Creative X-Fi

[imported_Kensai]

Linky Here

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Didn't really clear up the "crystalizer", did it?

Still sounds like it could just be mainly a treble/bass boost to me.

 

[n7]

Uh oh...THG got a paycheck from Creative... :Q

Seriously though, it looks like the Audigy's time is over i guess.

 

[imported_Kensai]

Just finished reading it.. I think I'm going after the Fatallity version (or whatever it's called). X-RAM might be slightly helpful..

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Kensai
Just finished reading it.. I think I'm going after the Fatallity version (or whatever it's called). X-RAM might be slightly helpful..

Didn't impress me from those two benchmarks they showed

http://www.tomshardware.com/consumer/20050818/creative_x-fi-21.html

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Kensai
Just finished reading it.. I think I'm going after the Fatallity version (or whatever it's called). X-RAM might be slightly helpful..

Didn't impress me from those two benchmarks they showed

http://www.tomshardware.com/consumer/20050818/creative_x-fi-21.html

Ya, the only benchmark that showed a difference was Creative's own, and that falls under the "never trust the manufacturer's benchmark" principle. So far no one has shown a good reason to get a card with on-board RAM. Now the headphone HRTF stuff does sound interesting(no pun intended).

 

[DaveSimmons]

Too bad they still don't bother to offer Dolby Live -- I have a spare 5.1 receiver that only has digital 5.1 inputs, no analog 5.1.

 

[hans030390]

weren't they claiming a 17% performance boost?

 

[fatty4ksu]

THG with another great review.

Good job guys!

:thumbsup:

 

[Chinoman]

I got to sample that card at QuakeCon. It was pretty sweet. The sound is alot better than anything I've heard. And that 5.1 headphone program really works.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: hans030390
weren't they claiming a 17% performance boost?

Yet it got -1.25% performance boost over A4 in SplinterCell?

 

[Some1ne]

Didn't impress me from those two benchmarks they showed

http://www.tomshardware.com/consumer/20050818/creative_x-fi-21.html

I think the premise of that benchmark is flawed...who in their right mind would buy a sound card to try and increase their gaming FPS? That's what a new video card is for...the increase you'll see from any new sound card, even one that's "optimized" to improve FPS, pales in comparison to what a new graphics card will do.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Some1ne

Didn't impress me from those two benchmarks they showed

http://www.tomshardware.com/consumer/20050818/creative_x-fi-21.html

I think the premise of that benchmark is flawed...who in their right mind would buy a sound card to try and increase their gaming FPS? That's what a new video card is for...the increase you'll see from any new sound card, even one that's "optimized" to improve FPS, pales in comparison to what a new graphics card will do.

That's what I say to just about everyone who's adding a soundcard to increase their gaming performance, yet there's a dozen people ready to argue that it's a good idea.

I agree 100% that if you're looking for a gaming performance boost, the soundcard is not where to look... and if you're videocard limited to start with, then is it going to make any difference at all?

I wish there were more benchmarks out there with info about this compared to the inundation we get of CPU/Videocard benchmarks.

Well, I think I'm coming off as really anti-X-fi, which I wouldn't call myself yet. Maybe the drivers aren't there yet, or there's something more to warrant spending so much on the cards that I haven't seen yet. The headphone stuff seems like the best reson to get one so far. I just hate to think about the number of people that are going to be asking about system builds where they have a Fatal1ty X-Fi and a Logitech X-530 set for their sound system.

 

[Pariah]

Originally posted by: hans030390
weren't they claiming a 17% performance boost?

Vs. onboard sound, not other Creative cards which already had a good sized lead on the competition. X-Fi did beat the Terratec card by 15.5% in Comanche which isn't that far off of 17%. 5% in Splinter Cell wasn't quite as impressive. It appears that games have to be designed to take advantage of the X-RAM otherwise they don't know it is there. The article does say that the UT benchmarks Creative posted were done on a modified version of UT. No one I know buys sound cards based on benchmarks. They all upgrade their sound card for better sounding audio playback.

Didn't really clear up the "crystalizer", did it?

Among other things, it "interpolates" the audio to achieve a higher audio resolution. Much like a camera guesstimating what a pixel between "real" pixels would look like by analyzing the pixels around that spot, X-Fi calculates what audio it thinks should be between samples along with audio filters. The better the interpolation technique, the better the output.

The audio measurements were exceptional. Well beyond the audio capabilities of the audio setups of everyone but the fringe audiophiles who wouldn't be using a product like this anyway.

 

[Xab]

I'm really wondering when these will be available. Their magazine ads all say 8.21.05 with a Best Buy logo at the bottom, seems to suggest they will be available this coming week. Anyone have any info on it?

 

[Pariah]

I don't know if it is true, but someone posted a rumor on these boards that Best Buy will have exclusive rights to sell the cards at launch. Don't know how long the exclusivity would last, but Creative's own site had preorders that had a ship date of 6 to 8 weeks.

 

[ai42]

I was at QuakeCon and heard this myself and I have to admit its a very cool piece of techology. I think the impressions you will get from those at QuakeCon are somewhat skewed because their demos they ran videos and games and turns on/off the 24bit Crystalizer bumps up the volume (supposedly to make the highs and lows better sounding and give it more depth). So it was like hearing the audio going at like 30% power then it being cranked up to like 100% power so simply by being louder I think it gives a somewhat false impression (Kind of like hearing audio through a set of Logitech X530s vs. Z5500 you know there is a huge differance once you hear it). I watched him go through 2 demos and I have to admit irregardless to the volume being jacked around with (which I would like to hear it at a constant volume to give a more accurate impression) the card certainly does give some nice sound. The stereo to 5.1 conversion is impressive to say the least and even the headphone settings are impressive for surround sound. I really think that I will have to purchase one of these cards for my media center box. I wish they did a better comparision and actually had some of the lower end X-Fi's for demo (their demos has the Elite Pro of course) because I certainly won't be buying that one and for TV/movies and such I see little point going past the basic level version. And of course the X-RAM this guy just gave some marketing speak and I have no idea what incentive there is to it.

 

[mattburk]

Performance increases, are YOU NUTS?
HIFI guys do not spend $400 on a card because of 1 more fps or 1% less cpu usage. It's all about the SOUND.
That?s why we put 10k+ into our HT speaker systems. I think the key point to the card is increased fidelity.
I do hope it sends a digital signal out that an AVR can understand and decode. Does anyone know if that is supported?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: mattburk
Performance increases, are YOU NUTS?
HIFI guys do not spend $400 on a card because of 1 more fps or 1% less cpu usage. It's all about the SOUND.
That?s why we put 10k+ into our HT speaker systems. I think the key point to the card is increased fidelity.
I do hope it sends a digital signal out that an AVR can understand and decode. Does anyone know if that is supported?

If you're talking about surround sound in digital format, then no, it doesn't have that.

 

[ArneBjarne]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: mattburk
Performance increases, are YOU NUTS?
HIFI guys do not spend $400 on a card because of 1 more fps or 1% less cpu usage. It's all about the SOUND.
That?s why we put 10k+ into our HT speaker systems. I think the key point to the card is increased fidelity.
I do hope it sends a digital signal out that an AVR can understand and decode. Does anyone know if that is supported?

If you're talking about surround sound in digital format, then no, it doesn't have that.

Which is rather stupid especially since they make an external dts-encoder which takes 6 analogue inputs. How about putting the encoder on the card (or using uncompressed digital transfer to the external encoder eg. HDMI) so you don't have to go through a DA conversion immediately followed by an AD conversion?

 

[mattburk]

well then, That is the only thing I hate about creative.

 

[Gooberlx2]

well i bought it (XtremeMusic version) today from BB (I'll return it if it proves not great).....but I can tell you that the sounds in BF2 are ridiculously nice. Pretty impressive. Haven't done much with listening to music yet though as I have to clean my phones first

 

[batmanuel]

Originally posted by: Gooberlx2
well i bought it (XtremeMusic version) today from BB (I'll return it if it proves not great).....but I can tell you that the sounds in BF2 are ridiculously nice. Pretty impressive. Haven't done much with listening to music yet though as I have to clean my phones first

I'm hoping you are using etymotic phones. Otherwise that whole "clean my phones" comment makes me go ick.

 

[cw42]

is there a restocking fee at BB? Hmm, wondering if i should just buy n try since i hate BB anyway

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: batmanuel

Originally posted by: Gooberlx2
well i bought it (XtremeMusic version) today from BB (I'll return it if it proves not great).....but I can tell you that the sounds in BF2 are ridiculously nice. Pretty impressive. Haven't done much with listening to music yet though as I have to clean my phones first

I'm hoping you are using etymotic phones. Otherwise that whole "clean my phones" comment makes me go ick.

Heh....they're canal phones yes.....but I (admittedly) probably have more ear-wax troubles than most people due to my job (underwater alot).

is there a restocking fee at BB? Hmm, wondering if i should just buy n try since i hate BB anyway

I checked about that first thing. No restocking fee on something like a sound card provided everything originally pakcaged is returned.

I wanted to buy the Audigy 2 value for $55 (on clearance) but no stores anywhere remotely in the area had it and I figured this card'll probably suit me just fine for the next several years. Hell, the Live! Value on my last computer served me well since....well since the Live! series first came out.