New Laptop advice, please...

[dudwell]

I don't understand this comment in Charlie Palmer's review on the Amazon web page concerning the Samsung RC520 15.6 inch laptop:-

Audio drivers warning!!
When I got this laptop with the pre-installed realtek v.6.0.1.6301 audio driver and listened to a few tunes the laptop speakers sounding disappointing to say the least. They were tinny and echoey it wasn't great at all.
I had assumed that this was just the speakers, which was a shame, but when I plugged in my tried and tested headphones I got the same tinny echoey problem. After playing around for a while I realised the problem was actually the audio driver. Uninstalling the Realtek audio driver from control panel and restarting your laptop will return the crisp lovely audio back to your machine, don't expect any miricles as laptop speakers will never be amazing, but I definitely suggest this as a fix until samsung release an updated audio driver!

Surely, if the audio driver is uninstalled there will be no audio output at all? Audio quality is important to me but otherwise I'm quite tempted by this laptop.

[Steve]

Unless it then defaults to a generic Windows driver

[john]

Maybe its just that I don't have a high expectation of the sound on my laptop but it sounds to me at least as good as any other laptop I've heard although of course it's not to audiophile standards.

I did try disabling the Realtek diver (which is the same version as quoted in the review) and re-booted the machine as suggested but it did not find any other drivers or re-enabled the Realtek one so I re-enabled it and it's okay again.

I might have a chance later to plug it into my HiFi so I'll see how it sounds then (my wife's listening to the radio throught it at the moment).

[Steve]

I would certainly recommend a usb DAC if you wish to link a computer to  a HiFi,not necessarily a cheap option though but unless you've got a high spec sound card the difference imo is like night and day.

[dudwell]

Thanks for the comments on sound quality and the Samsung RC520 15.6 inch laptop. Another Amazon reviewer, CJT, seems to think it's a weak point too so I'll be very interested in John's opinion when he's had a chance to plug it into his HiFi.

[john]

Sorry for the delay in coming back Dudwell, I've tried it playing both a music youtube video and a CD using the following :


1) Through the built in speakers - not brilliant but as good as other laptops I've tried.


2) Through headphones plugged into the laptop - much better but not really HiFi.

3) With my HiFi plugged into the laptop - much the same as (2) and acceptable.

4) The CD on the CD payer through my HiFi which was noticeably better as expected.

I'm happy with music on my laptop when played through my HiFi but if the sound quality is particularly important to you then I would recommend trying to hear it first by at least getting a demo in a shop played through a decent pair of headphones.

[dudwell]

Thanks john, that's reassuring. I'm definitely not an audiophile, mostly I listen to 1920s-30s music and HiFi doesn't come into it!

[Technical Ben]

Unless it then defaults to a generic Windows driver

This. Else windows installs another more recent version of the Realtek drivers.
I always found laptops suffer massively from interference and speakers/sound cards anyhow. All that hardware in a tiny box, and something is bound to "leak" into the sound equipment.

[john]

I would not expect the recording techniques in the 20's to 30's to be comparable to those in say from the 50's/60's so I doubt if you would hear any differences in sound quality compared to a different sound card but that is just my opinion.

Whilst I haven't listened to music from a desktop recently I haven't noticed any reduction in sound quality in my laptop from when I had a desktop. Also there have been no signs of any interference that I can hear from any laptop I've tried.

No doubt both types of machine have improved over they years but the fan in my old desktop was noticeably audible whereas I've not noticed any noise from the one in my laptop and this may have more effect on the sound than different sound cards/drivers.

[Technical Ben]

Yep. Just things like fan noise etc John. I guess newer models or certain brands are better than others.

[pctech]

Agree with you 100% FritzBox

Preinstalled images are usually so bogged down with crud that they run like a dog with two legs.

[Technical Ben]

That as well.

[dudwell]

Just to say that I've acquired the Samsung RC520 laptop discussed in this thread and I'm very pleased so far. In particular the sound quality when connected to my 1980s music centre seems perfectly acceptable.

[Simon]

Good to hear, Dudwell. 

[john]

I'm glad  you are happy with your new laptop Dudwell, I'm very pleased with mine too