Creative X-FI

[gizbug]

Wondering if turning off EAX, Crystalize, and CMSS enhance the sound. Most users keep these off?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

See what sounds best to you.

That said, the Crystallizer seems like a lot of marketing BS to me.
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/spmclaughlin/web/Random/lol-xfi_graph2.JPG">https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/spmclaughlin/web/Random/lol-xfi_graph2.JPG</a>

There's a review around here somewhere showing some of the things it does including bass/treble boost and increasing distortion.

Some people say they like the effect while others say that certainly for some material it makes it sound worse.

Are you talking about music?

If it's just a stereo music source, you'd probably be best off leaving the features that change that to surround. You're messing up the soundstage by chainging it from stereo.

Are you using speakers or headphones?

If you know there are some shortcomings to your output device, then trying to compensate with the equalizer might be something to try, but the other features make me kind of nervous about it they are really giving you any enhancement in quality. I don't have an X-Fi to play with, but trying some different settings is probably your best course of action to seeing what you personally like.

EDIT: ~2/3 down
http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/multimedia/creative-x-fi.html

 

[T9D]

I keep everything off except the Crystalizer. It really does make a big difference. Basicly upsamples everything to 24 bit. A few years ago all the super highend upsamplers were getting huge high reviews for how they improved the sound. I was skepitcal but after hearing the difference on x-fi I'm a believer. And I can tell it's not just from adjustments. Everything is just way more natural and 3 dimentional. I cant listen to it with it off anymore. Now with that being said when I had my PC speaker system I didn't like it on. Sometimes it improved the sound sometimes it just seemed like it was just gimicky. But when I attached it to a full on large audiophile stereo the difference was dramaticly apparent. I dont think most PC speakers systems just dont have the transparency to really appreciate the Crystalizer or handle the improved dynamics (and headphones are hard to see/hear as much soundstage depth since they are on your head).

The rest of the stuff I'd leave off and keep the sound pure. The CMSS is a fake surround type thing isn't it? If you have a good stereo it will naturaly convey a great seperation of insturments and voice. On cheaper systems it might help though.

EAX..... dont touch it. Keep the sound how it was recorded. Not into all those effects.

Now for me i'm talking about for plain stereo and on a much higher level of system than most people who will be using the X-FI. As far as surround sound and all I cant comment on.

Anyway Ultimately you'll just have to try it all out on your own system though and see how it handles everything and what you prefer.

 

[Oyeve]

I mostly use high-end headphones (unless everyone is out of the house) and on the X-fi I use Entertainment mode at 96hz output, eq flat, Crystalizer on but at minimum, CMSS set for virtual3d and speakers are set for 2/2.1 I find I get the best overall sound in music and games and I can still hear good sound in music and also get the virtual 5.1 from my headphones. I dont bother with the game mode as, imo, it sounds awful. The only time I use audio creation mode is to capture itune songs and convert them to wav then mp3 so I can use it in a REAL mp3 player and not the ipod. in audio creation mode I keep everything off or flat to get the cleanest capture.