Sound Card advice needed

[CurseTheSky]

I'm building a decently high-end computer, but I'm not sure what sound card I want to put in it. Right now, I'm debating between the X-Fi XtremeMusic, X-Fi XtremeGamer, and X-Fi Platinum. The focus is on cost, sound quality, and gaming performance.

Does the X-RAM on the XtremeGamer really offer a noticeable performance boost in the games that use it?

Does the Platinum offer any sound quality boosts over the XtremeMusic, or just the extra 5.25" front panel?

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks for any input.

 

[John]

[*]X-Ram is a joke (IMHO) and only a couple of games show a marginal benefit from it (BF1942 comes to mind)
[*]The Xtreme music and platinum use the same card. Platinum offers the front bay.

 

[Howard]

What kind of connectivity do you need?

 

[myocardia]

Get the XtremeMusic, if you can't find any Audigy2 ZS's.

 

[CurseTheSky]

All I need are regular speaker ports for 5.1 speakers. I don't need optical, or anything fancy - it's just going to be a regular rig, not a studio or home theatre machine.

I don't really have much use for the front panel, though the remote would be nice (too bad 90% of the reviews said the remote was a piece of crap / died within days), but the cards are only about $10-20 apart right now. If the price drops any more, I might just grab the Platinum for the hell of it... maybe even to sell the front bay later on to an XtremeMusic user.

 

[Spikesoldier]

Originally posted by: myocardia
Get the XtremeMusic, if you can't find any Audigy2 ZS's.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Note that for the factors "sound quality" and "gaming performance", the sound quality portion of your final result is going to be very dependent on what kind of speakers you use. That's going to make more of a difference than choosing between X-Fi cards, or even X-Fi vs. another decent soundcard.

I just mention this because some people pair up the midrange X-Fi cards with $40 speaker sets. What are you using?

For gaming performance, I think with cost being a factor, the XtremeMusic is your best bet. I'm not sure how good the current deals are, but ~$70AR has been a good price in the past on the card.

Is that Audigy 2 ZS what you're using now a possibility, or is that staying in a different computer? If you already have the A2 ZS, you might want to just stick with that and put your money elsewhere in the system (especially if you don't have a nice set of headphones/speakers alreay).

 

[CurseTheSky]

Right now I'm using Logitech X-530 5.1 speakers. They're not the best, but for the price, they're not bad. I also have $40 pair of Sony headphones that I picked up a while back... best quality non-studio headphones that I've ever owned. Unfortunately I don't have a model number.

The computer in my signature is already sold. I still have it for the moment, but the cash I got from it ($1500, tower only / no operating system - not too bad considering it's a year old). No chance of taking the ZS out now.

I may also be looking into these speakers if I can sell the ones I have for a decent price.

The main reason I'm going with the X-Fi is because I just built a computer for my brother (E6600, P5B Deluxe WiFi) with one. It was only the XtremeMusic, but I did notice a decent sound quality difference between it and my ZS for a few games. His rig is also using X-530 speakers, so no difference there.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky
The computer in my signature is already sold. I still have it for the moment, but the cash I got from it ($1500, tower only / no operating system - not too bad considering it's a year old). No chance of taking the ZS out now.

How did you manage that? Isn't that computer only worth about half that for new parts?

 

[CurseTheSky]

Today it is, yes. When I built it, the total cost was around $2200 for computer / monitor / speakers / operating system.

Basically, I sold it to someone who isn't in to custom built computers at all. They asked what I originally paid for it, asked about how much I would have paid without the monitor, speakers, and OS, and offered that much back to me.

I even advised them that they could get a better, more current system from Dell or similar places, but they really wanted this one. Maybe they were just doing me a favor, or maybe it was the shiney components or flashy blue lights that got them.

Either way, I'm happy, they're happy, everything's good.

 

[Ika]

I believe the Xtreme Music and the Elite Pro aren't the same card. IIRC, the Elite Pro uses a better-quality DAC, so you'd get better sound from it. Not sure how noticeable it is, though, as I've never heard and X-Fi at all.

 

[Xed]

Is the Xtremegamer basically the Xtrememusic with x-ram thrown in? Or did they skimp on the quality and use the x-ram to jack up the price?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Aflac
I believe the Xtreme Music and the Platinum aren't the same card. IIRC, the Platinum uses a better-quality DAC, so you'd get better sound from it. Not sure how noticeable it is, though, as I've never heard and X-Fi at all.

I thought the Elite was the one with the better DACs

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Aflac
I believe the Xtreme Music and the Platinum aren't the same card. IIRC, the Platinum uses a better-quality DAC, so you'd get better sound from it. Not sure how noticeable it is, though, as I've never heard and X-Fi at all.

I thought the Elite was the one with the better DACs

You're right, I got mixed up in my X-Fi models. Edited.

 

[imported_wicka]

What's the deal with all the different X-Fi models? Do they really sound better or do the more expensive ones just have added features (like that control box and remote)?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Aflac

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Aflac
I believe the Xtreme Music and the Platinum aren't the same card. IIRC, the Platinum uses a better-quality DAC, so you'd get better sound from it. Not sure how noticeable it is, though, as I've never heard and X-Fi at all.

I thought the Elite was the one with the better DACs

You're right, I got mixed up in my X-Fi models. Edited.

And if he got the Elite to go with x-530s I think I'd have to protest this thread :laugh:

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: wicka
What's the deal with all the different X-Fi models? Do they really sound better or do the more expensive ones just have added features (like that control box and remote)?

I haven't looked at the newer models yet, but I think I have a grasp of the original four.

Basic summary goes something like this
Xtreme Music gets you the basic card
Platinum gets you the front drive bay
Fata1ty gets you a front drive bay and 64mb x-ram
Elite gets you an external box, better quality DACs, and still has 64mb x-ram

Now that there are more models, I should look into those differences too.

 

[Rubycon]

Yes the Elite Pro has better DAC's and correspondingly superior noise floors both ways. All the issues I had with 64bit XP went away when I moved it from an NF4 based S939 system to a 975 based LGA775 system. It's a decent setup for the money but definitely a waste for most users including enthusiast types.

I agree the X-Ram is about as useful as a physics processor. Personally I think a chemistry processor would be useful. :laugh:

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Yes the Elite Pro has better DAC's and correspondingly superior noise floors both ways. All the issues I had with 64bit XP went away when I moved it from an NF4 based S939 system to a 975 based LGA775 system. It's a decent setup for the money but definitely a waste for most users including enthusiast types.

I agree the X-Ram is about as useful as a physics processor. Personally I think a chemistry processor would be useful. :laugh:

I found a new graph for you

https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/spmclaughlin/web/Random/lol-xfi_graph.jpg

 

[imported_wicka]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Yes the Elite Pro has better DAC's and correspondingly superior noise floors both ways. All the issues I had with 64bit XP went away when I moved it from an NF4 based S939 system to a 975 based LGA775 system. It's a decent setup for the money but definitely a waste for most users including enthusiast types.

I agree the X-Ram is about as useful as a physics processor. Personally I think a chemistry processor would be useful. :laugh:

I found a new graph for you

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/spmclaughlin/web/Random/lol-xfi_graph.jpg">https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/spmclaughlin/web/Random/lol-xfi_graph.jpg</a>

Damn, I was just going to post that graph to showcase Creative's very scientific comparison.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: wicka

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Yes the Elite Pro has better DAC's and correspondingly superior noise floors both ways. All the issues I had with 64bit XP went away when I moved it from an NF4 based S939 system to a 975 based LGA775 system. It's a decent setup for the money but definitely a waste for most users including enthusiast types.

I agree the X-Ram is about as useful as a physics processor. Personally I think a chemistry processor would be useful. :laugh:

I found a new graph for you

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/spmclaughlin/web/Random/lol-xfi_graph.jpg"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/spmclaughlin/web/Random/lol-xfi_graph.jpg">https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/spmclaughlin/web/Random/lol-xfi_graph.jpg</a></a>

Damn, I was just going to post that graph to showcase Creative's very scientific comparison.

They missed an opportunity, they could have labeled the y-axis X-perience.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

They missed an opportunity, they could have labeled the y-axis X-perience.

Those axes really depend on which way the users' bottom side is when he or she sleeps. :laugh:

 

[CurseTheSky]

There's no way I'm getting the Elite. Even though the price has dropped considerably (below $300, compared to almost $400 a while back), it would be like supercharging a Geo Tracker... :disgust:

Now I just have to decide whether or not to gamble with the X-RAM (newer games MAY find uses for it, you never know), or whether or not the front panel / POS remote is worth the $10 more to me...

Hmm... decisions, decisions.

 

[imported_wicka]

(ignore me)

 

[imported_wicka]

Does anyone know if there is a real sound quality difference between the (non-Fati1islasresdity) Xtreme Gamer and Xtreme Audio? The Xtreme Audio is only like $65...