Audiochip
Brand of the audio chip installed in the sound card.
The audio chip is one of the most important parts of a sound card, a kind of "heart" of the whole circuit, and it is on its characteristics that the sound quality and other capabilities of a particular model largely depend. Knowing the brand of the chip, you can easily find various information on it — official specifications, test results, reviews, etc. — and based on this, draw a conclusion to what extent this sound card is able to meet your requirements. Of course, for ordinary video cards (see "View") there is no need to delve into such details, but when choosing a gaming or audiophile model, they can be very useful.
Additional power
The need to connect additional power to the sound card.
Most of both internal and external (see "Type") sound cards are powered directly through the connection connector (see "Connection interface"). At the same time, for normal operation of advanced models (for example, audiophile and gaming, as well as some DACs; see "View"), this power may not be enough, which requires an additional power source. In internal audio cards, it is carried out from the computer power supply, in external ones — directly from the 230 V network.
DAC resolution
The bit depth of the digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) of the sound card. In this case, DAC refers to a part of the circuit that converts digital sound data (machine code) into analogue pulses that are fed directly to an external device — speakers, headphones, etc. The bit depth is one of the main parameters (along with the sampling frequency) that describes the quality of the DAC: the higher it is, the more reliable the sound will be reproduced, the less distortion will be introduced into it during conversion.
16-bit DACs usually have entry-level sound cards — this is enough for good sound quality. In other cases,
24-bit converters are most common, and even for advanced models, in particular gaming ones (see "View"), they are almost mandatory.
Max. sampling rate
The highest sampling rate provided by the digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) of the audio card. For more details on the role of the DAC, see paragraph "Bit depth" above. Here we note that the quality of its work directly depends on the sampling frequency: the higher it is, the less distortion occurs when converting sound.
Usually in sound cards there are standard values for the maximum sampling rate:
44.1 kHz — corresponds to the sound quality of Audio CD;
48 kHz — DVD;
96 kHz — DVD-Audio 5.1;
192 kHz — DVD-Audio 2.0 (two-channel audio has a higher sampling rate than multi-channel audio for a number of reasons), the highest value in modern consumer-grade sound cards.
Another specific point is that the quality of sound played on a computer cannot be higher than the capabilities of a sound card. In other words, if an audio file is recorded at a higher sampling rate than the audio card can provide, its sound quality will be reduced: for example, on a 44.1 kHz card, even DVD-Audio sound will sound like an Audio CD. Therefore, if you want to fully enjoy high-quality sound, you should choose a model with a high sampling rate.
Dynamic Range
The dynamic range of a DAC is the ratio between the loudest sound that the converter can produce and the quietest. The wider the dynamic range — the richer the sound will be, the lower the likelihood that quiet sounds that complement the overall picture will be muffled during conversion. At the same time, it is worth noting that almost all modern sound cards provide a dynamic range that is quite sufficient for comfortable everyday use, and in many models this parameter may not be indicated at all. It is worth paying attention to it when choosing an advanced specialized audio card — for example, a gaming one (see "View"). The minimum for professional models is 90 dB, but in fact, among similar solutions, this figure is usually 120 dB or more.
Signal-to-noise ratio
This parameter determines the ratio of the "clean" sound produced by the DAC at the output to all extraneous noise. As such, it is a pretty strong indicator of sound purity. According to the signal-to-noise ratio, DACs in modern sound cards can be divided as follows:
up to 90 dB — initial level;
90-100 dB — average level, advanced "home" models;
more than 100 dB — professional level.
Signal-to-noise ratio
The signal-to-noise ratio provided by the analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) of the sound card in the processed signal. For more information about this ratio, see the paragraph of the same name above. Here we note that in domestic use it does not play a decisive role, but if you plan to record sound in good quality, you should choose a card with a high value of this indicator.
Jack (6.35 mm)
The number of inputs in the design of the sound card using 6.35 mm Jack connectors. This connector is in many ways similar to the 3.5 mm mini-Jack described above (and is compatible with it through a simple adapter), however, due to its larger size, it is poorly suited for portable electronics. On the other hand, in the 6.35 mm standard it is easier to implement a three-channel connection scheme and ensure the transmission of a balanced signal (for more details, see "XLR"), which is often required in professional audio work. Therefore, connectors of this type are quite popular in advanced stationary technology, where connection reliability and signal quality are more important than compactness. The Jack input can be used for various purposes, which is usually indicated in the specifications; however, its very presence, usually, speaks of a rather high class sound card.
Note that on balanced XLR models (see below), a 6.35mm input can be built right into the XLR jack; in such cases, these interfaces cannot be used simultaneously.
mini-Jack (3.5 mm)
The number of outputs with
3.5 mm mini-Jack connectors in the design of the sound card. It is this connector that is used by the vast majority of modern computer headphones and speakers of all price categories (although it is relatively rare in top-end technology), and it is very popular in other consumer-class audio devices. Therefore, almost all entry-level and mid-level sound cards have at least one 3.5 mm jack; the absence of such outputs is typical for specialized models (for example, DAC, see "View"). Also note that a single mini-jack output can work with a maximum of two channels, however, this interface is also used in multi-channel sound systems — in this case, the audio card is equipped with several connectors, each of which is responsible for its own part of the system. For example, for 5.1 systems, one connector is allocated to the centre, one to a pair of front channels, one to a pair of rear channels, and one to a subwoofer.
As with 3.5mm inputs (see above), this type of output can be used in a variety of ways and can even be configurable.
