Which sound card is you favor?

[Smartchen]

Which sound card is you favor?Show us.Do you know Diamond MonsterSound MX400?How do you feel that?

 

[Crashman]

I have the Aureal SQ2500, a Vortex2 card similar to the MX300. It is the best PC card I know of, but driver support is getting scarce.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[jheine]

Right now, I'm using a SB Live 5.1 and a old Ensoniq Soundscape Elite. I still use the Soundscape quite a bit because the sounds were good and it has a decent effects processor daughterboard for real-time effects. If I was to buy a new one, I'd probably go for a Terratec.

As for the Diamond MonsterSound, I'm not familiar with the models, but I know my father had one and was happy with it. That's about all I can say about it.

Jarrett

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[r2k]

I have an Audigy OEM (the original not Audigy2) and I love it. I don't have any problems in games or music playback. I've connected it to my Denon PMA-655R stereo integrated amp and B&W DM303 speakers and the setup sounds real good. My taste in music is broad and varried and the Audigy is a capable card for all kinds of things I listen to.

But after all, I wish I had a M-Audio Audiophile 2496. I don't have the money right now though so...

 

[upec]

I would like to get a Terratec sound card but I cannot find them in the US.

 

[kinney]

Definitely the Audigy 1 OEM, available for about $50. Great sound, EAX3, lowest cpu utilization rate other than the Audigy 2, firewire port built in.

I dont think any other card can be considered that doesnt support EAX3. The only other viable option for a gamer that takes his sound seriously is the Nforce audio which is decent but still doesnt support EAX3.

Athlon 1700+, Gigabyte 7VTXE (KT266A), 2x256mb Crucial PC2100, Geforce 3, Audigy, Z560s

 

[jheine]

I wish I had a M-Audio Audiophile 2496.

Nice card. I was looking at those myself. I wound up going for the MOTU 828, which I didn't mention since it's not really a 'card' per se.

Jarrett

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[jheine]

Terratec is distributed by Fostex. You'll probably find it at your local music (instrument) store like Guitar Center, Sam Ash, or <A HREF="http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=021230162911066152230042692775/search/g=rec?q=terratec" target="_new">Musician's Friend</A>. Check their <A HREF="http://www.terratec.net/ttus/sales.htm" target="_new">wesite</A> to find one near you.

Jarrett

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[Crashman]

A3D 2.0 is better than EAX 3.0 and is 2 years old!

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[upec]

Thanks for the information.

 

[kinney]

wheres the support?

Athlon 1700+, Gigabyte 7VTXE (KT266A), 2x256mb Crucial PC2100, Geforce 3, Audigy, Z560s

 

[ritesh_laud]

A3D 2.0 is better than EAX 3.0 and is 2 years old!

Crash it's time to quit living in the past, brother. I've extensively used <font color=green>all</font color=green> of the Aureal-based Monster Sound cards for gaming and they just can't hang with today's cards. Especially with the Audigy 2, there's simply no comparison.

Ritesh

 

[HoldenCommodore]

I think the Diamond MX400 uses the ESS Canyon 3D chip. ESS provides next to no support, and driver updates are non existant. I'd say to stay away from this card.

Personally, I like the Philips Acoustic Edge and Seismic Edge PSC705.


Cheers

 

[Crashman]

You mean what games support it? I'm not certain, but I have seen that at least some newer games do.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[Crashman]

I admit to not trying the Audigy 2 myself. Perhaps Creative integrated some A3D tech into EAX 3.0? They DO own the technology now.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[lwj81]

Man i'm with you.i have 2 of them collecting dust.had to replace it with the santa cruz cause i couldn't get it to work right with windows xp.i can only imagine what the VORTEX 3,4,whatever it would be called now would sound like if AUREAL was still around.hell,might have to scrap XP and go back to 98.

 

[r2k]

BTW did you know that M-Audio were going to release 'Revolution 7.1'? Did it come out? A 7.1 internal card that supports EAX and Directsound 3D with 24-bit/192KHz DAC and 24-bit/96KHz ADC AND it gonna cost $99! Now ain't that sweeeet... /me wants one!

 

[kinney]

I'd like to find an Audigy 2 for myself but hoping an OEM version is released.
My audigy 1 is working great, at least under my NForce2.. it hated my VIA chipsets.

I could get it stable under every circumstance with my KT266A besides when using EAX3.

Athlon 1700+, Epox 8RDA (NForce2), 2x256mb Crucial PC2100, Geforce 3, Audigy, Z560s

 

[jheine]

It doesn't look like it's shipping yet, but the website makes it sound rather tasty, with EAX, DirectSound, Sensaura, and A3D. The one thing it doesn't mention is ASIO though.

Jarrett

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[blah]

""I've extensively used all of the Aureal-based Monster Sound cards""

If you would do so, you would not say ""and they just can't hang with today's cards."" so

The EAX 1,2,3+++ is nothing more than super-duper stereo reverb barrel sounding noise, there is no 3D whatsoever, so I'll stick with my MX300 for a little more, until who ever will make a REAL 3D sound card to consider.


..this is very useful and helpful place for information...

 

[blah]

"<A HREF="http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/zones/reviews/hardware/jul97/monst.html" target="_new">While</A> the SoundBlaster series will do some sort of 3D effects, it cannot do true quadrophonic sound with four speakers, and it doesn't boast the acceleration features of the Monster card. The Monster applies the A3D technology in hardware either directly or via calls made to the card through the DirectSound-3D protocol..."

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[MindCrime]

Audigy, all the way.

Audigy (1) if you need to save some cash.
Audigy 2 if you have some extra to throw around.

There's not a whole lot that's different between the two. I mean, there for sure is. But to the average listener, you won't hear that much of a difference. So if you want to save some money, go for the 1.

There's not much that sounds better.

I've owned the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz, and it was a nice card. Not quite as clear on the high ends as the Audigy, but if you want to save even more money, that card can be picked up for way less than a 100 bucks. It's a nice card, but I personally hear the difference, and would recommend the audigy over the TBSC anyday.

Hope that helps.

Good Luck.

<b>If it aint broke, then hell, you aint looking at it in the right frame of mind!</b>

 

[KeillRandor]

The soundcard I have in my current computer, is an old SBLive! 1024 player, that I bought a couple of years ago. It still ok for games - (it's only in an older AMD-K62 350), but for my new multi-purpose/DAW computer, I want something better... The cards (yes two), I'm planning to get, will be the ST-audio DSP24 w/ DSP3000 rack-mount, and I was originally going to get an Audigy 2 to go with it (for surround sound purposes and to keep everything at 24/96) - but the new M-audio revolution 7.1 has caught my interest... I have a lot of old music from my (very old) Amiga A1200 I want to re-do properly - (and hopefully sell), but mixing for surround sound will probably take some time to learn...

'Stupidity is an often fatal disease' - R. A. Heinlein

 

[ritesh_laud]

The EAX 1,2,3+++ is nothing more than super-duper stereo reverb barrel sounding noise, there is no 3D whatsoever, so I'll stick with my MX300 for a little more, until who ever will make a REAL 3D sound card to consider.

Heh, you're in denial. The MX300's not a bad card compared to the SB Live! series (I had one for almost a year) but the Audigy series is quite superior, especially the Audigy 2. EAX in itself is just a reverb engine. The positioning of the audio is provided by the DirectSound driver and it works perfectly on Creative cards. Make no mistake: when a game wants to put something to your rear right, you *will* hear it out of the rear right speaker. Get yourself an Audigy 2 and hear the difference; you can probably return it if you're not satisfied. Going from an MX300, I think it's worth the $120.

BTW, the Games Domain link you gave me is over five years old! At least try to back up your claims about EAX with something written in the last year or two...

Ritesh

 

[blah]

""At least try to back up your claims about EAX with something written in the last year or two...""

Well, you've said it yerself ""EAX in itself is just a reverb engine."" and there is almost nothing changed since 5 years old article about that I believe. That's why I originally gave you the link.

But anyway, I was just giving you hard time, nothing personal. Forgive me if I made you upset

I did take SBLive5.1! Platinum once, returned it next day, I think I had conversation with someone here about SB having high to medium bass, nothing below medium frequencies, it was sounding really dry compare to MX300. Sorry, it is just my perception, I am really picky about bass stuff. I use headphones and 2.1 speakers for that matter. 4.1, 5.1, 10.1 from the sound card are not my style, it is all synthetic, made up, not real. A3D is real (am I fuding, oops


..this is very useful and helpful place for information...