looking for a new sound card

[sammy2066]

Originally Posted by TQ

Might want to to check my newly edited post.

But consider this, X-Ram equipped X-Fi cards have only been on the market for a couple of months and yet it's already being supported by two of the biggest game developers in the business.

Not having played BF2 I can't speak to how it sounds with and without, but the reviewers that I have read that mention the use of X-Ram in BF2 have stated they they hear a difference.

X-Ram, though, isn't the sole reason to buy (albeit an interesting one) an X-Fi. I am more interested in it's pure fidelity, it's power, the support of EAX HD 5.0 (which has evolved beyond "mere" environmental reverberations) and the incredible positional headphone audio offered by any X-Fi, regardless of price.

I love mine. It's on the level of (perhaps more so) upgrading to the latest, greatest video card out there, only it's for your ears.

I am not an audiophile, and spending $200+ on a sound card which may give me 1-2fps more in games is really not a liberty I can indulge in.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by sammy

I am not an audiophile, and spending $200+ on a sound card which may give me 1-2fps more in games is really not a liberty I can indulge in.

You copied my entire post, yet missed completely what was said. Nowhere did I mention one should purchase an X-Fi for an improvement in frames-per-second.
It is the sheer beauty of the card's ability to render audio with detail unheard of (literally, in this case) prior to the release of the X-Fi.
I understand that to the majority of gamers sound is a secondary consideration. But to me it's every bit as important - I might even say more so - than video. As long as I can run a game smoothly with most, if not all, of a game's video goods on high quality I am pleased with the video performance. I can even greatly enjoy very old games with less-than-modern graphics.
Sound, though, is a very different beast. If a game's audio is uninspiring, dull, brittle or otherwise poorly replicated I really can't enjoy playing it. The same is true of the music or ambient atmospheric sounds (ala the Thief games or F.E.A.R.) as well as the overall sound design. If it isn't inspired I'm not going to enjoy the game to its fullest. I shouldn't leave out the voice work, as voice acting is one of the things I pay very close attention to in a game.
My point is that, for me, a good sound card is more important than a good video card and on every point the X-Fi series delivers.
Often I find myself closing my eyes just to listen to a game's audio without the distraction of what's on screen. I also use that technique to track the locations of enemies. Or I just enjoy hearing the subtle ring of freshly ejected brass as it bounces off a wall and lands behind me.
It is in moments like these that the X-Fi delivers like no other sound solution before it.

[FightingChance]

Bah! Down with Creative Labs proprietary lockouts! The future is Dolby Digital Live and other digital delivery methodologies - my reciever can mix sounds better and with a more superior noise floor and S/N than a card ever could.

Just ranting a little. X-Fi's actually a pretty fine card, but Creative Labs will never see a nickel of my money.

[PCBruiser]

TQ, what I am trying to do is boil my question down. I agree that IMHO too the X-Fi is the best sounding card that has been made yet. And, that it is a significant improvement over previous Creative products. Fine - no disagreement there. I bought the Platinum for the breakout box, you bought the Pro for an even better breakout box. No problem with that. Here's my problem, I have a real doubt that the RAM does anything useful for the quality of the sound reproduction. Thus my earlier comment that the Fatal1ty was marketing hype. I didn't say that the breakout boxes weren't worth getting. And, my further comment was that the added RAM was exceptionally high priced just considering the added value of the hardware itself, without taking any sound improvements into the equation at all. Further, if there is no demonstratively added benefits in terms of sound reproduction between the Music and the other setups, then the only reason to get one of the other setups is if you need a breakout box, and which one fits your needs better.

What I haven't seen is an actual scientific proof that the quality of the sound is improved by the RAM at all. Some anecdotal statements maybe, but nothing tangible at all. Until someone does that and explains what benefit that RAM provides, my belief that it is marketing hype to sell inexpensive RAM for a very inflated price stands.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by FightingChance

Bah! Down with Creative Labs proprietary lockouts! The future is Dolby Digital Live and other digital delivery methodologies - my reciever can mix sounds better and with a more superior noise floor and S/N than a card ever could.

Hey, no disagreement. Your receiver is a dedicated music reproduction component and no computer can ever match its ability to deliver music.
I was talking about PC games and the X-Fi's ability to deliver an amazing gaming experience.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by PCBruiser

TQ, what I am trying to do is boil my question down. I agree that IMHO too the X-Fi is the best sounding card that has been made yet. And, that it is a significant improvement over previous Creative products. Fine - no disagreement there. I bought the Platinum for the breakout box, you bought the Pro for an even better breakout box. No problem with that. Here's my problem, I have a real doubt that the RAM does anything useful for the quality of the sound reproduction. Thus my earlier comment that the Fatal1ty was marketing hype. I didn't say that the breakout boxes weren't worth getting. And, my further comment was that the added RAM was exceptionally high priced just considering the added value of the hardware itself, without taking any sound improvements into the equation at all. Further, if there is no demonstratively added benefits in terms of sound reproduction between the Music and the other setups, then the only reason to get one of the other setups is if you need a breakout box, and which one fits your needs better.

What I haven't seen is an actual scientific proof that the quality of the sound is improved by the RAM at all. Some anecdotal statements maybe, but nothing tangible at all. Until someone does that and explains what benefit that RAM provides, my belief that it is marketing hype to sell inexpensive RAM for a very inflated price stands.

Yours is a complicated response and I hope to get my acknowledgement understood.
I'm not suggesting anyone's choice of X-Fi is any better than another's choice. I settled upon the Pro because it fit what I wanted and I have only made the case for my decision based on what was important to me.
I'm also not interested at all in debating the potential pros or cons of X-Ram. Don't care, not interested and furthermore it's ultimately not relevant.
You stated no one is supporting it, I refuted your assertion with fact. That's all.
Any X-Fi one chooses is an excellent choice. If someone decides not to buy an X-Fi that's fine, too. I really don't care as it is a meaningless decision. No one's life will be fundamentally altered based on what sound card one chooses to use.

Yes, the Fatal1ty card is marketing hype. So? Where is the revelation in this? Buy it or not. The choice is open to anyone with the money to do so. Ultimately, I decided on the Pro not based on it's X-Ram but on its higher quality DAC's and it's impressive software package. Heck, the darn thing ships with Cubase LE ferchrissake - that is undeniably a fantastic software deal.
I thought I was clear that I was not passing judgment on anyone's choice of what sound card to buy or what one would decide to get an X-Fi, another ZS or a Turtle Beach.
If you ask me what's really important it's going to be on the level of what are we going to do about Iran's nuclear program and the fact that their president has called for the destruction of Israel and that anyone who treats with them should "die by fire".
Sound card choices sort of pale by comparision, yes?

[Ford Freak]

I'm bringing this back up since more sound cards have come out along with Vista. I'll be using Vista once I move back to the US in a couple months. I need something that will actually work with Vista like the X-Fi series.

Are there any other cards that will get around Vista like the X-Fi series does? If not, I'll have to go with the X-Fi then. I'm looking for something that supports EAX 5. Here are some cards I'm looking at.

Newegg.com - Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series - Retail

Newegg.com - HT OMEGA CLARO 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail

Newegg.com - AuzenTech AZT-XM71 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 Sound Card - Retail