Audigy2 Platinum reviewed.............

[Brian48]

I'd still opt for plain ol' OEM version, but for those who like all the bells and whistles......

Audigy2 Platinum review........

Looks like Creative has actually done away with the old EMUK101/EMUK102 chipsets in addition to going with the new Cirrus Logic DACs this time around.

 

[nortexoid]

huh, it still uses an emu DSP, it just uses CL converters instead of philips ones...(i think they used to use philips ones anyway)

and the card still sucks.

 

[Brian48]

Why do you say that? That's a pretty ignorant response without valid reason.

 

[Mem]

huh, it still uses an emu DSP, it just uses CL converters instead of philips ones...(i think they used to use philips ones anyway)

and the card still sucks.

Hmmm did you read the review?

The Final Word


Creative's Audigy2 sound card is a great sound card. Let's get that out of the way. Sound reproduction is dead-on perfect, the 3D positional audio is superb, and the feature sets on these boards are far and above anything else on the consumer market today

 

[axia55]

Looks good to me, it will be my next sc (using OB right now)!

 

[Stealth1024]

The frequency response with regard to using the analog inputs is horrible! This means if you want to use it to record your music that you're playing on your keyboard or use it to record from a mixing console and then use the computer to master CD's, then you're out of luck if you're expecting high-end quality.

 

[Brian48]

The frequency response with regard to using the analog inputs is horrible! This means if you want to use it to record your music that you're playing on your keyboard or use it to record from a mixing console and then use the computer to master CD's, then you're out of luck if you're expecting high-end quality.

That may be true, but I would say if you're that much of an audiophile, you're wasting your time with a consumer level card like this to begin with. I'm just looking or substantial upgrade for my Acoustic Edge for gaming/general music listening and this looks like the best candidate.

 

[lung]

I will never buy another Soundblaster card... Ever... I don't care how good the reviews are.

I had a Live Platinum awhile ago. Eventually I got rid of the Live and bought an OEM Audigy. At first the Livedrive worked with it. Then suddenly it didn't. I could get it to work using the KX Project drivers, but only somewhat. Midi just never wanted to work. A week ago I did a format/reinstall of my system. I decide to use the actual SB drivers. I install the main driver pack then I try to install the update. It screws my system so bad that I can't even get into Windows. I see the blue XP Welcome screen then it reboots. So I rip the Audigy out of my comp, trade it to my roommate for his Live in the expectations that my Livedrive will work then. I format/reinstall and use the driver pack form the website as my roommate's card was a gamer, not a Platinum so he doesn't have the Platinum disc of course. The card works fine, but the Livedrive doesn't work at all. I do some research and this is a common problem with the Livedrive and XP. Nice.

So no more Soundblaster crap for me. The Hercules Game Theatre XP is going to be my next purchase as soon as humanly possible. then I shall take out my SB piece of dung, smash it, burn it, crap on it, seal it in a Ziploc bag and send it back to Creative.

 

[Stealth1024]

The original Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 Platinum with the live drive had some annoying problems involving gain structure and random noise.... Not only that but the original drivers were pretty bad (drivers and the included software for that matter)... but we live and learn and I'm hoping so has Creative.

 

[Pink0]

I had a Live Platinum awhile ago. Eventually I got rid of the Live and bought an OEM Audigy. At first the Livedrive worked with it. Then suddenly it didn't. I could get it to work using the KX Project drivers, but only somewhat. Midi just never wanted to work. A week ago I did a format/reinstall of my system. I decide to use the actual SB drivers. I install the main driver pack then I try to install the update. It screws my system so bad that I can't even get into Windows. I see the blue XP Welcome screen then it reboots. So I rip the Audigy out of my comp, trade it to my roommate for his Live in the expectations that my Livedrive will work then. I format/reinstall and use the driver pack form the website as my roommate's card was a gamer, not a Platinum so he doesn't have the Platinum disc of course. The card works fine, but the Livedrive doesn't work at all. I do some research and this is a common problem with the Livedrive and XP. Nice.

I've never had a problem with the audigy drive under any operating system. It sounds to me more like a problem with incompetence. For example, you say that you couldn't get the live drive to work with your audigy. Well, no crap. It's not compatible. It's the live drive not the audigy drive. Duh. So then you trade your audigy for your roommate's live card so that you can use your livedrive. But it doesn't work. Could this be because he had an OEM live card which has the pinouts for the livedrive disabled? It's likely. If you're going to try to get a live drive to work with an audigy, you're crazy. If you're going to complain about it afterward, it doesn't reflect poorly on creative...that's for sure.

 

[Jeff7]

I'm hoping that Philips or Cirrus Logic have something good that'll be released soon. Got to keep Creative from stagnating again; seems that it's working already - probably wouldn't be any Audigy2 were it not for the pressure of the Acoustic Edge and Santa Cruz cards. Time for the other companies to fight back again.
And I just saw mention of the nForce sound quality - several people have already suggested that nVidia start making stand-alone soundcards; might be a good idea for them.

From the article:
"GTA3 also supports an incredibly long list of API's, ranging from Miles 2D, DirectSound Software, DirectSound Hardware, A3D, A3D 2.0, EAX, and EAX 3.0. As A3D is for the most part, dead in the water, we didn't test with this API. While we loved A3D when it was around, ever since Aureal went out of business, we have seen the list of titles supporting A3D audio diminish quite rapidly. Programmers just don't feel the need to code in an audio API that hardly anyone will use anymore. We still remember the first time we heard Half-Life with A3D audio positioning, and how fantastic that was. Ahh, those were the days. "

I must say, this is the first non-Aureal card I've seen that supports A3D 2.0. I do wish Aureal was still around though.
Even though I don't like Creative, I still must say that this looks like a pretty impressive card.

 

[bluemax]

Originally posted by: Brian48
I'd still opt for plain ol' OEM version, but for those who like all the bells and whistles......

Audigy2 Platinum review........

Looks like Creative has actually done away with the old EMUK101/EMUK102 chipsets in addition to going with the new Cirrus Logic DACs this time around.

:Q :Q :Q They abandoned their EMU chips??? That means SoundFonts are now defunct for CL? Yeesh... that totally destroys my only reason for ever GETTING a CL card. People used to buy SoundBlasters as a cheap-but-half-decent way to WRITE MUSIC. Guess noone does that anymore. Too busy playing Quake 9.72 "The Same Old Gore-y".......

 

[Pariah]

"I must say, this is the first non-Aureal card I've seen that supports A3D 2.0."

I don't think the card does support it. Wouldn't really make any sense to add support for it at this point. The paragraph you quoted says GTA3 supports A3D 2.0, not the Audigy 2.

"They abandoned their EMU chips???"

I don't know, but I don't think it has any bearing on soundfount support. From Creative's spec page:

"Wave-Table Synthesis and Midi Features
Creative Hardware synthesizer (2x16 Channels) with 64-voice polyphony featuring E-MU®'s patented 8-point interpolation technology for accurate sample reproduction"

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Pariah
"I must say, this is the first non-Aureal card I've seen that supports A3D 2.0."

I don't think the card does support it. Wouldn't really make any sense to add support for it at this point. The paragraph you quoted says GTA3 supports A3D 2.0, not the Audigy 2.

Oh. Duh......

Is EAX 3.0 still basically just 'preset' reverb settings, or does it take the actual environment into account, like A3D did? Or has EAX really improved considerably? They do seem to like it in the review.

 

[Maverick]

I'd wait to see what problems pop up with this card before plunging in. I'm disappointed it doesn't have real time dolby though...I wonder how the Dolby digital in UT2k3 using nforce compares to EaxHD in ut2k3 using audigy2.

 

[dowxp]

looks like a crappy review to me =) sounds biased. dunno why. doesnt really matter. not buying it at all, not even the oem version

 

[sandorski]

Hahaha, Audigy2 beats the SQ2500 in Q3 when sound is disabled, heehehehe!

 

[MulLa]

Kinda agree with Bangsailio why isn't the Hercules GameTheatre XP or the TBSC included in the competition??

 

[nortexoid]

why do peopel still think they've abandoned their own emu dsp?...read the second post where i state that they haven't...read the review where it says nothing about them abandoning their dsp, but rather their previous choice of converter, which wasn't manufactured by them in the first place, and never will be.

and yes, the card still sucks - IGNORANCE!

 

[Pink0]

and yes, the card still sucks - IGNORANCE!

Yes. That is quite an ignorant thing to say. I'm glad that you pointed it out for people who didn't recognize it immediately. You are correct.
I love the way that they cut the bloat out of their software and their drivers even for the audigy 1 of late have been rock solid.
This hardware is by far better than any other consumer level card. Of course you can point to the limited dynamic range while recording but you're not going to do any better with any other consumer level soundcard. You would have to go to the Echo mia or better with balanced inputs to do better. That is simply not what this card is for. It uses excellent parts all the way around and now is truly 24/96. It's great!

 

[nortexoid]

Originally posted by: Pink0

and yes, the card still sucks - IGNORANCE!

Yes. That is quite an ignorant thing to say. I'm glad that you pointed it out for people who didn't recognize it immediately. You are correct.
I love the way that they cut the bloat out of their software and their drivers even for the audigy 1 of late have been rock solid.
This hardware is by far better than any other consumer level card. Of course you can point to the limited dynamic range while recording but you're not going to do any better with any other consumer level soundcard. You would have to go to the Echo mia or better with balanced inputs to do better. That is simply not what this card is for. It uses excellent parts all the way around and now is truly 24/96. It's great!

see Terratec.

 

[Pink0]

see Terratec

[sarcasm]Yeah, there's a card with the same converters except it uses software enmulation for EAX 1 and 2 and doesn't even support 3. That's a great card! [/Sarcasm]

 

[dowxp]

Originally posted by: Pink0

see Terratec

[sarcasm]Yeah, there's a card with the same converters except it uses software enmulation for EAX 1 and 2 and doesn't even support 3. That's a great card! [/Sarcasm]

oh damn. we cant miss those extra eax reverb settings. they make me whirly. No hardcore audiophile or recording artist would ever touch a audigy2. and as for true 2496, someone better test the DAC's soon in comparision to a Maudio delta44 or a M-audio 2496, because i doubt they are high quality. then theres the latency settings for people who want to record ..............

 

[dowxp]

Originally posted by: Pink0

see Terratec

[sarcasm]Yeah, there's a card with the same converters except it uses software enmulation for EAX 1 and 2 and doesn't even support 3. That's a great card! [/Sarcasm]

as for "software emulation" for terratec
"Its hardware supports 16-voice Direct Sound and handles A3D 1.x standards via DS3D, EAX 1.0 and 2.0."

http://www6.tomshardware.com/video/02q1/020115/terratec-01.html

i'd expect a $100+ to have hardware EAX wouldnt you?

 

[Pink0]

I'm surprised that you linked to that article. In that review it clearly explains it and then in the benchmarks it gets whipped by the audigy 1 let alone the audigy 2. Then in the conclusion it says:
"We observed that in the music field, especially with regard to inputs/ outputs, the DMX 6Fire 24/96 is way ahead of its rival, which is not a "true" 24-bit/ 96-kHz card. But, when it comes to games, the Audigy takes the lead."
"So, the user whose sole desire is a high-performance card for digital recording and for working in 24 bits/ 96 kHz should choose the DMX 6Fire 24/96, without forgetting that, for music creation and effects, it will need the extra investment of a dedicated card. And the user who is a bit less exacting about sound fidelity and neutrality but wants a lot of choice without having to invest too much money will have no trouble in opting for the Audigy Platinum. It's just a shame that Creative Labs did not go all the way to 24 bits/ 96 kHz, as this certainly would have drawn in more musicians. "

Since the audigy has improved on the only weakness mentioned in that review it is now a much better card.