![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
This card is the real deal for HDMI out of your computer. It is precisely what I hoped: An X-Fi hooked to HDMI. It comes with the X-Fi software as with any other card. Only thing notable missing is the THX console. Of course the function of the THX console was to set things like speaker delays and levels, which any HDMI receiver will be doing for you so it isn't needed.
All you have to do is turn on "Play Audio from Speakers through HDMI" In Settings -> HDMI -> XFi Audio Settings and it just works. So long as you make sure the encoders are off (it comes with DTS and DDL encoders for whatever reason) you'll get 24-bit 96kHz LPCM out to the card from any applicaiton you like, in any mode you like.
In Audio Creation mode, it also works just fine, including bitmatched playback. If you turn that on, it'll output the frequency as per the clock setting in the control panel, rather than 96kHz (in other modes it resamples everything to 96kHz). Works fine with ASIO too.
Games, including OpenAL, work just like you'd expect. It's mic input works just just fine so my NC-8 works with TeamSpeak just like it did with the Elite Pro.
Speaker settings work fine and it only outputs per the configuration you've set. So if you only have 5.1 speakers, you set it to 5.1 and it'll send a 5.1 stream to the receiver, not a 7.1 stream. My receiver picks up all the streams properly and maps them to the 5.1 I have as per my settings.
Also, despite what it says in the manual, the volume control works fine in the console. I can't see why you'd want it with a receiver, but it works.
I haven't messed with any bitstreaming yet since I don't really do movies, but of course since that is practically the only thing covered in any other review I think you can assume it works fine.
It does require video input to function, I'm using a fake second monitor from my video card for now since I have a 1920x1200 monitor. I think I'll buy a cheap HDMI DVD player to supply it instead at some point, or an HDMI signal generator if I can get one cheap.
So far I've seen no problems with it. The stream from it has been clean and error free. It is continous too, so audio plays right away. Some HDMI devices, like my Radeon, stop the audio stream when sound stops. However because of various things, it takes a few seconds to establish a new stream meaning when it restarts, there's a silent period that is real annoying. No such problems here. It works just like if you had an analouge connection.
Sound quality is great, of course. It nearly fixed my noise problem. With DTS Interactive out of the Elite Pro, there was a slight audible hiss when the receiver was set to full reference levels. Not all that bad, but it still bothered me. It is now totally inaudible on the front speakers, and very nearly so on the front and rear speakers, you pretty much have to get up form the seat and get closer to them to hear it. That's just because the front channels have a better dedicated amp, and the rest use the receiver. Before, all channels had a good deal of noise from the bitstream, probalby 15dB more than now.
Also, I think it gives slightly better spatial imaging, particular with regards to front and back, than the DTS stream. I can't say for sure since I can't figure out how to do a blind test, but I did seem to notice better definition for surround effects from DVD-A sources. Would makes sense since channel coupling is one of the ways DTS reduces bandwidth, and surround is given less weight. However, it also could be in my head since it is not a valid blind test.
In conclusion, this card is the real deal for receiver based gaming. I don't know that I'd say you need to run out and upgrade if you already have an X-Fi that does DTS out to your gear, this isn't night and day, but if you are looking at a new setup, I'd get one. Also I'd consider getting one if you have a true high end setup that can do full reference levels as you WILL get some audible noise from DTSI on that, when you turn it up.
All you have to do is turn on "Play Audio from Speakers through HDMI" In Settings -> HDMI -> XFi Audio Settings and it just works. So long as you make sure the encoders are off (it comes with DTS and DDL encoders for whatever reason) you'll get 24-bit 96kHz LPCM out to the card from any applicaiton you like, in any mode you like.
In Audio Creation mode, it also works just fine, including bitmatched playback. If you turn that on, it'll output the frequency as per the clock setting in the control panel, rather than 96kHz (in other modes it resamples everything to 96kHz). Works fine with ASIO too.
Games, including OpenAL, work just like you'd expect. It's mic input works just just fine so my NC-8 works with TeamSpeak just like it did with the Elite Pro.
Speaker settings work fine and it only outputs per the configuration you've set. So if you only have 5.1 speakers, you set it to 5.1 and it'll send a 5.1 stream to the receiver, not a 7.1 stream. My receiver picks up all the streams properly and maps them to the 5.1 I have as per my settings.
Also, despite what it says in the manual, the volume control works fine in the console. I can't see why you'd want it with a receiver, but it works.
I haven't messed with any bitstreaming yet since I don't really do movies, but of course since that is practically the only thing covered in any other review I think you can assume it works fine.
It does require video input to function, I'm using a fake second monitor from my video card for now since I have a 1920x1200 monitor. I think I'll buy a cheap HDMI DVD player to supply it instead at some point, or an HDMI signal generator if I can get one cheap.
So far I've seen no problems with it. The stream from it has been clean and error free. It is continous too, so audio plays right away. Some HDMI devices, like my Radeon, stop the audio stream when sound stops. However because of various things, it takes a few seconds to establish a new stream meaning when it restarts, there's a silent period that is real annoying. No such problems here. It works just like if you had an analouge connection.
Sound quality is great, of course. It nearly fixed my noise problem. With DTS Interactive out of the Elite Pro, there was a slight audible hiss when the receiver was set to full reference levels. Not all that bad, but it still bothered me. It is now totally inaudible on the front speakers, and very nearly so on the front and rear speakers, you pretty much have to get up form the seat and get closer to them to hear it. That's just because the front channels have a better dedicated amp, and the rest use the receiver. Before, all channels had a good deal of noise from the bitstream, probalby 15dB more than now.
Also, I think it gives slightly better spatial imaging, particular with regards to front and back, than the DTS stream. I can't say for sure since I can't figure out how to do a blind test, but I did seem to notice better definition for surround effects from DVD-A sources. Would makes sense since channel coupling is one of the ways DTS reduces bandwidth, and surround is given less weight. However, it also could be in my head since it is not a valid blind test.
In conclusion, this card is the real deal for receiver based gaming. I don't know that I'd say you need to run out and upgrade if you already have an X-Fi that does DTS out to your gear, this isn't night and day, but if you are looking at a new setup, I'd get one. Also I'd consider getting one if you have a true high end setup that can do full reference levels as you WILL get some audible noise from DTSI on that, when you turn it up.
