For reference, I just replaced my Audigy 1 with a Turtle Beach Riviera

[shortylickens]

And I must say, I am pissed I spent so much money on an Audigy 1 Platinum Ex.
The only thing nice I can say about it is that sucker survived for 6 years (I think I got it in '02).

Am also amazed such good 5.1 sound can come from a $24 card. Its even got better compatibility for older titles. And the drivers arent a bloated, ugly mess either. Also learning that EAX is highly overrated. All my games sound just fine in DirectSound 3D or the lower EAX's. No cracking. No popping. No static. Heck even plain old software 2D sounds better now. I guess Creative Labs didnt want me to enjoy software audio.
Bastards.

EDIT:
The purpose of this thread is to suggest to all the guys who wanna get an overpriced Soundblaster to consider something cheaper, even if its only to experiment.
Newegg will let you return hardware that you just dont like, if its within a certain time frame.

 

[vj8usa]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
that sucker survived for 6 years (I think I got it in '02).

That about says it all. It's not really fair to bash the quality/cost of something that old. Of course the Riviera is cheaper now than the Audigy was 6+ years ago.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: vj8usa

Originally posted by: shortylickens
that sucker survived for 6 years (I think I got it in '02).

That about says it all. It's not really fair to bash the quality/cost of something that old. Of course the Riviera is cheaper now than the Audigy was 6+ years ago.

 

[Denithor]

Did you give your onboard audio a chance before popping in the new card? HD audio has actually gotten quite good in the past year or two.

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: vj8usa

Originally posted by: shortylickens
that sucker survived for 6 years (I think I got it in '02).

That about says it all. It's not really fair to bash the quality/cost of something that old. Of course the Riviera is cheaper now than the Audigy was 6+ years ago.

Yes, it is.
I had crappy audio with games that came out before the card did. And the drivers have always been a pain. You cant wipe them out and install the latest ones fresh from the web. The web updates only allow you to update the ones you have. You are required to install the drivers from the CD first, and those are horrid.
The earlier Soundblasters were MUCH easier, and for all I know the later Audigy & X-Fi driver packages may have been much better too. But Audigy 1 drivers are a huge hassle.

Not to mention the current gen Turtle Beach sound cards are always cheaper than the current gen Creative Labs soundcards. I made the mistake of thinking SB was the way to go for quality gaming audio. Had many problems with it when the thing first debuted, but my computer elitism and brand loyalty made me tough it out. Big fat waste of time. I could have been enjoying good quality audio with fewer headaches for the past 6 years.

Originally posted by: Denithor
Did you give your onboard audio a chance before popping in the new card? HD audio has actually gotten quite good in the past year or two.

When I had a good, high end gaming motherboard I relied on my Audigy.
Recently moved to socket AM2 and got the cheapest motherboard I could find from a brand I recognized (ECS). The onboard audio is crap but that wasnt a suprise. What was a suprise is how nice a really cheap expansion card sounds these days.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: shortylickens

Once upon a time Turtle Beach was an elite brand. I started off with a Turtle Beach Tropez 32, then got a TB Montego, and then a Montego II Quadzilla. They were awesome cards, all 3 of them.

 

[KGB]

Originally posted by: Megatomic

Originally posted by: shortylickens

Once upon a time Turtle Beach was an elite brand. I started off with a Turtle Beach Tropez 32, then got a TB Montego, and then a Montego II Quadzilla. They were awesome cards, all 3 of them.

What... no Santa Cruz? Those were great.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Creative was a good company back in the Soundblaster and Soundblaster Pro days.

These days onboard motherboard audio is fine for 5.1 and most people should just put their money into getting a better set of speakers or a better video card.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: KGBMAN

Originally posted by: Megatomic

Originally posted by: shortylickens

Once upon a time Turtle Beach was an elite brand. I started off with a Turtle Beach Tropez 32, then got a TB Montego, and then a Montego II Quadzilla. They were awesome cards, all 3 of them.

What... no Santa Cruz? Those were great.

Damn I forgot about my Santa Cruz. I had to get rid of it when I got my first nForce2 mobo, they were completely incompatible. But that was NVidia's fault, not Turtle Beach. The versajack was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Megatomic
Damn I forgot about my Santa Cruz.

Grasshopper...
You have been so busy with the business of life, that you have forgotten to seek Tao.

 

[KGB]

Wisdom here there is much.

Yeah, that VersaJack was tits. I think I still have a Santa Cruz in my stash. I'll have to load it up and see if it still holds up.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: Megatomic
Damn I forgot about my Santa Cruz.

Grasshopper...
You have been so busy with the business of life, that you have forgotten to seek Tao.

Wow, someone recognizes my previous persona. Hi Blain!

Yeah, the business of life has been all consuming for a few years. I don't have time to be a hardcore hobbyist any longer.