Please help advise me on a sound card

[SuPerNoVi]

Hi Guys

I've heard this is the best place to go for anything related to sound, hopefully I wont be let down

Right so at the minute I'm running an Audigy 2 ZS on Windows 7 and I'm noticing a distinct lack of oomph and quality. It just isn't cutting it for me anymore.

I'm running Logitech Z5500s, now I know some people might not agree on these but I'm happy with them. I did read on here that changing the speaker cable will improve sound so I'll probably do that soon too.

Anyway back to the sound card. I was almost 100% set on getting the Asus Xonar D2X but then I started reading up on Auzentech stuff that was released recently and couldn't help wonder whether they would be worth waiting for. I'm just really confused about which way to go.

My use is music and gaming. I'm not too fussed whether I get the latest EAX as I find it very over rated and it doesn't equal best for gaming in my book. I'm much more interested in getting a more Hi-FI quality sound over 5.1.

So what do you guys think is going to suit my needs best. Lets say my budget is £150. Thanks guys, looking forward to sorting this out once and for all.

 

[IYoung]

Mod Comment: removed, by all means post your experiences but let others make there own minds up

Why?

Have a look at their support forums and see what everyone is saying about their lack of support, particularly in the Xi-Fi Prelude forum - X-Fi Prelude | Auzentech Community

They've basically abandoned users of this card while concentrating on new products. Bear this in mind if you consider purchasing one of their products .

 

[IYoung]

Forgot to mention that I now have one of the above Prelude cards now gathering dust on a shelf. Nothing wrong with it except that there's no official fully functioning drivers for Windows 7.

I replaced it with a Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe and have to say it's the best sound card I've ever heard. I have it connected to a 7.1 sound system.

I know it's a bit more that your £150 budget, but if you can stretch to that you won't be disappointed .

 

[SuPerNoVi]

Well the D2X is pretty much the same as the Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe if not better for gaming. Nothing really in it. The Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe is more suited for home theatre setups thanks to the HDMI though.

I bought a D2X and found out my PCI-E slots are in stupid places. So I've sent it back and ordered a D2 instead. Same card but in PCI. Very happy with the quality. Blows my old Audigy 2 ZS out the water.

I shouldn't really suffer any FPS loss from using its software EAX method either because I've got a quad core Q9550 overclocked to 3.4ghz.

There's a lot of conflicting information out there, but basically either way you go Creative or ASUS you're going to lose out on something. If quality of sound is more important to you, go ASUS if EAX is more important to you go Creative.

Most people say Gaming go Creative but I think that is far too broad. The only thing they do better is EAX, that is all. ASUS have a pretty damn convincing alternative though.

 

[IYoung]

Mod Comment: removed, by all means post your experiences but let others make there own minds up

Why?

Have a look at their support forums and see what everyone is saying about their lack of support, particularly in the Xi-Fi Prelude forum - X-Fi Prelude | Auzentech Community

They've basically abandoned users of this card while concentrating on new products. Bear this in mind if you consider purchasing one of their products .

Not sure why my post was moderated? All I mentioned was the fact that many people using Auzentech soundcards can't get them to work under Windows 7. SuPerNoVi mentioned that he was considering buying an Auzentech card so I thought I'd post my experience of them backed up by numerous posts in their own forums from other users like myself, to warn of what might come from buying one.
It's not just the Prelude 7.1 card but other cards of theirs are also currently lacking fully operational Windows 7 drivers (as can be seen on their forums).
Auzen have now stopped manufacturing the Prelude (the buy now tab has just been removed on their website, along with some other cards too).


I think it's fair that forum members here can inform others of their experiences with products and companies under these circumstances, particularly when everything mentioned can be verified elsewhere, or is that not allowed here?


@ SuPerNoVi - Creative might have been better with support for EAX, but hardly any recent or new games use it now anyway. At the end of the day what has to be considered the most important is how the cards sound - regardless of what they claim to support. Under Vista & XP the Prelude was fantastic. Different story under W7 IMHO.
It was the other way round for Asus Xonar cards, under Windows 7 it's my opinion that they now sound better than the Xi-Fi cards did in Vista/XP, even in games too, but as the moderator said - make your own mind up .

 

[SuPerNoVi]

Well I've made my mind up best I could. I don't have the money to buy two sound cards so really need to go off other users and professional reviewers opinions.

I'm just saying a lot of users focus on lack of hardware EAX on Xonars. As I said there is much more to gaming sound then if you've got proper EAX or not

Anyway at least you replied IYoung, no one else did when it mattered so you have my thanks