Soundcard Advice X Fi Xtreme?

[-=PLuKE=-]

Am in the market for a new soundcard. I do abit of gaming on the PC and am really after a soundcard for music, I listen to loads of music thought my hi fi sythem, , Its a decent amp, speakers etc so i want a soundcard thats gonna give a good sound out, am not fussed on all the 5.1, 6.1 etc etc. Just something thats good which gives a good sound out. Its also running thought an expensive audio cable aswell.

Am looking at the:

SoundBlaster X Fi Xtreme Music OEM which is £50

and

SoundBlaster X Fi Xtreme Audio Soundcard OEM which is £30.


Whats the best or whats better out there for around £50. Is any diffrance between them two? sound wise?.

Luke

[skazz]

The key difference between those two is that the X-Fi Xtreme Audio doesn't actually have the X-Fi processing chip onboard. It is actually a rebadged audigy 2 SE. So you end up with it lacking processing power to do the stuff which the rest of the X-Fi range does in hardware. This means that some features of the X-Fi series might end up being software emulated or simply not available (e.g. EAX sound processing in games, and probably some other stuff). I assume it also has different op amps and DACs, but I can't find that info.


You can find this information very easily on Wikipedia, if you search for X-Fi.


Based on this information, anyway, I would recommend you discount the X-Fi Xtreme Audio and only consider the X-Fi Xtreme Gamer.

[badbob]

For games, get the £50 one.
But for music, get a M-Audio 2496

[tomonhere]

Or you could blow the budget and order one of these:

Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 Soundcard

Costs about £120 but has the X-Fi chip on it (so you can use all the X-Fi stuff in games) and is a very very high quality sound and the drivers will work!

To be honest I have had nearly every Creative card there is and I have just ordered this one instead! Fed up with lack of Customer Service and poor driver support.

[dogbert]

Originally Posted by tomonhere

To be honest I have had nearly every Creative card there is and I have just ordered this one instead! Fed up with lack of Customer Service and poor driver support.

Funny thing is that Auzentech don't even develop their own drivers - so all you're getting is a rebadged, overpriced Creative card and the illusion that it's actually a high fidelity card which it really isn't.

[badbob]

Originally Posted by tomonhere

Or you could blow the budget and order one of these:

Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 Soundcard

.

Pointless recommendation. Why on earth would you need live encoding, when the OP is 2 channel only?
And the X-Fi are hardly the best music soundcards out there.

M-Audio Audiophile 192 instead.

[tomonhere]

Well you may be wrong, I have been lead to believe that Auzentech do have their own driver team, the only bit that’s re badge is the X-fi bit (the rest is very much their own). I have a set of 3500DTT speakers for my PC and Creative stopped supporting them with the new X-Fi cards. Odd as they where £300 speakers but there you go. The new Auzentech card fully supports the digital out that the X-Fi can't do. So the 5.1 bit is done in the speaker’s amp. They really do give a good sound (well for PC speakers).

What do you mean pointless, that’s a little harsh? I suggested it because Pluke said he was looking at the X-Fi cards (for games at a guess)? The Auzentech cards are nothing short of one of the best sound cards you can buy. The X-Fi one will meet his needs and offer a better sound (even in just 2 channel but it will support more).
While the M-Audio Audiophile 192 is a great sound card "but" it doesn't do the X-Fi. (But your right X-Fi is more marketing than a really good card).

But hey that’s all just my 2 pence worth.

Best Wishes, Tom.

(Is it me or was that reply from dogber and badbob a little hostile)?

[badbob]

What do you mean pointless

That card has live encoding, which he won't use at all. It won't be any different to a £15 soundcard (except for sound quality) both wil be using stereo left/right output. So no need for encoding.

If he's not gaming then don't buy a Creative Labs X-Fi. I have a X-Fi in my gaming rig btw.

is a great sound card it doesn't do the X-Fi

eh?

(Is it me or was that reply from dogber and badbob a little hostile)

I'm always a little hostile.

[ralphmalph]

[quote=badbob;5368073]That card has live encoding, which he won't use at all. It won't be any different to a £15 soundcard (except for sound quality) both wil be using stereo left/right output. So no need for encoding.

I thought that the orginal poster clearly stated that he wanted good sound quality for 2 channel music from his sound card. So he wants the extra sound quality that you admit is availble, instead of a 15 quid sound card.

[badbob]

You didn't get it. You were recommending a "live" encoding card. I wasen't, as he doesn't need it.

The design principle of a £15 soundcard a M-Audio 192 is the same, he's just using the analogue stereo line outs. Not the sound quality aspect of course, that is why I recommended M-Audio 2496 or 192.

Those encoding cards will require you to use 5.1 analogue output, or digital output.

You still haven't explained why the OP will need live encoding in a Hi-Fi system.

[ralphmalph]

I do not think that I have recommened any card on this thread I was just asking you to clarify your post.

[dogbert]

(Is it me or was that reply from dogber and badbob a little hostile)?

Oh noes, now I have to buy flowers to make it right .

Live encoding is actually always done in software (with exception of NVidia's Soundstorm in the old NForce chipsets). The encoding algorithms are optimized for speed but hardly for quality so they're completely useless for an audiophile user.

Luke, if your receiver has SPDIF-in ports, buy a cheap C-Media based card which supports bitperfect lossless audio output with my drivers (see signature). You won't get any EAX effects, but these are pretty dull on 2.0 systems anyway.

[tomonhere]

Originally Posted by badbob

I'm always a little hostile.

LMAO, can't say fairer than that.