# Sound card for FreeBSD



## abishai (Jul 15, 2015)

Since I lost PCI slot after motherboard upgrade, I can't use my ESI Juli@ sound card anymore (the ideal thing from my point of view). Can you recommend good 2.0 sound card for music listening?  Maybe the external one.

I know there are release notes, but it's hard to choose right without existing users opinions.


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## phoenix (Jul 15, 2015)

If you have a PCIe slot, why not just side-grade to the ESI Juli@ XTe?  Same soundcard, just a different motherboard connector.  Should still be supported by FreeBSD (also can't prove that).


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## protocelt (Jul 15, 2015)

If you want to use an external USB sound card, any USB sound card that is USB 1.0/2.0 class compliant should work(if it doesn't a PR can be filed). For internal sound cards some older and no longer manufactured M-Audio cards work: see snd_envy24(4) and snd_envy24ht(4). From what I understand the ASUS Xonar Essence STX PCIe sound card works as well but would require a kernel rebuild with the drivers from here.


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## abishai (Jul 16, 2015)

phoenix said:


> If you have a PCIe slot, why not just side-grade to the ESI Juli@ XTe? Same soundcard, just a different motherboard connector.


Well, this is definitely the best option, but ESI cards is extremely hard to find and I have no proof it will work - snd_envy24ht(4) page is not mention XTe.


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## mav@ (Jul 17, 2015)

My personal recipe is external A/V receiver and digital audio connection via SPDIF or HDMI.


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## wblock@ (Jul 17, 2015)

mav@ said:


> My personal recipe is external A/V receiver and digital audio connection via SPDIF or HDMI.


And fiber cables do not pick up additional noise from other devices and cables, even if they are very long.  25 feet (8M) from my motherboard to a Yamaha receiver here, works great.


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## protocelt (Jul 18, 2015)

wblock@ said:


> And fiber cables do not pick up additional noise from other devices and cables, even if they are very long.  25 feet (8M) from my motherboard to a Yamaha receiver here, works great.


+1 This is exactly how I had my audio setup configured, that is, until my on-board audio chip fried.  I considered running an HDMI cable from my installed Nvidia card to replace the optical connection but haven't yet took the time to check how far an HDMI connection can be run before the signal degrades if at all.


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## abishai (Jul 18, 2015)

I have SPDIF on my motherboard and pcm device, marked as 'rear digital'. So, I have to buy some D/A with optic digital input and that's all ?


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## wblock@ (Jul 18, 2015)

Some audio receivers have optical inputs for onboard D/A converters.  That is far more practical than an external D/A converter, unless you already have it.  My current receiver and the one before both came from yard sales.


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