Audigy 2 ZS or SupremeFX?

[slim142]

Hi

I just got my ASUS Striker-Extreme and as you know this card comes with a sound card called SupremeFX which is PCI-E 1x and has many ports.

Well I also have my old Audigy 2 ZS which has perfomed good to me since I bought it and I wouldnt like to leave it in the closet.

My question is, should I use the PCI Audigy 2 ZS or the SupremeFX from the Striker-Extreme? I really dont know their specifications so I dont really know which one to choose

Help me out!

 

[slim142]

Help me out please, I really need your opinions!

 

[purplepulser]

hard OCP list it as an audio codec which suggests to me it still relies on your cpu to do the sound work. so i say stick with your audigy

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTIzNCwxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

 

[slim142]

Can I still install both cards in the motherboard and use the Audigy with no problems? or it might cause drivers problems or anything else?

 

[purplepulser]

It's unwise to have 2 sound systems installed and probably wont work. (never tried)

that said i think the superfx thing is also an add on board, you should simply remove it and disable it in the bios if there is an option

then install audigy 2 zs

 

[slim142]

Ok, Thanks

I didnt know which card was better to use since new motherboards are coming with good sound cards in this times.

 

[alpham22]

USE THE AUDIGY!!! Fact is that creative gives their sc their own processors. The cards use their own processors without the use of the actual processing from the pc itself. Crisper sound and better options. Dont ever relie on a mb's sound if you have a sound card. Use the card that was made from a sound type company period.

 

[slim142]

So according to you the PCI-Express x1 SupremeFX that comes with the Striker-Extreme still uses CPU sources?

 

[asa_riey0000]

Don't worry about how much cpu sources the onboard sound is using, if you have multicore cpu(c2d)...I use both onboard and X-Fi so I can set IPphone/voice call programs to use onboard, while games movies and musics use X-Fi...no more plug/unplugging your headset and you can listen to music on speakers while voice chatting with your friends...if you dont need onboard sound,just disable it in BIOS..btw my board is i965 realtek onboard and c2d cpu...

 

[luke219]

ive got a question about the audigy 2zs how do i plug in the front audio on it? theres like 30 pins and i have no idea which ones to use

 

[slim142]

the audigy 2 zs doesnt have front auido connectors as far as I know, the only one that has that is the XtremeGamer or the XtremeMusic I think... and you can check it on newegg on the pictures, they show the name of the connector.

 

[Tug]

I have 2 computers that have 2 sound cards in them and no problems. I have had 3 sound cards working in another computer. Stick them both in and then you can compare. You can always take one out if it doesn't work for you.

 

[slim142]

Im probably gonna do that, but I have a question, when you are in windows xp, what do you have to do to use the 2 sound cards? because as far as I know when you go to sound options, you can only enable 1 card. Although I never had two sound cards I would like to know if there is any special procedure to have this done.

help

 

[luke219]

ok thanks, but then what are all the pins for?

 

[slim142]

in the Audigy 2 ZS, it has S/PDIF, the MIDI port, AUX IN and AUX Out I think and CD port.

 

[Tug]

ive got a question about the audigy 2zs how do i plug in the front audio on it? theres like 30 pins and i have no idea which ones to use-Luke219

This guy shows the solution for connecting front panel case I/O-Note: He is talking about the 10 pins enclosed by white plastic at the top left of the card:
http://www.devhardware.com/forums/multimedia-73/audigy-2-zs-front-of-case-audio-mic-connectors-15584.html

The 40 pin connector, AD_EXT, at the bottom right of the card has connections like SPDIF ins and outs and other more esoteric connections:
http://www.driverheaven.net/showthread.php?t=51505

Just to confuse the whole issue a bit. There is a second ADC/DAC converter on Audigy cards. In other words there is a second stereo Line input. Audigy cards all have the capability of having 2 Stereo (4 Mono) analog line inputs.

I described how I set mine up here:
http://webpages.charter.net/drw46/kx2sc/auxsc00.html

Most gamers seem to prefer the Creative drivers. For listening to music or recording music, however, I would recommend the kX drivers.

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Im probably gonna do that, but I have a question, when you are in windows xp, what do you have to do to use the 2 sound cards? because as far as I know when you go to sound options, you can only enable 1 card. Although I never had two sound cards I would like to know if there is any special procedure to have this done.- Slim142

I have only one of my cards selected in XP but in my recording programs, I can select one or the other for recording so I am not sure if it actually matters what you select in the control panel. There is also the option of selecting " Use any available Device" instead of just one card, though I have never selected it myself.

I mostly use my 2 sound card 'puter for recording music. I have an Audigy 2 ZS, linked with an SPDIF cable to an Audigy 1 card. This way I can use the inputs of both cards for recording. It requires using the kX drivers for these cards.

kX forum
http://www.driverheaven.net/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=67

 

[slim142]

Hey nice recording system you have in there
Anyways, I will do put both cards and see if everything goes OK.

Im just worried about the drivers, I wouldnt like the SupremeFX drivers to causes problems with the Creative Drivers. Still, since they are different cards from different companies, I dont think there should be any problem with them.