Techie Question

So I want to buy my mom a laptop so she can listen to music and browse the web on it. However, from my understanding, aside from high-end laptops, the standard sound cards are pretty lame. So I was researching and found you can buy external sound cards for laptops and computers.

 

So the computer I was looking at is a Samsung Chromebook: LINK

 

I figure that for storage, she can just use external hard drives and USB sticks, so no problem there, plus it would have 100 GB of Cloud storage for two years and has 16 GB storage space standard.

 

For a sound card, I was looking at this: LINK

 

I would also get her a good pair of earphones. My question is, would these be a good combination for a basic PC setup for basic things like writing e-mails, Web browsing, and listening to music? Will this sound card work with the Chromebook?

A: Linky no worky

B: this is perfect for you

 

A: Linky no worky

 

Well apparently Amazon functions whereby you can't link to their product pages it seems. So go to Amazon and look up the following:

 

Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch)

 

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD USB Audio System with THX SB1240

 

B: this is perfect for you

 

 

:icon_butt:

Unless your mom is an audiophile, most built-in sound should suffice.

I got my mom a laptop and all she could manage to do was fcuk it up. Got her an Ipad and it is her pride and joy. Unless she needs the computer part for anything I would get a tablet.

Unless your mom is an audiophile, most built-in sound should suffice.

 

In terms of the sound quality she likes, I believe she is a bit of an audiophile, in that she will want a higher level of sound quality than what the standard laptop comes with.

In terms of the sound quality she likes, I believe she is a bit of an audiophile, in that she will want a higher level of sound quality than what the standard laptop comes with.

 

Perhaps I am being too esoteric but no laptop --- none --- would have sound quality that even comes close to satisfying an audiophile. And even if you get the very best, you would still need a headphone amp to get the best out of the headphones/earbuds. Audiophile-grade headphone amps and headphones/earbuds can and will be $$ and your mom will have wires and little black boxes to deal with. I don't think that's your goal.

 

There's a difference between liking/enjoying music and being an audiophile. Your mom likely enjoys music with decent sound quality. If this is the case, Juice it is likely correct, an IPad would suffice. Or get the original poker-card-size IPod if you can. The idea to have large memory so the music files will not need to be compressed and compromised on the sound quality. You would, of course, need to download the tunes for your mom and it's just a music player instead of a full-function PC.

From the sound of it, I'd say invest is a set of good quality head phones and you should be just fine. Most laptop sound cards are decent enough and with head phones that are decent you should be fine. If you want to get into true audiophile territory, desktop is the only way to go.

 

Also, I would not recommend a chromebook, in my experiences they are frustrating to work with because while they appear like a laptop, they are running the Chrome OS which is not as "complete" as Windows or iOS IMHO...I'd say stick with a traditional windows/apple laptop. You can get plenty of super solid laptops in the $300 - $600 range. New Egg Laptops

Thanks for the information people. I have found that the original two products would not work together because the Chromebook doesn't have the required specs to run the sound card, so I will probably need a better laptop. Supercar Ace, thank you for the link.

 

VCR, yes you are correct, my mom likes to listen to music with decent sound, for example some bass, but she isn't like an audiophile into all the technical stuff or anything. If I get a laptop that doesn't have really any bass, but also get a decent external sound card, and then plug the ear phones into the soundcard, the sound coming out of the ear phones will be from the external sound card now and not the laptop's internal sound card?

VCR, yes you are correct, my mom likes to listen to music with decent sound, for example some bass, but she isn't like an audiophile into all the technical stuff or anything. If I get a laptop that doesn't have really any bass, but also get a decent external sound card, and then plug the ear phones into the soundcard, the sound coming out of the ear phones will be from the external sound card now and not the laptop's internal sound card?

 

 

In theory yes but I think you need to tinker with some of the settings on the PC so that all the digital info. gets pass onto the external sound card. (The PC experts here can answer this better than me. I'm the audio/video guy. )

Some clarification: it may not be the sound card for the lack of bass. You will need larger speakers with the proper enclosures to achieve bass, that's simple physics and lagtops do not have the luxury of space. To get decent bass, you will need decent headphones. Most ear phones do not really cut it and those that do are $$; not sure if your mom would like to wear earphones either. Most PC sound card, built-in or external, do not have the power to drive the headphones properly. Again, perhaps I am being too esoteric but impedance really matters as it affects the overall sound quality and the bass. You will need to match the output impedance on the sound card with the input impedance on the headphone/earphone to get all the music. Get a decent lagtop and buy one of those active desktop speakers with satellite bass unit from Harmon Kardon (Soundstick III) or from Altec Lansing (Expressionist Ultra) and call it a day. I think your mom would be happy with that set up instead of wearing something on/in the ears. If you insist on cans, then a pair of Sennheiser eH 250 or eH350 should be good enough.

Thanks for the information people. I have found that the original two products would not work together because the Chromebook doesn't have the required specs to run the sound card, so I will probably need a better laptop. Supercar Ace, thank you for the link.

 

Anytime! New Egg is a great site, if you ever need to buy cables or components, go here or to Amazon first...never go to the store. New Egg also has competitive prices and options for computers, so if you want something pre-built or if you want to build your own, it's a great place to not over pay.

In theory yes but I think you need to tinker with some of the settings on the PC so that all the digital info. gets pass onto the external sound card. (The PC experts here can answer this better than me. I'm the audio/video guy. )

Some clarification: it may not be the sound card for the lack of bass. You will need larger speakers with the proper enclosures to achieve bass, that's simple physics and lagtops do not have the luxury of space. To get decent bass, you will need decent headphones. Most ear phones do not really cut it and those that do are $$; not sure if your mom would like to wear earphones either. Most PC sound card, built-in or external, do not have the power to drive the headphones properly. Again, perhaps I am being too esoteric but impedance really matters as it affects the overall sound quality and the bass. You will need to match the output impedance on the sound card with the input impedance on the headphone/earphone to get all the music. Get a decent lagtop and buy one of those active desktop speakers with satellite bass unit from Harmon Kardon (Soundstick III) or from Altec Lansing (Expressionist Ultra) and call it a day. I think your mom would be happy with that set up instead of wearing something on/in the ears. If you insist on cans, then a pair of Sennheiser eH 250 or eH350 should be good enough.

 

Thanks for the info---BTW, what is a "lagtop?" For my own desktop, it is nothing special, but the sound directly from the PC itself isn't too great either. Instead, what I do is have a wire plugged into the PC that connects to a stereo system, and then I plug my headphones into that, and the sound is much better quality (the sound from the headphones plugged directly into the computer isn't that great). So I was thinking that if I applied the same with the laptop and the soundcard, it would work similarly.

 

Mom wants earphones so she can hear the music loud without bothering her neighbors on week nights (she is in an apartment), so those are a necessity. The earphones you mentioned, would those plugged directly into a laptop that otherwise has mediocre sound still provide good sound quality?

Wheels, the more advanced sound cards are mostly for 5.1 and 7.1(THX) surround sound. If you are listening to compressed MP3 format files in stereo then just about any sound card will do just fine. I bought my wife an HP netbook for work a year ago and it worked great for her needs (small, full keyboard, Windows OS, etc.). For $250 it was a steal. It has 250gb internal memory and is decently fast. I'd look at some of the cheaper Windows based laptops and netbooks and go from there. Tablets will work fine also. The quality of the headphones is vastly more important.

My care for audio in laptops is as a source at audio shows.

 

Usually if the sound card can be configured for digital out , you can then go USB out to either a USB capable DAC (cambridge audio DAC magic is a good one) or use a USB to coax converter to a normal DAC.

 

Of course you'll need some gear to make this work.

 

At home I do none of that and just use whatever normal speaker setup that comes with the computer or headphones direct into the jack, no amplifier.

 

Thanks for the info---BTW, what is a "lagtop?" For my own desktop, it is nothing special, but the sound directly from the PC itself isn't too great either. Instead, what I do is have a wire plugged into the PC that connects to a stereo system, and then I plug my headphones into that, and the sound is much better quality (the sound from the headphones plugged directly into the computer isn't that great). So I was thinking that if I applied the same with the laptop and the soundcard, it would work similarly.

 

Mom wants earphones so she can hear the music loud without bothering her neighbors on week nights (she is in an apartment), so those are a necessity. The earphones you mentioned, would those plugged directly into a laptop that otherwise has mediocre sound still provide good sound quality?

 

Oops! Obviously, my top was lagging! :lol2:

 

What you described about your PC & stereo is basically an amplifier for your headphone; which is why I suggested about a headphone amp. In this case, the sound card does not have much to deal with the "problem". (I assume you are saying you connected the speaker jack from the PC to the input of the stereo, i.e. the sound feeding into the stereo is in the analog domain.) Your mom wants loud music directly from the headphone into her ears? Anyway, the eH250 & the eH350 are entry level headphones that offer soothing sound. They are not "accurate" as they have a frequency bump in the bass but you mentioned that's your mom's preference. The 350 is a open design whereas the 250 is a closed design. Closed design will not disturb anyone but your ears get hot after a while. Open design will leak out some sound but they feel more comfortable and the sound is more "opened". Both will plug into the PC just fine but they will not improve the sound quality. The headphones will have their own tonal signatures but they can't change mediocre sound into quality sound; nothing can do that.

 

Oops! Obviously, my top was lagging! :lol2:

 

What you described about your PC & stereo is basically an amplifier for your headphone; which is why I suggested about a headphone amp. In this case, the sound card does not have much to deal with the "problem". (I assume you are saying you connected the speaker jack from the PC to the input of the stereo, i.e. the sound feeding into the stereo is in the analog domain.)

 

Yes, I believe that's what I've done. A wire runs from a plug on the back of the PC (I am guessing for speakers) to the input of the stereo.

 

Your mom wants loud music directly from the headphone into her ears?

 

I just mean that she wants to be able to listen to the music in a way that sounds loud and clear to her without bugging the neighbors, and headphones allow that.

 

Anyway, the eH250 & the eH350 are entry level headphones that offer soothing sound. They are not "accurate" as they have a frequency bump in the bass but you mentioned that's your mom's preference. The 350 is a open design whereas the 250 is a closed design. Closed design will not disturb anyone but your ears get hot after a while. Open design will leak out some sound but they feel more comfortable and the sound is more "opened". Both will plug into the PC just fine but they will not improve the sound quality. The headphones will have their own tonal signatures but they can't change mediocre sound into quality sound; nothing can do that.

 

So to improve the quality of the sound coming from the headphones via the laptop, I should use a headphone amplifier in between to boost the sound? Is the FiiO E12 Mont Blanc Portable Headphone Amplifier a decent one? It says at Amazon that it has a bass boost and the reviews for it are pretty good.

In terms of the sound quality she likes, I believe she is a bit of an audiophile, in that she will want a higher level of sound quality than what the standard laptop comes with.

 

Let me give you an analogy. Your mom needs a vehicle that can haul a LOT of stuff. Youre asking which motorcycle she should buy.

Let me give you an analogy. Your mom needs a vehicle that can haul a LOT of stuff. Youre asking which motorcycle she should buy.

 

Yes, "audiophile" was the wrong word. I just mean she wants a decent (to a non-audiophile) sound from the laptop.

Ipad, Sonos play 1, Sonos bridge and good to go.

Ipad, Sonos play 1, Sonos bridge and good to go.

So to improve the quality of the sound coming from the headphones via the laptop, I should use a headphone amplifier in between to boost the sound? Is the FiiO E12 Mont Blanc Portable Headphone Amplifier a decent one? It says at Amazon that it has a bass boost and the reviews for it are pretty good.

 

Essentially yes on the amp but it has to do with all the impedance matching, gain factor etc... which I don't think are issues for your mom.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way Wheels but you seem to rely too heavily on what you read off the internet and we all know the merits of some internet posts. You obviously are doing a great job to please your mom but ultimately it seems that she only wants some good tunes and not to disturb her neigbours. Do you really want to put her through all the techno stuff with laptops, cables, little black box, headsets etc...? I realize that you are trying to setup everything for her and kudos for that. But in the end, she will be fiddling with all these, is that really what she wants?

 

As to laptops, at the end of the day, the music inside it is in the digital domain so in theory it's just a whole bunch of 1's & 0's. Computing power helps of course but it's how it converts the digital back to the analog domain that determines the sound. Fellippe already said it's best to output the music in the digital domain, feed it into a good DAC where it gets converted back to analog domain properly. I fully concur with that but that's another black box and more cables. It is difficult to quantify the FiiO without knowing what type of music she prefers or what headphones will she be using.

 

Using Romandad's analogy, your mom wants a car for simple transport, you get her a Corolla which is fine but you want to put larger wheels, ZR-rated low-profile tires, have it lowered, plus a fart can etc... all to "improve" her enjoyment of driving. Is that really what she wants and at the end of the day, it's still a Corolla regardless. So why all the fuss?

 

Upload some music that your mom likes onto a USB drive. Take her to an electronic store, have her select a PC/laptop/tablet that she is totally comfortable to play with. Plug the USB in and play the music and see if she likes them. Now ask the sales to get some headphones/earbuds, plug them into the PC/laptop/tablet directly (no amp, no DAC, nothing in between); ask your mom to try those headphones/earbuds and pick the ones she likes best. Pay for the PC/laptop/tablet and the headphones/earbuds and you had done your job and your mom is happy.

Essentially yes on the amp but it has to do with all the impedance matching, gain factor etc... which I don't think are issues for your mom.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way Wheels but you seem to rely too heavily on what you read off the internet and we all know the merits of some internet posts. You obviously are doing a great job to please your mom but ultimately it seems that she only wants some good tunes and not to disturb her neigbours. Do you really want to put her through all the techno stuff with laptops, cables, little black box, headsets etc...? I realize that you are trying to setup everything for her and kudos for that. But in the end, she will be fiddling with all these, is that really what she wants?

 

No offense taken. I did not think that it would be that complicated a setup though. You know just black box plugged into laptop and headphones into black box was my thinking. Regarding Internet reading, well on A/V issues, I don't have much of a choice at the moment regarding that.

 

As to laptops, at the end of the day, the music inside it is in the digital domain so in theory it's just a whole bunch of 1's & 0's. Computing power helps of course but it's how it converts the digital back to the analog domain that determines the sound. Fellippe already said it's best to output the music in the digital domain, feed it into a good DAC where it gets converted back to analog domain properly. I fully concur with that but that's another black box and more cables. It is difficult to quantify the FiiO without knowing what type of music she prefers or what headphones will she be using.

 

Using Romandad's analogy, your mom wants a car for simple transport, you get her a Corolla which is fine but you want to put larger wheels, ZR-rated low-profile tires, have it lowered, plus a fart can etc... all to "improve" her enjoyment of driving. Is that really what she wants and at the end of the day, it's still a Corolla regardless. So why all the fuss?

 

Just some confusion regarding the technology.

 

Upload some music that your mom likes onto a USB drive. Take her to an electronic store, have her select a PC/laptop/tablet that she is totally comfortable to play with. Plug the USB in and play the music and see if she likes them. Now ask the sales to get some headphones/earbuds, plug them into the PC/laptop/tablet directly (no amp, no DAC, nothing in between); ask your mom to try those headphones/earbuds and pick the ones she likes best. Pay for the PC/laptop/tablet and the headphones/earbuds and you had done your job and your mom is happy.

 

I actually did not know that one could do that, that is an excellent suggestion though that I will have to try

This thread has got me thinking.... has anyone ever met a female audiophile??

This thread has got me thinking.... has anyone ever met a female audiophile??

 

I know 3

That's 3 more than me!