My review of the Turtle Beach Riviera

[Acanthus]

The Turtle Beach Riviera is a CMI8738/AC97 based soundcard that goes for about $30 at online merchants. I recently ordered one to replace my Creative Soundblaster Extigy (compatiblity problems with I865/I875 and win2k pro SP4).

Features:
-5.1 surround support
-Optical out
-24bit recording and playback
-EAX 1 and 2 support, A3D support

My Experience:
-Drivers: Website is hard to navigate to find any drivers that arent win98/ME/NT4, used default driver from windowsupdate.
-Runs decent in OGL and D3D based games sounds are bit muffled compared to extigy.
-MP3 playback is very poor, muffled and frequent pops and backround noise during playback. Completely unacceptable.
-Recording and playback: muffled and poor quality, even at maximum settings

My verdict:
-Not even worth its $30 price tag, most integrated audio will match its quality and performance (CMI8738/AC97 is actually a very common combination on mobos with integrated sound).

Question for other ATers: What is the best non-creative card out there? Im trying to avoid the bloatware drivers where i have to install media players just to modify some features without going into the registry I know the M-Audio Revolution 7.1 is similar in SNR but i cant find many reviews on it. Chaintech also has an VIA Envy24 based card on newegg for around $30, anyone have any experience with that?

 

[Nebor]

The Prodigy 7.1 if you're looking for a non-creative gaming\music card. For music alone, a Chaintech should suffice.

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: Nebor
The Prodigy 7.1 if you're looking for a non-creative gaming\music card. For music alone, a Chaintech should suffice.

What chip is the prodigy based on?

 

[stevty2889]

I am using an M-audio Revolution. It is excelent for listening to music/DVD's, and not bad in games either.
I have also used a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz, which was an excelent card, although I guess it's a bit out of date now. The new turtle beach cards are no where near as good.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Acanthus

Originally posted by: Nebor
The Prodigy 7.1 if you're looking for a non-creative gaming\music card. For music alone, a Chaintech should suffice.

What chip is the prodigy based on?

The VIA Envy. The drivers are the best of any VIA based sound card.

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: stevty2889
I am using an M-audio Revolution. It is excelent for listening to music/DVD's, and not bad in games either.
I have also used a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz, which was an excelent card, although I guess it's a bit out of date now. The new turtle beach cards are no where near as good.

AFAIK, Turtle Beach only made a new one because the old codec chip they used had stopped production.

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: Acanthus

Originally posted by: Nebor
The Prodigy 7.1 if you're looking for a non-creative gaming\music card. For music alone, a Chaintech should suffice.

What chip is the prodigy based on?

The VIA Envy. The drivers are the best of any VIA based sound card.

Ill have to look into that, ive heard a lot about the Envy chip being every bit as good as an audigy2 in quality, and a monkey with a palmpilot could write better drivers than creative...