X-Fi Elite Pro vs X-Fi Platinum

[traveler]

Looking for all opinions on these two cards.

What are the good points and what are the not so good points of each card.

[TQ]

I don't know of any bad points to the Elite Pro, but then all I have it do is 2.1 game audio.
I like the breakout box. It sits on a shelf above my Denon power amp and I jack my Fostex T50RP headphones directly into its full-size, quarter inch headphone input.
The sound is, of course, fantastic. It has a higher quality DAC than the Platinum, but I've never compared the two back to back.
I've had zero issues with it since the day I hooked it up.

If I were buying an X-Fi based card today (and using XP) I'd look hard at this one from Auzentech.

Reviews here and here and here...

[polonyc2]

Originally Posted by TQ

If I were buying an X-Fi based card today (and using XP) I'd look hard at this one from Auzentech.

Reviews here and here and here...

WOW!!...that card is close to perfect!...I did not even know that Creative had licensed its X-Fi chip technology out...the Prelude seems like a deluxe version of all the Creative X-Fi cards put together...I love the fact that they also got rid of most of Creative's bloated driver package and left only the basics

I'm doing a system upgrade this week or next and I was all set to go with the Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional...I'm glad I read this post beforehand...the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 is the best sound card on the market bar none and is definitely going to be in my new system!

for an audiophile like you I'm surprised you did not jump at the chance to get your hands on this card TQ...it's a professional level card

**by the way with recent driver updates the Prelude now supports Dolby Digital Live, DTS Interactive and Creative ALchemy...when the card first was released it lacked these features

[traveler]

Thanks TQ for the links.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by polonyc2

for an audiophile like you I'm surprised you did not jump at the chance to get your hands on this card TQ...it's a professional level card.

Not even close. While it has excellent specifications it's driver configuration and connectivity relegate it to the realm of consumer. Besides, I already have two top notch pro sound cards with my Mbox2 Factory Pro and my Echo Audio Gina24.

The Auzentech Prelude is an excellent card for its intended purpose, though it doesn't offer enough of a performance delta over my X-Fi Elite to warrant an upgrade.
The cool thing is that the card costs a lot less than my Elite Pro did when I first bought it a couple of years ago.

All this being said, if I were to buy a new gaming sound card today it would be this one.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by traveler

Thanks TQ for the links.

You're welcome, sir.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by polonyc2

by the way with recent driver updates the Prelude now supports Dolby Digital Live, DTS Interactive and Creative ALchemy...when the card first was released it lacked these features

The only thing that is missing on the Prelude is support for Dolby Headphone (Auzentech's excellent X-Meridian card offers that, as does the HT Claro cards) although Creative's CMSS Headphone is supported.

Comparision chart is here.

My question regarding CMSS is I don't know if it's supported under Vista without the crutch of OpenAL, whereas I do know for certain Dolby Headphone is not OS dependent.
I also believe that EAX's days are numbered. Take a listen to the excellent sound design in Crysis and the writing is on the wall. No EAX, but the FMOD audio engine sounds fantastic.

With Microsoft's decision to move Vista's audio stack out of the OS kernel space (and this decision looks permanent) plus the emergence of technologies such as the FMOD, Creative loses its advantage.
This is excellent news for the consumer and we see it in the plethora of sound card choices now available.

[traveler]

The Elite Pro version of the X-Fi does have the better numbers. And I am looking for connectivity as well.

How big is the external I/O console? For some reason they don't specify that.

BTW I plan to hook up the soundcard to a set of GigaWorks S750 speakers rev.2.

[TQ]

Hold on...I'll go measure the breakout box.

It's about 12x8x1...12" wide, 8" deep, 1" high.

[polonyc2]

I don't need all the extra connections etc so for me the Prelude is the choice...the extra RAM on the sound card still baffles me, does any game even support this?

the Prelude kept a lot of the look and feel of Creative's X-Fi card which also makes the transition easier (Audio Console, Mode Switcher etc)...they are still dependant on Creative for driver releases but I think the overall driver package is better on the Prelude

one thing interesting from one of those review sites is that they mentioned about the different listening modes (Entertainment, Game, Audio Creation) and they mentioned that the best audio mode was Audio Creation with Bit-Match enabled...I always mostly left in on Entertainment and Game Mode...I must give try that with the Prelude (I tried it with my current X-Fi ExtremeMusic card and it does sound a bit better but maybe that's a placebo effect)

[traveler]

Originally Posted by polonyc2

[snip]

...the extra RAM on the sound card still baffles me, does any game even support this?

[snip]

There are several. The only one that I can remember ATM is F.E.A.R.

[TQ]

That and Battlefieldxxx series. There might be more.

[mindx2]

Originally Posted by polonyc2

one thing interesting from one of those review sites is that they mentioned about the different listening modes (Entertainment, Game, Audio Creation) and they mentioned that the best audio mode was Audio Creation with Bit-Match enabled...I always mostly left in on Entertainment and Game Mode...I must give try that with the Prelude (I tried it with my current X-Fi ExtremeMusic card and it does sound a bit better but maybe that's a placebo effect)

I've always kept mine on Game mode as well. Can anyone confirm if setting it to Audio Creation with Bit-Match enabled is the better setting? Will this affect in-game audio?

[traveler]

Originally Posted by mindx2

I've always kept mine on Game mode as well. Can anyone confirm if setting it to Audio Creation with Bit-Match enabled is the better setting? Will this affect in-game audio?

I read that somewhere.

Bit Match will turn off ALL special effects. So there will be no EAX available. If your game wants special effects such as echo effect in a cave or large room, it will not be there for you to experience in the game.

[traveler]

Originally Posted by TQ

Hold on...I'll go measure the breakout box.

It's about 12x8x1...12" wide, 8" deep, 1" high.

Thanks.