Audigy vs. Game Theater XP again (indulge me).

[Maetryx]

Maetryx here,

I've got a Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live! MP3+ (not 5.1) and a custom front panel made by opticompo (where custom means cheaper than brand name component). Anyway, I've been reading a lot about the Audigy and the Hercules Game Theater XP and it has led me to three questions:

1) Does the Hercules Game Theater XP work properly with old DOS games? My Live! MP3+ certainly does not, which is a real drag. I still want to play Doom II and Blood on occasion. The sound is all butchered. I'm running Windows XP Pro, BTW, but as I recall I had the same problem with Windows 2000 Pro.

2) Is the connector for the Audigy's front panel (which comes with the Platinum version) pin compatible with the original Live! Drive front panels (and thus my clone of an original Live! Drive front panel)?

3) Does the Audigy work properly with old DOS games?

If the answer to #1 is yes then my research is probably over. But, if the answers to #2 and #3 are (also) yes, then I have to actually decide which package is the higher quality solution, because I could conceivably replace my current MP3+ with an Audigy and keep my panel or replace the entire setup with the HGTXP.

 

[nortexoid]

i'd go GTXP if i were u.

1. Yes....the GTXP supports old DOS games...my TBSC does, based on the same chispet using roughly the same drivers (variants of the CL reference ones).

2. No idea, but I doubt it...i belive there's different connectors on each "box"...besides, i think the extigy is better than the audigy plat. external for less money, and offers some of the same connectors (looks better too).

3. Yes...but still, why pay double the price of a GTXP?

the CL shipset utilized by the GTXP is actually superb...the only advantage of the SB audigy is the firewire port...but if u dont' use firewire, then it's no advantage at all...

 

[HouRman]

GTXP

6.1, RCAs or stereo miniplug, only 6.1 possibly 7.1 prepro on market for PCs.

Useful breakout box.

 

[Maetryx]

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the insight. Can anyone give me a specific example of a DOS game they are running under Windows XP with a GTXP? How does it sound? I'm wanting all my cool FPS games to work again, like Doom II, Blood, Hexen, Heretic, and even non-fps games like Civilization.

 

[nortexoid]

on my santa cruz, played Warcraft 1 & 2, duke nukem 3d, and doom.

played it through win98se way back tho...using xp now, which might cause problems since there's no real DOS mode...no idea.

 

[Workin']

Anyone know who still sells the GTXP? I can't find it anywhere...

 

[MrMilney]

<< Anyone know who still sells the GTXP? I can't find it anywhere... >>



Good luck, I think I bought the last one from outpost.com and that was after looking everywhere else for the card. Payed too much for it too. But it was worth every penny.

 

[nortexoid]

canada computers sells it...if u live in canada...toronto area.

link

 

[lung]

I had the Live Platinum and recently purchased an OEM Audigy. At first, the LiveDrive didn't work 100% in that the speakers wouldn't be muted when I used the headphone jack on the LiveDrive. After rebooting the comp once, it works now. Sometimes, it may take a second to kill the main speakers, but it still works every time. This is of course, onlymy personal experience, I have read from other people that it doesn't work. So it might definitely be a crap shoot for you if you have a clone of the LiveDrive, but there is only one way that you will be able to know for sure..

 

[NWRMidnight]

<< Anyone know who still sells the GTXP? I can't find it anywhere... >>

]


Bestbuy had some in stock (spokane, WA) last week when I was in, check there web site..

Daniel

 

[Workin']

Best Buy's web site says it's not available for delivery or pickup in stores. And the BB stores in my area don't have it in stock or know if they will ever have them in stock again.

I did see that www.compuplus.com claims to have it in stock for $106+$15 shipping. Didn't try to order it, I'm not sure that I need it yet.

 

[joecool]

go with the gtxp. don't know about the dos support, haven't tried to play any of my dos games in a long time, but i love the card & especially the breakout box. has just about any kind of connector you'd want, plus headphone volume control and mic gain control, plus 4 usb ports (unpowered). does full dd decoding AND comes w/powerdvd, the best dvd decoder available.

enjoy,

joe

 

[billyjak]

Get it right Here

 

[Pariah]

Hercules is cleaning out stock of the old GTXP. There is a new 6.1 version out here locally. Driver upgrades should be available online for the old cards to add the features in the newer card.

The live drive should work fine on the audigy, but Creative says they don't officially support it. Worked fine on mine when I tried it.

 

[Chad]

Another vote for GTXP. Simply the best soundcard I've ever used.

 

[MasterHoss]

<< Hercules is cleaning out stock of the old GTXP. There is a new 7.1 version out here locally. Driver upgrades should be available online for the old cards to add the features in the newer card. >>



Wow!! Proof? Did you mean the 6.1 version? Check your CompUSA as well, I've seen the GTXP "6.1" there a-plenty. The only difference between the GTXP and the GTXP 6.1 is that the GTXP 6.1 comes with the v3.02 drivers (for which there is a never version on the Hercules website.... v4.xx) and the GTXP 6.1 is packaged with Cyberlink's PowerDVD 6.1 Pro which is certified by Dolby Labs to actually decode Dolby Digital Surround EX surround sound. One more time, yes, there is a difference between PowerDVD XP 4.0 / PowerDVD XP 4.0 Deluxe and PowerDVD 6.1 Pro. And yes, you can get your "old" GTXP to do 6.1 output using the new drivers (and can purchase PowerDVD 6.1 Pro for $12... search to forums--I linked the site earlier).

And yes, Hercules is planning on making full use of the sound processor on the GTXP... it'll be a 7.1 capable card with another driver update... I'm also betting that Cyberlink will release a special softDVD player to take advantage of the GTXP's 7.1 capabilities.

 

[Pariah]

Whoops, sorry, meant 6.1, not 7.1. Not that 7.1 is really any better, all it does it add another rear surround channel. Since the channel is mono to begin with, adding another speaker doesn't really make any difference, you can split the signal and get the same effect.

 

[IndyJaws]

<< Another vote for GTXP. Simply the best soundcard I've ever used. >>



Then you never owned a Gravis Ultrasound!

GXTP is a great card, though!

 

[Maetryx]

Maybe what I'll (eventually) do is get the Hercules GTXP and the ATI Radeon 8500DV (if that's the new name of the All In Wonder). The 8500DV comes with firewire. I just like my computer to do EVERYTHING. I don't mind losing a bit of 3D gaming performance if my machine has the maximum number of capabilities.

I like to capture video from cable TV and my S-VHS VCR, rip DVDs and make SVCDs, record my MP3s to MiniDisc, play Serious Sam 2 with the audio coming out of my stereo system, run Kazaa Lite in the background, and browse the AnandTech forums with Opera.

So is that the best way to go? GTXP and 8500DV?