Recommend a soundcard?

shanethemofo

Hey looking for a new soundcard to replace onboard sound.
Ive been told to buy the xtreme music, but not that xtreme music, THIS xtreme music. Aparantly Awhir is very consious of some sort of scam going on in the dell/creative business ties. Say no more.


Anyway......

My budget would be around 80ish. One that is good, but not overly priced like most.

any suggestions?

Links would be Greatfully appreciated as i am very conflustered at the moment

Shane

awhir

bah make sence.

ok what i was saying is that on ebay most sellers are selling dell ome cards.these cards have been cut down to save dell money but have still been called "X-FI".you need your own software for these as most will not work with the normal xfi cd/software.

so i was saying for him to buy a retail version off ebay (with box)or buy the ome at dabs.ie which i am pritty shure is not a dell ome.

shanethemofo

anybody?? *sniff sniff*

dazftw

I honestly dont find much of a difference with them! I have the one in my sig.. Does feck all tbh lol

Blazer

shane..read the below. Definitely get one of the gamer series X-fi as they're quite good and have proper hardware not software emulation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-fi

ghost26ie

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=335481

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=335482

8T8

With the X-Fi there are a few budget end models two of which the X-Fi Xtreme Music Edition and X-Fi Xtreme Audio Edition.

The X-Fi Xtreme Audio Edition is not a full X-Fi it is some other cut down chip rebranded as an X-Fi.

The X-Fi Xtreme Music Edition is a proper X-Fi card and if you use analogue speakers the card to get.

If you use digital connection like SPDIF then another card may be worth getting instead as Creative don't really cater to digital with the exception of the most expensive models (it is possible to buy a special cable from them that gives you an SPDIF port on the low end models).

L31mr0d

Actually i'm interested in this also, but i'm wondering on what would be the best one for vista. Does Vista support all the XFI features or is it still tied to OpenAL only?

shanethemofo

ok, which would be better between the xtreme music and the xtreme gamer?

Would be using a 5.1 headset (medusa's).

L31mr0d

shanethemofo wrote:

Would be using a 5.1 headset (medusa's).

why? dude seriously, I owned a pair of those for like a month. First problem with them is the amp is easily interfered with by wireless devices, second the surround sound is a ploy, there's no real way to get true 5.1 surround sound out a set of cans.

Have a google for "medusa 5.1 tinny". The rear speakers are horrible, when a gunshot goes off behind you it sounds like someone just threw a coke can against the wall.

I'd recommend getting a good pair of HD cans and if you are sticking with XP for the moment, get an XFI that has CMSS3D. I use a pair of Sennheiser HD555's and the XFI Fatal1ty, and the CMSS 3D is 100 times better for surround sound than the Medusa headset.

Also the thing weighs a ton.

shanethemofo

Well im gonna get a soundcard first.. then ill work on a new headset . I find it great at times.... AT TIMES.... but then at other times it is not so great at all

8T8

Under Vista you can use Alchemy with an X-Fi which translates Direct Sound 3D calls into OpenAL which the X-Fi can process under Vista. The Alchemy software is free with X-Fi cards and is intended for legacy titles, more modern games should support OpenAL anyway.

As for the X-Fi Xtreme Music vs Xtreme Gamer the gamer model is another cut down model though I don't recall exactly whats missing but Alchemy works on the gamer model whereas it does not work 100% on the X-Fi Audio edition some titles don't work with it.

Given the low cost your really just better off getting the X-Fi Music edition as it's a proper full X-Fi card.