Which classic console has the best sound?

[Rev. Rob]

Again, if the cutoff is 1990, Genesis has no competition.

[Arkhan]

Again, if the cutoff is 1990, Genesis has no competition.

 

PC Engine CD-ROM²?

[toptenmaterial]

1990 "or so"... I think that gives us a little leeway....

[BydoEmpire]

Maybe the question should be worded as "8-bit console." That's kind of how I was interpreting it, regardless of date.

[Arkhan]

Maybe the question should be worded as "8-bit console." That's kind of how I was interpreting it, regardless of date.

 

PC ENGINE CD-ROM²

 

 

The CPU is 8-bit. <3

 

mwahahaaaaahahhhaah

[mbd30]

Maybe the question should be worded as "8-bit console." That's kind of how I was interpreting it, regardless of date.

 

So that rules out Intellivision.

[BydoEmpire]

Maybe the question should be worded as "8-bit console." That's kind of how I was interpreting it, regardless of date.

 

So that rules out Intellivision.

D'oh, you're right! 8-bit OR pre-crash. =)

[toptenmaterial]

for all intents and purposes, i'm thinking pre-playstation....

[chrisbid]

for all intents and purposes, i'm thinking pre-playstation....

 

 

then the winner is the saturn

[chuckwalla]

Console AND sound - i'll go with the ColecoVision with a close 2nd to the Atari 5200 and then the Atari 2600. Growing up with the sounds of Pitfall Harry jumping, collecting treasure, and losing a life is unmistakeable and the same for Starmaster, Super Breakout, Demon Attack, and Asteroids (to name just a few). ColecoVision had some great sound effects like the jingle in Space Panic after clearing a screen, Venture's musical rooms, Gorf's cool but "80's weird sound effects", and the near-perfect sound effects from most of ColecoVision's arcade ports. The Atari 5200, based on the Atari 400, had great sound effects and musical tunes for so many games too.

[+thegoldenband]

I don't know about the best, but the most distinctive were certainly the Atari 2600 and NES. Since the Intellivision, ColecoVision, MSX, Sega Master System, and Vectrex all used similar sound hardware, IMHO none of them really had a strong identity (expansion hardware like the SMS's FM unit aside).

 

Of course if you throw the Genesis into the mix, that warps everything.

[128Kgames]

TG 16/PC Engine for me. The Neo Geo was 91......but if we could count that.....then hands down the winner.

 

Neo Geo was 1990 actually, so we have a winner then...

[Arkhan]

TG 16/PC Engine for me. The Neo Geo was 91......but if we could count that.....then hands down the winner.

 

Neo Geo was 1990 actually, so we have a winner then...

 

Nope! PC engine CD-ROM² was pre 1990.

 

IT WINS.

[gamecat80]

Bumping an old thread

 

 

For me, NES. Five-channel sound: two pulse wave channels, one triangle wave channel, one white noise channel, and one samples/DPCM channel. Well balanced, varied and distinctive to the ears. Blaster Master, Kid Icarus, DuckTales, Rescue Rangers, Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout are great examples.

 

The Astrocade, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Atari 5200, C-64 (yes, I know, a computer; a gaming computer) and TG-16/PCE all had very good sound for their time, too.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

For me it's no contest whatsoever. The deep bassy sound of the Sega Genesis just has no competition to my ears. It's just got a very distinctive twang to it that really resonates with me; making music from Genesis games instantly recognizable and setting those songs apart from all other 8 and 16-bit era music.

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

For me it's the NES. Love the classic, catchy, and memorable tunes. Most notably games manufactured by Konami and Capcom. Other honorable systems are. Turbo Grafx-16, Master System, and Genesis.

[TheObscureGamer]

Neo Geo AES no question! I mean listen to a Nes game then listen to a Neo Geo game and tell me the Neo Geo does not have better sound.

Edited July 3, 2015 by TheObscureGamer

[CatPix]

If I compare to the competition and chip capabilities of the era, then the Astrocade is the grand winner. Sure theer are other more evolved sound chips out after it, but while the SNES and Megadrive had excellent soudn chips, they were not "novelties" as in, you expected those consoles to get that sound.

But the Astrocade sound chip is unmatched up to the Colecovision and Vectrex... that's a 5 years leap!

[Rhomaios]

In my opinion, there is a huge difference between the pre-music consoles, the 8 bit sound chips, and the 16 bits. I also like them differently, as much as one can like jazz and classical both, though clearly recognizing the instrumental superiority of classical (i.e. more instruments).

 

I think for 16 bits, I'd place them in this order: Amiga > Neo Geo > Super Nintendo > Turbografx-16 > Genesis > Atari ST. That Paula sound is aural gold (there's a pun there). In my opinion, it narrowly beats out the Neo Geo even, so if we're doing consoles only, the Neo Geo obviously wins. Aside from the much inferior ST, the Genesis places last. I never loved the Yamaha chips; sometimes that tinniness is just too much. I'd rather have that SNES reverb than Genesis tinny. It can produce beautiful music, just only in the right hands. The ST on the other hand sounds more like 8 bit sound.

 

8bits are more difficult to place. There's no doubt that the Master System had the best sound, though it's not my favorite. It sounds too good to be distinctive, as opposed to the other contenders. POKEY (5200/8bit), Ricoh (NES), SID (C64), and the AY 89XX (Amstrad/CPC) are all phenomenal soundchips, and I love listening to music with these chips. It's difficult for me to order them, though, but if I had to pick a favorite, I'd probably place POKEY near the top. The ColecoVision is unfortunately sorely lacking.

 

CatPix is on the money when he points out how phenomenal the Astrocade sounded compared to the 2600 (and 7800!), Odyssey², and Intellivision.

[fdurso224]

Hi guys,

 

I like them all. So I say all!

 

Anthony...

[fdurso224]

Neo Geo AES no question! I mean listen to a Nes game then listen to a Neo Geo game and tell me the Neo Geo does not have better sound.

 

 

Anthony...

[Reaperman]

Neo Geo AES no question! I mean listen to a Nes game then listen to a Neo Geo game and tell me the Neo Geo does not have better sound.

Early on Neo started off with noticeably more grunt than the consumer-grade 16-bit systems were packing, but it didn't get *really* good until later. By the end it was competing with far more advanced hardware--largely by using the old neo geo trick of throwing cart size at hardware shortcomings. Worked pretty well, IMO. One might be excused for thinking that this was coming from a cd/dvd-based game system:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDv1uzDukVs

 

Aside from the much inferior ST, the Genesis places last. I never loved the Yamaha chips; sometimes that tinniness is just too much.

Just a reminder that the Neo Geo also packs a Yamaha chip from the same era. Edited July 4, 2015 by Reaperman

[Rhomaios]

Just a reminder that the Neo Geo also packs a Yamaha chip from the same era.

 

Yep, and it's obvious. It just does it right, though, a lot smoother, less tinny.

 

It actually took me quite a while to accept the Neo Geo in second place. I think as you pointed out end of life sound and music was just exceptional. Still not my favorite, and I think the Paula has it beat (since it's not Yamaha!), the SNES has that reverb, and the TG-16 sounds a bit too chip-py. I prefer it that way, but when thinking of "best", I'm trying not to think too personal.

 

Going back and listening to things like Sengoku, though, where that brassy sound is Genesis-quality, I'm doubting my order now. But it's probably not dock it a place or two because of early games.

[+thegoldenband]

8bits are more difficult to place. There's no doubt that the Master System had the best sound, though it's not my favorite.

 

You mean the FM synthesis module, I assume, since the stock SMS has essentially the same sound capabilities as the ColecoVision (which I agree is quite weak, especially the lack of bass frequencies without trickery).

[Rhomaios]

 

You mean the FM synthesis module, I assume, since the stock SMS has essentially the same sound capabilities as the ColecoVision (which I agree is quite weak, especially the lack of bass frequencies without trickery).

 

Yeah, that sort of slipped my mind. What a huge difference it makes, too!