Sound Output
Speakers and sound cards, which are sound output devices, are discussed in this section.
Sound Output
When it comes to sound output, the most conventional way for the computer to generate sound is through any speaker. Basic speakers are also referred to as sound blasters. There are two speakers in this setup, the left speaker and the right speaker. Stereo sound is the bare minimum for personal computers nowadays but you may encounter some that still operate on mono sound. High end speaker systems do not come in two speakers but in five or more. There are 5.1 and 7.1 sound surround systems available in the market today. These sound surround system recreate sound as realistically as possible. If you are playing a game that is situated in a rainforest then you will certainly hear birds chirping and snakes hissing in the background. With sound surround, you will put yourself at the heart of the experience.
www.logitech.com, shown above is a 5.1 sound surround system from Logitech. As you can see, there are five speakers and a subwoofer. Three speakers are placed in front - right center left, and the two speakers are placed behind you - right and left. The subwoofer can be placed anywhere appropriate .
If you are not the type of person that likes producing loud noises from your computer then you can opt for earphones or headsets. Earphones and headsets can produce stereo sound but if you want to take your sound experience to another level then you should certainly go for sound surround speakers.
Cards
In order to maximize your speakers and your monitor, you have to make sure that you have the right sound card and the right video card. High end video cards and high end sound cards require high individual memory. They are also a bit pricey. If you have a great monitor but an inadequate video card then you will not be able to make the most out of your beautiful monitor. The same logic applies for sound. If you want to make sure that your 5.1 speaker system works as expected then you have to get a sound card that is capable of 5.1 output. If you have sound surround speakers but a sound card that is only capable of stereo sound then you will not be able to experience sound surround. Your many speakers will only output a left and a right channel as opposed to five or seven channels.
