help me choose my very first sound card

[pak]

First here is why I want one.

Quality of sound of course. I keep reading about how much of a huge difference it makes. Only one way to find out.
My onboard sound seems to be fuxored. It does not seem to be a common problem, but I have read of a few instances. I have done everything. Just can not seem to get my 5.1 working properly.
I need a new toy.

What I am looking for in a sound card.

Once again, quality of sound. This is an obvious one. I want to see how much better these cards are and why you all are buying them.

7.1. One day I am going to talk my wife into letting me have the spare room instead of her using it as a closest and I want to get the baddest 7.1 with hardest pounding bass I can get.

Now I am not sure this is possible, but one with front panel support. In my final setup, I would like to be able to have my 7.1 speakers set up and my headphones plugged in the front(or where ever) with out having to disconnect anything.


I'm not very up to date with sound cards. all I keep reading about is x-fi and audigy zs? I think that's what it is called, but it seems like a lot of people like a lot of different cards. I'm in no immediate rush to get a card. I actually need to do all my xmas shopping then this is going to be at the top of my to do list. But, is there any new sound card technology coming out that I might possible want to wait for? If not, please suggest away.

--pak

 

[-_{MoW}_-Assasi]

X-Fi = their signature range
Audigy 2 ZS is good card which is well worth your money

If you want a damn good sound system, might as well pair it up with an X-Fi

 

[SeasonalEclipse]

If your on a tight budget the 7.1 SB live cards are good as well!

 

[Sir Barton]

There are other choices besides Creative. Creative makes great cards if gaming is your main priority, but if gaming is not #1, Id look elsewhere. Dont get me wrong, I love my X-Fi, but Im going to purchase another soundcard purely for music. One thing the X-Fi can do, is play recorded sound at its native 44.1KHz. The Audigy series always upmixes everything to 48KHz which costs you audio quality, since it cant play in 44.1KHz. One other thing you may not like about Creative, is that you will only get 2 channel sound in games and music using the digital I/O to receiver. DVDs will play fine in 5.1 since theyre already encoded to do so, but anything else will be stereo.

 

[pak]

Gaming is my one and only goal. I do not watch movies or listen to music with this pc, purely gaming.

Another card I have seen on this forum is the xplosion and its DD DTS technology?

Well after reading and through this forum more and more, I think I got 3 choices.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829156001

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102178

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102005

The creative has an interesting feature that x-ram that looks promising of more game makers take advantage of it.

The xplosion seems to have some sort of surround sound DD DTS feature that makes surround sound and quality much better.

I don't know much about the audigy, but I read a review about the xplosion where the person had a audigy first then an xplosion. And he liked the xplosion more on so many levels.

These three are my current choices. I am kinda leaning towards the xplosion. That DD DTS technology is really catching my ear. I would love to see a review where someone is comparing the x-fi and xplosion. Xplosion also is a lot cheaper, but 64mb of ram in a sound card just sounds so damn sexy. One thing I don't like about the xplosion currently is that it doesn't have front panel support. I can live with that though.

Please comment on the 3 with what ever you can. And if there are any you would like to add to the list, please do so. On the same not, if you think one is not worth considering, tell me to take it off.

--pak

 

[Awake77]

Hey Pak,

The 64MB of XRAM had me thinking too, as I just got an X-Fi Platinum the other day. I was thinking or returning it for a Fatal1ty until I read several reviews that claim that it really doesnt make a bit of difference. Also, there doesnt seem to be much support for it at all (the game has to be coded to specifically use the XRAM for caching audio). Coupled with user reviews that seem to claim the XRAM equipped cards are more problematic (no idea if this is true or just people who dont know how to install their hardware though), but overall Im very satisfied with the X-Fi Platinum.

However, now the Fatal1ty is $132 at newegg with $50 mail in rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102189

For gaming, it appears a X-Fi is the way to go because of the EAX 5.0 support. IF you play a lot of games that support EAX.

You said it yourself:

Gaming is my one and only goal.

The X-Fi should suit you well, the difference between it and my onboard sound on my P5WDH is enormous.

Awake77

 

[pak]

I was considering this one for two reasons.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102005


Local store has it in stock for the same price.
I don't do MIR's.

Is it worth the extra 30 for that one?

--pak