x-fi: when?

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Frackal

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Frackal
I'm running SPDIF digital coax from X-FI to Logitech breakout box which does DD...is that just as good/same thing?

Jebus, don't upgrade to a Fatal1ty then like you're planning.

You can't even get surround sound in games with the connection method you're doing.

The Logitech breakout box can only do DD when it gets an AC3 stream that was already encoded for DD. DVD movies are encoded with AC3 soundtracks which gives each speaker its own track to play. In games, sound is not encoded ahead of time because the sound info is dynamic and changes according to whats going on.

So, if you're outputting digitally, the X-Fi is only taking the FR and FL sound info and giving that to your speakers.

You can get nice 2 channel digital sound from it, but you can get that from a $30 soundcard too.

If all your speakers are playing, then you have something like Pro Logic II enabled. This is a sound processing that your control pod is doing that takes the stereo signal input to it and fakes surround out of it.

If you're gaming with your X-Fi, use analog. If you're doing music, use analog too while you're at it because sending digital out is just having your Logitech Control pod do the sound processing.

It's like buying a 7800gt and then running your monitor off your onboard video.

No man, I use the 3 wire analog for gaming, of course.

I have an SPDIF also that I use for watching Dolby Digital movies

Just let your X-Fi do everything. The DACs are still better in the soundcard by far, so let it do the work.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: chrisrod01
You can only get them at bestbuy dude NOwhere else not even creative.com weird aint it ?

It's called an exclusive; for whatever reason Best Buy has(purchased) an exclusive on the card for a few weeks.:Q

 

[Polish3d]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Frackal

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Frackal
I'm running SPDIF digital coax from X-FI to Logitech breakout box which does DD...is that just as good/same thing?

Jebus, don't upgrade to a Fatal1ty then like you're planning.

You can't even get surround sound in games with the connection method you're doing.

The Logitech breakout box can only do DD when it gets an AC3 stream that was already encoded for DD. DVD movies are encoded with AC3 soundtracks which gives each speaker its own track to play. In games, sound is not encoded ahead of time because the sound info is dynamic and changes according to whats going on.

So, if you're outputting digitally, the X-Fi is only taking the FR and FL sound info and giving that to your speakers.

You can get nice 2 channel digital sound from it, but you can get that from a $30 soundcard too.

If all your speakers are playing, then you have something like Pro Logic II enabled. This is a sound processing that your control pod is doing that takes the stereo signal input to it and fakes surround out of it.

If you're gaming with your X-Fi, use analog. If you're doing music, use analog too while you're at it because sending digital out is just having your Logitech Control pod do the sound processing.

It's like buying a 7800gt and then running your monitor off your onboard video.

No man, I use the 3 wire analog for gaming, of course.

I have an SPDIF also that I use for watching Dolby Digital movies

Just let your X-Fi do everything. The DACs are still better in the soundcard by far, so let it do the work.

So you mean in the case of watching movies in digital audio, use the internal Dolby converters and let it play over the analog connection?

ie, do not select "SPDIF passthrough" for the decoder and listen to it w/ the 6 channel analog?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Frackal

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Frackal

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Frackal
I'm running SPDIF digital coax from X-FI to Logitech breakout box which does DD...is that just as good/same thing?

Jebus, don't upgrade to a Fatal1ty then like you're planning.

You can't even get surround sound in games with the connection method you're doing.

The Logitech breakout box can only do DD when it gets an AC3 stream that was already encoded for DD. DVD movies are encoded with AC3 soundtracks which gives each speaker its own track to play. In games, sound is not encoded ahead of time because the sound info is dynamic and changes according to whats going on.

So, if you're outputting digitally, the X-Fi is only taking the FR and FL sound info and giving that to your speakers.

You can get nice 2 channel digital sound from it, but you can get that from a $30 soundcard too.

If all your speakers are playing, then you have something like Pro Logic II enabled. This is a sound processing that your control pod is doing that takes the stereo signal input to it and fakes surround out of it.

If you're gaming with your X-Fi, use analog. If you're doing music, use analog too while you're at it because sending digital out is just having your Logitech Control pod do the sound processing.

It's like buying a 7800gt and then running your monitor off your onboard video.

No man, I use the 3 wire analog for gaming, of course.

I have an SPDIF also that I use for watching Dolby Digital movies

Just let your X-Fi do everything. The DACs are still better in the soundcard by far, so let it do the work.

So you mean in the case of watching movies in digital audio, use the internal Dolby converters and let it play over the analog connection?

ie, do not select "SPDIF passthrough" for the decoder and listen to it w/ the 6 channel analog?

Right. The card is excellent at analog output and that's why you bought it. Let it do its thing and just have the z-5500s be an amp and speakers for it.

(Or test both and see what sounds better to you)

 

[Polish3d]

As far as analog output, ie, anything other than Dolby Digital in movies, I let the X-Fi do.


But for Dolby Digital in movies, there is absolutely no comparison to using SPDIF passthrough and letting the Logitech breakout box handle it ... the sound is unreal... I don't think the X-Fi is able to do the same thing.

To be clear, I have the 3 analog wires plugged in for '6 Channel Direct'

I use that at all times except for DVD's in which:


I use the digital coaxial cable plugged into the Z680 breakout box and into the RCA mono miniplug which is plugged into the X-Fi ... I switch to the coaxial input on my Z680s, and it automatically detects and processes the dolby digital signal, and the sound is absolutely fantastic, not far from being in a movie theatre...

If only one day games will get that level of punch and quality....

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Well, if that sounds better to you, then use that.

Ok, the sound is digital on the DVD. It needs to be decoded and converted to analog and amplified before it gets to the speakers because all speakers are analog.

If you have your X-Fi change it to analog, it's using its own decoding and then sending out analog to the control pod. The control pod sends it to the sub and then the plate amp in the sub amplifies it for your speakers.

If you send digital out, the X-Fi isn't touching it, just relaying the info and the control pod decodes it, converts it to analog and then sends it to the sub to get amplified.

If you like the sound your control pod does for decoding a DD stream, maybe you should look into the X-Mystique and have your control pod do the work for everything :Q (Ok, not exactly the same thing)

 

[BOLt]

think it's already out, actually. i've seen x-fi cards for like $150 from i forget where.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: BOLt
think it's already out, actually. i've seen x-fi cards for like $150 from i forget where.

Best Buy perhaps?

 

[darkswordsman17]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Well, if that sounds better to you, then use that.

Ok, the sound is digital on the DVD. It needs to be decoded and converted to analog and amplified before it gets to the speakers because all speakers are analog.

If you have your X-Fi change it to analog, it's using its own decoding and then sending out analog to the control pod. The control pod sends it to the sub and then the plate amp in the sub amplifies it for your speakers.

If you send digital out, the X-Fi isn't touching it, just relaying the info and the control pod decodes it, converts it to analog and then sends it to the sub to get amplified.

If you like the sound your control pod does for decoding a DD stream, maybe you should look into the X-Mystique and have your control pod do the work for everything :Q (Ok, not exactly the same thing)

Hey, just a thought. Since, unless you have the codec for your DVD software, it'll only put out in limited sound, then outputting digitally to the Logitechg decoder box is probably a better idea. This is most likely the reason why it sounds better to him, is that his DVD software isn't actually having the sound card do DD or DTS.

 

[NatePo717]

I bought one of the X-FI Extream Music cards yesterday. I had never had a sound card before. The difference between onboard audio and this thing is night and day. I got a boost of 10 FPS just by changing out the audio in Battlefield 2. Music sounds soooo much better. I'm happy with my purchase.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: darkswordsman17

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Well, if that sounds better to you, then use that.

Ok, the sound is digital on the DVD. It needs to be decoded and converted to analog and amplified before it gets to the speakers because all speakers are analog.

If you have your X-Fi change it to analog, it's using its own decoding and then sending out analog to the control pod. The control pod sends it to the sub and then the plate amp in the sub amplifies it for your speakers.

If you send digital out, the X-Fi isn't touching it, just relaying the info and the control pod decodes it, converts it to analog and then sends it to the sub to get amplified.

If you like the sound your control pod does for decoding a DD stream, maybe you should look into the X-Mystique and have your control pod do the work for everything :Q (Ok, not exactly the same thing)

Hey, just a thought. Since, unless you have the codec for your DVD software, it'll only put out in limited sound, then outputting digitally to the Logitechg decoder box is probably a better idea. This is most likely the reason why it sounds better to him, is that his DVD software isn't actually having the sound card do DD or DTS.

How would he set it up for the card to do the decoding?

 

[darkswordsman17]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: darkswordsman17

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Well, if that sounds better to you, then use that.

Ok, the sound is digital on the DVD. It needs to be decoded and converted to analog and amplified before it gets to the speakers because all speakers are analog.

If you have your X-Fi change it to analog, it's using its own decoding and then sending out analog to the control pod. The control pod sends it to the sub and then the plate amp in the sub amplifies it for your speakers.

If you send digital out, the X-Fi isn't touching it, just relaying the info and the control pod decodes it, converts it to analog and then sends it to the sub to get amplified.

If you like the sound your control pod does for decoding a DD stream, maybe you should look into the X-Mystique and have your control pod do the work for everything :Q (Ok, not exactly the same thing)

Hey, just a thought. Since, unless you have the codec for your DVD software, it'll only put out in limited sound, then outputting digitally to the Logitechg decoder box is probably a better idea. This is most likely the reason why it sounds better to him, is that his DVD software isn't actually having the sound card do DD or DTS.

How would he set it up for the card to do the decoding?

He'd need to have the codes for the player. Thats what irritated me about movies on the PC, is that if you want the good audio you have to pay for the codecs (or get the full featured players like WinDVD Platinum). I don't know if there's any way other than that to get the good audio. Seems a shame since you pay for that capability with your audio card only to have to pay more if you want to actually make use of it.

 

[Pariah]

All Creative cards going back to the Audigy 2 ZS can decode all DVD audio formats onboard through drivers. The DVD player you use is irrelevant. He owns Z-680's which being only a 5.1 setup, supports fewer formats than his sound card does. The X-Fi decoding should sound better than the 680 decoding no matter what format he is using.

 

[mode101wpb]

So my Audigy 2 ZS is now obsolete? That's why CompUSA was blowing them out for $69 after rebates a month ago or so.

I'm using 2.0 so I wonder if I would really notice a difference anyways?

 

[Googer]

You would have to be a moron to pay more than $125 for any Creative Labs Sound Card, I can get an Onkyo or M-Audio card for less that sounds much better for less than $130.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: darkswordsman17

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: darkswordsman17

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Well, if that sounds better to you, then use that.

Ok, the sound is digital on the DVD. It needs to be decoded and converted to analog and amplified before it gets to the speakers because all speakers are analog.

If you have your X-Fi change it to analog, it's using its own decoding and then sending out analog to the control pod. The control pod sends it to the sub and then the plate amp in the sub amplifies it for your speakers.

If you send digital out, the X-Fi isn't touching it, just relaying the info and the control pod decodes it, converts it to analog and then sends it to the sub to get amplified.

If you like the sound your control pod does for decoding a DD stream, maybe you should look into the X-Mystique and have your control pod do the work for everything :Q (Ok, not exactly the same thing)

Hey, just a thought. Since, unless you have the codec for your DVD software, it'll only put out in limited sound, then outputting digitally to the Logitechg decoder box is probably a better idea. This is most likely the reason why it sounds better to him, is that his DVD software isn't actually having the sound card do DD or DTS.

How would he set it up for the card to do the decoding?

He'd need to have the codes for the player. Thats what irritated me about movies on the PC, is that if you want the good audio you have to pay for the codecs (or get the full featured players like WinDVD Platinum). I don't know if there's any way other than that to get the good audio. Seems a shame since you pay for that capability with your audio card only to have to pay more if you want to actually make use of it.

I didn't know you had to pay extra to have this capability... I thought it would have come standard with whatever program he was using.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: mode101wpb
So my Audigy 2 ZS is now obsolete? That's why CompUSA was blowing them out for $69 after rebates a month ago or so.

I'm using 2.0 so I wonder if I would really notice a difference anyways?

Performance difference for offloading sound processing from the CPU during games looks like it's virtually identical to A2 / A4 performance.

There's a more advanced headphone surround mode, there are some other processing modes that sound like gimmicks to me, music resampling looks to not be a problem anymore, and overall the analog output is going to be cleaner than on the A2s.

If you don't have really nice speakers though it's probably not worth it to upgrade as the A2 may not be the weak point in your system.