Win 7 + SB XFi = Distortion?

[Locut0s]

Is there anyone out there using Windows 7 with a Sound Blaster XFi card? I have the Sound Blaster XFi Gamer card. I'm using Creative's Win7 beta driver (only one version last time I looked). I've noticed a problem whereby I must keep the Windows Mixer master volume level below 50% or else everything sounds really distorted, like playing through blown speakers. If I keep it turned down and turn the volume up on my speakers or headphones it's OK. It's like Windows is severely amplifying the sound somewhere along the line in the audio stack to the point where it's clipping the waveform.

Anyone experienced this?

 

[alevasseur14]

I have a somewhat similar problem with Vista x64. Vista and 7have similar audio stacks so our problems could be related.. I'm not sure my problem is connected to Mixer volume, though. My audio will get really distorted if I leave the computer on for long periods of time or have just woken it up from sleep. Sometimes it fixes itself but not very often, forcing a restart.

I'm out of town for the weekend but will try turning down the Mixer volume when I get home Monday morning and see if it helps with the issue.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

I've had nothing but problems with Sound Blaster drivers in Windows 7 64-bit. The best solution I've found so far is to use the X-Fi support pack, an unofficial driver pack. Problem is it installs a ton of software packages on your PC. With my latest Windows 7 install I finally decided to throw in the towel and use my on board sound, which worked perfectly from day one.

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
I've had nothing but problems with Sound Blaster drivers in Windows 7 64-bit. The best solution I've found so far is to use the X-Fi support pack, an unofficial driver pack. Problem is it installs a ton of software packages on your PC. With my latest Windows 7 install I finally decided to throw in the towel and use my on board sound, which worked perfectly from day one.

Now that they have brought the entire audio stack into software bypassing any hardware there is much less left to distinguish the different sound card makes.

I'm sure the execs at Creative took a huge shit when they saw what MS was going to do. I.E. basically kill the Sound Blaster as it had been up till that point.

 

[pcslookout]

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
I've had nothing but problems with Sound Blaster drivers in Windows 7 64-bit. The best solution I've found so far is to use the X-Fi support pack, an unofficial driver pack. Problem is it installs a ton of software packages on your PC. With my latest Windows 7 install I finally decided to throw in the towel and use my on board sound, which worked perfectly from day one.

Now that they have brought the entire audio stack into software bypassing any hardware there is much less left to distinguish the different sound card makes.

I'm sure the execs at Creative took a huge shit when they saw what MS was going to do. I.E. basically kill the Sound Blaster as it had been up till that point.

Creative deserves it for their horrible drivers.

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: pcslookout

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
I've had nothing but problems with Sound Blaster drivers in Windows 7 64-bit. The best solution I've found so far is to use the X-Fi support pack, an unofficial driver pack. Problem is it installs a ton of software packages on your PC. With my latest Windows 7 install I finally decided to throw in the towel and use my on board sound, which worked perfectly from day one.

Now that they have brought the entire audio stack into software bypassing any hardware there is much less left to distinguish the different sound card makes.

I'm sure the execs at Creative took a huge shit when they saw what MS was going to do. I.E. basically kill the Sound Blaster as it had been up till that point.

Creative deserves it for their horrible drivers.

This is true.

 

[ViRGE]

I'm not having any such issue with an XtremeMusic under Win7.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Bookshelf speakers paired with decent receiver, or Altec Lansing Gamer Multimedia Computer Desktop Speaker System?

Digital out, or AC '97 great awesome 7.1 analog out?

The soundcard is mattering less and less.

 

[nerp]

Many onboard solutions have equal or better s/n ratios as the creative cards. And there are many semipro and pro audio cards with much better quality, higher quality oscillators and better drivers for the same price, cheaper, or only slightly more expensive. Case in point is the M-Audio Audiophile 2496.

 

[evident]

no problems w/ my xfi elite pro and w7.

protip though: make sure that your microphone playback is muted. i had a slight buzz coming from the speakers and didn't know what it was, and thought it was the drivers. i even tually found out that my speakers were playing back everything coming into the mic.

 

[Rhonda the Sly]

I have a somewhat similar problem with Vista x64. Vista and 7have similar audio stacks so our problems could be related.. I'm not sure my problem is connected to Mixer volume, though. My audio will get really distorted if I leave the computer on for long periods of time or have just woken it up from sleep. Sometimes it fixes itself but not very often, forcing a restart.

I have a similar problem with my Audigy 2 ZS with Windows 7. To solve my problem without a restart I open the Sound CPL object then Disable and Enable my speaker output, the audio is then restored to normal.

This is a problem I encountered only after installing the Audigy 2, I plan to remove it whenever I can pull myself off my arse. As everyone has already stated, unless you're an audiophile soundcards really don't matter much anymore.

 

[Scotteq]

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
I've had nothing but problems with Sound Blaster drivers in Windows 7 64-bit. The best solution I've found so far is to use the X-Fi support pack, an unofficial driver pack. Problem is it installs a ton of software packages on your PC. With my latest Windows 7 install I finally decided to throw in the towel and use my on board sound, which worked perfectly from day one.

Now that they have brought the entire audio stack into software bypassing any hardware there is much less left to distinguish the different sound card makes.

I'm sure the execs at Creative got a huge grin on their faces when they saw they could kill the Sound Blaster through the simple (and FREE!) act of not providing drivers, force all their customers to buy new cards, thereby making more money from selling more product to the same individuals they already sold to. *And* get to blame the whole mess on Microsoft.

Fixed