X-fi Dolby decoding, STILL POPS/CRACKS?

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kaluminati

Gawd
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Dec 11, 2004
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I had owned an audigy 2 zs plat pro before, and using my xbox through the breakout box via optical for dolby decoding (or is it encoding, /shrug) and during loud explosions, there would be an extreme amount of popping and cracking. I've come to find out that this is the same on my x-fi platinum. It's such a shame because I love this card, but it angers me that creative still hasn't fixed this.

This isn't a real big problem seeing as I have Z-5550s, but wtf is wrong with you creative?

Curious, is there any card out there that does dolby decoding and doesn't have this issue?
 
The biggest cause is PCI bus data latency.

Normally, the PCI bus runs at a divider of FSB at a 1/3 ratio or 1/6 ratio with latency conforming to the PCI spec.

If you have a motherboard that locks PCI to 33 MHz when you overclock, this will cause the divider to go past the 1/3 or 1/6 timing spec, which introduces wait states greater then the X-Fi can wait for, so you get a pop sound.

Basically, set your FSB to stock speed and see if it goes away. If so, you are pretty much stuck with popping or no overclocking. Some motherboards will have bios settings to get around this, such as in the case of my CFX3200, I have a Uli southbridge with a High Precision Event Timer circuit, simply enabling that in bios cures the popping.

If you have an nvidia board, there is only two cures, do not overclock OR get a bios update that fixes it. The bad thing is not many board manufacturers have bios's that actually address this.

Basically the problem is the X-Fi is built to work within strict PCI 2.1 specs operating parameters, and overclocking forces most boards to not operate in PCI spec.
 
Haven't OC'd this board at all. It's a ULi as well. Maybe I should look for that setting.
 
I don't think the X-FI issues are what he is talking about seeing as he said it did it with his Audigy 2. If the info out there is correct, an standard clocked ULi board is not likely to have the X-FI specific issues.

On the early Audigy 2 ZS drivers, there was a problem with lots of clipping when the drivers were decoding a Dolby signal. It almost sounds like something similar.

Are you using the latest released X-FI drivers?
 
The cracking and popping issue is a known problem with the all creative series cards through an xbox or xbox 360. This happens on Nforce, Via, ATI, Intel chipsets all the same... it is not related to the popping and cracking known to nforce chipsets. When you hook up through the standard RCA's the issue is not there.

If you read up on the Creative forums and get in contact with Creative you will find this issue has been pushed aside. There will not be a resolution for it as they see it as a problem on microsofts end which is complete bs.

The only fix I have found (X-FI platinum with xbox 360 with monster optical cable) is turning down the volume in the actual game menu and upping the volume in windows. If you turn down the in-game volume it seems to fix it. With an X-FI platinum in the creative menu the doly digital output or input volume is locked. It seems like if there was a way with drivers to allow us to change that... you could lower the input sound and would just need to turn up your speakers louder but hopefully eliminate the crackling. Obviously in some games such as Call of Duty 2 and Kameo: Elements of Power this isn't possible and you just have to live with it.

Long story short.. deal with it. Creative isn't worth a damn as far as tech support or drivers go and Microsoft wouldn't take the time to deal with it so we are stuck. Don't get me wrong I lover there cards but I have owned and dealt with them for a long time now. I don't expect much user support for actual problems on there end. Only hope is some creative freelance programmers find a driver workaround.
 
The volume issue is stated on the creative forums as overdriving the input stages of the audio engine producing clipping distortion, not popping.

The PCI bus latency of over so many microseconds longer than that allowed for int eh PCI spec is a cause of clicking and popping.

I have eliminated the popping with my Uli chipset by taking care of PCI bus timing issues myself.
 
BBA said:
The volume issue is stated on the creative forums as overdriving the input stages of the audio engine producing clipping distortion, not popping.

The PCI bus latency of over so many microseconds longer than that allowed for int eh PCI spec is a cause of clicking and popping.

I have eliminated the popping with my Uli chipset by taking care of PCI bus timing issues myself.
Click to expand...
Your post doesn't help the original poster at all. It is a seperate issue beyond that with xbox/xbox 360.

http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=soundblaster&message.id=64632&query.id=0#M64632
http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=soundblaster&message.id=59249&query.id=0#M59249
There are dozens of other posts just like these with no fix.
 
So your can't find and read the long CL forum thread on these problems? The answers and causes are given:

Ensure memory is synchronous and at proper settings (dual channel, etc...)
Ensure PCI bus is not causing wait states >xxx microseconds
Ensure input levels are not maximum to avoid overdriving the input to the X-Fi
Ensure adequate cooling air flow to the sound card (it is a hardware APU like a CPU, it makes heat).


The only item that can not be fixed is in certain nvidia chipset sys boards the PCI bus timing causes wait states there is no user fix for, and the board makers have not addressed the issue in their BIOS. ATi boards can generally be fixed with settings in BIOS or with new bios versions.


I guess that since the CL techs who have addressed all of the problems have pretty much not looked at every thread someone complains in the information must have fallen on deaf ears (or eyes)
 
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