The **OFFICIAL** Auzentech X-Meridian Thread

[audioguy]

HTPC card? I know that's the market the card is designed for but I think it's gonna be a great card at whatever your doing with it. I think there has been more fanfare with this card then there was with the X-fi...just my opinion...

 

[audioguy]

People in other forums say the cards are on their way. Can't wait to read a review..

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: audioguy
People in other forums say the cards are on their way. Can't wait to read a review..

One can hope Anandtech will review this card...however I doubt they will.

 

[audioguy]

I read on Guru3D a guy has the X-Meridian and he tested it out compared to a Fatal1ty and he states it sounds 100 times better. Who said these cards are Vapour ware? they are arriving at poeple houses as we speak. Looks like Creative is #2 for now. THEY HAVE ARRIVED.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: audioguy
I read on Guru3D a guy has the X-Meridian and he tested it out compared to a Fatal1ty and he states it sounds 100 times better. Who said these cards are Vapour ware? they are arriving at poeple houses as we speak. Looks like Creative is #2 for now. THEY HAVE ARRIVED.

I am waiting for them to arrive at newegg and such...They have waited quite a while to get these cards out I hope they arrive there soon.

That said I would rather have a sound card that works well and released late then have one that doesn't work sooner

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: PurdueRy

Originally posted by: audioguy
People in other forums say the cards are on their way. Can't wait to read a review..

One can hope Anandtech will review this card...however I doubt they will.

Talk to Auzentech, I bet if they sent a X-Meridian to AnandTech it would be reviewed.

 

[audioguy]

I think you would have to ask AnandTech to talk to them and request a sample.

 

[audioguy]

Can anybody tell me if these audio standars are hardware supported or only done through software? it says real-time encoding so?

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: audioguy
Can anybody tell me if these audio standars are hardware supported or only done through software? it says real-time encoding so?

hardware

 

[Raduque]

I would like to see Azunetech do a digital-only Enthusiast HTPC card - strip out all of the analog components leaving on the real-time DDL/DTSc encoder and digital outputs intact. Oh, and sell it for a bit cheaper. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

 

[audioguy]

@Purdue, as u sure as I haven't seen anything that would indicate it was done in hardware. Indeed if you check the specs of the C-8788 it says the software offere these options. So does that mean they are offered thorugh software that controls the hardware? can you explain it please?

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: audioguy
@Purdue, as u sure as I haven't seen anything that would indicate it was done in hardware. Indeed if you check the specs of the C-8788 it says the software offere these options. So does that mean they are offered thorugh software that controls the hardware? can you explain it please?

It is hardware encoding. You can see this in any of the reviews of the X-Plosion as it loses virtually no performance with encoding enabled.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829156002

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: Raduque
I would like to see Azunetech do a digital-only Enthusiast HTPC card - strip out all of the analog components leaving on the real-time DDL/DTSc encoder and digital outputs intact. Oh, and sell it for a bit cheaper. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

Yes, ditch the fussy analog crap but also the encoder. Enthusiast audio should not suffer compression but rather sport HDMI for up to 8ch PCM output to the receiver.

Originally posted by: PurdueRy

It is hardware encoding. You can see this in any of the reviews of the X-Plosion as it loses virtually no performance with encoding enabled.

Not really an indication though since it is not CPU intensive. AC3 Filter, ffdshow and redocneXk only use a few percent of an olde tyme CPU like mine to encode.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: Auric

Originally posted by: Raduque
I would like to see Azunetech do a digital-only Enthusiast HTPC card - strip out all of the analog components leaving on the real-time DDL/DTSc encoder and digital outputs intact. Oh, and sell it for a bit cheaper. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

Yes, ditch the fussy analog crap but also the encoder. Enthusiast audio should not suffer compression but rather sport HDMI for up to 8ch PCM output to the receiver.

Originally posted by: PurdueRy

It is hardware encoding. You can see this in any of the reviews of the X-Plosion as it loses virtually no performance with encoding enabled.

Not really an indication though since it is not CPU intensive. AC3 Filter, ffdshow and redocneXk only use a few percent of an olde tyme CPU like mine to encode.

Yes, however, this is where I got my information that it is hardware...I suppose you could read it differently.

What we see is that the different encoding methods don?t seem to affect the framerate very much at all with the X-Plosion. This is excellent, and what we would expect to see with a hardware encoding solution.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/sound/363/7/

 

[audioguy]

Thx, I read a little while back you stated to change the opamps with something that would provide atleast as good sound quality as the X-fi's these cards have BETTER specs's than a X-fi. From what I have read anyway. Alot of people keep comparing these to X-fi's and wonder about gaming but I think they are missing the point. This card while you can use it for gaming it isn't really meant for that niche. It's more for HT guys or guys that just want the best sound quality for there PC....just my opinion though.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Originally posted by: audioguy
Thx, I read a little while back you stated to change the opamps with something that would provide atleast as good sound quality as the X-fi's these cards have BETTER specs's than a X-fi. From what I have read anyway. Alot of people keep comparing these to X-fi's and wonder about gaming but I think they are missing the point. This card while you can use it for gaming it isn't really meant for that niche. It's more for HT guys or guys that just want the best sound quality for there PC....just my opinion though.

i don't see any reason why these cards shouln't be used to play vid games.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler

Originally posted by: audioguy
Thx, I read a little while back you stated to change the opamps with something that would provide atleast as good sound quality as the X-fi's these cards have BETTER specs's than a X-fi. From what I have read anyway. Alot of people keep comparing these to X-fi's and wonder about gaming but I think they are missing the point. This card while you can use it for gaming it isn't really meant for that niche. It's more for HT guys or guys that just want the best sound quality for there PC....just my opinion though.

i don't see any reason why these cards shouln't be used to play vid games.

EAX support...that's the reason. Alot of games use EAX to produce environental effects.

 

[Howard]

foobar2000 + xover plugin + 7-channel sound card + 6.1 receiver = EASY fully actively-crossed stereo 3-way speakers plus discrete mono sub

Now to see if the xover plugin works with DDL/DTS Connect...

 

[The Boston Dangler]

I ditched SB a year ago, and haven't missed them at all. FEAR is a very audio-intensive game, and my on-board Realtek places enemy footsteps very accurately and realistically with EAX 2.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
I ditched SB a year ago, and haven't missed them at all. FEAR is a very audio-intensive game, and my on-board Realtek places enemy footsteps very accurately and realistically with EAX 2.

Actually, speaking of that The Tech Report has an interesting rundown between a Realtek and Analog Devices codec. It seems the Realtek really sucks at EAX in their tests.

 

[Auric]

Creative and ADI partnered a couple years ago to offer the former's proprietary enchancements via software on the latter's host-based audio. For $20 it isn't particularly good value versus a cheap Audigy DSP card in my opine, but for those otherwise content with what came with their mobo it is the only other way to get better than EAX 2.

 

[audioguy]

Wouldn't FEar use like EAX 4 or 5? or do games use whatever EAX routines they can use. I mean even if a Game uses EAX 4 or 5, would it still use the simple routines of EAX 2? is that how it works?

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: audioguy
Wouldn't FEar use like EAX 4 or 5? or do games use whatever EAX routines they can use. I mean even if a Game uses EAX 4 or 5, would it still use the simple routines of EAX 2? is that how it works?

Yes I believe that is how it works

 

[audioguy]

So with the X-Meridian you wouldn't have the muti env. rendering and the evr. morphing of EAX3,4 But you would still have basic reverb and occulsions
obstruction and exclusion. so really that's not bad for gamers.
you have to have a X-fi to get EAX 5.0

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: audioguy
So with the X-Meridian you wouldn't have the muti env. rendering and the evr. morphing of EAX3,4 But you would still have basic reverb and occulsions
obstruction and exclusion. so really that's not bad for gamers.
you have to have a X-fi to get EAX 5.0

Exactly