Sound card advice

monopolowamonopolowa Join Date: 2004-05-23 Member: 28839Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">tired of Realtek's onboard solution</div>I've looked around at various sound cards since I built a new computer last summer, but I don't really know which one to get yet...there aren't a lot of recent reviews that I've seen, and the selection at my local Fry's is sparse. So up to this point I've gone with the onboard realtek HD audio on my Asus P6T mobo...the problem is, I hear a buzzing sound with that card, which I expect is there because the onboard sound is not shielded well enough from the rest of the motherboard (If I turn up the volume, I hear specific buzzes associated with moving the mouse, etc.). I tried using an Audigy 2 and it fixed the buzz problem but stopped working after a few days unless I reinstalled the drivers (possibly a windows 7 conflict?)

Ideally I'd like something for around $50, but if one card really shines I may be willing to go as high as $100

I watch movies, listen to music, and play games on my PC, and am most concerned with gaming performance and quality.

Other PC specs are:
Intel i7 920
Asus P6T mobo
ATI radeon 4890
Corsair 750 watt PSU
6 GB triple-channel 1600MHz RAM (Patriot, I think, don't remember offhand)
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit



What are peoples' opinions on the Creative X-Fi series? Would a 3rd party alternative be better?
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Comments

  • Draco_2kDraco_2k Evil Genius Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69546Members
    Creative seems to be uncontested in regard to soundcards and, for all it's worth, they're great. X-Fi (any of them) should definitely do it if you have some cash on you and actually care about sound enough to pay up for the little difference you get. External soundcards today should generally be thought of it terms of luxury items rather than necessity or noticeable advantage.

    I believe it's pointless to get any Audigy now, unless you prefer a cleaner interface, a couple useful features and maybe better support. There are some pretty bad conflicts with Vista, but Win 7 should be of no issue. If you're having static build-up or grounding issues, that's just bad all on it's own.

    All Imho, of course. Not exactly an expert.
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  • PipiPipi Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69550Members
    For your use, you'll consider anything in the X-fi series from Creative.. although I do not recommend the cheapest one of this series (I don't remember the exact name).
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  • SvenpaSvenpa Wait, what? Join Date: 2004-01-03 Member: 25012Members, Constellation
    xonar or creative x-fi. Any of them will do plenty for your sound quality, but as I've understood it, it is around 150dollar mark which even leaves enthusiasts satisfied. They both perform pretty much the same hardware wise, look for OS compatibility and on the interfaces. I personally really disliked xonars super nostalgic dark gradients with dark text and different wheels to turn.
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  • ScytheScythe Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 46NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation, Reinforced - Silver
    I'm running an Asus Xonar D2X and couldn't be happier. I've got an optical connection to an external decoder.

    The big thing about the xonar and the x-fi (I think) is that they have a magic chip onboard that can take a 5.1 audio signal from a game and mux it into a DTS signal. This means you get 5.1 independent channels at the decoder end as DTS. Most other sound cards with digital outputs can only pass through a DTS bitstream from a DVD, not roll their own.

    --Scythe--
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  • monopolowamonopolowa Join Date: 2004-05-23 Member: 28839Members
    I've read about people having various driver problems using the X-fi cards with windows 7 64 bit, does anyone have any input on this?
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  • TalesinTalesin Our own little well of hate Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7710NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators
    Unfortunately Creative is one of the only decent options left, without going in for a high-end audiophile card. Might take a look at Turtle Beach cards.

    Still unhappy with Creative's shady-as-hell handling of Aureal and the Vortex cards... the cards started taking off, turning into real competititon, so Creative locked them up in a legal hell... a series of baseless (in the end) lawsuits that froze Aureal's assets.. including incoming transactions. Aureal ended up having to declare bankruptcy and sell off the company, though if their incoming assets were un-frozen it would have easily stayed open and kept growing, with more than a few million in the bank.

    And of course, guess who snapped up their assets in the going-out-of-business sale? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A3D" target="_blank">Creative, of course.</a> Who are now sitting on the patents for the A3D technology, as it was vastly superior to their own EAX system. It also provided accurate 3D audio through only two speakers... and speakers are a large portion of Creative's money-printing machine. If people only need two (instead of what... seven, eight now?) then Creative's market share might dip.
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  • TesseractTesseract Join Date: 2007-06-21 Member: 61328Members, Constellation
    From an experienced acquaintance's recommendation, anything with an Envy24 chip is a worthwhile pay-out.
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  • TemphageTemphage Join Date: 2009-10-28 Member: 69158Members
    edited January 2010
    Creative, the only sound card producer?

    HAH.

    Get an Auzentech card.

    They're the only people to have licensed X-FI from Creative (well they were when I got my card) and they make EXTREMELY high-end cards and were also the first to offer both DTS and Dolby encoding. For the most part their cards <a href="http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/audio/auzentech_x-fi_prelude_7_1_sound_card/6" target="_blank">exceed performance-wise</a> while still retaining the bells and whistles.

    Avoid Creative's overall ****otry.
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  • sherpasherpa stopcommandermode Join Date: 2006-11-04 Member: 58338Members
    Creative X-Fi is your best bet. Excellent audio and cheap- so long as you don't fall for the ones approved by "Fatal1ty". He has the audio marketing power-equivalent of Beckham.
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  • ThaldarinThaldarin Alonzi&#33; Join Date: 2003-07-15 Member: 18173Members, Constellation
    I got some Xi-Fi card bundled with a motherboard a year or so ago and I'm still using it. Never had any problems, although I also have an external USB Xi-Fi Creative thing too. One for headphones, one for speakers, because I'm that much of a loser.
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  • DrfuzzyDrfuzzy FEW... MORE.... INCHES... Join Date: 2003-09-21 Member: 21094Members
    Yep, cant really go wrong with creative, I still have a Live! I've been using since 2003 :)
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  • TesseractTesseract Join Date: 2007-06-21 Member: 61328Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1748898:date=Jan 24 2010, 01:05 PM:name=Thaldarin)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Thaldarin @ Jan 24 2010, 01:05 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1748898"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I got some Xi-Fi card bundled with a motherboard a year or so ago and I'm still using it. Never had any problems, although I also have an external USB Xi-Fi Creative thing too. One for headphones, one for speakers, because I'm that much of a loser.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    ...what? What purpose does a second, external one perform?
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  • ThaldarinThaldarin Alonzi&#33; Join Date: 2003-07-15 Member: 18173Members, Constellation
    The external one has some sort of "crystal" technology or something to boot with it.

    I got it because I couldn't be bothered to configure settings between headphones for gaming etc. and speakers for movies etc. It's pretty much Thaldarin=Lazy.
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  • ZaggyZaggy NullPointerException The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-12-10 Member: 24214Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Onos, Subnautica Playtester
    <!--quoteo(post=1748842:date=Jan 24 2010, 12:24 AM:name=monopolowa)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (monopolowa @ Jan 24 2010, 12:24 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1748842"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I've read about people having various driver problems using the X-fi cards with windows 7 64 bit, does anyone have any input on this?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I use an x-fi soundcard on win7 x64 without issues.
    Driver took a long while to get stable though.
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  • ThaldarinThaldarin Alonzi&#33; Join Date: 2003-07-15 Member: 18173Members, Constellation
    Just update your sound driver via Windows update on 7, otherwise it can go a bit funky and messed.
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  • TesseractTesseract Join Date: 2007-06-21 Member: 61328Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1748884:date=Jan 24 2010, 11:24 AM:name=Temphage)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Temphage @ Jan 24 2010, 11:24 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1748884"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Creative, the only sound card producer?

    HAH.

    Get an Auzentech card.

    They're the only people to have licensed X-FI from Creative (well they were when I got my card) and they make EXTREMELY high-end cards and were also the first to offer both DTS and Dolby encoding. For the most part their cards <a href="http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/audio/auzentech_x-fi_prelude_7_1_sound_card/6" target="_blank">exceed performance-wise</a> while still retaining the bells and whistles.

    Avoid Creative's overall ****otry.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    By the way I'm quoting this guy for truth since people seemed to ignore him the first time.
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  • monopolowamonopolowa Join Date: 2004-05-23 Member: 28839Members
    edited January 2010
    Well, I picked up a creative x-fi titanium the other day, and I can't get the blasted audio control panel to launch in windows 7. If I don't get it working soon I'll be taking it back tomorrow.

    update: picked up an auzentech x-fi forte this evening
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  • TykjenTykjen Join Date: 2003-01-21 Member: 12552Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited January 2010
    have had an xfi-extrememusic for many years, had crackles and pops from tiem to time with xp. now on win7 x64 its all just grand and no problems in any games.
    apropos...the taskbar controlpanel was a ###### to get working on win7 ill admit. i finally found the app "volpanel" at creative which installed a nice taskbar icon with quick accessibility. try it on if you got probs.

    <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/341748285/VolPanel.rar.html" target="_blank">http://rapidshare.com/files/341748285/VolPanel.rar.html</a>
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  • monopolowamonopolowa Join Date: 2004-05-23 Member: 28839Members
    Started having the same control panel problems with the auzentech card at first, but I finally got it working. Had to actually use a driver cleaner app instead of just uninstall/reinstalling the drivers. Card works great now
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  • TemphageTemphage Join Date: 2009-10-28 Member: 69158Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1749386:date=Jan 27 2010, 06:30 AM:name=monopolowa)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (monopolowa @ Jan 27 2010, 06:30 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1749386"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Started having the same control panel problems with the auzentech card at first, but I finally got it working. Had to actually use a driver cleaner app instead of just uninstall/reinstalling the drivers. Card works great now<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Horray!

    I went with Auzen over Creative because with <b>every</b> Creative card I got popping and crackling. Since I've been using Auzen cards, I've had next to zero problems (though I am currently having an issue with my optical connection).
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  • CrispyCrispy Jaded GD Join Date: 2004-08-22 Member: 30793Members, Constellation
    edited February 2010
    Well, you seem to have a high-spec system, so it would be tempting to advise getting a high-end soundcard. But unless you're going to be doing music editing or something that actually utilises your soundcard to the max, you can probably settle with something basic that supports 5.1.

    Even the latest games often don't do anything really special with sound for the top end of the market because due to the majority of the customerbase still using 2.1 speakers/headphones, it's often regarded that money is better spent somewhere else than taking advantage of the latest audio tech. That said, sound cards are outdated (in terms of games) a lot slower than GFX cards. So if you have the cash there's no good reason to not make an investment now that will probably last for a good few years.

    [Edit] Erk. Well maybe the advise will be of interest to another curious party.
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