Sound Cards

J

Jimb0_d

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Jan 23, 2007
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Well yesterday i got myself a new set of 5.1 speakers (Logitech Z5500s :)) and they are amazing but I want a better sound card to run them off becasue at the minute im using onboard HD audio which possibly isnt the best lol

I have been invstigating sound cards for quite a while now and have came down to a few different choices and was hoping some of you guys could give your opinions

What im thinking is(clickable links):

-Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty
-Creative X-Fi Elite Pro
-Auzentech Prelude
-Asus Xonar
-Razer AC-1

Or i have read that there may be X-fi cards comming to PCIe as early as october and was wondering if that would b worth waiting for as i have a spare slot.

Money isnt a huge problem as i want to get a card that is gonna sound great (these speakers deserve it!) so dont worry about that side of things. Oh and I am probably gonna get a set of the Razer Baracuda 5.1 headphones in the not too distant so bear that in mind aswell lol

As im sure you can guess i need the card to be a decent performer in games but i also really want something that is great for listening to music and also recording with good connectivity aswell.

Hopefully 1 of u guys can help me out lol

James.
 
I would personally get any Creative card that you listed. Most of the newer games support X-Fi, and I'm currently using an Audigy 2 ZS which is amazing.
 
Everyone and their mother should own an audigy 2 XP platinum (but not pro). It simply is the best. Period. I went from the audigy2 zs platinum, to the X-fi gamer.
I hate the damn thing soo much I will sell it to you for cheap if you really really want it. Right now, i am using my onboard with digital speakers and sounds awsome.

Reasons the audigy 2 zs platinum is the best choice:
because it is
it has great quality sound
it has enough power to do whatever you want. really.
it has a front panal - connects to RCA 1/8 rca and 1/4 rca
midi in midi out, optical in / out
spdif in/ out, headphone jack in front
mic jack in front and back. firewire
volume knobs for mic and headphone
works with regular and digital speakers flawlessly
because it is

Reasons the X-FI card are the best:
They are not, i lied.
You can play 7.1 surround sound.
But not on digital speakers
digital computer speakers are not supported
digital home theater recievers are supported for 2.1 only
you can use a mic
but not at the same time as your digital in (the same hole)
You can use a mic
but not at the same time as digital out (its the same hole.
You can use a mic
but not at the same time as 7.1 surround sound. (same hole)
You can use a mic
but not at the same time as optical in/out (same damn hole)
you can use your headphones
but only if you unplug your speakers and swap plugs
You can use optical - unless you want to use the optical cable designed from the standard for optical cables. With the square head. If you have one of those, you cant use it. you have to hae a 1/8 RCA plug that happens to be optical.
you can use digital speakers if you have an opticla to digital wire converter which needs to plug into a power source. They lied about digital and optical.
It is NOT better.
the cake is a lie


I was an idiot. I read the box, read the specs, and saw that is hand what i wanted - mic, digital out, digital in, optical out, speakers, headphone. And Since i had loved creatie in the past I said, lets get the newest faster card.
That was retarded. Because I cant use any of the things in the list at the same time. GRRRRRRR none of them.
Not to mention the thing the x-FI does so much better than the audigy 2 is EAX. Gues what sound feature is not present in Vista and never will be? Yeah. EAX.

Be smart and buy an audigy 2 ZS platinum card if you have needs, especially if you want to do things at the same time. If you dont have a front pannal slot free then dont get the platinum. But you could also try going for M audio or some other newer card that also has good ratings.
 
yea green monkey i hear ALOT of the things you are saying. I totally agree with the EAX thing. Personally i think microsoft made a really stupid mistake removing such a great feature.

As i use vista myself i woudl find this particularly annoying. The only hope is with this ALchemy thing that translates to EAX will actually work. This would give X-Fi cards a much better standup within vista in my opinion.

This would lead me on to consider something like the Prelude. Its the first 3rd party card to use an X-Fi chip. Teh reports im hearing are great and it supports EAX and ALchemy and will very soon support Dolby Live which will be huge bonus, and the connectors on the back seem more friendly than the creative ones.

As for all the connectivity issues you mentioned the front pannel I/O box for the X-Fi series seems to resolve a lot of the issues you mentioned (headphones, mic, standard optical aswell as aditional AUX input)

The reason im slightly put of the Audigy is the total lack of support for ALchemy. This severly limits its capabilities in Vista and if Alchemy really takes of, it kind of makes the ZS a legacy card only :S

argh this is driving me insane!
 
mmm, i just read this again - i did a good job on that list doesnt anyone agree? It is informative and comical.
 
I have the Razer AC1 and it blows me away. I have like 17 dollar headphones and have people listen to music, and play games with them on...and they are amazed at the quality of them...until...i say its the sound card. It is crazy.

Honestly would much perfer this over logi, its designed and made by gamers, for gamers
 
check this out - if you go to school for electrical engineering, one of the htings you learn is not to buy expensive speaker cable. A profesor here basically teaches a proof every semester for ECE 351 that if you tie garbage bad twisty ties together you get the same sound quality as if you buy $200 Monster cable. The sound either propegates or it doesnt. Pretty nifty.
 
But... but... money! I must spend money to justify my existence!

Ahhh! My world is falling down around me!
 
I have those same Logitech Z-5500 speakers and a X-Fi Fatal1ty. The two combined sound amazing. You will notice a huge difference in those speakers after moving to a sound card from onboard audio. I think you made a good choice.
 
I have an X-fi card and Monkey is right. I should have researched it a bit more, I can only use either speakers or headphones at a time - not both.
 
I found a new person I like. AND he says a phrase I like too. Lets hang out sometime new friend. You keep talking liek that and I'll be forced to buy you a beer.


[quote1192844436=Lifter -RR-]
I have an X-fi card and Monkey is right. I should have researched it a bit more
[/quote1192844436]
 
[quote1192844572=GreenMonkey]
I found a new person I like. AND he says a phrase I like too. Lets hang out sometime new friend. "hey, catch me later - I'll buy you a beer"


[quote1192844436=Lifter -RR-]
I have an X-fi card and Monkey is right.
[/quote1192844436]



[/quote1192844572]
 
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