Integrated Audigy sound quality and volume

I see a lot of the mid to low end models like the Dimension E510 have this option and no
option to get a sound card.

Is this good enough to play MP3s, have good sound and enough volume? I was listening to
a Dell at work with integrated sound. With the volume all the way up it wasn't loud enough
using headphones.

I used the same headphones on my old Dell computer at home and I was getting plenty of
volume with a Soundblaster Value OEM card. The Dell at work was probably two or three
years old and was one of the slimline business models.

Thanks.

 

The new Dells have excellent integrated sound

 

if your comparison was done with the same headphones (which can vary wildly
in terms of efficiency/loudness), then i wonder if you checked the other
volume controls... a single click on the volume icon in the tray (a
'speaker' icon in the tray) will give you the master volume control. a
double click of the same icon will open the volume control panels where you
can also adjust the volume leve for wave, syn, cd. perhaps one of these
other things are set too low on the office computer.

 

That's good to know. Thank you.

 

I had the Volume and the Wave all the way up and also the other controls were at
the max setting. I think the Wave is the only other control that controls volume
when you are listing to MP3's on your hard disk. Not everybody knows this so
good suggestion.

The computer was an Optiplex gx 2 hundred something. I think it was a gx-280.

Thanks.

 

that's a pretty new machine and should not have a problem. if it is mp3's
that you are playing then i wonder if you ripped them differently on this
machine than on your home machine... or if you copied the mp3 files ripped
on another machine. some ripping programs allow you to adjust volume level
when ripping. a control that help level various recordings so that loud
ones don't suddenly blast at high volumes... i would start with playing a
regular music cd in the home and office machine to see if this is just am
mp3 issue or a general sound card issue.

 

Strange, I tried two different computers, not the same exact model. One was a
minitower and the other was a slimline. Both had the same problem. I think they
had the same on-board audio because they both appeared to be about the same age.
The slimline was an Optiplex GX and I think the minitower was as well. I think
they were both the gx260 or 280.

Interesting. I didn't know that. I'm sure it's not the MP3's that were the
problem because they were ripped by several different people (I downloaded them)
and all had the low volume.

I've since moved on to another company. I really just wanted to be sure the
integrated Audigy sound would be decent quality before I buy it. It's for a gift
and sound is important.

 

I would agree - I have a Dim3000 purchased a couple of months ago and
I'm very satisfied with the audio. Of course, it is a backup system so I
don't listen to it all day every day.