Is EAX really needed?

[WeaponX]

I've always had EAX when I played my games, but some of my friends told me that if I were to get a new sound card, I should get the cheapest thing I can find. They said EAX wasn't really needed at all. I've read otherwise, but I haven't really seen where it would be needed either. I need a new sound card, so should I go for a cheap $10 sound card or buy a $100+ sound card w/ EAX?

[Wicked Klown]

If your a gamer then yea get the best or if you use it to listen to music. But if your just using your puter to surf the web get the cheap card. So far myself I only use Sound Blaster MP3+ and the X-Gamer.

[Gravity Man]

turn it off in a few games, and see if you can live without it, or even if you notice a difference. If you don't notice a difference or don't care about it, go ahead and buy something cheap. I couldn't live without EAX noe that I have it.

[Dark Illusion]

I think EAX sounds like crap. Muddled and washed out echos, on top of that it degrades your framerates.

A3D sounded much better but since they're dead I pretty much stopped using 3D sound altogether. Sensura is ok but it looks like they're about to go under as well. I pretty much decided to take high fidelity(sp?) soundcards instead. My music is on all day long so it's worth it.

Honeslty I can't say anything for the Audigy cards. I'm just bitter about creative and so i refuse to buy any of their products=)

[Über~PhLuBB]

I got tired of listening to the highs and lows my old card restricted me from hearing. It was a Diamond Multimedia Sonic Impact S100. Pathetic, to say the least.

I ordered a Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 from www.newegg.com for $38, and my music and gaming worlds turned on end. The change was literally stunning, I sat slack jawed and limp upon hearing the tones which were absent from playback with the S100.

Turning EAX on in CounterStrike was almost equally as thrilling, having the tones and echoes change in different areas of a map is really something to experiance.

My game increased substantially, I gained a rank in my clan, AND my I can hear music the way it is supposed to be heard, with the highest highs and the lowest lows my speakers are built to 4reproduce.

Don't overlook EAX because some simple-minded friend doesn't think it's a good idea, he probably just has crappy speakers that can't truely communicate to you the change.

Purchase an EAX card, and you won't ever look back.

Edit: Damn, that really sounded like a sales pitch, or something you'd read on a flyer trying to sell you something. =) I assure you, I dont work at Creative Labs. Yet...

[RED Hot Machine]

I find that EAX helps in games, you can hear when people are behind you when used with a surround sound speaker setup (4/5 channels). It helps me to beat my bro. (He's only got 2 speakers)

[tensop]

I found a3d to be better than eax,and basicly every single review of a3d vs Eax said a3d yay and eax nay
but now creative labs have bought aureal(makers of a3d)
and eax is now king =(
since then ive swapped to an sblive and found sound quality quite the same but lacking in immersive audio

[Monaco]

I never much cared for EAX or any of the other "expansion" sound schemes. Good idea, terrible execution- i can really hearexplosions behind me and a plane overhead etc, but it sounds like such over-processed crap that I just switch it back to normal.

EAX ranks up there with Carver's "Sonic Hologram" and the headphones with the motors in them- a clever idea that really doesn't do what it's supposed to.

NOTE: I use one hell of a nice stereo system for my PC- but, when I switch to cheapo PC speakers or cheapo headphones, EAX does make a huge positive difference. So I say just use your judgement- if you like the sound leave it on! Me, I turn it off.

[DAppel]

I also liked A3D better, it´s sound was clear. EAX is a blurring sound, it´s metallic and aggressive, the bass has no quality.

But I prefer EAX to nothing. You don´t need to buy U$100 sound cards to experience EAX. I´ve got a SoundBlaster PCI-16 (Ensonic Audio-PCI) with EAX support. I´ve never used a Live!, so I can´t compare them, but the PCI-16´s sound is very clear and enjoyable. It also gives you a good control over bass&treble and it´s very compatible.

I´ve got no problems with it so far. IMHO it´s a good buy, I got mine for ~U$15.