Would I notice a difference???

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Lyquist

2[H]4U
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Aug 21, 2004
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I am thinking about getting and X-Fi off of Newegg to use for games instead of my onboard sound. I have the motherboard in my sig. I also have an original Audigy that I could put in my computer. Would that be better than onboard sound??? I use Windows Vista and am looking for better sound in the games I play. Thanks in advance for your help.
 
definately. both the audigy and the x-fi are much better than onboard- especially for games
 
Depends on the rest of your equipment I guess.

I'm using bitperfect digital output with my onboard sound, so I wouldn't notice any differences switching to other cards.

If you are using analog out and gaming, then it will certainly be worth the upgrade.
 
I am using analog out. WOuld the Audigy really be better than onboard??? THanks in advance.
 
Fryguy8 said:
Depends on the rest of your equipment I guess.

I'm using bitperfect digital output with my onboard sound, so I wouldn't notice any differences switching to other cards.

If you are using analog out and gaming, then it will certainly be worth the upgrade.
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For music there would be little difference unless you have tons of jitter from that source but for gaming the X-Fi digital gives you more effects when EAX is used. For games without eax there is little difference.

YES the X-FI analogue sounds MUCH better than onboard. Get that and a Koss SB40 headset for $30 and you will be rocking out.
 
I would like to hear from someone who wnet from onboard sound to an X-Fi. Thanks.
 
There would be a huge difference in going to an X-fi from onboard sound in music and games. Anyone that says other wise is either lying or have never heard an X-fi.
 
I might be totally missing something but I don't see the exact board/codec you are using. I'm going to be the one who goes against the flow on this one:

I went from a SB live 5.1 to a (realtek) 883 to the 888a on my current board (p35-ds3r) to an audigy ZS 2 platinum. I can't tell hardly any difference. I've run the 888a and the audigy through an onkyo 5.1 setup with 2 polk r20's and an acoustic research 10" sub. And currently using the Klipsch promedia 2.1's. I can't tell much of any difference in games or music*. I play FEAR, Doom 3, HL2 (doesn't even support hardware sound), etc... I've tried numerous times tweaking the sound. I've not noticed any differences in fps either. If someone would be so kind as to explain what type of differences I should be experiencing , I would love hear it. Since I only paid $30 for the audigy, I can't say that I'm too incredibly upset. But still, I don't understand what exactly people are raving about. I do remember a time way back when onboard sound was nearing unusuable, but I think those days have passed (for the most part).


*The caveat to this and the one reason why I've kept the audigy is the EAX based EQ in the audio console. It makes a world of difference to the different types of music I listen to. I've used several software eq's in media players and haven't gotten anything to come close. I also hear that the crystalizer on the x-fi almost always makes music sound better.
 
Lyquist said:
I would like to hear from someone who wnet from onboard sound to an X-Fi. Thanks.
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Same here. I initially went from an x-fi to onboard sound thanks to Vista-64 and, perhaps because my expectations were so low, was actually quite pleased with the sound, especially when using a digital connection. I admit I didn't pay too much attention to the sound difference at the time and forgot whether my x-fi was better or the same as my on-board sound. (at the time I was just happy to have sound with Vista-64)

I later killed my x-fi due to a water leak and so was never able to compare onboard sound against the x-fi, but am now considering buying a new X-fi (Azentech Prelude). Will there be a significant difference?
 
I have used my Create SoundBlaster Live! Value for years now... The onboard on nearly all my motherboards ive used (well just 2 I guess an old ASUS and a fairly recent low end Biostar AM2 board) would produce a hiss (analog output) that the creative never did. That being said other than the hiss I don't think I have ever noticed a difference between the onboard and the well ancient sound card.

Now I usually left hardware audio acceleration off in all games I played, would anyone explain what enabling EAX actually adds to the games? I do agree with the above poster about the EAX control panel though, it works wonders toward making music sound even better on my Sennheiser headphones or my Klipsch Promedia 2.1's...

Personally I don't see any fallbacks with the ancient sound card so personally besides like 7.1 surround support do these ~$100 or more sound cards offer anything special?
 
Lyquist said:
I am thinking about getting and X-Fi off of Newegg to use for games instead of my onboard sound. I have the motherboard in my sig. I also have an original Audigy that I could put in my computer. Would that be better than onboard sound??? I use Windows Vista and am looking for better sound in the games I play. Thanks in advance for your help.
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no question about it man, would sound much sweeter :cool:
 
LoL.

Seriously man trust me. The onboard sound is ok but seriously limited in terms of dynamics. It sounds like mud compared to the X-Fi. Simple. I have had to use onboard Realtek Audio several times and can say that it does not deliver all the sound. The X-Fi lets you hear more of the music b/c it outputs more sound clearly defined as opposed to the onboard which mashes the sound together and it comes out garbled in the analogue output. DIgital output is different as it is just a pass through with only jitter coming into play.

Get the X-Fi even though I hate Creative it is the only card that does gaming and music ok.
 
The biggest difference will be in SNR (signal to noise ratio) if you use analog. The SNR of a good card like the X-fi should be better than onboard, meaning there will be less hiss, hum and other annoying noise.

Also, unless you're able to set up your software+drivers to give you bit perfect output, you're probably having things like resampling done to your sound. Say your audio solution (be it onboard or sound card) is outputting 48000Hz. Now say you put a CD in and play it. CDs are 44100Hz, so it has to be resampled to the output 48000Hz. Think of it as resizing a video. Some algorithms do it very poorly and reduce quality a lot and some do a good job and keep the quality pretty much the same. The X-fi supposedly is of the latter. Software resampling is usually not all that good because most people only care about it taking less CPU, and you can't have the highest quality and the lowest CPU use at the same time unless you hardware accelerate it like the X-fi does.

Don't get me wrong, though. I'm not saying you need to buy an X-fi. I use Realtek over S/PDIF and it's fine.
 
With a digital connection all that really matters is the driver set. With a solid driver sound over digital is almost identical. When it comes to analog however, your DNR and signal processor become large factors.

I used onboard with my soyo (realtek 880 I think) for years and hated the hiss, hum, etc. Popped in a SB live! I stole from an even older computer and things were much better. Then when I got my DFI I used the karajan for a bit, then a Audigy 2ZS. The zs is an amazing card, sounds good at default, but the driver settings really make music sound good. The 2 channel to 5.1 mixer made everything sound better as far as music goes.

As many people claim, creatives drivers supposedly suck. I have had no issue what so ever (XP Pro 32bit), and everything has always sounded great. I do not have any personal experience with your current chip or a X-FI, but just keep in mind what I have said.
 
being someone who has switched between onboard audio and an x-fi several times, I can assure you that the x-fi sounds much better.

I'm finding it hard to find words to explain it, but it certainly is a significant improvement. That said, it's probably not worth the extra cash.
 
This thread is just confusing me. I am thinking about asking for an X-Fi for Xmas, and I just want to see if it was worth it. I really want to play Bioshock and see if the new soundcard makes a difference. Thanks in advance.
 
Just my non-overkill-audiophile opinion, unless you got money to burn by one of the cheaper cards probably ~$30-50ish range made by one of the bigger manufacturers (probably creative, they have been making these things for years and I've never had a problem with them. Unless you get a killer deal and can get the x-fi for this price, but I wouldn't go spending my downpayment on a new video card for the difference in between a higher end x-fi and your regular run of the mill mid-range sound card.

Just my opinion take it for what its worth, I'm just not has [H] as some of those Gawds you know :).
 
tazeat said:
probably creative, they have been making these things for years and I've never had a problem with them.
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Pyramid has been making subwoofers for years and I'm sure there are people that haven't had a problem with them. But they still suck.

I would say this: Unless you have a specific problem with your current sound (hiss/hum from analog, popping/clicking from digital, etc.) or have too much money, don't bother with an X-fi.
 
I have a p35-pro motherboard and I'm running its onboard HD sound, I'd like to get a new sound card. I'm running vista-64bit, I'm wanting an XFI but what kind of issues would a normal guy run into with this type of setup?
 
In my opinion, the best thing about the X-Fi is the CMSS 3-D Headphones setting. If you game with headphones, this is fantastic, and more impressive than EAX. I just built a new PC and am finally playing some of the games I've been dying to play for several years - currently playing through Doom 3 for the first time. The CMSS 3-D Headphone setting really makes my Audio-Technica ATH-A700 headphones sound like 7.1 channel surround sound speakers; but it won't wake up my wife...

The Audigy 2 in my old PC had a similar CMSS Headphone feature, but the X-Fi's is much better. It's very immersive, as I can really hear demons screaming and attacking from behind and all around me. Doom 3 is really creepy with this....it's awesome.
 
Sagan said:
I have a p35-pro motherboard and I'm running its onboard HD sound, I'd like to get a new sound card. I'm running vista-64bit, I'm wanting an XFI but what kind of issues would a normal guy run into with this type of setup?
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I have your same motherboard chipset. I dont have any problems with my predule in vista 64, so it should work nice for you.
 
I still don't know whether or not I should get an X-Fi. The main thing I want it for is to see if my music sounds better and see if the games I play sound better.
 
Does it sound better when you use your M-Audio cards?
What speakers and headphones will you be using?
 
Lyquist said:
I still don't know whether or not I should get an X-Fi. The main thing I want it for is to see if my music sounds better and see if the games I play sound better.
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Lyquist, how many people have to tell you that the X-fi is much better than on board in music and games? I think your question has been already answered many times. Go buy the X-fi and be happy!
 
GreenGoose said:
Lyquist, how many people have to tell you that the X-fi is much better than on board in music and games?
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Those people are all wrong. They are right in some cases, but if someone just blindly tells you to get something without considering your specific situation, their advice is bad.
 
Lyquist said:
I still don't know whether or not I should get an X-Fi. The main thing I want it for is to see if my music sounds better and see if the games I play sound better.
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You come to the forums for direction. If you cannot find that direction by reading the responses made above, then....

1. You doubt the participants of this forum and you shouldn't even be on this forum if that's the case because there would be no point in it.
2. You need to hear it for yourself, in which case no number of replies for the XFi will suffice. Best to get your own and decide after you install it for your particular situation and for your particular biases.

Good luck in deciding.

FWIW, I've had the XFi and since I somehow blew it up, I've been relegated to onboard for a few months now. The difference is there especially in the noise floor and dynamic contrasts.... I can hear it with my speakers and my gear.
 
jwhazel said:
I might be totally missing something but I don't see the exact board/codec you are using. I'm going to be the one who goes against the flow on this one:

I went from a SB live 5.1 to a (realtek) 883 to the 888a on my current board (p35-ds3r) to an audigy ZS 2 platinum. I can't tell hardly any difference. I've run the 888a and the audigy through an onkyo 5.1 setup with 2 polk r20's and an acoustic research 10" sub. And currently using the Klipsch promedia 2.1's. I can't tell much of any difference in games or music*. I play FEAR, Doom 3, HL2 (doesn't even support hardware sound), etc... I've tried numerous times tweaking the sound. I've not noticed any differences in fps either. If someone would be so kind as to explain what type of differences I should be experiencing , I would love hear it. Since I only paid $30 for the audigy, I can't say that I'm too incredibly upset. But still, I don't understand what exactly people are raving about. I do remember a time way back when onboard sound was nearing unusuable, but I think those days have passed (for the most part).


*The caveat to this and the one reason why I've kept the audigy is the EAX based EQ in the audio console. It makes a world of difference to the different types of music I listen to. I've used several software eq's in media players and haven't gotten anything to come close. I also hear that the crystalizer on the x-fi almost always makes music sound better.
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Are you using vista?
 
Are you using vista?
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Nope. XP Pro.

2. You need to hear it for yourself, in which case no number of replies for the XFi will suffice. Best to get your own and decide after you install it for your particular situation and for your particular biases.
Click to expand...

I'll agree with this heavily. It sounds like you're still on the fence about it. If you have the money to acquire the audio equipment in your sig, then there is *probably* a good chance that you can afford to get an x-fi. Just buy it and save yourself the worry. While I still maintain that its not worth it IMO, I certainly can't believe that you'd be upset with the purchase of an x-fi. Just take the plunge man.


The main thing I want it for is to see if my music sounds better and see if the games I play sound better.
Click to expand...
I used to sell and install medium to high end audio equipment at a mom and pop electronics store. I've listened to $20,000 setups before that I thought were $19,500 more than what they should be. However there are no shortage of people out there who would easily pay double for it if they didn't even see the original price tag. Sound is subjective. I've learned to stop asking people if a particular component sounds good. If I can't listen to it first, then I'll ask if its reliable or quality built. I'll usually get a better idea then.
 
jwhazel said:
I'll agree with this heavily. It sounds like you're still on the fence about it. If you have the money to acquire the audio equipment in your sig, then there is *probably* a good chance that you can afford to get an x-fi. Just buy it and save yourself the worry. While I still maintain that its not worth it IMO, I certainly can't believe that you'd be upset with the purchase of an x-fi. Just take the plunge man.
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Is this towards me?
 
It looks like I will be getting an X-Fi and trying it out. I am waiting for m-audio to release Vista drivers for my m-audio soundcards at this time. I use onboard in Vista and XP (this is a dual boot machine). I use the m-audio stuff for music recording, not for games and general music listening.
 
KennyT said:
With a digital connection all that really matters is the driver set. With a solid driver sound over digital is almost identical. When it comes to analog however, your DNR and signal processor become large factors.

I used onboard with my soyo (realtek 880 I think) for years and hated the hiss, hum, etc. Popped in a SB live! I stole from an even older computer and things were much better. Then when I got my DFI I used the karajan for a bit, then a Audigy 2ZS. The zs is an amazing card, sounds good at default, but the driver settings really make music sound good. The 2 channel to 5.1 mixer made everything sound better as far as music goes.

As many people claim, creatives drivers supposedly suck. I have had no issue what so ever (XP Pro 32bit), and everything has always sounded great. I do not have any personal experience with your current chip or a X-FI, but just keep in mind what I have said.
Click to expand...

Don't want to hijack the thread but I think the OP has his answer.

Based on some of the answers in this thread, I am now concerned that the sound quality will "decrease" if I move from onboard sound to an X-fi.

I connect my onboard sound to my logitech Z5500 speaker system via a digital connection.

1- You're saying that with a "digital connection all that really matters is the driver set".
2- You're also saying the Creative driver set "supposedly suck"
3- I believe that my motherboard sound drivers are quite stable with Vista-64 and perform well.

Based on these three points, does this mean I will potentially see a decrease in performance if I move from onboard sound to an X-fi (digital)?
 
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