To improve the sound of the PRIME X299-DELUXE video card?

[Adriano Moroni]

Hi, I have a full case PC with the PRIME X299-DELUXE motherboard. I've connected two good quality speakers but I don't listen well, maybe because the integrated sound card can't do much good. I'd like to buy something to give my ears good listening and then improve the sound, what would you like me to do?
I hope some suggestions by someone with a lot of experience and who knows my PRIME X299-DELUXE.

One thing is certain, I wouldn't want to spend much.
Is it better to gt a DAC or an internal sound card?
Pleaase, write a precise model for a cheap budget.
Thank you.

[Paul R Johnson]

An external interface would be our usual recommendation - and it's a quality vs price thing. how much do you want to spend? Keep in mind that much of the price is on the preamp and microphone interface. For playback, even the modest priced ones could meet your requirements if recording isn't high on your list/

[Adriano Moroni]

Thanks for your info. My budget is little around 50 euro or less because I will use it only those speakers.
The most iomportant thing is a better audio that I'm listening now.

[Paul R Johnson]

What's actually the problem with the audio you have now that you need to improve? noise, distortion, frequency response? Have a look for the cheap Behringer interface - it could work for you.

[Adriano Moroni]

My problem is the poor quality od the listening quality. I think I will buy a PCI internal audio card.

[Paul R Johnson]

why ask then? I don't think we have recommended internal cards for a long time now due to noise issues - their days in quality audio are numbered unless you spend a LOT of money.

[Adriano Moroni]

My budget is around 100 euro. I'd like to follow your advice but I'm inexperienced and don't know what to choose. I don't care if there is no noise. I don't have to listen music.
I make video editing of my UHD shots and I make video editing by myself. They are documentaries with voice-over and I need to listen a clear voice and clear background music.
I need a precise advice please.
Thanks

[Patrick Tracy]

It would help a lot if you would describe the exact nature of the audio deficiency with your stock sound card, what speakers you're using and how you're connecting them together. Most stock audio cards are quite adequate for monitoring playback, so I wonder if there's something wrong with the way you've got it connected to your speakers.

[Paul R Johnson]

Voice over? so you DO need to record? DO NOT buy an internal card, if you want to connect quality microphones to match your UHD visuals then XLR sockets and probably phantom power are pretty important. For video editing it's also very important that the latency is low. in one of my edit machines I do use the internal motherboard audio - it's not too good for audio because you can hear data bus noise, but that is not on the final audio output to file, just on the audio output to the speakers and I I live with it. However, the edit machine we use for audio heavy products runs into a Lexicon omega, that we retired from other duties. So many products - we really need as much info as you can provide.

[Adriano Moroni]

I listen a slight rumble and audio degradation. The voice is not clear.
Now I explain you better. I write the the comment for the video in word format. Then I go to a professional sound studio where the speaker read it on a 1000 euro professional microphones. Then they give me that file and I add it into the video editing system and then once it's on the timeline (Edius 9), I listen to the mix sound among voice on, music and live sound. I have two cheap but good monitors to listen what is on the timeline. They are Edifer R1600T Plus.
Do you think I will get a better listening with a DAC or a internal PCI audio card?
Thanks you!

[Patrick Tracy]

Originally Posted by Adriano Moroni

I listen a slight rumble and audio degradation. The voice is not clear.

Is the rumble continuous, even when there is no audio playing, or does it just happen when the audio plays?

How does the sound compare to what you hear on headphones?

[Adriano Moroni]

I listen a bad voice only when I listen it with Edius 9. It is hard to explain because the voice is just different when I listen it without Edius and by Edius timeline. Without Edius I listen a better voice. It seems the timeline of Edius degrade a bit the voice, it is different: flatter and less clear. When I export that UHD project from Edius timeline to a .H.264 file and I watch that file on a TV with a good Audio system, I liesten a bad voice too. On Edius timeline I need to add an audio filter to listen a better voice.

[Paul R Johnson]

I think we need to listen to one of your finished clips. We are having difficulty with the language - sound is very difficult for an English person to describe, and your translations are not working very well.

Look at these areas:

Background noise
Poor frequency response
hums and buzzes
peaky frequency response.

Some very small loudspeakers cause far more issues than the sound card. it is possible your audio at the moment is quite good, but your loudspeakers are causing the problem, or you could have excellent speakers and a poor sound performance - we really just don't know.

I cannot tell from your description where your issues are? If you play your clips on another system with good sound - what does it sound like? I wonder if you are producing excellent quality and just cannot hear it?

[Adriano Moroni]

I attach the original audio file and the other one editated video by Edius 9. On the video there is a slightly too strong audio in the background but I didn't want to change the original settings.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/04lz1swwb3...audio.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kl2k0ynwl4...audio.mp4?dl=0
I'm not an experienced guy but it seems there is a "Poor frequency response" on the edited voice.

[Jeff Pulera]

Assuming the audio source files are 48k quality, make sure that EDIUS project is set to 48k and also that the PC sound card is set to 48k - I have seen them set to 44.1 and so there is a conversion happening. Keep things consistent through the entire pipeline.

Thanks

Jeff