Sound card recommendations, please...

[oddity21]

I just built a new rig a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, getting a 8800GTX meant no sound card. Now, with muffled sounds in Oblivion on anything higher than basic acceleration, I think I've had it with this SoundMAX ****.

Any tips? I use a headphone, BTW. Plays lots of games. A bit of music from time to time.

No sub-$100 X-Fi cards for me though. Those aren't available in my country (yet?).

 

[stretchy pants]

well, i dont know your price limitations, but if i were to suggest anything to you it would be the xtreme music X-Fi. has fantastic headphone support for games, supports up to EAX 5 and OpenAL which is going to become more and more important as Vista gets closer.

 

[Brian48]

Plays lots of games. A bit of music from time to time.

The X-Fi has the better headphone support, but if you can't get that, I'd recommend any card in the Audigy2 series. Don't bother with the Audigy 1.

 

[lobbyone]

I can only think of X-FI and Auzentech's Xplosion/Meridian...

 

[Boyo]

Either the X-FI series or it money is an issue anything from the Audigy 2 series. That's your best bet.

 

[SonicIce]

how much worse is audigy 2 than audigy 2 zs?

 

[DaneGuy]

EMU-1212 - Friggin love it. Best for stereo/mp3 listening. Don't know about games.

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: SonicIce
how much worse is audigy 2 than audigy 2 zs?

Much, IMO, I love my 2 ZS. I have an X-Fi and the 5.1 headphone thing is truly amazing but the SW that came with the 2 ZS is so superior to the X-fi crap. I used to use the echo 2 tap on the 2 ZS for mixing and djing and equivalent on the X-fi is utter crap.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Creative is pretty much the stadard for gaming. Some flavor of A2 is probably the way to go.

 

[Seekermeister]

Audigy 2 ZS Platinum

 

[stelios4]

x-fi platinum is the bang 4 the buck