Which X-Fi to get?

[ingeborgdot]

I don't do any gaming but listen to a lot of music and like great quality sound. What would be my best bet?

[ingeborgdot]

What about these.

HT Omega CLARO Sound Cards
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HT OMEGA CLARO 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail

* Audio Chipset: C-Media CMI8788
* Digital Audio: 24-bit
* Hardware Decode: Dolby Digital, DTS
* Line In: Yes
* Model #: CLARO
* Item #: N82E16829271002





HT Omega CLARO Plus+ Sound Cards
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HT OMEGA CLARO Plus+ 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail

* Audio Chipset: C-Media CMI8788
* Digital Audio: 24-bit
* Hardware Decode: Dolby Digital, DTS
* Line In: Yes
* Model #: CLARO Plus+
* Item #: N82E16829271003





ASUS 90-YAA021-1UAN00+ Sound Cards
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ASUS Xonar D2 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Ultra Fidelity Sound Card with Complete Dolby/DTS Sound Technologies - Retail

* Audio Chipset: ASUS AV200
* Digital Audio: 24-bit
* Hardware Decode: Dolby Digital, DTS
* Line In: Yes
* Model #: 90-YAA021-1UAN00+
* Item #: N82E16829132001


Auzentech XPlosion 7.1 Sound Cards
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AuzenTech XPlosion 7.1 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail

* Audio Chipset: C-Media CMI8770
* CD/Aux In: No
* Digital Audio: 24-bit
* Features: World First Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect certified PCI board sound card! Converts any of your movies, games, music audio into a Dolby Digital or DTS Surround Sound! Stereo is boring, surround sound is fun! DTS Connect makes it easy to turn your computer into the ultimate PC sound entertainment
* Model #: XPlosion 7.1
* Item #: N82E16829156001



Auzentech AZT-XM71 Sound Cards
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AuzenTech AZT-XM71 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 Sound Card - Retail

* Audio Chipset: C-Media CMI8788
* Digital Audio: 24-bit
* Hardware Decode: Dolby Digital, DTS
* Line In: Yes
* Model #: AZT-XM71
* Item #: N82E16829156002




* O

[casecutter]

Auzentech X-FI Prelude is the ONLY X-FI to even think about. Creative made cards suck. Period.

[Aguiluz]

The sound quality is limited by your speakers and many many factors. If you have "White Van Speakers," [Wikipedia] your sound quality will suck. On the other end of the scale, buying the best speakers you can find is also unwise, since the sound quality would be limited anyway by your Sound Card. You should strike a balance within the two.

If you want pure sound, fine, get those speakers with optical in (Like the ones used in "The Slayer") and a sound card with optical out. This ensures interference wont set in the wires (wires act like antennas) since the optical line is nonconductive.

If you hear a low "bzzzzzzz" from your amplified speakers when unplugged from your PC, now that's a sample of interference, probably since the DC voltage has ripple in it.

[wayout44]

Originally Posted by Aguiluz

The sound quality is limited by your speakers and many many factors. If you have "White Van Speakers," [Wikipedia] your sound quality will suck. On the other end of the scale, buying the best speakers you can find is also unwise, since the sound quality would be limited anyway by your Sound Card. ...

Seeing that his sig states,"Altec Lansing ADA995 5.1 THX" speakers, I think that we can pass on that bit. ;)

[James Vozar]

I just finished testing the Azuntech x-fi Prelude for tweaktown and its a solid card without all the bloatware creative packs in yet retaining all the key features.
cheers

[gothdaze]

hi i am running the prelude 7.1 card also i have to say what a great card this one is..after having so many problems with the creative labs version x-fi for extreme music i went to this card because of me being bent on that x-fi chip...however i'm running analog sound which is best on a pair speakers called klipsch promedia 5.1 ultra edition...trust me when i tell you my house shakes when i play battlezone.2.. also music play back is way more clearer than usual. remember this card is pushing 120d of
signal to noise ratio on the front rear center and sub. the cool part about this card is that you can change the opamp which even increases the sound quality, i of course, i am a sound freak and everthing needs to be really clear even on movies i bought there top of the line opamp...but hey thats just me...after waiting for so long to run vista 64bit i can finally say that i have a card that works very well with the drivers from there site... creative may have gotten some of my money, but guess what i walked out with a way better sound card long live auzentech....with drivers that work.....i can finally run my system the way it is meant too be......

[gothdaze]

oh i forgot to mention any sound card that you buy and a company that cripples there drivers, and forces you too upgrade because they want more money in my opinion is not worthy of a customer buying another product from them again!!!!!!!!!! it is not far......read about it it is there all over the net......

[wayout44]

Actually they should be offering better hardware/software/backup all round to get people to update instead of offering less for more.

[bobin8ter]

Well, I have only used Creative sound cards.

My first was the Audagy 2ZS which was a great card, and got a couple of good years of use with it before I switched to a X-FI Fatal1ty card.

I love the Fatal1ty X-FI, especially for gaming, but I do a lot of music with it, and I like that it is easy to switch modes.

I run XP, and I updated my drivers about 2 months ago after running the card for 2 years now.

Works f-ing great.

I got the Fatal1ty version, because it comes with X-RAM which gives it a performance boost for gaming - but I haven't been able to confirm this.

I also got the Fatal1ty version with the front panel, which is great but I wish it amplified the output so I would really crank up the headphones!!

Now heard there is going to be a new Fatal1ty X-FI for PCI-E, and it will get a new front panel with amplified sound, so I am looking forward to up-grading to that one.

I did install a Auzentech X-Fi card in a friends machine with Vista, and it worked well, but I thought it was missing some of the little software features of the Creative X-FI, and I thought the default bass responce was a little better for the Fatal1ty X-FI then the Auzentech.

JMHO