Software amplifier/equalizer?

I am using the audio output from my A7N8x-deluxe motherboard with Monsoon 500 speakers. The sound is great but I would like more volume if possible. Any suggestions for a good add-on that will provide some gain.

 

The MH-500s are roughly 50W! That should be plenty earsplitting power in a normal room environment, and I am sure that your card delivers enough low level sound to drive them.

Two points:

- no amount of ADDITIONAL in-between amplification will allow the speakers to deliver over the rated power - you just wil get distortion

- but the level getting INTO the speakers may be indeed 2 low - so if the sound is not enough to bust your ears (and your neighbors') I suggest you look at all the sound level controls along the chain - there may be one or more each in
* the Windows sound control panel
* the specific application you use to produce the sound (game, media player...)
* any audio processing software that sits in between (don't forget plugins that may be working in the background, like those for WinAmp - they may not have a volume slider, but may still cause trouble!!!!)
* any manufacturer's own utility that directly controls or configures your audio card
* the speakers themselves

that's 5 different points in the chain.
(AND I hope I have not forgotten anything!!!)

open all these controls, and see if sliding one of them moves the other - if not, they should be really independent

play with all of them one by one and see if you can raise the volume w/o getting out of range (distortion from overload)

if you can cranck them all up without either satisfying your ears or getting distortion, you just need more powerful amplified speakers!