I'm just wondering what you guys thought would be a decent upgrade to a X-Gamers 5.1 sound card, or even if you don't think one is needed. Right now, everything is running fine and I'm pretty happy with it but the sound card in my other box quit working so I'm debating about just getting a cheap 30.00 card to replace the other one or do an upgrade on my main box and move the 5.1 card over to the other machine. The other machine is my V5 machine and it's got two speakers attached to it. My main box has a 5 speaker output to it. Surround sound, as much as I my little apartment allows at least. I'd love to crank it up some (especially when playing CoD2 or something like that) but I think I'd get booted from the place.   :P   So I'm wondering what you guys thought.

Any ideas?

well I have been useing a good ole Creative Sound Blaster Live 5.1 and a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 Platinum in 2 different systems with Call Of Duty2 and Red Alert2 and to be very honest there is no difference with the sound, even playing 320 kbps MP3 files there is no difference, so alot of marketing on those creative sound cards.

so I would advise you the Creative Sound Blaster Live 5.1  since that they are very cheap nowadays you can easisly pick one up for less than 35 euro's and in America dunno maybe 35 US dollars there since the United States of America is alot cheaper than the European Uninion :)

the nice thing about the Audigy2 that it can do 24 bit and has a 6.1 speaker setup. 24Bit samples dunno what's the use in that though, and it has a Platinum 5.25" I/O bay nice for plugging in Keyboards, guitars optical gear you name it, there is also a SB Live 5.1 with a Live Drive same idea in certain.

that one is called the Creative Sound Blaster Live 5.1 Platinum. the ones with Platinum eX are basically the same as the noram Platinum ones only thier I/O Driver bays are external.

and the human ears don't fullfill surround sound great than 5.1, all the 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 setups are more like marketing, they do work but you wouldn't hear the difference anyways, it's just a way how those companies earn the extra cash from us poor lads, the bugga's.

Ok, that's what I kind of thought. Yeah, my X-Gamers Live! 5.1 in my main box sounds pretty good with how I got it set up. I'll probably just buy a cheap card for the other box then. Thanks man.

If you need a cheap AND good sound card go for... ;)

Turtle Beach Santa Cruz (only on eBay now) :)

I use this as my main gaming card and it's FAR easier to setup than the godawful rubbish drivers that Creative ship with their cards! (it has 5.1 too...) ;D

Trust me - Creative cards are problematic at best, trouble at worst! Steer clear and go for tha Santa Cruz! 8)

lol thanks man. Yeah it's why I was asking this to begin with. I really haven't paid much attention to the sound card industry in a long time because for the most part, once you get one they last for ever and my X-Gamers card has gone through four major pc overhauls. The last time I had to reload everything from scratch though, I saw that CL's has only updated the drivers for my sound card twice. Since then though, they've pushed out, I don't even know how many cards, so the thinking goes. Instead of updating drivers, do they just fix those issues with the new card forcing you to buy the new product in order to get your problem solved? Not a real good way of running things in my opinion. Someone else pointed to this sound card, ever heard of it?

http://www.auzentech.com/products_xmystique.html

@ Paulpsomaidis

Hey I run 15 years with creative cards, with jusd the WDM drivers ::) it's just a matter of confguration ;)

never had problems with the SB Live 5.1 as for the SB Audigy2 Platinum, the only thing you have to do with that one is remove the creative splash screen via Regedit and all the worries are over lol :)

Anywyas the best of the 2 is still the SB Live 5.1 since it works with everygame, they are very cheap , cheaper than a card of ebay and so on in most cases and the Turtle Beach cards don't have the best all round game support as the creative cards ;)

The best creative cards of the old days also made the best Midi, they were the AWE 32 and 64 based models, AWE as meaning Advanced Wav Effects :) I had the AWE64 Gold! man that was just like plug it in and it worked with everything, the old days were just so much more pleasant :)

That Auzentech card is somewhat not very well known, so compliancy with most games might be a problem ;)

Hercules also made 5.1 cards, but then again they don't have the sound quallity the Creative SB Live's do, the crystal quallity sound, that is where Creative does score very well, and if you want to go professional and get the best there is always Terratec and there was Aureal3D the Aureal Vortex2 was an exellent piece of hardware, I suppose that is something you would have to find on ebay, that was one of very few that had better sound quallity than the SB Live 5.1 but heh you had to pay for it as well, also a reason I went for the Live 5.1 :)

I wish they (maybe they do) made a ISA to PCI adaptor so I could use my SB AWE 32 on my newer machines.

I have 3 of these Model CT 3600.

For now I have 2 SB Live Value and one Audigy2 X-Gamer.

heh also the Audigy2 hehe well the card isn't that bad it's quite nice to be honest, but for simple things the Live 5.1 is still the better choice, the Audigy2 is nice for mak'n 24bit samples and other great stuff.

dunno what the difference is with the Audigy2 Platinum and Xgamer versions are, do you have a 5.25" IO drive as well Gamma742?

here's the drive I mean t in my X2 4400+ game sys hehe :)
http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/d/14208-2/Right+Front+view.JPG

People wonder WHY I don't like Creative... ::)

1) If you buy a second hand card from eBay it NEEDS to have the original driver CD for the card. :P

Creative in all thier [lack] of wisdom offer downloadable drivers that NEVER work. I've tried this time and time again, and the only ones that ever work are the ones on the CD. :(

(even these aren't garunteed to install either!) >:(

2) Also you buy one of their cards and expect it to work for the next O.S. (from 9x to XP) and suddely find that since they brought out a newer card and dropped driver support for your card! >:(

And all other manufacturers keep support for their cards going MUCH longer. ::)

(e.g. I already know that the WinXP drivers for the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz work in Vista) ;)

However - this only applies to the PCI cards! ;D

I agree with @Gamma742 - the old ISA Blaster cards were really great...even the drivers! 8)

Shame that Creative's drivers aren't as good any more! :-/

sounds more like a bad experience mate :) the most people I know have Creative cards and they all work perfectly, and my 2 system setups with Windows 2000 Pro USA + SP4 & Windows XP Pro USA + SP2 work flawlessly with the Creative cards both are updated and running like  ICE on FIRE! 8)

The ASUS A8R32 MVP Deluxe has the perfect layout for a CrossFire Setup + a 3dfx PCI card and a Sound card that way all parts can be utillized perfectly :)

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/d/14199-2/Closeup+on+Voodoo5+5500+PCI+_amp_+X1900+XTX.JPG

The Blue Slot is for the X1900 CrossFire Edition card ;)
Anyways If Creative gave you a bad experience take Terratec a good second alternative.

Yeah I didn't get the front panel & remote control.

I know what Paul is saying. I can't get 4 channels to work on my SB Live. I downloaded the drivers from their web page and REALLY screwed things up. Fortunately, I had a recent Ghost Image >:(

Works fine in 98SE

hmm strange, I used the original drivers first, work with 2000 Pro with that SB Live 1024 5.1 and just did the installation no probs so far did a reboot ya know MS like's that I guess LOL ;D well after that ran the latest update and all 4 speakers working :)

I must say it also works fine under XP pro, my mom's P4 1.70Ghz S423 system has the same card and really on 2 as 4 speakers no problems


strange that you have so many troubles.

Well the 4 speaker work in Windows (XP) but onlt 2 channel sound in games. In 98SE the 4 speakers work in windows and games.

hmm odd, don't have there here while playing Red Alert2 or Farcry or Unreal Tournament GOTYE 1999 under 2K Pro + SP4 as XP Pro + SP2, wierd mate :-/

Did you disable the digital speaker output? that might help

The problem with Creative cards is that (geez I'm soundin' like a stuck record now...) ::) :P

Anyhow...most of the problems are restricted to the pre-Audidgy card range. :P

After that they are usually fine...(only from what I hear, but I'm betting that people have had problems with them too...) ::)

My Uncle has SB Live cards in BOTH of his PC's and NEITHER of them work properly in WinXP... >:(

Problems with speaker channels... :(
Problems with drivers... :(
Problems with recording...(this one is widespread) :(

Did it work with the drivers from the CDROM - yes, but the SBLive mixer crashed! :(

So he tried upgrading to the online drivers - now the mixer works but recording doesn't - AARGH! >:(


Quote:

remove the creative splash screen via Regedit

Yeah, but if their drivers worked 'properly' you wouldn't need to use Regedit... ::)


Quote:

Turtle Beach cards don't have the best all round game support

Well actually, the Santa Cruz still has hardware EAX - granted that you're not going to be able to do all the EAX 2.0 / 3.0 stuff...but frankly who cares if it installs and works without having to mess with registry! ::)


Quote:

ISA to PCI adaptor

Yeah, actually there is one flying around 'out there' somewhere... :D


Quote:

ICE on FIRE

Reminds me of  'Fire & Ice' on the Amiga...aah retro! 8)

Like @Gamma742 said - the Live range only works correctly in Win 9x - not in XP. :P

Move yer' ar$e Creative and give us some WORKING XP drivers! ::)

@Obi_Wan - is that a Lian-Li aluminium case? ???

yeah that is a Lian Li PC7 PLuS! case in details :) it's light weight and very Strait forward in design, not cheap though :-X, I prefer quallity in casings since they have to have some style, strenght and sturdyness 8)

Isn't she a beauty! :)
http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/d/14201-2/FIREFOX+Lian+Li+PC-7+PLuS_+Side-Windowed+ATX+Case.JPG http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/d/14207-2/Right+Front+view.JPG http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/d/14195-2/BOOMHEADSHOT+_amp_+Uber+Micro.JPG
http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/d/14210-2/Voodoo55500+PCI+_amp_+X1900XTX+Visable.JPG http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/d/14198-2/Closeup+on+Voodoo5+5500+PCI+_amp_+X1900+XTX.JPG http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/d/14204-2/FIREFOX+The+System.JPG

Just a good ole Philips Brilliance 109SP 19" CRT :)

about the SBLive cards about 38 of my mates have it with 98SE, 2K pro, Linux and even XP pro and no problems :) Anything else? heh

The SB Live 5.1 is my favourite card just install the WDM drivers and it works, K.I.S.S. and if you know how to regedit why make such a problem about it, it's either you can fix the problem or you can not 8)

Yoda Says:
"Try? No Try, It's Do Or Do Not, There is No Try"

But Yes Paul I can understand how it feels like when something can be so common and you can't get it to work propperly, i have that qith QuakeGL under 2K Pro+ SP4 and XP Pro + SP2, it just won't run and really not in the mood for 98SE

Very nice case ;)

yeah it nice allrighty, got GL Quake fixed too now :)

okay 2 total different things there.

but I did have a look at the new Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Fatal1ty looks nice but kinda pricey though, it's crystalizer seems to be a nice part about it, but dont see the point on getting one yet they are like 200 euro's over here  :-/

Quote:

not cheap though

D@MN RIGHT! 8)

But like they say - if you want something that totally kicks ass... ::)

...you have to be prepared to get your ass kicked paying for it! :P

If anyone who owns a Creative SB Live! or similar card want's to upgrade it, then he should try to update driver to KXdriver. Works like a charm and the sound is really great!
http://kxproject.lugosoft.com/index.php?skip=1

I'll give it a try.

My SB Live card works great in 98SE, machine is dual boot and I'm getting sick of not having quad sound in XP.

Well after reading countless references from Microsoft's web page telling me if you have problems with your SB Live Value card, Go to Gateway and download their drivers...  http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=313022 I finally did and it fixed my problem.

Now I don't have scratchy/staticy 2 channel sound in games.

Now I'm playing Operation Na Pali in single player mode, hoping that someday soon we can all play Co-op together ;)

Heh, custom drivers for SBLive cards... :D

...might see if they fix the problems that my uncle is having with his SBLive cards! 8)

wrote on 03.10.06 at 05:12:28:

I'll give it a try. My SB Live card works great in 98SE, machine is dual boot and I'm getting sick of not having quad sound in XP.

Have you tried with KX?

Haven't had time yet... :P

I have work to do for University... ::)