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Can't hear an obvious difference between onboard and creative x-fi

B

bX510

Golden Member
I got a Creative x-fi xtrememusic and hooked it up to my Creative inspire 6.1 6100. I can't hear a difference between onboard and the sound card. Is there certain settings i need?
 
Well, I didn't notice much difference when i was watching my anime and listening music. When i started gaming, i heard all these little details i never heard before.
 
watching anime and crap will make ZERO difference because the audio is pre-made. The sound processor on the X fi is what creates sounds with your games. Its like watching a video of Halo 3 versus running Halo 3 on your computer, you can still get amazing pre-rendered graphics, the processors on the renderer is doing the work for you. Like you said, there is a difference with gaming. I also noticed a huge performance difference with an x fi, my old soundblaster 24 bit sucked up so much CPU its not even remotely funny.
 
When I am playing WoW, the peopel talking on ventrilo starts to static. Why is that? Settings? I couldn't figure it out. Started happening after the new sound card.

Also, my case has a jack in front for mic / headset and i have to plug the HD audio into the motherboard. Since i got a new card, i want to disable onboard sound, but the jack for the case wouldn't work. There doesn't seem to be a spot to plug in to the sound card.
 
Originally posted by: lollybo
watching anime and crap will make ZERO difference because the audio is pre-made. The sound processor on the X fi is what creates sounds with your games. Its like watching a video of Halo 3 versus running Halo 3 on your computer, you can still get amazing pre-rendered graphics, the processors on the renderer is doing the work for you. Like you said, there is a difference with gaming. I also noticed a huge performance difference with an x fi, my old soundblaster 24 bit sucked up so much CPU its not even remotely funny.
Click to expand...

One of the advantages of X-Fi is that it can give very good analog output quality for all sources. While games would probably be where the differences are most obvious, there should certainly be an increase of quality from other sources as well if the output device is good enough that their own limitations are hiding them.
 
Originally posted by: bX510
When I am playing WoW, the peopel talking on ventrilo starts to static. Why is that? Settings? I couldn't figure it out. Started happening after the new sound card.

Also, my case has a jack in front for mic / headset and i have to plug the HD audio into the motherboard. Since i got a new card, i want to disable onboard sound, but the jack for the case wouldn't work. There doesn't seem to be a spot to plug in to the sound card.
Click to expand...

The front audio jacks on your case are connected to the onboard sound.

Do you just need to hook up a microphone to the X-Fi? The flexijack should be able to do that.
 
I can't split the headset mic jack and hearing jack. So i plug it in the front for easy change from speakers to headset.
 
Originally posted by: bX510
I can't split the headset mic jack and hearing jack. So i plug it in the front for easy change from speakers to headset.
Click to expand...

Well, you'd need to run both to the X-Fi to get the benefit of the new soundcard (not just one of the cables)
 
Originally posted by: bX510
When I am playing WoW, the peopel talking on ventrilo starts to static. Why is that? Settings? I couldn't figure it out. Started happening after the new sound card.
Click to expand...


The static is probably digital distortion, which means too much gain somewhere. You probably have a sound level set too high somewhere, perhaps in the Ventrilo settings.
 
Originally posted by: oynaz
Originally posted by: bX510
When I am playing WoW, the peopel talking on ventrilo starts to static. Why is that? Settings? I couldn't figure it out. Started happening after the new sound card.
Click to expand...


The static is probably digital distortion, which means too much gain somewhere. You probably have a sound level set too high somewhere, perhaps in the Ventrilo settings.
Click to expand...

Actually the Distortion is common with Ventrilo and TeamSpeak

is the LAG in the network, after all this are "cheap" low cost version of "Voice Over IP" technology.

so it's highly affected by the minor lag, it has nothing to do with the Sound Card at all.

unless you are not using a headset, and the ECHO feedback is too great, and makes an infinite loop (the same as the mirror effect with 2 or more mirrors)
 
The static could be caused by the X-fi. What video card are you using? Some people were having static issues in games wit hthe X-fi and high end Nvidia GPUs.
 
One of the advantages of X-Fi is that it can give very good analog output quality for all sources
Click to expand...

Well, you'd need to run both to the X-Fi to get the benefit of the new soundcard (not just one of the cables)[/quote]

compared to Juli@ or the 1212M? methinks not. Granted, neither are anywhere X-fi in terms of EAX-gaming friendiness. I say EAX-gaming, not just gaming - as my games play just fine and sound better with 1212M 😛 (non-3d, or non-eax for sure)

AT community has more gamers than audiophiles, that much is given. Even then, kinda said how little attention the hot deals thread on the 1212M received 🙁 you would have be deaf to think X-Fi rivals 1212M for music 😱
 
Well I'm comparing it to his onboard sound 😛

lollybo said that it will make "ZERO difference because the audio is pre-made". That would apply to the audiophile cards too if we follow that logic. My comment on the analog output being very good was to mean that there should be a quality difference vs. onboard for all sources, not just games where the audio is not "pre-made".

For someone looking for a music card, I usually suggest looking at the ~$25 Chaintech AV-710 which has analog output that should be good enough to make anyone's computer speakers the limiting factor in their music experience 😉

For someone into quality headphones or has managed to get themselves into the "real" speaker department, then I can totally see getting an audiophile card. At the same time as you mention, these cards tend to have some serious disadvantages for gaming. Knowing that most people here are going to be running speaker sets that are $300 or less, listen to music that is often of not the best quality, and have gaming as a high priority, I'm fairly confident that the X-Fi is usually a good recommendation (especially considering it's been ~$50 AR lately).
 
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