• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

My X-Fi is so amazing that...

StrangerGuy

StrangerGuy

Diamond Member
The microphone works when it's plugged into the OPTICAL port, but not when its plugged to the standard pink mic jack.

All hail the brilliant engineering by Creative.
 
switch the microphone output to "microphone" in the Creative Console Launcher.

I'm like 70% sure this will fix your problem.
 
I love my X-Fi! Digital SPDIF out at 96KHz using a 24-bit 96KHz default source through my primary GTX 285 and into my TV with a single HDMI connection. Digital Bitstream out using the Dolby Digital Live encoder for a 5.1 audio signal. X-Fi CMSS-3D and X-Fi Crystalizer working flawlessly on top of that with fully dedicated hardware processing. I pitty the fools who think their motherboard's on board audio is just as good. Simpletons they are!
 
Last edited:
AdamK47 said:
I love my X-Fi! Digital SPDIF out at 96KHz through my primary GTX 285 and into my TV using a single HDMI connection. Digital Bitstream out using the Dolby Digital Live encoder for a 5.1 audio signal. X-Fi CMSS-3D and X-Fi Crystalizer working flawlessly on top of that with fully dedicated hardware processing. I pitty the fools who think their motherboards on board audio is just as good. Simpletons they are!
Click to expand...

For those of us with mediocre computer speakers, it doesn't make a big difference. I have $50 computer speakers.
 
Leros said:
For those of us with mediocre computer speakers, it doesn't make a big difference. I have $50 computer speakers.
Click to expand...

$50 can get you a pair of headphones that will easily show the resolution difference between on-board and X-Fi, provided the music source is good enough 🙂 And the X-Fi is much less noisy than on-board. I used my onboard when I was modding my X-Fi (adding opamps... that actually failed pretty terribly) and I immediately heard the extra noise, especially during HDD access and mouse movement. It sucked.
 
saying the xfi is better than onboard is not by any means justification for it. as an expensive stand alone soundcard, the xfi is expertly crafted from 100% fail. you can get the same improvement over onboard sound for about $20...and it may actually be better, if you're one of the many that experiences driver issues with the creative card.
 
brblx said:
saying the xfi is better than onboard is not by any means justification for it. as an expensive stand alone soundcard, the xfi is expertly crafted from 100% fail. you can get the same improvement over onboard sound for about $20...and it may actually be better, if you're one of the many that experiences driver issues with the creative card.
Click to expand...

Of course not, but the fact that I have an X-Fi doesn't mean that my sound situation sucks 😛. I wouldn't recommend an X-Fi to anyone in the sound card market today, but if they have one, it's worth popping it in. Besides, I only paid $50 for my XtremeMusic, which is a fine deal for a good-sounding sound card after switching out opamps. Creative drivers have been mostly fine for me. They were a pain to set up, but that was probably because I have an OEM version, which doesn't play nice with the default drivers.
 
Aflac said:
$50 can get you a pair of headphones that will easily show the resolution difference between on-board and X-Fi, provided the music source is good enough 🙂 And the X-Fi is much less noisy than on-board. I used my onboard when I was modding my X-Fi (adding opamps... that actually failed pretty terribly) and I immediately heard the extra noise, especially during HDD access and mouse movement. It sucked.
Click to expand...

The X-Fi (at least mine) has slightly noticable distortion using the analog connection. The digital connection the SPDIF is perfect. I can't detect any distortion using this connection and my Sennheiser HD 280 Pros. I want to get the Sennheiser HD 600s, but I don't have $500 to plop down for them right now.
 
Aflac said:
$50 can get you a pair of headphones that will easily show the resolution difference between on-board and X-Fi, provided the music source is good enough 🙂 And the X-Fi is much less noisy than on-board. I used my onboard when I was modding my X-Fi (adding opamps... that actually failed pretty terribly) and I immediately heard the extra noise, especially during HDD access and mouse movement. It sucked.
Click to expand...

That's good and all. I do have nice headphones, but I don't want to wear them all the time.
 
AdamK47 said:
The X-Fi (at least mine) has slightly noticable distortion using the analog connection. The digital connection the SPDIF is perfect. I can't detect any distortion using this connection and my Sennheiser HD 280 Pros. I want to get the Sennheiser HD 600s, but I don't have $500 to plop down for them right now.
Click to expand...

I'm confused. How do you connect 3.5mm to SPDIF?
 
AdamK47 said:
The X-Fi (at least mine) has slightly noticable distortion using the analog connection. The digital connection the SPDIF is perfect. I can't detect any distortion using this connection and my Sennheiser HD 280 Pros. I want to get the Sennheiser HD 600s, but I don't have $500 to plop down for them right now.
Click to expand...

hd600's for $500? lrn2shop

<snobby audiophile>lol at people that think x-fi/creative's are high end or audiophile quality. </snobby audiophile>

:3
 
uhohs said:
hd600's for $500? lrn2shop

<snobby audiophile>lol at people that think x-fi/creative's are high end or audiophile quality. </snobby audiophile>

:3
Click to expand...

The $500 price is what I saw on Sennheisers site. I know now that you can get them much much cheaper.

I also know that the X-Fi isn't ultra high end or anything like that. They are really great for gaming with Crystalizer and CMSS-3D. It works well at encoding a 5.1 audio source for headphone use while gaming.
 
Last edited:
uhohs said:
hd600's for $500? lrn2shop

<snobby audiophile>lol at people that think x-fi/creative's are high end or audiophile quality. </snobby audiophile>

:3
Click to expand...

are you yourself an audio snob, sir? i'm a bit of one. mostly car audio and notsomuch home stuff, though. i've got a pair of ~$80 audio technica monitors that do quite well for critical listening, but they're not as lively as most audiophile cans. i'd like to move up to maybe a $150-200 pair. preferably something that can run without an expensive amp. (but i can afford to build a wussy cmoy 😀)

anyway- what sound card would you recommend? i have some $20 generic via chipset card right now that provides decent, clean, sound, and i've yet to find anything that's really an improvement. x-fi certainly isn't it, i hucked one of those straight into the garbage a couple years ago.
 
Last edited:
brblx said:
are you yourself an audio snob, sir? i'm a bit of one. mostly car audio and notsomuch home stuff, though. i've got a pair of ~$80 audio technica monitors that do quite well for critical listening, but they're not as lively as most audiophile cans.

anyway- what sound card would you recommend? i have some $20 generic via chipset card right now that provides decent, clean, sound, and i've yet to find anything that's really an improvement. x-fi certainly isn't it, i hucked one of those straight into the garbage a couple years ago.
Click to expand...

If you just want it for music, an external DAC/amp combo might be the best way to go. A few years ago, the AlienDAC was a good cheap DIY way to do this through USB; I'm not sure what options are available now, though. If you want a soundcard, I believe Auzentech and Asus (Xonar series) were some good choices off the top of my head.

Lurk around at Head-Fi for more stuff:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f46/
 
yeah, the standard/typical head-fi advice would be to get an external dac. something that would connect to the digital/optical out or usb. there's a lot of lower priced <$200 dac's these days that get favorable reviews, so there's plenty of options. I've heard good things about the DIY gamma1 dac, but haven't tried it myself. the barebones usb input only version usually shows up on the Forsale board for <$100. good luck on researching, there's too much info to sift through. 🙁
 
brblx said:
are you yourself an audio snob, sir? i'm a bit of one. mostly car audio and notsomuch home stuff, though. i've got a pair of ~$80 audio technica monitors that do quite well for critical listening, but they're not as lively as most audiophile cans. i'd like to move up to maybe a $150-200 pair. preferably something that can run without an expensive amp. (but i can afford to build a wussy cmoy 😀)

anyway- what sound card would you recommend? i have some $20 generic via chipset card right now that provides decent, clean, sound, and i've yet to find anything that's really an improvement. x-fi certainly isn't it, i hucked one of those straight into the garbage a couple years ago.
Click to expand...

Turtle Beach used to make some great, cheap sound cards. However, their driver support is literally non-existent. Creative puts them to shame.
 
Are there any other sound cards that have a graphic EQ built into the driver, so that you have a system-wide EQ? See, this is why I like my X-Fi. The only other sound card that had this was a crappy on-board sound card, which sounded HORRIBLE... and the EQ that the drivers had didn't work at all. Just made it sound worse.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top