Can I get some recommendations?

[Guest]

i'm looking at the philips acoustic edge or a sb live (gamer-x or mp3). do you guys have any recommendations. is gamer-x better or mp3, and what about audigy? thanks for any help!

 

[Crashman]

Go Phillips, the Live sucks, I own one so I have the right to say that. Even my outdated Aureal card produces far superior sounc quality and allows higher from rates through less CPU utilization. The LIve is a weak soundchip, relying on the processor to do most of the work. The only reason it sells well is that it provides reasonable (passable) sound quality with a variety of features, and Creative marketing. It has severe problems with certain configurations, Liveware conflicts with certain programs, heck, it even causes data loss with certain chipsets! Get the Phillips, most users are completely satisfied with it.

I'm so tired of cookies I'd settle for spam!

 

[AMD_Man]

Sorry Crash, but I have to disagree, I replaced my weak PCI128 after I screwed it up with a SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 on my Abit KT7A board and man, the sound is beautiful on my new 4.1 system. I don't know what's the best, but the SoundBlaster Live! is good enough for me.

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor

 

[Crashman]

I've gotten similar sound from a cheap ESS card. With none of the problems and lower overhead.

I'm so tired of cookies I'd settle for spam!

 

[AMD_Man]

What about the SoundBlaster Audigy? Any news on it's performance and sound quality?

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor

 

[Crashman]

Just hype, no facts yet, but it looks like a Live with a firewire interface added.

I'm so tired of cookies I'd settle for spam!

 

[AMD_Man]

More than that! It supports higher quality sampling and enhanced EAX (I'm assuming EAX3.0). One thing worries me: Creative promised that the the SoundBlaster Live!'s EMU10K1 is reprogrammable via new versions of Live!Ware. Will Creative still support the Live! series with EAX3 or is SoundBlaster Live! gone and we'll be forced to get an Audigy for an enhanced surround sound experience?

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor

 

[Crashman]

Enhanced sound is available through every high end device already, I don't know if EAX3 will do better, but it's probably still not as good as A3D, unless it's based on A3d technology (a possibility, since Creative bought Aureals assets).

I'm so tired of cookies I'd settle for spam!

 

[AMD_Man]

I believe the Audigy will be the first mainstream sound chip to utilize 24-bit sound while all of today's chips use 16-bits.

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor

 

[Crashman]

It is possible to have perfectly clean music that still sounds like someone put a damper over the speakers.

I'm so tired of cookies I'd settle for spam!

 

[AMD_Man]

Isn't that one of the many sound effects EAX is supposed to be able to do?

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor

 

[Crashman]

A3D 1.0 was licenced out, A3D 2.0 was only available on Aureal cards. So it's possible that Creative could have put A3D 2.0 into EAX3, but not likely, that would be too much like right.

I'm so tired of cookies I'd settle for spam!

 

[DISTURBED]

I bought a Hercules GameSurround Fortissimo 2 two days ago and it absolutely kicks ass (with MP3s)...but I haven't tried any games with it yet...

 

[Guest]

Actually...

The only primary reason the SB Lives sell so well... Is really the massive marketing behind it... Just like Microsnot... The better the marketing, the better the numbers...

It is a crappy, noisy, and NOSY card (Spyware built in)...

Found a way around the spyware bit, but its crapola to have to deal with that issue...

 

[Guest]

I've had 24bit and more long before they come with it.... Been running "Pro" quality sound equipment for some time now, and even the new Live! cards don't even come close to a Midiman Delta card, or one of the other pro/semi-pro card stuff... They also don't require drivers that hog upwards of 20% of your processor and memory... not like a certian Soundblaster Live card we know from a certian company.<grin>

I've got a Live card installed in one box thinking the soundfonts would be great.. Too bad they don't stack up to real outboard synthesizers and my Gigasampler... So... that box is now relegated back to just simple game garbage for the kids.

If however, your like sheep and all, then by all means, follow the wolves... <grin>

 

[Crashman]

Nice.

Back to you Tom...

 

[Dev]

Who's the spy? Creative or third party?

Legalize lutefisk (UFF DA).