View Full Version : THX certified Soundcard!!!!
terrythecat
26-12-2002, 4:59 PM
I've just become aware of the existance of a Soundcard from Creative Labs which supports DVD Audio, 7.1 and is THX certified to boot. If THX endorse a Soundcard surely it must be the dogs b******s. Does anyone have any experience of this Soundcard and does anyone know if PowerDVD 4 supports 7.1? Cheers.
Its 6.1 :http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/
Remember that Creative purchased THX a while back.
It may be a decent card on the other hand it may be part of the reason why they purchased THX (certify their products cheapily as a marketing ploy).
Cynic....
Its an extremely good card :) IMO
terrythecat
26-12-2002, 8:12 PM
The idea of getting DVD Audio 'on the cheap' is extremely tempting ( I have a budget SACD player and am quite impressed thus far with so called higher definition audio ). If I thought for one minute that the Audigy 2 was even slightly better than my M-Audio 2496 I would definately go for it - THX certification would normally indicate a pretty good product.
Benji... surely people/companies wouldn't do such a thing - would they ?
JSW... I see you use MS speakers - are you using their Dipole rears ?
Originally posted by terrythecat
Benji... surely people/companies wouldn't do such a thing - would they ?
Remember what I said above, I am a cynic and creatives previous cards have had some interesting "features" which were not good in a home cinema environment.
Granted the card is a lot, lot better than previous ones but as soon as the new delta card appeared everyone on AVSforums wanted to see that one before committing to any purchase. I'd at least wait until its available and some reviews have appeared.
Originally posted by terrythecat
The idea of getting DVD Audio 'on the cheap' is extremely tempting ( I have a budget SACD player and am quite impressed thus far with so called higher definition audio ). If I thought for one minute that the Audigy 2 was even slightly better than my M-Audio 2496 I would definately go for it - THX certification would normally indicate a pretty good product.
Benji... surely people/companies wouldn't do such a thing - would they ?
JSW... I see you use MS speakers - are you using their Dipole rears ?
If you look at pic 14 of my home cinema it lists the equipment there.
DVD Audio through the HTPC is at least as good as through my stand alone Tosh SD900E if not better due to better bass management provided by the Audigy 2.
nutcase_1uk
27-12-2002, 1:53 AM
If you want a decent soundcard with all the features of the creative card, without the marketing 'creativity' then look at the M-Audio revolution. There's a couple of threads on it on here and a big one on AVSforums.
Above all it's not a creative :)
terrythecat
27-12-2002, 4:49 PM
Hmmmm... everyone seems to be anti creative - I'm sure there's a good reason why. I'll put that one on the back burner for now.
Nutcase...it's quite nice in this part of Essex where I am !!!
Yes, a lot of people here are "anti-Creative". Understandably so, because in the past their drivers have been appalling and they had a horrible habit of resampling 44.1 sources to 48kHz (badly!). The Audigy was a big step forward, IMO, and the second card improves on that considerably.
I totally agree with JSW, the Audigy 2 is excellent. I have used M-Audio DiO and 410 cards (albeit in a studio environment) and you'd be suprised how close this card comes in terms of output quality. The resampling is still there, but the harmonic distortion/artifacts/weird tones you used to get with the SBLive! are no way near as present, and now you can bypass resampling altogether by using ASIO and a compatible player.
I was going to wait until the New Year and purchase a Revolution 7.1, but am quite content to stick with this for now. I use mine with a stack of NAD integrated amps (c370 and c350) and it sounds fantastic - easily better than any sub-£1000 receiver I have heard. Unfortunately I recently "discovered" DVD-A's so am now plagued by the horrible realisation that they do sound a lot better than CDs in general and no doubt more of the little money I have is going to go that way. :( ;)
The only small gripe I have is that the 3.5mm jack outputs on the back are too closely spaced to fit three high-quality interconnects. I have to use a couple of cheap cables and just the one fully-shielded, HQ interconnect for music, which is a compromise but is still just about ok with short cable lengths.
MuFu.
P.S. Just installed the latest A2 software updates - haven't listened too much, but apparently the very slight HF harshness has gone with these drivers, tone controls now work with DVD-A and there are numerous other small improvements/fixes. Plus it looks like they include an ASIO 2 driver. :grin:
nutcase_1uk
27-12-2002, 7:33 PM
Originally posted by terrythecat
Hmmmm... everyone seems to be anti creative - I'm sure there's a good reason why. I'll put that one on the back burner for now.
Nutcase...it's quite nice in this part of Essex where I am !!!
Ooh which part of essex? :) Kinda dull in chelmsford :(
MuFu, the A2 still resamples 44.1khz...
Stuart Wright
27-12-2002, 7:38 PM
Kind of kills off any lasting credibility THX ever had in my mind.
Originally posted by nutcase_1uk
MuFu, the A2 still resamples 44.1khz...
I know, I mentioned it in my post.
It does a much better job of it than the SBLive! though. Besides, it is very easy to get around the resampling with either card.
MuFu.
nutcase_1uk
28-12-2002, 3:01 AM
Originally posted by MuFu
Yes, a lot of people here are "anti-Creative". Understandably so, because in the past their drivers have been appalling and they had a horrible habit of resampling 44.1 sources to 48kHz (badly!). The Audigy was a big step forward, IMO, and the second card improves on that considerably.
I was reading the "had a horrible habit" bit as being past tense and combined with "The Audigy was a big step forward" wanted to make sure ppl were aware that creative still does it :(
Ah right - my mistake, sorry. I totally agree that it's important people know about it and I wish Creative didn't do it, but it really doesn't sound too bad with the A1/A2. I guess that if they are going to do something weird like that then could at least upsample to 88.2kHz and let us all reap the benefits of that instead. :grin:
Creative are certainly getting better in terms of output fidelity and software - I think the A2 would suprise a few people and in my opinion is far and away the best soundcard to buy right now for multipurpose use (at least until the Revolution is widely available).
MuFu.
P.S. The THX certification given to this card isn't the same as that given to high-end receivers.
nutcase_1uk
28-12-2002, 2:37 PM
The main problem with the resampling (that I'm aware of) is that it means you can't use a creative card to listen to DTS encoded CD's. The upsampling destroys the coding!
IIRC the THX certification applied to computer equipment is a somewhat cut down version of the normal home cinema specs. For example, a centre speaker isn't even needed!
terrythecat
28-12-2002, 4:27 PM
Nutcase... I'm just a Herculean stone's throw away in White Notley ( Nr Witham ). It would be great to get together with someone who's also afflicted with the HC bug and bore anyone else within earshot regarding Home Cinema. I'm sure I could pick up a few tips - totally selfish.
Dominic
29-12-2002, 6:16 AM
terrythecat, if the stone were to be thrown it could almost reach me im in Mayland, 7 miles from Maldon, work in chlemsford though
nutcase_1uk
29-12-2002, 1:46 PM
Ha ha with my bodges I seriously wouldn't reccomend picking up any 'tips' :) I've been to Black Notley a few times, but never found my way to White Notley.
Nor Mayland come to think of it :)
perhaps we should have an 'Essex branch' :)
Tim Cooper
29-12-2002, 5:32 PM
Essex boys.....we gettin together or what......we could swap manly stories & in the mornin' i'm making waffles.....ahem:grin:
Nut you still depressed about living in Chelmsford you want to try living in....LAINDON...what a rathole & that's being kind :devil:
If anything's arranged i'm in ;)
Cheers Chaps.
Tim.
terrythecat
29-12-2002, 5:50 PM
Nutcase.... although I have a White Notley address the house is physically over the boundary in Black Notley ( This is because the postman from Braintree is too lazy to come as far as our house so our mail comes from the Witham PO ) so, if I had been watching a film at the times you were in B/L you may have heard it, and an 'Essex branch' may not be such a daft idea. There's probably a lot of people affected, it's just that you could possibly pass them in the street and not realise it.
See what I mean !!! While I've been typing this Tim's posted a reply.
Richard Harnwell
29-12-2002, 7:26 PM
If there's an Essex get together planned, I'm interested!
(Fingringhoe, just outside Colchester)
nutcase_1uk
29-12-2002, 8:27 PM
T'was a while back when I went over there. My brother was in the hospital that way (I think it's closed now).
heh heh yes Tim, I'm still stuck here!
And Richard, I know of Fingringhoe if only for the painted sign on one of the roads in Colchester: F'ing'ho
Tickles me every time :D
Hmm, consider this thread well and truly hijacked!
I hereby declare this thread officially hijacked by the Essex boys :p
nutcase_1uk
30-12-2002, 10:35 PM
Anyone got a rangerover? :D
Nah, got a Shogun though. Will that do? :)
I could also get details on the case as my friends old man worked on it ;)