By the way, the true multimedia icons were the Terratec Sky and Space, based on the VIA Envy24HT -and not the Fun on C-Media. Specifically for movies and music, they were far more interesting than any of those Audigys.

The high end Envy24HT based cards had significantly better quality output than most other internal PC sound cards.

I used a M-Audio Delta Audiophile 24/96 for quite awhile. This was a stereo recording interface using the Envy24.

akimmet wrote on 2026-07-26, 18:03:

bitzu101 wrote on 2026-07-26, 16:30:

At some point i did want to buy a Gravis ultrasound... but.... pffff... 300 pounds and above... no thank you.

A Gravis Ultrasound is primarily going to be a sound card for certain DOS games, and mod trackers. The drivers are notoriously difficult to install compared to most other sound cards.
If you are truly curious, I recommend trying a PicoGUS. That way you can experience what a Gravis Ultrasound is like before spending big money for an original or reproduction.

trying to stay away from ISA cards... the gravis was just a pipe dream. but it makes no sense financially.

also , I only have 1 mobo with isa slots and that is already for sale on ebay. there is just no point to it... i do own a isa card and when i tried to use it , i found out that i can only use it if i disable something else... so no thank you... 😀

shevalier wrote on 2026-07-26, 18:44:

By the way, the true multimedia icons were the Terratec Sky and Space, based on the VIA Envy24HT -and not the Fun on C-Media. Specifically for movies and music, they were far more interesting than any of those Audigys.

never C media. i never liked them. i remember having one in the day and it would not play sounds on my x com apocalypse pc game because was not dos compatible with my game. i sold it and bought a ESS card.

ever since then , i never had another C media garbage thing.

akimmet wrote on 2026-07-26, 21:34:

The high end Envy24HT based cards had significantly better quality output than most other internal PC sound cards.

I used a M-Audio Delta Audiophile 24/96 for quite awhile. This was a stereo recording interface using the Envy24.

It does look nice but it s not for pc use for me. it has weird big jack rather than the normal 3.5mm , makes no sense for a simple retro pc. you are right , that is for professionals with proper big projects , etc.

I never understoon why some cards have the big jacks. In my modern pc I have a SB ae-7 , the only reason I did not get the AE9 was because it has 2 big jack sockets that I have no clue on how to use , etc... because my sound system is a 5.1 with normal 3.5 mm jacks...

bitzu101 wrote on 2026-07-27, 06:58:

I never understoon why some cards have the big jacks. In my modern pc I have a SB ae-7 , the only reason I did not get the AE9 was because it has 2 big jack sockets that I have no clue on how to use , etc...

You mean RCA jacks? Those are standard in most audio or home theater setups. You can get cables or adapters that go from RCA to 3.5mm jacks.

They're functionally no different than 3.5mm jack since they both carry an analog audio signal.

Shponglefan wrote on 2026-07-27, 12:24:

bitzu101 wrote on 2026-07-27, 06:58:

I never understoon why some cards have the big jacks. In my modern pc I have a SB ae-7 , the only reason I did not get the AE9 was because it has 2 big jack sockets that I have no clue on how to use , etc...

You mean RCA jacks? Those are standard in most audio or home theater setups. You can get cables or adapters that go from RCA to 3.5mm jacks.

They're functionally no different than 3.5mm jack since they both carry an analog audio signal.

So , no point to have them there in the first place... But maybe I am too old school and not kept up with the new tech... My 5.1 system , takes 3.5mm jacks and 99% of the sound cards and 100% of the built in sound cards in mobos are 3.5mm.

That is the main reson i did not get the AE-9. That and the desk thing they come with , with the little display and a know.

The ae-7 has a desk knowb thing , but i just don t see the point of it , because the speakers have a knob thing on the desk as well. So I am just using the sound card , no knobs , no extra wires , etc.

Today, I have also received another ess solo 1 in the post.

It s the same as the one in the picture. Probably the best version of the chip. The terratec promedia... This would have been the best one back in the day as it has a wavetable connection , amps and comes with new style cd/rom and other connection ports.

bitzu101 wrote on 2026-07-27, 14:44:

So , no point to have them there in the first place... But maybe I am too old school and not kept up with the new tech... My 5.1 system , takes 3.5mm jacks and 99% of the sound cards and 100% of the built in sound cards in mobos are 3.5mm.

RCA jacks aren't new tech. They're the standard connector on most home audio/video equipment and have been so for decades. Actually I just looked it up, apparently they've been around since 1937 (!).

Different speakers or setups can have different jack types. For example, I have computer setups with Roland M-10MX mixers (RCA and 6.35mm jacks), Audioengine A5+ speakers (RCA and 3.5mm jacks), Roland MA-12 speakers (6.35mm jacks). And most of my MIDI sound modules use either RCA or 6.35mm jacks. While 3.5mm jacks are common on sound cards, they are conversely rare on computer sound modules.

And as I said, it's all analog audio so using an adapter to convert from one type to another is trivial.

Shponglefan wrote on 2026-07-27, 14:52:

RCA jacks aren't new tech. They're the standard connector on most home audio/video equipment and have been so for decades. Actu […]
Show full quote

bitzu101 wrote on 2026-07-27, 14:44:

So , no point to have them there in the first place... But maybe I am too old school and not kept up with the new tech... My 5.1 system , takes 3.5mm jacks and 99% of the sound cards and 100% of the built in sound cards in mobos are 3.5mm.

RCA jacks aren't new tech. They're the standard connector on most home audio/video equipment and have been so for decades. Actually I just looked it up, apparently they've been around since 1937 (!).

Different speakers or setups can have different jack types. For example, I have computer setups with Roland M-10MX mixers (RCA and 6.35mm jacks), Audioengine A5+ speakers (RCA and 3.5mm jacks), Roland MA-12 speakers (6.35mm jacks). And most of my MIDI sound modules use either RCA or 6.35mm jacks. While 3.5mm jacks are common on sound cards, they are conversely rare on computer sound modules.

And as I said, it's all analog audio so using an adapter to convert from one type to another is trivial.

I never owned a PC speaker system with anything else than a 3.5 mm jack.

I also do not understand this AV thing where u buy monitor speakers and a sub and u connect all to a amp , etc... My OLD Logitech system is 10 times simpler than that. It comes stright with 3x 3.5 mm plugs, the amp is in the subwoofer and the control panel is on my desk. No need for AV/amp receiver , then hooking it all up , then you have that taking so much space on the desk , etc...

But I see that 5.1 systems are almost extinct now with only Logitech still manufacturing a dedicated PC 5.1 system. The chinese non brands , I don t care for. Yamaha used to make them , Creative , klipsch and many more... But now... nothing... it s just buy speakers and sub separate , then av/amp separate , waste space on a desk for something that I just don t need or want.

Objectively speaking, both connectors are absolute trash.
By design, their signal pin makes contact with another device first.
Because of this, something frequently burns out.

But alas, BNC never caught on in home audio, which is a pity. 🙁

shevalier wrote on 2026-07-27, 15:53:

Objectively speaking, both connectors are absolute trash. By design, their signal pin makes contact with another device first. B […]
Show full quote

Objectively speaking, both connectors are absolute trash.
By design, their signal pin makes contact with another device first.
Because of this, something frequently burns out.

But alas, BNC never caught on in home audio, which is a pity. 🙁

The fact that I don t know what a BNC is tell you how widespread this BNC is.

The sound marked has a big collapse , we are using the same sockets as 100 years ago. why? because no one made anything better and no one adapted this better to the mainstream to make it popular.

Right now , on the sound part of the PC , you either have entry level trash , or expensive high end that is still 10 years old.

When was the last time a known company made a 5.1 speaker system dedicated for PC? like a high end one? They don t even exist no more...

There is not a market collapse of digital audio. It has merely moved on to external DACs.

bitzu101 wrote on 2026-07-27, 15:08:

I never owned a PC speaker system with anything else than a 3.5 mm jack.

It depends on the class of speaker and target market.

Most compact consumer-level computer speakers will have 3.5mm jacks because they're aimed at desktop or laptop systems that also have 3.5mm jacks.

Bookshelf style speakers (like the Audioengine speakers I mentioned) are more likely to have RCA jacks because they are more likely to be used with various types of equipment, not just computers.

When you get to professional studio speakers those will typically have XLR and 6.35mm jacks.

I also do not understand this AV thing where u buy monitor speakers and a sub and u connect all to a amp , etc... My OLD Logitech system is 10 times simpler than that. It comes stright with 3x 3.5 mm plugs, the amp is in the subwoofer and the control panel is on my desk. No need for AV/amp receiver , then hooking it all up , then you have that taking so much space on the desk , etc...

Using a separate amp just gives one more options and control over different aspects of the audio chain in their setup. This can be more important if one is hooking multiple audio sources, not just a single computer.

Shponglefan wrote on 2026-07-27, 17:09:

It depends on the class of speaker and target market. […]
Show full quote

bitzu101 wrote on 2026-07-27, 15:08:

I never owned a PC speaker system with anything else than a 3.5 mm jack.

It depends on the class of speaker and target market.

Most compact consumer-level computer speakers will have 3.5mm jacks because they're aimed at desktop or laptop systems that also have 3.5mm jacks.

Bookshelf style speakers (like the Audioengine speakers I mentioned) are more likely to have RCA jacks because they are more likely to be used with various types of equipment, not just computers.

When you get to professional studio speakers those will typically have XLR and 6.35mm jacks.

I also do not understand this AV thing where u buy monitor speakers and a sub and u connect all to a amp , etc... My OLD Logitech system is 10 times simpler than that. It comes stright with 3x 3.5 mm plugs, the amp is in the subwoofer and the control panel is on my desk. No need for AV/amp receiver , then hooking it all up , then you have that taking so much space on the desk , etc...

Using a separate amp just gives one more options and control over different aspects of the audio chain in their setup. This can be more important if one is hooking multiple audio sources, not just a single computer.

Yeah... not for me... I am too old school. And because I turn on the telly once a month maybe , there has never been a reason to use bookshelf speakers , external amps , complicated setups. I have always had a 5.1 speaker system that connected with 3 jacks to the internal sound card or in the olden days was only 1 jack. That is what I am used to , that i what i need.

I do not know what XLR is. I do not want more options to control via external amp. That is why I like the internal cards , they have all the options in there , in windows. All i do is play with that software. I also do NOT have space for an external amp and even if i did , it would require extra connection , then you have a big box next to your computer to raise or lower the volume , or an extra remote. It just makes no sense.

Returning back on the sound cards... The ESS Solo 1 , will get a full de-ionised water bath at some point. I will fully wash it and make it brand new.

phllips had a range of pci sound cards. I have the high end card called the acoustic edge. It had good reviews at the time for my slot a build. Supports dos, 9x, xp

Pickle wrote on 2026-07-29, 16:58:

phllips had a range of pci sound cards. I have the high end card called the acoustic edge. It had good reviews at the time for my slot a build. Supports dos, 9x, xp

Let's be real, pretty much anything will run on XP. 😀
That was already the end of the hardware offloading era for audio processing.

Pickle wrote on 2026-07-29, 16:58:

phllips had a range of pci sound cards. I have the high end card called the acoustic edge. It had good reviews at the time for my slot a build. Supports dos, 9x, xp

Apparently Sanyo had sound cards as well... Audia chipset.

So many manufacturers back in the 90's...

https://archive.org/details/20200518-060007-1 I recommend one of these