View Full Version : Creative Labs X-Fi Soundcard
twEEkerAreUs
06-24-05, 09:22 PM
What is everbodys opinion on this or what do you think about this soundcard? For those who are not familar here is a link
http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/
What really got me looking into it is because Battlefield 2 supports it and the soundcard isn't even out yet so I looked into it. Please keep it constructive and no posts saying things like (Lollerz Creative Labs are n00bz)
Thank You.
It is my understanding that this is the first really new chipset that Creative has come out with in many years. They are losing a lot of business to onboard sound and this is there big try to stem the tide. How good is it really? Good question. The reviews should be out soon.
Looks decent, however if it doesn't do DDL, then I won't be buying it
The MP3 upsampling thing to make it sound better is garbage. It may actually change the sound (and it probably does) but you can't bring back detail lost in lossy compression. You can only apply EQs and whatever other DSP to hide the poor compression.
The X-Fi has a really beefy APU, but I doubt the current generation of EAX would be able to take advantage of it. However, the X-Fi will no doubt support a new EAX software library, which will hopefully be better than the current EAX, which, in my opinion, leaves a lot to be desired for (even in games by developers that implement in properly).
Buhammot
06-26-05, 01:21 AM
Hrmm... yea the paper is looking somewhat nice, yet nothing that is grabbing me by the throat... but other than... yet another revision of eax...woo.... the only "good" thing i see is that maybe quality and performance in one card. Aside from that, IF they support digital, i still think they will make it the same proprietary stuff they have always had... bleh
NiTrO bOiE
06-26-05, 09:43 AM
It better have onboard optical IN/OUT. I HOPE you don't have to buy a "X-Fi Drive!" for it.
phatty2x4
06-26-05, 06:29 PM
I can't even get my Audigy 2 ZS Plat to work without locking up and blowing out my eardrums from the screeching. Not to mention if you lose your driver CD, you're SOL. Creative can bite me. I'm going to get one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829127001
It does Dolby Digital Live. One thing i miss about my NForce2 board.
twEEkerAreUs
06-26-05, 07:42 PM
Yeah Creative Labs has a total stronghold over the market. EAX is still sort of a joke in my opinion, only a few games sound decent with it and even then they are mostly buggy. Maybe X-FI will be something half way decent for once.
My Audigy 2 ZS is nice, but I agree the drivers are pretty crappy especially from the get go when it first came out (What a headache).
SolidxSnake
06-26-05, 07:47 PM
I can't even get my Audigy 2 ZS Plat to work without locking up and blowing out my eardrums from the screeching. Not to mention if you lose your driver CD, you're SOL. Creative can bite me. I'm going to get one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829127001
It does Dolby Digital Live. One thing i miss about my NForce2 board.
HOLY CRAP, thats released in america already?? SICK!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829118109
I'll probably be buying this... its cheaper by $20 than the X-Mystique, and I believe is based on the same APU, the CMI8788.
phatty2x4
06-27-05, 06:03 AM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829118109
I'll probably be buying this... its cheaper by $20 than the X-Mystique, and I believe is based on the same APU, the CMI8788.
Nice :attn:
mista ting
06-27-05, 07:39 AM
2 days untill its out ?! YES!, ty for the link i was just about to buy an Audigy2ZS going to buy the x-fi as soon as its out :D!
2 days untill its out ?! YES!, ty for the link i was just about to buy an Audigy2ZS going to buy the x-fi as soon as its out :D!
Please post back here about how it works. Good luck with it.
twEEkerAreUs
06-29-05, 12:09 AM
2 days untill its out ?! YES!, ty for the link i was just about to buy an Audigy2ZS going to buy the x-fi as soon as its out :D!
Ditto, I am going to give it a try but hang onto my Audigy 2 ZS just in case. So if it's total garbage I can sell it pretty much for what I buy it for. I have a feeling it's going to be a little better sound quality wise which I want with my speakers.
Voodoo Rufus
06-29-05, 01:43 PM
Isn't this thing still based off of AC97 specs? I think I read that somewhere.....
Probably. Creative isn't known for sound quality - maybe among gamers, but that's it. They don't sound BAD, but there is better for cheaper. Unfortunately nothing has the gaming support like they do.
Oh, except the Creative E-MU cards, which are made by the E-MU engineers, since Creative bought E-MU a few years ago.
flixotide
07-02-05, 05:14 PM
I'm amazed that Creative have come this low.
When I started out with 286 / 386, there was Adlib, Roland and Sound Blaster.. Adlib died out, and for a long time it was even high-end roland stuff or Creative cards.
Nonetheless I'm quite confident that the X-Fi card will be another step up. I've done on-board audio since my SB 5.1 Live! died on me, but if there'll be a value edition X-Fi it might find its way here.
Cheers, Flix
I'm very sceptical: AFAIK the A2 and [at least lower end] E-MU cards share the same chip, yet the A2 remains very crippled, particularly with respect to it's craptacular upsampling algorithms (from 44.1 to 48kHz). Creative might finally fix their problems, but I suspect that they're too afraid of losing E-MU customers to the Creative line if they do.
But until I see actual, documentable sonic improvement from Creative, I'll stick with my M-Audio cards.
Why choose?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/jodiuh/IMG_1327.jpg
I've only got three PCI slots: one for a wireless NIC (the low profile PCB sort, living just below my video card), one for a Revo 5.1 and one for an Audiophile 192.
X-Fi might find a home in my case if they release a PCIe variant, but only then.
Why choose, indeed. I have an Audigy 2 and an E-MU 1212m in the same box. The E-MU 1212m is a PCI card and a daughter card. And I was pondering making my own extra shielded daughter card for capacitor replacement and bridging as opposed to having huge caps hanging off the board taking up two extra slots.
It might also help to cut down the massive Athlon heatsink I have on my 9700. I cut it down considerably years ago, but I'll probably cut it down again so it's flush with the RAM sinks (which are also huge, a good 3/4" wide).
mista ting
07-24-05, 04:44 AM
will the X-FI, eliminate the issues with the Logitech Z-5500's?
Fighter2a
07-24-05, 10:47 AM
I bet it costs $200
I bet it costs $200
If its closer to 150 I will atleast consider it. I game mainly with headphones, so this could be great for me.
zabomb4163
07-24-05, 11:28 PM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829118109
I'll probably be buying this... its cheaper by $20 than the X-Mystique, and I believe is based on the same APU, the CMI8788.
wow, didnt realise there was another card with DTS encode.
voodoomelon
07-26-05, 02:52 PM
HOLY CRAP, thats released in america already?? SICK!
I'm going to get one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16829127001
That's it folks, move the HDA way (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=396438)...
:D
X-Fi might find a home in my case if they release a PCIe variant, but only then.
With as much processing power as this is supposed to have it might actualy be PCI-E only.
Tony420
07-28-05, 08:46 PM
When can we buy them? ;)
will the X-FI, eliminate the issues with the Logitech Z-5500's?
what issues?
twEEkerAreUs
07-29-05, 02:10 AM
will the X-FI, eliminate the issues with the Logitech Z-5500's?
Yes, what issue Lol? I've had these speakers for quite a while now & used every single connection on them.
Intrepid
07-29-05, 12:26 PM
First, this isn't the best place for sound card information, this site has more experts on that subject.
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=59&page=2&sort=lastpost&order=&pp=30&daysprune=30
Also, the E-MU products, as well as M-Audio and some others are made for professional quality, Creative stuff is really for the average commercial user, no matter what they will like to tell you. Creative crams way too many components and features onto thier boards, this forgoing the quality of the parts that matter. On a sound card, there don't need to be so many parts, just good DACs, large caps, and a decent APU is really among a few other parts like AD convertors etc that make up a sound card.
To describe Creative, two words, FEATURE CREEP!
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