Channels
The most advanced multi-channel audio format that a sound card is capable of outputting.
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2. Standard stereo sound on two channels — left and right. This format allows you to provide a sense of surround sound (especially when using headphones), which is quite enough for most simple tasks. However, it noticeably loses to multi-channel sound in terms of the "immersion effect", which can be critical for demanding gamers and audiophiles.
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5.1. The classic and most popular multi-channel surround sound format today: a centre channel, two front and two rear channels allow you to achieve a full-fledged “surround effect”, and a separate subwoofer channel provides rich bass sound.
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7.1. The 7.1 format differs from 5.1 by the presence of two additional channels. There are several options for localizing these channels — for example, a pair of side speakers, a pair of additional speakers above the front ones, etc. Anyway, the 7.1 format provides a more reliable surround sound transmission than 5.1, but such cards are more expensive, and there is less specialized content for 7.1.
When choosing a sound card by the number of channels, it is worth considering such moments. Firstly, multi-channel options are capable of producing sound in simpler formats (for example, a 7.1 card can be used for 5.1 acoustics), and stereo sound output is support
...ed by all models in general. Secondly, modern multimedia software (in particular, codecs) allows you to output multi-channel audio through a card with fewer channels — for example, play 5.1 sound through a two-channel card with stereo speakers without quality loss. Thirdly, for the full-fledged operation of multi-channel sound, you will need not only a card, but also appropriate acoustics; therefore, it makes no sense to specifically look for a multi-channel model if you plan to use exclusively stereo speakers.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.
Standards
Various standards and special digital audio technologies that the sound card is officially compatible with. For example, the Dolby and DTS standards in various variations are used primarily for multi-channel audio tracks in films, while DirectSound and EAX provide high-quality “surround” sound in games. In fact, the ability to work with one or another standard is largely determined by the software part of the system, and not by the characteristics of the sound card; however, official compatibility means at least the full compliance of the card with the requirements of the standard and the minimum risk of conflicts at the hardware level.
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.
Dynamic range
The dynamic range of an ADC is the ratio between the loudest and quietest sound that the converter is able to perceive and process. The larger this parameter, the more complete the picture of the sound converted to digital format will be, the less quiet details (which, nevertheless, affect the overall sound) will remain when digitizing “behind the scenes”. At the same time, we note that this parameter is critical only for professional recording, and therefore it is indicated in the characteristics quite rarely, usually only in models of the corresponding specialization (in particular, audio interfaces, see "View").
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.
RCA
The number of outputs with
RCA connectors(colloquially known as "tulips") in the sound card design. Like the Jack and mini-Jack interfaces, RCA is designed to carry an analogue signal, however, only one channel can be transmitted on one cable. On the one hand, this improves the sound quality, on the other hand, two connectors are required to transmit a stereo signal instead of one. Therefore, RCA is practically not used in headphones and is very rare in "purely computer" speakers, but it is quite popular in home-class acoustic systems and can be useful if you are planning to build such a speaker based on a computer.
Separately, we note that this output should not be confused with coaxial S / P-DIF (see below): although the latter also uses an RCA jack, however, it is fundamentally different in signal format and has specific cable requirements.
