Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater 5.1 for pc...GAMES!

My bf is a gaming nut. His life revolves around pc games. What would it take to give him a good 5.1 sound system for his computer? As inexpensive as possible, and with the smallest speakers possible.

The catch is with the surrounds. Three speakers in front is pretty easy to accomplish. It's putting those two behind that gets tough. The closest wall behind is a good 10'+. The two mains would be probably no more than 4-6' apart - probably closer to 4'.

Any and all help would be appreciated. The more he likes his "system" the more he'll appreciate mine.

There are a number of solutions available. You will need a sound card that is capable of it (probably a Soundblaster Audigy) and any old set of 5.1 computer speakers. I've heard good things about the Klipsh speakers, but they are kind of expensive. Some of the sets come with stands for the rear speakers, but I've never seen a truly satisfactory solution. Maybe you could hang them from the ceiling or something...

BTW a good place to look for excellent pricing is techbargains.com

Um... The Epic 80?

Har, har Sushi...

Ah...ceiling mounted. Good idea. I was tossing around the idea of (5) MzeroTi's(approx. $300) or is that overkill for video games?

What are some good audio cards that won't break the bank?

The question is of how you're going to amplify those speakers, which is why I sort of edge towards getting the combo set with the amp built into the subwoofer (The horror!). I think the Soundblaster is actually almost reasonable. The thing to watch out for in the soundcard is whether it really is Dolby Digital, or whether it's just 5.1. I've also heard good things about the M-Audio Revolution 7.1 ($89).

Avoid Soundblaster.
Bloated driver and software garbage.

I second the motion for M-Audio.

In reply to:

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You will need a sound card that is capable of it (probably a Soundblaster Audigy)

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No. IF you absolutely MUST get a sound card from Creative, the ONLY worthwhile card is the Audigy 2 and then you're still taking your life into your own hands with regard to their mind numbingly stupid software engineers.

The M-Audio would be my choice, though you ought to verify that whatever he has now isn't already 5.1 capable.

If you wish to use regular speakers, you'll also need a cheap receiver.

Klipsch and Logitech both make well received speaker packages as do Cambridge Soundwerks. The logitechs are usually the cheapest but still do pretty well. The Z640s (their wimpier version) are available at Gateway.com:

"Search for item 6612502 to find the Logitech z640 5.1 Speaker Set priced at $54 shipped using free shipping code NOSHIPA."

-From BensBargains.net

As to placement, would it be possible to mount them to his chair?

Well... here's the first dedicated 5.1 computer system I've ever seen... Looks OK on paper - it's no audiophile thing, but for a computer, I think it would be fine...

http://www.jbl-encounter.com/

Mind if I butt in? I didn't know you guys were computer experts, too. How can I get wireless internet in my house? My laptop is already wireless internet capable at work, and it would be awesome to be able to do that at home. I could just sit in my chair, right in front of my stereo and talk smack wirelessly. My desktop is on a cable modem, and my laptop is a Dell Pent.3. At work we have these "airbusses" (?). Can I just buy one and plug it in? I'd like to keep the desktop hooked up to cable - rather than wireless.