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Auzentech Forte $97.34 less $10 MIR = $87.34 plus S/H
- Thread starter flylow
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Lateralus
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Argh, I've been trying to decide between this card and the Xonar Essence STX all week...reading a plethora of reviews led me to the conclusion that the Forte is a great card that excels at gaming while the STX is clearly better for music and ranges from good to buggy with games. The Forte's advantage in games has been lessened with the introduction of Vista but it still seems to offer more card for the money, especially if you have a 5.1 or 7.1 setup.
Good deal at any rate...
Good deal at any rate...
I was in the same boat, then the Forte deal came out n saving 50-100 bucks where I highly doubt my non-audiophile ears would really tell a difference
Just in case you missed it.
http://www.elitebastards.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=696&Itemid=27
From the last page:
http://www.elitebastards.com/cms/in...sk=view&id=696&Itemid=27&limit=1&limitstart=6
"Outside of headphone usage however I'd grant the advantage to the X-Fi Forte, in terms of both pricing in the UK as it currently stands, as well as the overall functionality on offer - Full, genuine EAX support and DTS/DTS Neo
C support are both much-loved aspects of the audio equation to my mind, and the fact that they are missing from the Essence STX is a bit of a blow, as is the lack of multi-channel outputs via analogue audio jacks.In short then, if you use headphones on your PC for the vast majority or all of the time you spend with your system, then the Xonar Essence STX is the discrete sound card you've been waiting for, making for an indescribably more comfortable and pleasant listening experience that is arguably worth every penny. For more causal headphone users or those who prefer to use speakers, the Essence STX really hasn't been built for you, so you'd be best off looking either elsewhere in the ASUS Xonar range or cocking a look at Auzentech's new offering."
According to http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=35596&promoid=1190&vpn=AZTXFF7102550&manufacture=AuzenTech there is only 1 left as of 4:45 AM 07/19/2009
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Lateralus
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I was in the same boat, then the Forte deal came out n saving 50-100 bucks where I highly doubt my non-audiophile ears would really tell a difference
That's what I initially thought also, since I usually couldn't discern the night-and-day differences between various amps and DACs that were discussed on Head-Fi. But in the majority of reviews I've read, it seems that the jump in sound quality from the STX is anywhere from noticeable to substantial for even non-audiophiles. The clarity, detail, warmth, separation, sound stage, etc. are all reported to be just about the best you can get in that price range.
Now, if someone is comparing the Forte to the STX through iPod earbuds or cheap PC speakers then I agree that there probably isn't much of a difference.
Lateralus
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Just in case you missed it.
http://www.elitebastards.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=696&Itemid=27
From the last page:
http://www.elitebastards.com/cms/in...sk=view&id=696&Itemid=27&limit=1&limitstart=6
"Outside of headphone usage however I'd grant the advantage to the X-Fi Forte, in terms of both pricing in the UK as it currently stands, as well as the overall functionality on offer - Full, genuine EAX support and DTS/DTS Neo
In short then, if you use headphones on your PC for the vast majority or all of the time you spend with your system, then the Xonar Essence STX is the discrete sound card you've been waiting for, making for an indescribably more comfortable and pleasant listening experience that is arguably worth every penny. For more causal headphone users or those who prefer to use speakers, the Essence STX really hasn't been built for you, so you'd be best off looking either elsewhere in the ASUS Xonar range or cocking a look at Auzentech's new offering."
Yeah, I saw that. And if I still had a 5.1 setup the Forte would likely be a shoe-in. But I'm back to a 2.1 setup because my primary interest is music and I rarely used my 5.1's rear speakers anyway, even when gaming. It was sort of a waste and took up valuable room, so I decided to go back to 2.1 and use headphones if I needed surround sound in games. Supposedly, Dolby Headphone is just about the closest thing to having real surround speakers and the Xonar cards do it extremely well.
So yeah, I agree wholeheartedly that one should consider their speakers and what they're going to be using the card for...then decide if the claimed differences in SQ are worth picking one card over the other. For someone who needs surround sound through speakers, or plays older games with EAX, the Forte is the best choice (unless you go with one of the Xonars with the daughterboards that allows analog out thru multiple speakers). For someone who is concerned about superb audio quality through a 2.0/2.1/headphone setup, the STX looks like the best choice. edit: On that note, the thing I don't understand about that EB review is that they say if you're using speakers to check out another sound card. Perhaps he should have stated "if you're using more than 2 speakers," since using speakers with the STX should prove to be as wonderful as using headphones (you're using the same DAC and opamps, just bypassing the headphone amp). Now if you do plan on using stereo speakers, keep in mind the STX doesn't have a standard optical digital or the 3.5mm analog stereo jack that is common on just about all sound cards...but in fact the line outs which use standard RCA connectors have even better specs than the already terrific headphone output and are reported to provide an even cleaner signal. So all you'd need to get the best possible experience with PC speakers is an adapter that converts RCA -> 3.5mm, OR if you have home bookshelf/stereo speakers just run the stereo RCA cables from the card to an amp to your speakers. Voila.
I should point out that NONE of this matters if you plan on using digital out, since you're bypassing the upgraded opamps and DACs that make these cards sound so good. There's really no point buying an expensive sound card if you're going to be outputting a digital signal to your Z-5500s and thinking it'll greatly improve your aural experience...some people already know that but I see a lot of people doing digital these days and analog is where these cards excel. There's a common misconception that digital is always better...
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thanks for clearing this up, as I was going to use the optical out for my z5500's haha and yes I fall into the "use digital b/c it's better category"
I am informed now
Lateralus
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LOL, I just bought the last "one" and it's still showing "HURRY ONLY 1 LEFT AT THIS PRICE OMG" so it's obviously not a real-time inventory (either that or it only updates after an order is successfully verified). I had to do the pin # thing which was a bit out of the ordinary but if it keeps things more secure then so be it.
3-Day FedEx shipping was $14.60 to VA
So I don't know if I really got the "last" one or if they'll honor the price; if not it's just a sign that I should have gone with the STX in the first place.
I bit on this primarily because it is a decent deal, even though I have a suspicion that the STX would be the better card for me...but I am back to using onboard sound after selling my X-Fi ExtremeMusic so in all honesty either card should make me happy!
It's just that I read the Forte reviews and just about everyone was impressed with the sound quality. Then I read the STX reviews and people who had previously tested the Forte said the STX was unquestionably the better card for music. The only downside is that I've seen at least two people say the STX makes you want to re-rip all of your music to 320/FLAC/APE because it makes low-bitrate recordings sound pretty bad...I don't have a lot of 128k MP3s anymore but I do have some 192 and VBR and it would be a pain to re-rip all of that stuff.
Sigh, I need to just STFU, buy both, and keep the one I like more
I won't link to the "official" reviews since a quick Google search will give you quite a few, but here are a couple of interesting threads from someone who has tested multiple sound cards including the Forte and STX:
http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=766494
http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=753981
Lateralus
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Yeah, I'm not going to stress that much about it. I don't in any way think the Forte is going to sound bad for music, I just think the STX would really let my A5s shine. But if it's going to expose every critical flaw in my setup & music files then I'm probably better of skipping the aggravation and letting the Forte hide some detail.
I sold off all of my good cans, but if/when I buy another good pair of headphones I think the STX is *the* card to get.
This is clearly a lie. A LIE I TELL YOU, for I I just bought the last one.
BTW, there's still one left
well after reading about this card and missing this deal i bought it from newegg. just installed it. and WOW
the amped headphone port with my ath-a500s sounds GREAT! so much better than my x-fi extreme music.
the bass sounds much more punchy, less all over the place.
well worth the money imo.
the amped headphone port with my ath-a500s sounds GREAT! so much better than my x-fi extreme music.
the bass sounds much more punchy, less all over the place.
well worth the money imo.
IMHO it is worth the price newegg is selling it for but since ncix had it on sale at least twice and newegg at least once before I think it will be on sale again, just how soon who knows. Yep, I am cheap most of the time. I did go ahead and order the OPA 637AU OPAMP http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/opamp_637au.php I almost ordered an double adapter for $9 and 2 opamps from a supply place but they were out of the opamps. Could have saved about $25 or $30 over Auzentech's prices. I am new to this OPAMP swap thing and do not know what to expect. I know if I like what I hear but no way can I explain what I hear or provide anything other than my personal opinion so I do not want to get involved in the typical "mine's bigger than yours" thread over in the computer Audio forum.
What cans do you have? I am thinking seriously of buying some Grado SR225I cans.
Lateralus
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The SR225i is a fantastic headphone, and should pair very well with either the OPA627 or 637...they aren't nearly as bright as AD8620 which would probably make the Grados fatiguing to listen to!
I look forward to hearing your impressions vs. the stock opamps on the card.
just got mine, haven't had a chance to play around but wow, I almost blew my ear drums out as I didn't lower the volume from where I had the sound @ default...
so what are some suggested settings, my cans are HD 595's btw and I've always used on board w/ some crappy 2.1's or my old POS icemat siberia's
so what are some suggested settings, my cans are HD 595's btw and I've always used on board w/ some crappy 2.1's or my old POS icemat siberia's
UPS delivered the OPA637AU a couple hours ago. My initial opinion is that ears are pleased with the difference compared to the stock LME4972.
Even though I have not heard the 627 I would say http://www.guru3d.com/article/auzentech-xfi-forte-71-soundcard-review-test/14 and http://www.guru3d.com/article/auzentech-xfi-forte-71-soundcard-review-test/15 is spot on:
"OPA627AU
The 6X7 series are some of my favorite opamps as they have a great musicality to them. We tested out a few blues songs with this opamp installed and what struck me first was the detail and articulation heard in the bass range. The bass drum suddenly had much more character then what was heard before, it was to the point that we listened to the entire song just concentrating on the kick drum.
The 627 produced a nice laidback toe tapping response getting you moving while listening, The imaging was still very layered and deep with this opamp which is very enjoyable.
The 627's brought out more of the rhythm present out front and the vocal a bit back. Cymbals and high hats have great character and articulation. This opamp produced a very warm character when used on this soundcard, offering a nice balance of clarity and details."
"OPA637AU
This opamp exhibits all the sonic traits of its little brother the 627 but this opamps seems to have a better high range. -More extension, articulation. Just better sounding high range in my opinion. The 637 installed in the Forte offered a balanced response that is very open and "airy" offering improved clarity and good level of detail. This opamp still offered the toe tapping factor but added increased detail noticed on many tracks."
It would be nice to be able to try different OPAMPS subjectively using an A-B test approach but I think I will stop here and stick with the OPA637AU rather than searching for something just a bit better as I am not an audiophile and am definitely not planning on turning OPAMP swapping into a hobby. Upgrading from an Audigy2 to the Forte was definitely a wow factor o my ears (and gave me more bang for the buck than upgrading the OPAMP did. I paid $77.60 for the OPA637AU delivered to my door. I would say that around $40 ($50 maximum) delivered would have been a more appropriate price to pay considering my personal non audiophile initial experience. I personally would buy again but I personally think most people (those who can hear the difference but are not audiophiles fit into this category) would be more than happy staying with the stock LME4972 OPAMP that comes installed as it sounds great too. Someone who could perform an A-B test would be a much better judge of bang for the buck than I can provide concerning OPAMP upgrading.
I had better add that my ears appreciate the difference, those who can't appreciate the difference from an Audigy2 or onboard sound compared to a Forte would definitely be wasting their money upgrading the OPAMP. If the factory sound in their car is good enough then onboard sound on their computer is probably good enough too. I have only heard the stock OPAMP and the OPA637AU on my system with my ears. I cannot say how other people ears on their equipment will hear things. I have not heard a Creative branded XFi soundcard or an Asus Xonar of any flavor, I am not saying that the Forte is better than the other brands.
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Back Again: Auzentech Forte $89.28 less $10 MIR = $79.28 plus S/H
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1437529
43 left as of 07/23/29009 at 5:30 AM
$89.28 less $10 MIR = $79.28 plus S/H
ends 7/28/2009. Limit 1 per customer
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=35596&vpn=AZTXFF7102550&manufacture=AuzenTech&promoid=1192
This is where I bought mine a week or so ago, I was charged $11.46 for S/H FedEx Express Saver to WA State. They did not offer ground shipping to me last week. They used Purolator courier service to send it to Bellingham WA and then FedEx. It took one day to get to Bellingham WA, then only 1 business day to get to Olympia. FedEx kept it an extra day before delivering. No idea what S/H costs might run to other places in the US. There were no customs charges or sales tax.
US RMA's are sent to Auburn WA
Only thing I have ever bought from them. 9.64 rating at resellersratings http://www.resellerratings.com/store/NCIX
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1437529
43 left as of 07/23/29009 at 5:30 AM
$89.28 less $10 MIR = $79.28 plus S/H
ends 7/28/2009. Limit 1 per customer
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=35596&vpn=AZTXFF7102550&manufacture=AuzenTech&promoid=1192
This is where I bought mine a week or so ago, I was charged $11.46 for S/H FedEx Express Saver to WA State. They did not offer ground shipping to me last week. They used Purolator courier service to send it to Bellingham WA and then FedEx. It took one day to get to Bellingham WA, then only 1 business day to get to Olympia. FedEx kept it an extra day before delivering. No idea what S/H costs might run to other places in the US. There were no customs charges or sales tax.
US RMA's are sent to Auburn WA
Only thing I have ever bought from them. 9.64 rating at resellersratings http://www.resellerratings.com/store/NCIX
Lateralus
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Thanks flylow. I'll probably stick with the stock opamps then, unless at some point I upgrade to drastically better speakers or headphones. I appreciate the feedback.
My Forte is still 4 days out, scheduled to be delivered on the 27th. I ordered it on the 19th, and it shipped yesterday. So much for 3 day shipping. Good thing I'm not in a rush for it...
My Forte is still 4 days out, scheduled to be delivered on the 27th. I ordered it on the 19th, and it shipped yesterday. So much for 3 day shipping. Good thing I'm not in a rush for it...
They shipped mine right away, only delays were one day Purolator courier service to FedEx then FedEx holding it a day because "Not Scheduled for Delivery".
I do like the sound better after upgrading the OPAMP but do not think it is $70 better. But I am not an audiophile. If I buy a set of Grado 225i cans then the extra cost may be worth it. Knowing myself I would probably upgrade the OPAMP again if I had the chance to do it over. Just would be always wondering if I did not experience it myself. Everyones ears hear differently. I can hear the difference on my cheap Sennheiser PMX60 and my cheap igrado cans that the OPAMP made and I like it. Even my old z-680 speakers sound a lot better with the Forte. I have been mostly using headphones lately so I cannot judge any improvement the OPAMP upgrade gives on my speakers. I have not hooked it up to the home audio system yet, probably won't.