Alternative to X Fi sound card

[elrasho]

I had an X Fi Xtreme Music sound card which was way better than the onboard Realtek AC97 I was using. Unfortunantly I had to sell the card to make some money.

Now that Bioshock is out and soon Episode 2 will be I want to get a decent sound card. Thing is the X Fi Extreme Music/Gamer is still over budget for me (at ?50).

Does anyone know of any alternatives that use the EAX effects games like Bioshock and Episode 2 use?

 

[-Psy-]

You can get an OEM X-Fi Gamer for around ?30 off eBay.

 

[elrasho]

You can get an OEM X-Fi Gamer for around ?30 off eBay.

Yeah but Im not sure I want to risk it off Ebay

 

[The Brick]

If you're not running vista, you should be able to get an audigy 2 zs. If you are running vista, x-fi is the only option if you want hardware acceleration (but you need a patch).

 

[elrasho]

If you're not running vista, you should be able to get an audigy 2 zs. If you are running vista, x-fi is the only option if you want hardware acceleration (but you need a patch).

I like the look of the Audigy series. Is the Audigy 4 the best one in that series?

 

[The Brick]

Not sure. But I do know that you can't go wrong with the audigy2 zs.

 

[Asus]

An Audigy 4 Pro is basically an Audigy 2 ZS but with better DACs (113dB vs 100dB). The non-pro Audigy 4 is 106 dB.
But any Audigy 2 ZS/Audigy 4 would be good.

If you are running vista, x-fi is the only option if you want hardware acceleration (but you need a patch).

But Vista doesn't use hardware acceleration for sound. You get the EAX effects but via CPU and software.

 

[The Brick]

Oh lol, vista.

 

[Ren.182]

I have an Audigy 4. It's great and does all the EAX effects and such.
I'm going to be ugrading to an X-fi soon though. With some Z5500's. Yum

 

[elrasho]

I have these speakers: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/6753083.htm

Will the Audigy 4 Pro sound better than my onboard sound on these speakers?

 

[3ssence]

I have an Audigy 4. It's great and does all the EAX effects and such.
I'm going to be ugrading to an X-fi soon though. With some Z5500's. Yum

Tis a good setup. I have an extreme music and z5500's and it's lovely. The z5500's are pretty damn good considering they are not hi-fi separates. Quality sound, and an awful lot of it. Seriously, i can barely turn them up past 1/3 without deafening the neighbours.

:E

 

[Tyguy]

if u cant spare 50 but are willing to paying 30....just wait and save a few bucks

 

[Gray Fox]

An Audigy 4 Pro is basically an Audigy 2 ZS but with better DACs (113dB vs 100dB). The non-pro Audigy 4 is 106 dB.
But any Audigy 2 ZS/Audigy 4 would be good.
But Vista doesn't use hardware acceleration for sound. You get the EAX effects but via CPU and software.

In the link you posted in the previous thread it said it does use that if you use OpenAl or Alchemy for games that do not support OpenAL. So you can get hardware acceleration with an X-Fi.

 

[CptStern]

But Vista doesn't use hardware acceleration for sound. You get the EAX effects but via CPU and software.

so what's the use of having a soundcard in a vista machine? I'm thinking of building a dx10 pc soon and getting a x-fi soundcard ..should I not bother getting one if vista incorporates eax anyways?

 

[Tyguy]

I have a X-Fi Fatality and its great

 

[Asus]

In the link you posted in the previous thread it said it does use that if you use OpenAl or Alchemy for games that do not support OpenAL. So you can get hardware acceleration with an X-Fi.

You are right. I think that was what Brick was saying as well. But Alchemy (the patch) only works for select games.

 

[elrasho]

got my xfi gamer today and WOW does it make a massive difference! MP3s sound sooooo much better

Played UT2004 using the XFI patch and the games got new life! One thing though, what are the best settings for a 5.1 system? I have it in 'Game' mode and switched that XFI Crystalizzer off as it was making the wepons in UT2004 sound dull

 

[-Psy-]

Mine should arrive tomorrow. Can't wait!

 

[MRG]

Not sure. But I do know that you can't go wrong with the audigy2 zs.

The Audigy 2 ZS is a very good sound card. Plain & Simple. We all know this I know. But did you know that between the Audigy 2 & the Audigy 2 ZS, the changes were few?

The main differences between the 2 are as follows:
1) True support for 7.1-channels, (6.1 for Audigy 2) Although the Audigy 2 ZS differs from the Audigy 2 in that it offers 7.1 output as opposed to 6.1, the additional rear surround channel is carried over the 3rd Stereo line output and as such, it requires proprietary cabling to enable full 7.1 analog output.
2) THX certification
3) DTS ES support (along with Dolby EX which was already present), ASIO2 support
4) Updated EAX HD extensions, As you know, EAX has received wide support by game developers in the last few years. EAX 4 was the last version supported by the Audigy 2 ZS line of sound cards. (Also available for some earlier Audigy 1 models, though not standard.) Of course all of you here already know that the X-Fi supports the new EAX 5 standard.

There are a few other changes as well, but to list them all out, would bore you. Not much was changed from the Audigy 2.

-MRG

 

[elrasho]

I find the cfi shows its true porentila in BF2. In Bioshock the sounds coming from behined u are not amplified enough through the back speakers like in BF2