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Creative Labs Sound Blaster Play! 3 External USB Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play (No Drivers Required). Upgrade to 24-Bit 96Khz Playback?
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I'd just go the simple route and grab a USB audio interface like this one:
Edit: just saw you're also asking about making sound play internally also. That means the system thinks there's something still stuck inside that audio jack. I'd open it up and see if there is a way to push the remainder of the plug out from the inside. But for your quick fix to get you a jack back, USB is an OK option. Might sound better, actually.
So volume is too low on some files even when turned all the way up, right? Unless the headphones are very inefficient (unlikely for basic, cheap cans), getting a different pair probably won’t help. Same is true if you can get it loud enough but it’s clipped or distorted.
Computer headphone output is notoriously poor unless the manufacturer makes a serious effort to improve upon the audio capabilities built into the motherboard. So a DAC/amp should get things louder. Even a cheap dongle-style DAC/amp will help. Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/
Could be that the headphone jack is poorly isolated electrically.
I'd try one of these before you get too deep into it, if it works better on this, then it's something with your board, and not likely something you can fix, so just use this.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/
If you use that and still get that static, then it's either software or the headphones, and will require further troubleshooting.
I think there's another way to do it with the USB out to a Soundblaster USB DAC that avoids modding the deck at all, from what I've seen in YouTube videos... I actually bought one of these in anticipation of this day (just like RTWD got his Logitechs, lol). It's even on sale now, too!
It's probably interference coming from the other components inside the case. The best way to fix it is to use a USB DAC to plug your headphones into. That moves all of the audio circuitry out of the case and makes them less vulnerable to interference.
Something like this would probably solve the problem.
Oh cool, good to know. I just ended up buying this:
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Play! 3 External USB Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play (No Drivers Required). Upgrade to 24-Bit 96Khz Playback https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_39WKXX8DBYKW78FRTW0S?psc=1
I will keep this in mind but it this a good one?
Yeah, sounds like the audio ports on your computer are broken. It's probably not worth the effort to try and repair it. You might as well get a USB DAC (digital analog converter) like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3G6LU1NF0RJYH&keywords=USB+DAC&qid=1645706042&sprefix=usb+da%2Caps%2C246&sr=8-3
You can use a USB sound card (something like this, or maybe you can even use a higher quality DAC+amp) and connect it to the PS4, and then plug your speakers into the sound card.
What about something like this? I'm not really familiar with the physics of how static/pops/interference occur. Would a USB like this make a difference?
As an alternative, have you thought about using an external audio dongle? That's what I did with my ASUS Flip C434TA since Apollo Lake audio doesn't work on any distribution. This is of course assuming you don't mind using headphones.
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ
one of these will give you a separate audio output (x2 channels) that you can use with a RCA based amplifier and you can add additional ones depending on the number of channels needed.
personally I would just get a USB amp like the Nobsound shown above, cost is roughly the same & it makes things much simpler
I have an MG10/2 and from what I understand you should be able to plug it into a USB soundcard like this (using either an RCA to Aux out or 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch connection)
I meant something like this, you'll be good as far as you have an usb port. But I suppose airpods are better
> I’m gonna lean on the idea of you being stuck in the early 2000’s since apparently you are a php dev.
LOL shit like this is quite ironic. It's actually the people who think PHP hasn't changed since the early 2000s that are the ones who are stuck in the early 2000s.
> You either have amazing hearing
Actually I have shit hearing, and even this cheap $20 DAC lets me hear better range through my Sony studio headphones than the onboard sound of my motherboard.
If anything you should look for an external USB DAC/Amp instead of internal. Getting it out of your case removes it from electrical interference that can cause hissing and humming in your speakers/headphones/mic.
Depending on your budget, the Schiit Fulla for $99 is probably the best bang for your buck as far as quality and power with a microphone input, aux out and headphone out. If you have quality headphones that need a little more power or nice speakers, this is the way to go.
The cheapest I'd go for basic speakers/headphones would be something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ
Highly recommend the usb soundblaster. I use it for my Christmas light shows and the quality is much higher.
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Play! 3 External USB Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play (No Drivers Required). Upgrade to 24-Bit 96Khz Playback https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_KXJ88AG3ZNYFPMXXTE7D?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
a cheap investment that would improve the sound a lot would be a cheap usb sound card. motherboard audio is badly insulated and often is low quality unless you have a nice motherboard. here is a cheap usb sound card that will sound better than motherboard audio, and eventually you can fully upgrade to a usb dac.
as for your amp, before purchasing a sub i would recommend upgrading. a used full sized receiver can be found surprisingly cheap, i got a denon avr-1906 for just $50.
www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/
Some higher end headphones will sound better with an amp or specialty DAC that has a higher power output amplifier, but if you're having trouble with your onboard sound most work fine with this one. Pretty much the same story for the mic.
Here’s one for under $20 by Sound Blaster.
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Play! 3 External USB Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play (No Drivers Required). Upgrade to 24-Bit 96Khz Playback https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_.6d9FbBESR6ZG
Does the sound happen if you plug the speakers into your phone's headphone output? I'm guessing it's the line level output on the computer as internal DACs built onto motherboards are notoriously garbage and the kind of noise you were describing is pretty textbook problem with them. Any external DAC like this will probably get rid of that sound but test it first by seeing if it still makes the sounds plugged into your phone or an iPod or something
sadly most motherboards have terrible audio controllers..
if you are from the US id suggest something like this amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=usb+dac&qid=1607260812&sr=8-3 its a USB to Audio outputs and even tho its cheap its often a heck of a lot better at removing buzzing from 3.5mm mics
Not necessary unless you're having problems using it with your computer or phone (like if you hear a noise when it's plugged in, or if it's not playing lossless/high bitrate streams in a quality that's higher than normal).
There are lots of cheap USB dacs on Amazon you could try if you think this might apply to you.
Would this get the job done?
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Play! 3 External USB Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play (No Drivers Required). Upgrade to 24-Bit 96Khz Playback https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-JiEFbXFH0DZR
Not exactly on any of these. I bought ATX-M50X's + V-Moda Boom Pro mic and this dac/amp.
It is quite cheap and I have no issues with a volume. Also it have a software for EQ, VSS and other stuff. Can't tell about the audio quality cause this is my first external sound card and I have nothing to compare it with. But it seems fine.
And M50x is 38 ohms compare to PG1/PDG1 39 ohms, so you should be fine with that. But you will probably still need a splitter from TRRS to 2xTRS for sound and mic connection.
​
p.s
Also I'm refunding M50x cause it sound profile is just too bass muddy, even after equalization with APO EQ and it sound stage is non existant. Don't buy this one for gaming.
> AE5
Hi there you are so right about the Asus SE and the B450 motherboads one which I currently have thank god you mentioned this I almost made the mistake of getting that Asus Xonar SE.
I can't afford the AE5 tho, can only afford the FX Audigy
My choice currently is between the Apple USBC dongle which I read on Audioscience Amir said is top tier stuff for only $9 but the headphone amp isn't that powerful at all. It is too weak for a HD6XX he says, but I have a HD58X jubilee which is only 150 ohms so maybe it might run it? probably but
So far the choice now appears to be between the Audigy FX for $30 used on AMazon warehouse or the Apple Dongle
OR as an alternative this
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?
But somehow I feel this may not be more powerful than the Apple dongle. I Wish there was a review of this
When I had my old PC with the xonar DG I really did appreciate the virtual surround for gaming, it did make a huge difference even if they say it's a gimmick. I think those "gimmicks" are only gimmicks for music listening, I feel like when it comes to gaming there is a benefit.
Without soldering probably not. You’ll have to get a usb interface if it’s broken.
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Play! 3 External USB Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play (No Drivers Required).
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yKEyDbRTGGFE9
Uninstalling the driver from device manager ?- DO NOT DELETE
Updating the driver ? Could be a wrong driver you installed Installing the latest version of windows ?
If all else fails get a USB sound card
Pasted a better quality one because of unknown status of built in sound card
the X2 gains no advantage from any of those components. it was designed and is meant to be used directly connected to low powered mobile devices.
a $20 Sound Blaster PLAY! 3 would be all you need for this setup.
You are right the sound is hideous no matter the codec. The DAC is simply trash. I purchased this and was much happier.
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Play!... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
improved verses what ?
improved verses the onboard 3.5mm ? yes, i definitely feel so. i have a RP4 and was seriously underwhelmed with the analog output from the 3.5mm.
would using a HAT be improved verses a regular USB sound card ? i don't think you'd notice the difference, TBH. and i don't know if the HAT's are universally usable by all OS on the RP, or if they only work with certain flavors ? but a USB sound card will work on all OS.
i have an older version of this one... https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/, got it to use on a RP0w back in the day for a media streamer.
Looks fine. People complain about the amount of noise it produces. Might want to consider the cheaper play which is basically the same thing, but doesn't have the surround sound.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabt1_J3AVFbES1A2H0
Also be aware that just because it says it can drive 300 ohm doesn't mean it can do it well. Might want to consider adding an amp or a getting a combined dac/amp.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VDQQY95/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabt1_.7AVFbEWCQ6DM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Or an external sound card
I've never used these adapters, but maybe this one from Creative Labs is good?
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ
$20: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/
Fine to just have the DAC out of the PC, and has an input.
https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Headphone-Portable-coaxial-E10K-TC/dp/B098TKMNKG/
Good bang/buck headphone out.
https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Headphone-Amplifier-Computer-Balanced/dp/B07KR3RF4H/
Similar, but with more output options, if that matters.
If you want the best audio experience, you need a dedicated sound card or external DAC.
I would recommended a Logitech G Pro X with their USB external sound card. You can get it for about $60 on eBay. Make sure you read the product description and the sound card is included.
If that's too expensive, a Creative Labs Sound Blaster Play! 3 External USB Sound Adapter for $20 or Creative Sound BlasterX G1 7.1 Portable HD Gaming USB DAC and Sound Card for $30 to use with whatever headset or speaker setup you got. You can get them on Amazon. Those are US Dollars.
It's going to sound much better than relying on your integrated laptop's audio. If you're looking to get an edge with better sound, it's going to require training. I can hear footsteps and other audio clues (example shooting, reloading, pulling a grenade pin, jumping, commands, and etc.) to identify where people may be at on the other side of a wall. It makes me prepared when I enter a room. I know when someone is running behind me for that knife kill. I have the reflexes of a CS:GO Global Elite player where I do one mouse swipe and turn a full 180 degrees. There is no guarantee you'll get as good as I am with a sound card.
Even though people say sound cards are a waste of money, you will still hear the benefits in music and movies over the integrated Realtek Audio chipset that is in practically all gaming laptops.
A dongle has a DAC and a amplifier. You can use something like this on an USB-A port: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/
Should be fine, but less convenient.
You can pickup a cheap USB DAC/Amp on Amazon that would probably improve the experience for you.
$22: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_2YDWX0QH98HCXPEGRXD6
$10: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087T5H3MQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_KQG3KDQKK46JKP90B6AW
*Depending on your headphones, it may be lucrative to spend more on a proper setup.
I used a Sound Blaster 3 into the USB port and then plugged my transmitter into that. Way better audio than you could get off the PiCap's onboard audio output.
I used 2 of these. One for the front pair and one for the rear pair: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ
Could also spend a little more for this, great audio, comes with drivers rather than just generic USB audio.
you can get a usb DAC that'll be equivalent to the onboard for low/medium budget powered speakers, for ~$25 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/
if your budget is +$200 for your speakers, the onboard DAC may be better.
If you were hit with lightning and the PSU fried, you are lucky anything works. It would have been easy for damage to extend to audio capacitors or other components and the damage may not be visible at all. Yes, it could be a hardware issue.
Try updating the audio drivers from the motherboard support download site.
One of the easiest ways to confirm a problem is getting a USB sound card to use instead:
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/
As a follow up to this review btw, I did end up trying the Bose 700 headphones. They were horrid due to constant connectivity issues with PC. They work great with phone, but it's a bear just trying to get them to properly connect to Win 10 via bluetooth. Once connected, audio constantly cut out or crackled while connected. I disabled my onboard bluetooth controller in Windows and tried a bluetooth 4.0 receiver dongle I had that's worked for me pretty well in the past and didn't have much better luck.
I gave up, but did eventually stumble on another solution after looking quite a lot. I ordered a small USB sound card here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (great deal for how cheap it is) and bose wired earbuds with noise cancelling https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X9KVVQK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . While the audio could be a little deeper I think with headphones, this combination has finally met my needs for noise isolation/immersion and delivered acceptable quality without the bulkiness of headphones on top of VR headset.
I can't comment on the Apple one directly as I haven't used it. If it's USB and has a mic 3.5mm jack it should definitely work.
There are hundreds of these things, ranging from very simple and dirt cheap (but also poor quality) to studio level.
One I can vouch for being better than bad onboard (as I've used it) is: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ?ref_=ws_cp_49a722acca2e7546619b_p_4_t_p . It's not the best, but should be a big improvement. Look around a bit, paying attention to reviews of the mic quality and volume.
A CODEC looks like this: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/cirrus-logic-inc/CS42L51-CNZ/923165
While it's pretty cheap, it's clearly not something you can just put onto your motherboard. If playback volume is still not sufficient for you, then you'd need to buy some USB to 3.5mm dongle that basically acts as an additional audio CODEC, something like this (recommended by another one in this thread):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ $20
for gaming you may want to spend on a surround option, if you're playing FPS.
get a usb sound-card ($25/ea) for the mac and the PC, use the analog outputs from your hifi-berry, then mix with a stereo mixer ($28), feed it to whatever amp you want, and control the volume from the amp.
improved verses what ?
improved verses the onboard 3.5mm ? yes, i definitely feel so. i have a RP4 and was seriously underwhelmed with the analog output from the 3.5mm.
would using a HAT be improved verses a regular USB sound card ? i don't think you'd notice the difference, TBH. and i don't know if the HAT's are universally usable by all OS on the RP, or if they only work with certain flavors ? but a USB sound card will work on all OS.
i have this one... https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/
Ok, here's 3 options.
The Creative SB Play: Simple, cheap.
The Creative G3: Slight more expensive, has more power and features.
Both of these DACs are gaming oriented since I remember you mentioning that.
The Tempotec Sonata: Music oriented, very good performance for the price.
Truthfully, depending on the quality of your audio card, I don't know if you'll need a DAC. Generally, a DAC is a good idea just to get a clean signal from your source, but some modern audio cards are very advanced. Still, it's nice to have one anyaway. I'd say go for the Creative Play or the Sonata.
USB sound card and aux cable.
Here's my setup:
- USB sound card: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XBZ38ZJ/
- Microphone https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0723D3FVL/ (I don't use the windscreen)
- 6ft 3.5mm aux cable
- WavePad Sound Editor on Windows 10
I doubt you will find anything at Best Buy, or at least anything fair priced.
I would just buy the cheap Amazon (Sabrent) one, but if you want a better one, the SoundBlaster USB are pretty good:
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/
Well, you can get both in one. A dac (digital to analog converter) is exactly as the name implies, it takes a digital source, whether it's from USB or optical, and turns that into an analog signal that your headphones can use. An amp provides more power.
If I were in your position and wanted something cheap and portable (small as possible), I'd go for something like these:
The last one I put there for a reason. Sure it's more expensive, but it's also a known quantity, those little DragonFly dongles are really good.
What is the best budget dac/amp for me?
I am running SHP9500 + vmoda mic
I mostly play games but I literally have to turn my volume all the way up for most applications
I was looking into something like this on amazon and was wondering if this would make my combo of SHP9500 + vmoda mic a better experience:
Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Usb sound card is probably the best bet
Could be worth trying a USB sound card, like this one. Might help to give your headphones some isolation from the noisy internal sound card.
Interesting, thanks for the information. Just did a quick glance on Amazon and this comes up in their recommended. Have you used one in the past or currently that you recommend?
​
You can just buy an external soundcard. A $30 soundblaster USB with headphone input / output would do you well. Check Amazon.
I use one of these for my SKYPE connections for my podcasting for my mix-minus setup now. (it used to be 29.99) https://www.amazon.ca/CREATIVE-LABS-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=soundblaster+usb&qid=1586048875&sr=8-6
But just about any USB sound card with a microphone input would work.
you don't need to spend much to get a good DAC
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ $20
for 24bit / 96khz sampling. which is just about twice the sampling rate of an audio CD.
as cf0ft says, Edifiers are popular powered speakers with good reviews from amazon.
for $130 you can get a pair of Presonus Eris 3.5s, which are legit good monitors. although they'll be a little bright with only a 3.5" woofer. these also have bluetooth.
https://www.amazon.com/PreSonus-Eris-E3-5-Monitors-Bluetooth/dp/B07Z6P19Y9/
​
if you can find $200 you can get Eris 4.5s, which have a lower reach due to bigger woofer.
I bought a HyperX Cloud headset a year ago. I'm happy with it, but they don't work well with my laptop for two reasons (these aren't an issue with my phone or desktop, only my laptop):
- Ground Loop/EMI/Whatever: I frequently get loud buzzing, and my friends say the mic has so much noise that I need to use my laptop's built-in mic.
- Broken 3.5mm port: I frequently have to physically jiggle stuff around to get it to connect just right to get good sound quality.
Just to clarify, the headset is perfectly fine, the issues are physical problems with my laptop.
I'm leaving on a long trip soon, and need to figure stuff out before I leave. As far as I can tell, I can solve both of these issues by getting an external USB DAC such as https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ. So, my questions:
- Am I correct that getting a DAC like this will solve those issues?
- Will a ~$15 DAC like the one linked above be good enough, considering that I don't care a whole lot about audio quality (e.g. I haven't noticed a difference in quality between my Cloud headset and some ~$20 probably-garbage headphones)?
Thanks!
Were you sending audio through the 3.5 mm headphone jack (green) from your motherboard to your soundbar?
If so, to replace that, as Lori2806 pointed out, a USB audio interface is your best option. If you only care about audio playback and not recording, I'd get something like this:
​
The quality will vary depending on the onboard DAC, the Creative Labs one at $20 seems good bang for buck. From looking at the reviews, sounds like you could end up with some hiss but you can fix that by disabling unused sound channels in the Creative Labs software.
Note, USB audio interfaces act funny with Windows 8+ when the computer goes to sleep and if you had any browsers still running that had audio playback paused. You sometimes have to go into the Sound Playback window and disable/re-enable the USB device in that list for everything to work again. Minor annoyance, but bears being mentioned.
but i want under 56 dollar , what about this https://www.amazon.in/Creative-Sound-Blaster-PLAY-External/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=creative+dac&qid=1570118206&s=gateway&sr=8-2 or this https://www.amazon.in/FiiO-BTR1K-Headphone-Bluetooth-Receiver/dp/B07JM5ZQPF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=dac&qid=1570118535&s=gateway&smid=A14CZOWI0VEHLG&sr=8-1
Are you talking about the front of your PC case? If the control panel can detect them as two devices, I would think the app the user mentioned below might work. I used to have razer tiamats with a built in switch which was awesome. They broke and I needed a way to switch easy and started using https://audioswit.ch/er. For a hardware solution, this usb dongle might be the cheapest, or you could go with a USB DAC
It's just a normal sound card; sound cards for headphones are like this Sound Blaster for $21.99. The ASUS card has an amp for headphones but no amp for speakers. I assumed your 2.1 system already had its own integrated amplifier, if it doesn't you'll have to buy one separately.
Also read what this user says.
I am looking to buy a DAC (budget around $30) for my laptop as the sound quality is inferior to my iPhone. I am mainly going to use my RHA ma750i for listening.
I've looked at several of them on Amazon and most are too expensive for me. I just want to have the same music quality experience as my iPhone.
Here's the Link for both of them: Sound Blaster PLAY! , Sound Blaster X-Fi Go!
They seem convenient, portable and quite easy to carry.
If you guys know of better DACs in the same price range, please let me know. Thanks.
Popular alternatives to Creative Labs Sound Blaster...
SABRENT USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play No Drivers Needed. (AU-MMSA)
Syba external USB Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows, Mac, Linux Extra Audio Source with 3.5mm Audio Mic Jack C-Media Chipset
