Audigy2 vs Audigy

[clicknext]

I noticed that there was an "Audigy 2" on the creative site. Has anyone tried this or seen reviews yet? Is there any noticable difference in sound quality? I did notice it was THX certified and I wonder if this would make any difference with the THX cert speakers I'm planning to get.

 

[Derango]

THX certification on Multimedia speakers means almost nothing. Its more of a marketing thing. And creative is big on the marketing...

 

[GrimReefer]

Originally posted by: Derango
THX certification on Multimedia speakers means almost nothing. Its more of a marketing thing. And creative is big on the marketing...

what company isn't big on marketing?

 

[Derango]

Originally posted by: GrimReefer

Originally posted by: Derango
THX certification on Multimedia speakers means almost nothing. Its more of a marketing thing. And creative is big on the marketing...

what company isn't big on marketing?

Yea, but creative is mostly marketing

 

[clicknext]

Is the Audigy2 even out right now?

 

[pillage2001]

Originally posted by: clicknext
Is the Audigy2 even out right now?

IT should be??

 

[dpopiz]

yeah it's being sold

my hope is that it will make the audigy plat ex come down to $100 or less in a few months, otherwise I'll just get a gametheater xp

 

[clicknext]

How does the gametheater compare with the audigy?

 

[Pariah]

"my hope is that it will make the audigy plat ex come down to $100 or less in a few months, otherwise I'll just get a gametheater xp"

There won't be an Audigy 2 Platinum Ex, so the price drop is not likely. If you already had an Audigy Ex, you could probably buy the vanilla Audigy 2 and use the Ex stuff.

 

[erikiksaz]

Originally posted by: GrimReefer

Originally posted by: Derango
THX certification on Multimedia speakers means almost nothing. Its more of a marketing thing. And creative is big on the marketing...

what company isn't big on marketing?

hehe, AMD isn't

 

[dpopiz]

clicknext:
the gametheater is AMAZING for audio tech work, as the box has no less than 22 inputs/outputs (well, inlcuding the usb and stuff)....the only thing that's holding me back from buying one right now is that audio signals travel throught the big DB cable to the card in analog, whereas the audigy box is has built in DACs and ADCs

 

[Mani]

Originally posted by: Derango
THX certification on Multimedia speakers means almost nothing. Its more of a marketing thing. And creative is big on the marketing...

It is a marketing thing, but THX cert is not an easy thing to get - unlike what you'd expect they don't easily sell their name out to whomever is willing to throw money at them. I've worked with THX before - they are not only pretty stringent on their specs, but they have a number of subjective requirements that make working with them a major pain in the ass.

 

[clicknext]

Originally posted by: dpopiz
clicknext:
the gametheater is AMAZING for audio tech work, as the box has no less than 22 inputs/outputs (well, inlcuding the usb and stuff)....the only thing that's holding me back from buying one right now is that audio signals travel throught the big DB cable to the card in analog, whereas the audigy box is has built in DACs and ADCs

Hmm, I have a lot of interest in the Gametheater XP 6.1 now. I'm not really sure what you mean when you say the Audigy has built in DAC's and ADC's and GTXP doesn't. The only things I use my sound card for regularly are gaming and mp3 listening. I'm quite picky about mp3 quality. The Live5.1 I have right now just doesn't cut it. It's crackly, needs some cpu power, and it mp3's simply stop playing when there's very heavy cpu load. Does the GTXP have any of these problems?

Also, how much does the GTXP or GTXP6.1 cost typically? I can get it at a local store for a little less than $100 US, $150 CND.

 

[dpopiz]

the game theater isn't for games...it's overkill for almost everything, just get it if you need all the mic and guitar inputs, midi, and various optical I/Os
if you just want a normal card for games and music, get a plain audigy or santa cruz or something

 

[MasterHoss]

Click here to read 3DSoundSurge's review. Yes, there will be a Platinum eX coming later (next year).

 

[clicknext]

It's really overkill for me, but I like the idea of having everything plugged into a box that sits on my desk. Using my mic would be a lot easier, that's for sure, and it's cheaper than a retail Audigy.

 

[Chubben]

THX certification is not a measurement of performance per se.. to get a certification you need to pass certain levels of quality/performance.. so it is a good indication that the product will have a "minimum" level of quality.

Then again, many speakers/equipment that don't have the cert. are good enough to get one... so it doesn't say much when you compare a THX-certed system versus another one..

Audigy2 uses good quality DACs from Cirrus Logic (CS4382) which gives it better signal performance compared to Live and Audigy cards..

 

[Madcowz]

It is a marketing thing, but THX cert is not an easy thing to get - unlike what you'd expect they don't easily sell their name out to whomever is willing to throw money at them. I've worked with THX before - they are not only pretty stringent on their specs, but they have a number of subjective requirements that make working with them a major pain in the ass.

Perhaps that was the case back then, but now pretty much any company willing to pony up the cash can get their equipment THX certified. Plus, Creative now owns I believe 50% of the THX rights, so I'm sure it's nothing for them to get that logo on their card.

 

[Funyuns101]

all i know is that thx is definitely just a marketing thing that creative loves to do.
and that i will not be upgrading from audigy (1) to the new audigy 2; i don't really plan on upgrading sound card before my videocard or something more crucial to me. besides my speakers, z560, are working fine with the audigy so far and i don't want to go to the trouble of opening my case, removing one card and putting in another that's more expensive i probably wouldn't notice too much of a difference; not to mention the annoying drivers.
then again, i'm just another cheap, poor college student...

 

[Mani]

Perhaps that was the case back then, but now pretty much any company willing to pony up the cash can get their equipment THX certified. Plus, Creative now owns I believe 50% of the THX rights, so I'm sure it's nothing for them to get that logo on their card.

And you know this how?

If that's the case, can you find me a set of crappy speakers that are THX certified? My experience with them was just last year. They will give you a set of requirements that are stringent in and of themselves. You meet those requirements, and then they have subjective requirements upon hearing them. Which are a pain in the ass to meet, since they are (duh) subjective, and driven by picky audiophiles. I personally have not heard or heard of a bad set of speakers that have been certified by THX, and I know they would not want to put their name on subpar speakers for fear of diluting their name. The company's success is based on the prestige their name carries, even with Creative's influence I doubt they are keen on compromising that because even if they accepted money in the short term, it would hurt them far more in the long run.

 

[Chubben]

Yes Mani, that's exactly how it works.

Companies submit hardware for THX certification and it goes through a series of tests... if the hardware fails... it is given chance to be improved and re-certification is issued.. and they go through it once again..
(and over and over).

The "required" specifications and performance for a THX cert. is always changing and also kept secret.. so manufacturers cannot claim "THX-compatible performance"... in which the THX certification would become useless.

Thus, THX certification guarantees a minimum level of performance.. now of course there are different THX certifications.. computer speakers and HiFi-speakers don't compete for the same THX cert.

/Chih-Hao Kung