"Audigy 2 Value" or "Audigy Live! 24bit"?

[hop1hop2]

I'm getting a new 7.1 speaker system ( <A HREF="http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=4&subcategory=113&product=5076" target="_new"> Inspire T7700 </A> ) and am wondering which card i should get, the "<A HREF="http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2value/" target="_new"> Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Value </A>" or the "<A HREF="http://www.soundblaster.com/products/live24bit/" target="_new"> Sound Blaster Audigy Live! 24bit </A>", can anyone help me decide which one to buy the Audigy 2 Value is about $55-70 and the Audigy Live! 24bit is about $30-35.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by hop1hop2 on 11/19/04 05:01 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[cookingfrags]

the Live! 24-bit is pretty weak, IMO. no hardware Dolby Digital, and especially no Dolby Digital EX, which is the Dolby 7.1 spec (of course, youll need software that'll let you use the hardware decoder in your soundcard). if your into gaming, the EAX 4.0 Advanced HD spec couldn't hurt, especially with 7 speakers. also, in gaming, the channels are hardware accelerated, meaning you're processor doesnt have to think about it...meaning better frame rates.

unless you're really short on money, i wouldn't go for it.

(btw...i wrote a laundry list of differences in the post "<A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=107796#107796" target="_new">Audigy 2ZS or audigy LS</A>". the LS is only slightly different than the Live! 24-bit...i almost recommend the LS over the Live! 24-bit, but the LS only does 5.1)

 

[lb19984]

If your really Dont have cash settle for a 6.1 or 5.1
But go for a audigy2 or zs
And I heard a difference from an upgrade from the audigy 2 to a zs So i'm sure U will find e a difference with the ls.

Audigy 2 zs $77 at Shopampm.com shipped free
Also get the T7800 Its the upgraded version from the 7700
GameVE.com has it for $90.99 with fed-ex 3 day shipping

Oh yea coolikgfags just wondering how does this happen?
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"gives me a few extra frames in games"
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As supposed to onboard?





<A HREF="http://www.freewebs.com/lb19984/" target="_new">My Rig</A>

 

[cookingfrags]

it depends on the game, mostly. that and i mostly meant the EAX performance with a sound card without hardware accelerated channels (Audigy LS) and with HW accelerated channels (Audigy 2 Value/ZS). my processor is an AXP 2200+ on a VIA KM266 chipset. i moved up from VIA integrated sound card, AC97. it had no EAX support, DirectSound3D, or any of the like.

in my case, Battlefield 1942, which ive been playing the most lately (offline), i got a slight (but noticeable...to me) difference in performance when i used the Hardware Accelerated channels...im not exactly sure what audio engine the game uses, but i would venture to guess it's DirectSound3d (correct me if im wrong...i wouldnt doubt it if i was).

in UT2003, i havent tried the game in "Hardware Accelerated" (without "+EAX"), but with EAX, ive noticed no difference in performance. so i would guess its the EAX effects, if anything, that increase CPU load. other than that, ive seen no noticeable deteriment.