Best Sound Card 2016

In best sound card 2016 we are going to look at what makes a good sound card and then review some of the best new sound cards on the market.

If you want high quality sound, from your PC, you need a good sound card and good speakers. You might want to check out best PC speakers 2016 for some speaker tips.

How to pick the right sound card:

• The price difference between entry level and premium sound cards are significant ($20 - $200). It's not a good idea to buy a great sound card if you aren't going to use it. Decide how important good sound is to you and then spend accordingly.
• Surround sound: This is one of those premium features. With the best cards you can connect up to 5 speakers and enjoy great surround sound.
• Have a close look at the software that comes with the card. There might be something there you want.

The X-Fi Titanium Sound Blaster is our our number one pick as best surround sound card of 2016. It is a great all around sound card, but the X-Fi is especially well suited for computer gamers. The Sound Blaster makes it easy to locate your opponent by sound in an FPS game, even when you are using normal stereo headphones. The EAX 5.0 sound effects are true to life and powerful. The X-Fi I/O drive has front panel connections for a variety of audio devices- headphones, headset and more. In addition you get unparalleled sound effects in your games with the X RAM and the accelerated audio.

The Sound Blaster comes from one of the best established names in the audio market: Creative Labs. The audio processor on the card comes with the CMSS-3D technology that can remix the stereo sounds into a surround effect. That's how you can get surround sounds on your regular stereo headphones.

The advanced EAX HD 5.0 technology delivers a great mix of superior music and sound effects. The card comes with a THX certification.

The Audiophile is geared more towards listening to music and watching movies than the previous sound card. It is also capable of recording analog sound. I wouldn't recommend this card to people who aren't committed to their music, as it isn't that user friendly.

The Audiophile 2496 comes highly rated by critical reviewers and user feedback alike. It has exclusive digital converters, ultra stable drivers and an elegant board design. This is in keeping with the features in the other Delta lines. However, the 2496 has a comparatively simple I/O configuration. The audiophile supports important software programs and delivers powerful sound output.

It has a unified control panel where you can set sample rates and time customized signals for every input and output device and buffer sizes.

The Audiophile accepts the regular gold plated RCA jacks audio. They feature 24 bit/96kHz converters that carry a 100DB dynamic range. It also comes with a SCMS copy protection control that helps you protect your record audio data.

The 2496 also includes the Abbleton Live Lite software package. Ableton Live is a complete music solution for Windows and Mac OS. The software covers the entire musical process from the idea to the final product.

This ASUS card is a two channel sound card that comes with a built in amplifier. The Xonar is one of the best entries into the Hi-Fi and head Fi markets, it handles most games very well once you have installed the newest drivers. You can easily download those drivers from their website.

The card's software comes with decent features and a self explanatory interface.

The original chip OP Amps sound is good and gives a decent output. The detailing improves when you use headphones. It comes with a sound noise ratio (SNR of 124).

The Creative Labs SB0570L4 Sound Blaster is our pick as best budget sound card 2016.Though it isn't as powerful as other cards reviewed here it still delivers decent sound. Much better than standard mother board built in sound cards. I wouldn't go cheaper than this card though.

The Sound Blaster has EAX ADVANCED HD 3.O0 effects support that can help your PC games come alive. It also has 5.1 or 7.1 sound for a more immersive surround sound effect.

You can add more power to your movies, music and games experiences with the clear 24 bit advanced HD audio. The SB0570L4 comes with Smart Volume Management and Audio Cleanup. You can now listen to your favorite music pieces in 7.1 surround sound.

The 3D positional audios over the multichannel speakers enhance your the gaming experience.

If you enjoyed best sound card 2016 you could also check out best computer cases 2016.