Using Original Live Drive w/Audigy 2?

[topaz22]

Does anyone know if this combination works?

 

[BoomAM]

Probably, buts its unsupported by creative labs.

 

[AndyHui]

No. Creative made some major changes to the pinout for the Audigy 2 card.

The original Live Drive will work with the Audigy 1.

The original Live Drive will NOT work with the Audigy 2.

 

[topaz22]

Thanks. I recently got an audigy 2 for my gaming system and after hearing the difference between it and my old sblive, I started contemplating updating the recording rig (sblive platinum) with an audigy 2, but the platinum is a bit pricey. I may consider just getting the audigy 1 now, but there's something unsettling about getting a "version 1" piece of hardware when a "version 2" exists.

Is there somewhere on creative's site where I can verify this information before i purchase an audigy? otherwise, i may just go for the audigy 2 platinum.
thanks!

 

[AndyHui]

Harvey Fong from Creative confirmed this in the Creative newsgroups.

The Audigy 2 is not compatible with all previous Live Drives.

The Audigy 2 has significantly better sound quality than the Audigy 1, so buying the Audigy 1 is not recommended.

 

[BoomAM]

AndyHui,
the Audigy2 is only superior to Audigy 1 in high quality recording and editing. Games, DVDs, Music, thus far arnt encoded to take advantage of the extra quality(some DVDs are). So there will be no difference. If topaz2 is in to high quality recording, then i suggest something else for the sound card.

The are specifics to the differences between Audigy1 and Audigy2 in this thread.
Here

 

[AndyHui]

Subjective listening tests held at other sites clearly indicate that the sound output is of higher quality than the Audigy 1.

xbit labs review

 

[BoomAM]

As ive said. Most tasks that the Audigy2 will be used for, dont take advantage of the extra quality.
Plus the extra quality will only be just noticable with some £500 Klipsch Speakers.
Lets be honest, out of the whole of the member of the anandtech forums, how many of them will spend over £300 on some speakers? I`m willing to bet that less than 5% will dish out that sort of money for their PC speakers.

Look, im not here to argue with you, all im saying is that the Audigy2 isnt all that better than the Audigy1. Its not all that its cracked upto be.
If youre into very high quality sound editing, then sure, the Audigy2 would be better than the Audigy1, but if you were, wouldnt you get another sound card? Something thats bein designed from the ground up to be a Sound Editing Solution?
And most of the new stuff, like CMSS enhansed, are software baced and can be very easyly added to the Audigy1`s list of features.