scavvenjahh
Actually that phrase meant I prefer the callisto over my pci x-fi. Wasn't refering to onboard at all.
If I were to compare the callisto to onboard (say the typical realtek ac'97) I'd say they're roughly on par, save the callisto is a bit more flexible
For example, 1 jack for either analog 3.5mm or mini spdif optical out. It also has true 5.1 optical audio, unlike creative's 2.1 pcm optical out, can't say how onboard's spdif support is, I've never had one with it.
The x-fi has bloated drivers, is unreliable and downright unusable in vista. Right now, it's audio crackling everywhere, and creative won't even acknowledge the issue is theirs either all or at least in part.
bottom line is, any of onboard, inexpensive or ultra expensive sound card will do the job.
The pros and cons:
onboard:
- cheap, aka, free
- so-so sound, mainly has issues with fumbling all sound together, losing positionnal audio aka hear gun from one end of the battlefield to the other just like being there all the time.
- so generalised and generic the drivers tend to be for the most part trouble free
callisto:
- inexpensive, and a rank above most onboard
- usb, no internal slot needed
- sounds great
- supports most useful special 'game gimmicks'
- covers all bases, both analog and optical/digital out
x-fi:
- from reasonable to ultra expensive depending on model, can't really claim a good value since the lower members cheap out on quality and replace hardware with software while the higher ranks cost a bundle and don't add much
- does support all game gimmicks, they started most of em
- bloated, unstable, buggy drivers, especially nasty under vista
- poor support, has users pay to recover previously available features on hardware already paid for. ex: alchemy, now free, used to be pay to get.
- not necessarly worth the extra hassle, more expensive and unreliable than either other choices, and not giving much in return.
I am not making this a creative vs everything argument, but fact is, the sound card segment has already been divided as such. Creative on one side, and everyone else on the other. They won't share much of their tech which tends to maintain such a situation.
In the end pick the one you need/can budget from, any of em will do the work asked from them.
as for usb headsets, just plug it in, don't worry about adapters, just do as it's supposed to be used.
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