Audigy 2 ZS' (soundquality under linux), i'll switch.

--bedahr

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## micmac

Are you sure the difference in sound lies in the driver? If it is there should be chatter about it on the internet already I guess. Another possibility is that you use an equalizer in Windows, maybe the Creative software applies it automatically. I think it'd help to find out what the problem really is.

Edit: Maybe your speaker setup is borked under Linux.

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## PaulBredbury

 *bedahr wrote:*   

> I have got a Creative Audigy 2 ZS... The bass is not nearly as discret as with the Windows driver, etc.

 

I have one and it sounds great to me. Play some music, and run "alsamixer" and play with the settings. Press "m" to toggle mute. Turn on "tone" and then change the bass level.

Maybe try toggling the "Audigy Analog/Digital Output Jack" and "External Amplifier" controls in alsamixer.

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## bedahr

I am absolutely certain that this behavior is not a problem in my configuration but just the little (big) quality difference.

As I already said, the levels are fine. There is no missing equalizer (i don't use them - neither did I in windows).

But there are just these little things that bother me: The "not so precise" basses, the somehow a bit jittery highs sometimes (can't describe that in English, sorry...).

I've played with my alsa configuration and all that has somehow something to do with it at least a few hours. I dumped my windows partition now over a year ago and lived with it, but now, as I'm building me a little home cinema in the cellar, I just want to take these little issues.

But I think this gets a bit offtopic...

--bedahr

ps.: I know my english is not that good so please be gentle   :Laughing: 

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## Keruskerfuerst

Terratec Aureon 7.1 is a really good soundcard.

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## orlfman

 *bedahr wrote:*   

> I am absolutely certain that this behavior is not a problem in my configuration but just the little (big) quality difference.
> 
> As I already said, the levels are fine. There is no missing equalizer (i don't use them - neither did I in windows).
> 
> But there are just these little things that bother me: The "not so precise" basses, the somehow a bit jittery highs sometimes (can't describe that in English, sorry...).
> ...

 

Wow.. Thats really strange =/ I have a Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS and my sound is better with Alsa drivers than it did on my XP box =/ Hard to believe its sounding like crap for you =/

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## bedahr

 *Keruskerfuerst wrote:*   

> Terratec Aureon 7.1 is a really good soundcard.

 

I looked on the official site, and there was no linux driver. How well is the card supported?

 *orlfman wrote:*   

> Wow.. Thats really strange =/ I have a Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS and my sound is better with Alsa drivers than it did on my XP box =/ Hard to believe its sounding like crap for you =/

 

Really strange, because I know someone who has exactly the same setup (Audigy 2 ZS+Creative Gigaworks S750) and he confirmed (i never said something about it) that the sound is much nicer and clearer in windows...

@micmac: The Midiman however has a official linux driver, alltough it isn't from midiman itself. Has anyone got the Midiman and can say something about the driver?

-- bedahr

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## KK_r

 *Keruskerfuerst wrote:*   

> Terratec Aureon 7.1 is a really good soundcard.

 

which alsa driver do you use with that card?

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## weedwalkr

Can somebody tells me how to install this card (audigy 2 zs) ??

Alsaconf says everything is ok. but i dont here nothing.

Could somebody sends me his asound.conf and asound.state file and tell me where to put them ? I would like to get surround sound + sound in xmms in my 5.1 sound systems, nothing more.

Thank you very much !

WeedwalkR.

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## RBoudin

I've got an Audidy 2 ZS and sound quality is better through linux drivers than windows ones. Pretty strange...

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