Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio and Vista Ultimate 64Bit

I would not recomend the extream audio for any OS.
It is an overpriced, reboxed Audigy SE and nothing more.

Hmm.. I don't know what version you want, but the models of X-FI Xtreme Audio I see don't have any Optical output at all!! Unless you mean Spdif?

I got a brand new one sitting in it's box on my desk at home, never got to really use it, wouldn't work under Vista without giving unmeasurable amounts of RDC errors, and also the sound was distorted and echoing like hell.

Willing to let it go for 20$ plus shipping, been used for a "hellishly" long 15 minutes... Brand new in box

Would stay away to be honest.

My 2 cents

Edit: Looks like the PCI-e models have Optical in/out....

I noticed Creative actually have drivers that have been posted this month with an ALchemy update as well.

Any one else have this card with Vista 64 Bit ? If how is your experience ?

I have an AuzenTech Prelude 7.1, which uses the X-Fi chip, running on 64 bit Vista. Works great, and sounds amazing.

That's great and all about the X-Fi cards but you seem to be forgetting that the card he is looking at dose not have the EMU20K1 chip, instead it uses the CA0106 chip. This is supposed to be the same chip as in the Audigy 2 SE card.


But, I did just check and the drivers were updated on April 2nd.
With that in mind, I would think it should be working now.

Any one of any other card that can take an optical in.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6829132006
Look up the reviews. recommended over any SB card.

Don't really have anything to say about any sound card, specifically, but sound is quite subjective. Regarding audio products, there are two different approaches - one, reproduce sound faithfully; two, psychoacoustics (enhance the bass, blah blah blah). Most audiophiles (whatever that means) prefer the former; companies like Creative and Bose take the latter approach, at least for the consumer market.

For enjoying great sound, neither approach is necessarily correct or better than the other. The better approach is the one you prefer... so if possible, find a way to listen to these sound cards on good speakers before you buy. Tinker with the drivers and speakers. Test various cards with different speakers and headphones. If using higher-end headphones, use a headphone amp. If you're gonna spend some of your hard-earned cash on a product you'll be using for a long time to come, make sure you made the best possible purchase. Then again, going that far might be too extreme for most people (but hey, if that's too extreme, maybe the sound card you're buying is more than you'll need?)

Whatever the case may be, I hope you'll be happy with your purchase. At least the driver situation with Creative cards and Vista has been somewhat resolved now thanks to... external pressures on Creative.

computertech82 - Thanks for that recommendation, but as I mentioned earlier I am looking for one with an optical input.

ahmshaegar - Yeah I feel pretty much the same way too, since I am not an Audiophile (not a hardcore one), any good sound card is good enough for me. Also for this need I need some thing cheap as well, I will be buying a better sound card soon, but for now, I need some thing that I can use to take audio from my DVD player, which has an Optical TOSLINK out.

After the clear blackmail policy of f---ative they deserve to be f---ed
Good job Asus you have my full support

I have miserable history with their sound cards
Audigy Live
Audigy2
Webcam-PC800(if I did not forget)
5.1 speakers 5300

Problem starts with installing driver other sh---ty staff are installed like AOL link
can never set 5.1 speakers to work properly
always sound of some speakers is lower than others
Speakers sound starteted crippling after couple of months and died a month later
A webcam of 10$ was better than their 100$ one where no
option to control brightness, hue, saturation or anything was available
It is a nightmare if you want to update drivers or utilities
If you do a format it is much easier to install windows and all updates and getting it to work
more than getting their sond card to work
I forgot F----ative since 3 years

The Xonar and Auzentech Prelude even use solid capacitors ( ) for longevity. Creative of course, is not.

5.1 optical input for <=$100... ttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829118005 ...see the photos, there's TOSLINK adapters for the I/O.

You really shouldn't make yourself look like a complete moron. Grow some brain cells and use "search" in a search engine. There are hundreds of reviews, all the same, superior to **** x-fi cards.
http://www.elitebastards.com/cms/i [...] mitstart=5
http://www.insidehw.com/Reviews/Mu [...] age-3.html
http://techgage.com/article/asus_xonar_d2_sound_card/9

Next time, do research moron before trying to make a comment.

So I decided to take the leap and buy the X-Fi Xtreme Audio for the PCI-Express. I was very reserved about its performance and compatibility with Vista 64 bit, after reading all the reviews. And I was not expecting much from this card, as long as it would give me decent sound, better than my onboard audio.

Vista detected the card and installed the drivers on its self, and it worked out of the box. No incompatibilities, no crackling popping, just worked. I proceeded to install the drivers that came with the sound card in a DVD. And to me surprise they actually worked including the Volume control, launcher and Media Source.

So I started playing around to see the sound quality, I was really impressed. The only issue I had with the given drivers was that when I connected my Toshiba HD-DVD player through a TOSLINK cable to the card's optical inpt, the sound card was only outputting Stereo Surround and not 5.1, still the sound was blowing me away when I was watching Transformers, with the sound coming through Creative P580 speakers.

I proceeded to install the drivers that were posted in the Creative Website for Vista 64 bit, and a quick restart and presto I have 5.1 coming through the speakers for my DVD player, for all movies.

So I guess for my reservation in buying this card I have to say I am surprised at its performance.

For spending $50 on the Sound card and $30 on the speakers, I am really happy with this setup.

I am going to upgrade to a full fledged HT Speaker with a proper receiver soon, but for now I am happy with this sound Card.

Honestly I have been a fan of Creative since my first AWE64, and I doubt it if I would go with any thing else.

Yes they ran into a snag with the X-Fi and Vista, but honestly which hardware has not had run into a snag with Vista ? The issue is how they respond to it, and the fact that they were willing to listen to their customers and fans and come up with a solution, does show you that at in the end they were willing to make necessary updates and changes, even after a major public relation disaster.

At this point they have learnt their lesson, and I am hoping that Creative will not make the same mistake again, and I am willing to give Creative a chance to redeem itself as the leading Sound Card Manufacturer (yes I did sound like a Fan Boy)

So for now I am sticking to Creative.

Well put.