The Audigy Product Line: Can someone explain?

[qIat]

Internal versions only.

IIRC, there were the original Audigy MP3+, X-Gamer, and Platinum

Then came the Audigy 2, and now the Audigy 2 ZS and Platinum, while there is an Audigy LS.

My question is, what is diff between all these cards, and how does the sound quality compare?

 

[ViRGE]

Ok, where to start... Creative's tendency here, is that whenever they release a new high-end card, they add something to it to make it more valuable, be it a better codec for higher fidelity audio, or the ability to support a bigger speaker system. They are all powered by the same core DSP, so the differences lie in how many speakers they support, if they have a Firewire port, and the quality of the codec(no Audigy has a bad codec, it's just that later ones have a slightly better one). The only outlier in this would be the LS/ES, which are "low end" Audigies that lack Firewire, support for >5.1 speakers, and use a lower end codec(100db SnR vs. 106db SnR).

 

[Heretik]

I don't recall the specs on the original Audigy, however:

Audigy 2 ZS: Basically just the card & some software

Audigy 2 ZS Platinum: Card, extra software, and internal "drive" with remote

Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro: Card, more extra software, external breakout box with remote.

Biggest differences between Audigy 2 and Audigy 2 ZS:

Audigy 2 ZS Supports 7.1 speaker configuration
Audigy 2 ZS can also decode DTS (both Audigy 2 and Audigy 2 ZS can decode Dolby Digital)
Audigy 2 ZS has 108dB signal to noise ratio (compared to 106dB on Audigy 2)

There may be other small differences as well

 

[qIat]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Ok, where to start... Creative's tendency here, is that whenever they release a new high-end card, they add something to it to make it more valuable, be it a better codec for higher fidelity audio, or the ability to support a bigger speaker system. They are all powered by the same core DSP, so the differences lie in how many speakers they support, if they have a Firewire port, and the quality of the codec(no Audigy has a bad codec, it's just that later ones have a slightly better one). The only outlier in this would be the LS/ES, which are "low end" Audigies that lack Firewire, support for >5.1 speakers, and use a lower end codec(100db SnR vs. 106db SnR).

It appears the original audigy only had 100db SnR

Also, are the original Audigy2 and Audigy2ZS the same thing?

 

[AIWGuru]

Originally posted by: Heretik
I don't recall the specs on the original Audigy, however:

Audigy 2 ZS: Basically just the card & some software

Audigy 2 ZS Platinum: Card, extra software, and internal "drive" with remote

Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro: Card, more extra software, external breakout box with remote.

Biggest differences between Audigy 2 and Audigy 2 ZS:

Audigy 2 ZS Supports 7.1 speaker configuration
Audigy 2 ZS can also decode DTS (both Audigy 2 and Audigy 2 ZS can decode Dolby Digital)
Audigy 2 ZS has 108dB signal to noise ratio (compared to 106dB on Audigy 2)

There may be other small differences as well

Umm...there are a LOT more differences than that!

The audigy 2 has a fully 24bit DSP (the audigy chip itself) while the Audigy 1 uses a 16bit DSP. The audigy 1 does use 24bit phillips converters however which still improves audio tone and quality tremendously.
The Audigy 2 and especially A2DS DSP has signifigantly improved EAX performance.

I have had a lot of soundcards in my various rigs but my audigy platinum is my favorite. The MIA echo is a pro card and it's great for recording but not versatile. The A2 that I have is okay for a gaming rig.

But...

My audigy 1 platinum is awesome. I love the front mounted 1/4" headphone jack with the pot on the front to control it very precisely. I have my keyboard hooked up to the EXTREMELY convinient Midi ports on the front and I frequently use the two RCA jacks on the front when making from tape recordings for Yvonne's school. I hook my Electric Guitar up tot the front 1/4" input which also has its own pot and creative provides an army of EAX effects to mess with the guitar's sound. Also, creative software, lets you slow down tunes without changing pitch to a certain degree allowing you to hear what you did more slowly and properly and also for tabbing out music. The Optical in and out and the SPDIF in/out are AMAZING when making sure your fair use rights are protected from "copy protected" non-cds. If you don't know what I mean, see my thread here.
It also looks great and has the bling, bling factor. It's all about the connectors and headphone jack with pot.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that the internal platinum is FREAKING FANTASTIC! I've never had a problem with it.

If I were buying today I'd get the Audigy 2 platinum since it has a true 24bit DSP so you can make real 24bit recordings if you so desire (I have no need for it) and it has slightly improved converters which provide a negligably better tone, DC offset, and SNR. The remote is kind of okay but not usefull if you have a remote wonder.

I do own an Audigy 2 but I find that I use my audigy 1 platinum more because of all of its wonderful connectors.

Amazing card.

Edit: OH! And the platinum versions have gold plated connectors everywhere on the card. The breakout box and the card itself. The lesser versions don't.

 

[AIWGuru]

If anyone would like to hear a sample of some audio (guitar vocals etc) feel free to email me at idcurrie@rogers.com and I'll send it to you. The A2 does produce marginally better results but when I'm recording it can't take a lot of what I want to put into it. Even when I just want to record a tape for Yvonne's teaching, it's a hassle to find the adapter and crawl down under the desk and behind the case. I end up just using the A1 platinum. I still think you should get the A2 but just make sure you get the platinum.

 

[AIWGuru]

Another thing I should ad:

but the Audigy 1 and 2 feature hardware cutoffs on all analogue lines (unlike Via's POS offering.) This means that the necessary step of muting all analogue inputs actually does remove blitter noise interferance from the GPU rather than just minimizing it.

 

[Brian48]

Umm...there are a LOT more differences than that!

The audigy 2 has a fully 24bit DSP (the audigy chip itself) while the Audigy 1 uses a 16bit DSP. The audigy 1 does use 24bit phillips converters however which still improves audio tone and quality tremendously.
The Audigy 2 and especially A2DS DSP has signifigantly improved EAX performance.

One more thing, the A2 AZ also supports 2x stereo. A feature I find VERY useful.

 

[Brian48]

FYI, there is a "Gamers Edition" version of the Audigy2 AZ. It's retail priced at $129.95 (I think) and is essentially the same sound card as the rest of the packages, but it comes bundled with Halo, Jedi Academy, Tomb Raid: Angel of Darkness, Rainbow Six 3 and Splinter Cell.

 

[qIat]

Originally posted by: Brian48

Umm...there are a LOT more differences than that!

The audigy 2 has a fully 24bit DSP (the audigy chip itself) while the Audigy 1 uses a 16bit DSP. The audigy 1 does use 24bit phillips converters however which still improves audio tone and quality tremendously.
The Audigy 2 and especially A2DS DSP has signifigantly improved EAX performance.

One more thing, the A2 AZ also supports 2x stereo. A feature I find VERY useful.

WTF is 2x stereo? Is that supposed to reproduce stereo output on a set of rear speakers in a 4.1 configuration?

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: qIat

Originally posted by: Brian48

Umm...there are a LOT more differences than that!

The audigy 2 has a fully 24bit DSP (the audigy chip itself) while the Audigy 1 uses a 16bit DSP. The audigy 1 does use 24bit phillips converters however which still improves audio tone and quality tremendously.
The Audigy 2 and especially A2DS DSP has signifigantly improved EAX performance.

One more thing, the A2 AZ also supports 2x stereo. A feature I find VERY useful.

WTF is 2x stereo? Is that supposed to reproduce stereo output on a set of rear speakers in a 4.1 configuration?

Bingo.

 

[Brian48]

Yep. 4.1 stereo support WITHOUT CMSS. This is especially useful when playing back mp3's at 24/96 with the Winamp+MAD+SSRC combo.

 

[qIat]

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: qIat

Originally posted by: Brian48

Umm...there are a LOT more differences than that!

The audigy 2 has a fully 24bit DSP (the audigy chip itself) while the Audigy 1 uses a 16bit DSP. The audigy 1 does use 24bit phillips converters however which still improves audio tone and quality tremendously.
The Audigy 2 and especially A2DS DSP has signifigantly improved EAX performance.

One more thing, the A2 AZ also supports 2x stereo. A feature I find VERY useful.

WTF is 2x stereo? Is that supposed to reproduce stereo output on a set of rear speakers in a 4.1 configuration?

Bingo.

With my current SB Live! I get output on my rear speakers (I have 4.1 setup) and I don't use any virtualization settings

 

[AIWGuru]

I do it with my audigy platinum as well and, no, I don't have cmss enabled. It just messes with the sound. I really don't see how this is news.

 

[lazybum131]

With the Audigy 2 the drivers no longer mirrored the stereo signal to the rear automatically like they did with the Audigy 1 and Live! Unfortunately with the Audigy 2, there's no option to re-enable this even for the people who like to mirror the front to the rears (a fix for music would be to use foobar2000 since it has an option to mirror).

The Audigy 2 ZS drivers however DO have the option for 2x stereo. I think using the ZS drivers on an Audigy 2 would allow the option, but i'm not sure about this.

 

[AIWGuru]

In that case I would jump right from A1-A2zs and skip what's in between. Yikes! Bikes! +10,000 points if you get the reference.

 

[NokiaDude]

I LOVE 2x stereo on my Audigy 2 ZS, I hook up my headphones to the rear output and my 2.1 Altec Lansing ATP-3's. If I don't want to use my speakers I turn them off and use the headphones!

 

[AIWGuru]

Sorry to bump this 3 day long dead thread but there's something else about the audigy which I just remembered.
I believe that it's unique to the audigy line but I could be wrong.
Creative's drivers provide a recording source "what you hear" which is just that.
This means that if there is an awesome song in, say, a game that you want a copy of you can just recording, open the game, go to audio options, play the song and PRESTO you have a recording of it.
It's a great feature.

 

[butch84]

what is wrong with CMSS / how is it different than 2x stereo? Also, i have an audigy2 platinum card, but i didnt get the internal drive or remote with it (got it used). Is it worth trying to find the internal drive somewhere, or should i just go for the ZS plantinum?

Thanks
butch

 

[AIWGuru]

Originally posted by: butch84
what is wrong with CMSS / how is it different than 2x stereo? Also, i have an audigy2 platinum card, but i didnt get the internal drive or remote with it (got it used). Is it worth trying to find the internal drive somewhere, or should i just go for the ZS plantinum?

Thanks
butch

CMSS plays with the stereo arrangement to try and shift ranges to different speakers. It's not stereo doubling. It's sort of like multichannel SACD/DVD-A except done from an altready mixed source and really, really, really CRAPPY!

Speaking of SACD, I bought a hybrid SACD today to avoid copy protection and I would love to play it in full glory mode. I wish the audigy supported this.

 

[vshah]

One more thing, the A2 AZ also supports 2x stereo. A feature I find VERY useful.

Audigy 2 AZ?

do you mean ZS? or is there a card that i'm not aware of.....i'm desperate for 2x stereo on my audigy 2

-Vivan

 

[butch84]

hehe, yea i meant audigy2 ZS ...... that would be a big typo on my part. So anyway, if im listening to mp3s, and i want to get all four satellites to play music, my only option is CMSS, right? Is there something better than that for a regular audigy2?

Im using logitech z-560 speakers.

Thanks