Auzentech XFI Prelude - Mini Review with Pictures

Getting back on topic slightly...

Just a quick question related directly to the Prelude, but I noticed that only the front two channels get access to the LM4562 OPAMP, while the remaining channels use the 2138 OPAMP...anyone know if it would be possible to solder the LM4562 into those channels instead, or is it a pointless endeavor?

BTW, the speakers I'm using are a Creative GigaWorks S750 7.1 system, if that helps any.
 
My Auzentech XFI Prelude arrived :D

installing now !!! ;)



Ok my review.... you all sure laugh one =_=;












I followed this guide to install it

http://www.ehow.com/how_5569_install-sound-card.html



When i tried to fit into the motherboard pci slot.... IT DIDN'T FIT !!!

It's probably because of my motherboard face plate ._.;;

My case is a Cooler Master Praetorian.

:D how come can't fit ?

I practiced refitting my audigy 2 zs without a hitch, but the Prelude couldn't fit in. The size is about the same for the faceplate but it's a few mm different ._.;

help !!!!


1081016848.jpg


My casing is the one on the left :cry:


*update

I sent it to my local shop to install it onto the motherboard and they did :D yay.
 
phide said:
I wouldn't say it necessarily "sucks",
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Well, another thing I should mention is that when I say SRS, that isn't necessarily referring to the old technology used in the 80's, but pretty much any HRTF/psychoacoustics related technology that SRS Labs have put into the market. The original SRS made sense in the 80's back when surround sound setups were scarcely available, but many improvements have been made since then.

phide said:
but pairing HRTFs with high-end headphones is significantly more cost-effective, at least quality-wise, than mid-high-end surround systems (say, within the $1500-$3000 range),
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I wouldn't say that high, maybe $750 to $1,000 I would say, unless you are buying these speakers from national brand through e.g. a retail outlet. There are many ID brands OTOH where you can get very good sound for not much at all.

phide said:
so it's kind of an incomparable thing. If being able to determine where things are is super-critical, but quality isn't critical at all, I guess cheap-o 7.1 systems would make sense, but we're discussing this in a topic about a $200 card geared for quasi-ultimate quality.
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Darn skippy. If you are going to get a card this expensive, then you won't do it justice by spending ~$400 or less on speakers. If you are going to do that, then you may as well get a cheaper soundcard.

phide said:
There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to each. I for one prefer headphones considering the low cost of entry in comparison to speakers that are only good enough to "get you by".
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The main beef I have with headphones is that they just can't produce the same feel/effect that even a $400 set of 5.1 speakers can. In most cases, they will easily defeat such a setup when it comes to the highs, but the mids and lows are for the most part dull in comparison. Headphones just can't push air quite the same, no matter how much the package may say otherwise. Plus, headphones only have one driver per channel. And as you know, having multiple drivers gives you that much more flexibility in terms of having different types of sounds being reproduced as they were intended.

One example I may mention, is the scene in V for Vendetta when V blows up that statue near the beginning. The sound there makes good use of pretty much the entire audible spectrum. No set of headphones could ever do that scene justice, period. But then neither could a sub $400 speaker setup which would probably miss the highs. A $750 or above setup would do well though.
 
SoundBlaster X-Fi Beta 20070827 Driver
29 August 2007

Creative has released a Beta 20070827 driver for the SoundBlaster X-Fi series. This driver improves performance in Unreal Engine 3-based games.
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Hm.... but i didn't see any Auzentech XFI Prelude drivers on the Auzentech site :confused:

I thought that Creative XFI and Prelude XFI drivers could get released as the same time :eek: so how long before the Prelude get these new driver updates added to theirs :confused:
 
Moogle, minde didnt fit in propperly as well, i loosened all the moboscrews, fiddle with the mobo to make it fit and it worked...weird :s like they didnt follow PCI - ATX standards precisely
 
EXACTLY !!!!!

I hope the reviewers take NOTE of this.

But anyway since the tech support manage to get this sucker installed i am happy...

But i was rather surprised there was this small issue o_O: should have been easier to install...

The faceplate on the card is the one that makes it harder to install :p



Anyway i listened to a few music tracks ( flac and ape by the way ... ) it .... was awesome :D totally new experience for me.

I am testing bioshock audio now :]


This is a screenshot i took using fraps hehe.

i1087270_BioShockworks.jpg


i1088068_Bioshock2007090118534835.jpg


i1088201_Bioshock2007090119241985.jpg


i1088205_Bioshock2007090119215133.jpg


i1088210_Bioshock2007090119265942.jpg




My point is, for this game it's not only about the graphics, they have the music & audio to back this game up .... i was very delighted with the sound i got :D
 
God that looks sexy...makes me want my damn parts for my comp to come faster. Been playing Bioshock on my C90, and 15FPS at 1280x720 is just fugly :(

Gotta ask tho, can you tell a clear difference with the EAX on and off? I've been playing with just reverb on since the EAX button doesn't work with my X-Fi ExpressCard.
 
So, I'm debating on whether or not to get the prelude over the fatality gamer. Can anyone comment? How are the vista drivers or are they the same drivers that creative uses?
 
AlphaWolf said:
I wouldn't say that high, maybe $750 to $1,000 I would say, unless you are buying these speakers from national brand through e.g. a retail outlet.
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Well, you can get a fairly stellar 2.1 system for less than a grand, there's no question of that, but coming from the perspective that virtualization seems to work significantly better on headphones than it does on speakers (at least in my experiences), I'm still of the opinion that, for gaming, it's so tremendously beneficial to set up at least a 5.1 system, and that's where things start to get pricey. Naturally, our opinions may differ wildly on where the "entry-level" is and how much that costs, but in my mind, there's such a tremendous value in headphones. A methodically devised headphone system (a quality source, amp and cans) is just a joy, and $500 is the point where quality gains start diminishing severely if you ask me.

With speakers, $500 is a very paltry budget, especially for a 2.1 system. If you ask me sincerely, I'd say "magic" starts happening at around a grand, and the rise in quality declines after, say, four to five thousand (all components considered). For a thousand smackers, you're talking about one magnificent system for headphone usage.

AlphaWolf said:
The main beef I have with headphones is that they just can't produce the same feel/effect that even a $400 set of 5.1 speakers can.
Click to expand...
I suppose that's where one starts making a tradeoff. You end up sacrificing "quality" for "effect", which isn't by any means a bad path to take, but a lot of folks will end up feeling like the sacrifice is just too great.

AlphaWolf said:
And as you know, having multiple drivers gives you that much more flexibility in terms of having different types of sounds being reproduced as they were intended.
Click to expand...
Multiple drivers are advantageous and disadvantageous at the same time. You can achieve good linearity (mixing on headphones is extraordinarily difficult), but not without significant effort and cost. With headphones, you can't really achieve the same degree of linearity, but you're also not dealing with crossover networks, and another big factor many people leave out: the room. The room becomes the area immediately surrounding your ears, or in the case of plugs or canalphones, the ear canal itself: the perfect reproduction environment. Most rooms in the typical home are a box, and are the least ideal reproduction environment imaginable.

You'd be surprised at the effectiveness of single-driver speakers driving complex waveforms. There are certainly sects of people who believe that full-range drivers are king.

AlphaWolf said:
No set of headphones could ever do that scene justice, period.
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Well, I'll disagree. Consider how well many headphones can reproduce white or pink noise -- not as well as a very solid multi-way set of speakers in a good environment, but still quite excellent. It doesn't really get any more full-spectrum than that, though obviously both types of noise factor out the dynamics aspect, so maybe that's a bum point.

joeynuggetz said:
So, I'm debating on whether or not to get the prelude over the fatality gamer. Can anyone comment? How are the vista drivers or are they the same drivers that creative uses?
Click to expand...
What kind of speakers you have?
 
Issue with my Prelude and Vista 64.

I have two SATA hard disks. I was moving huge files from one disk to another while playing mp3 using Foobar.

Foobar would hiccup occasionally. No good.

Note: using spdif........
 
Can anyone give us a review instead of sh*t talking about how much money you should spend on a speaker system or headphones? Jeez. Kmon.
 
I have a pretty big issue with my Prelude right now. My microphone input is just pure, annoyingly loud static. Right now I'm using my onboard sound for input, and Prelude for output. I've got a 680i, 4gb of RAM, and Vista x64 - probably the worst combination of things (from what I understand). Any suggestions?

EDIT: Oh, and output quality is fantastic :)
 
Kryogen said:
Can anyone give us a review instead of sh*t talking about how much money you should spend on a speaker system or headphones? Jeez. Kmon.
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If you don't like it, don't read it.

Doesn't sound too difficult, does it?
 
I have z-5500's and I would like to use just one digital cable instead of three analog cables. With the prelude could I play all my games in 5.1 with EAX or would it only do 2.1 channels like the other xfi's?
 
phide said:
If you don't like it, don't read it.

Doesn't sound too difficult, does it?
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Ok, from reading that answer I can understand why all that crap kid talk is going on.
Keep going, whatever, post crap garbage all over this interesting thread and make it a mess.
 
phide said:
Well, you can get a fairly stellar 2.1 system for less than a grand,
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On that note, check these out:

http://www.av123.com/products_category_brand.php?section=speakers&brand=55

Pretty much every audio related forum I have ever read agrees that these are great speakers. I am looking at trying a pair of those x-ls speakers for my computer.

phide said:
I suppose that's where one starts making a tradeoff. You end up sacrificing "quality" for "effect", which isn't by any means a bad path to take, but a lot of folks will end up feeling like the sacrifice is just too great.
Click to expand...

Well, and this is where the difference ultimately lies: The listener. For example, one audiophile might prefer a given $2,000 setup over a given $2,500 setup, but another audiophile might say the opposite. It's all about what kinds of sounds you are comfortable with, and what kinds of sounds you consider to be best. (note: I am NOT trying to imply that I am an audiophile, not even close to it in fact.)

My personal preference is overall lower amplitude/volume, while at the same time being able to hear crisp details in the highs, and having the bass quiet yet at the same time sharp and "felt" more than heard (deep lows rather than mid lows.)

I find that most PC gamers seem to prefer really boomy bass and mids with no particular attention to the highs just so long as they are at least heard. This is why many of them seem to like the logitech speakers, not that there is anything wrong with them (just not my type.)
 
I find it rather ridiculous a card costs this much money and they can't even put color coded connections on it.

I've had this type of card before where its all gold colored, and its is a HUGE hassle when your behind your computer bending over trying to find which connection is for which.

Neweggs price isn't even any cheaper than what the manufacturer sells it for, which is pathetic in itself.
 
I would personally find it rather ridiculous for a card costing that much money to have color coded connectors. Would feel like a kindergarden card.

Kmon man, your 1000$ amp doesn't have color coded connectors either. How hard is it to read the text once when you setup your system.

Gold looks more "high grade" to me.
 
joeynuggetz said:
So, I'm debating on whether or not to get the prelude over the fatality gamer. Can anyone comment? How are the vista drivers or are they the same drivers that creative uses?
Click to expand...

I'm having the same dilemma myself. My speakers aren't anything special, z-5300e. Using Vista Business 32 and currently on an Audigy 2 Value.
 
Kryogen said:
I would personally find it rather ridiculous for a card costing that much money to have color coded connectors. Would feel like a kindergarden card.

Kmon man, your 1000$ amp doesn't have color coded connectors either. How hard is it to read the text once when you setup your system.

Gold looks more "high grade" to me.
Click to expand...

I like colors, reminds of GLS....
 
Prelude for better sound quality if you are into music listening.
Fatality if you are into gaming with cheap speakers I guess.
 
tc17 said:
I find it rather ridiculous a card costs this much money and they can't even put color coded connections on it. I've had this type of card before where its all gold colored, and its is a HUGE hassle
Click to expand...
...
 
HRTF has different effects with different people because the shape of a person's head, shoulder and ears is the not same as another person. CMSS3D might work for a person but not with another. You can't argue that a stereo speaker won't give a good sound positioning with HRTF compared to a surround setup because even if it doesn't work for you, it would probably work with another person.

For a surround speaker setup, the speaker placement is also important for a good sound positioning. Imo the Prelude could give a problem with speaker placement to some people with an HT setup because it uses an X-Fi chip. I have an X-Fi and I have a problem using it with my HT setup because the THX console won't let me calibrate my speaker according to my placement as the values are quite limited. I placed my speaker according to guideline from Dolby as I hooked up other devices to my receiver too but the guideline for speaker placement from Creative is quite different.
 
tc17 said:
I find it rather ridiculous a card costs this much money and they can't even put color coded connections on it.

I've had this type of card before where its all gold colored, and its is a HUGE hassle when your behind your computer bending over trying to find which connection is for which.

Neweggs price isn't even any cheaper than what the manufacturer sells it for, which is pathetic in itself.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. Some of the writting on bak panel was covered up by my desktop plates at the back.

I went about it by downloading the auzentech pdf manual from their site and saw the connection markings there and fitted the wires accordingly.

The Xonar led colored connectors are very good/useful, even though it's missing in Auzentech it is ok since i am satisfied with the sound output, though it could be something Creative/Auzentech should do in the future....


alg7_munif - So in my Media Player Classic

Should i leave HRTF ON, CMS3d ON ??

OR

HRT OFF CMS3d ON

??? Please advise :(
 
Moogle Stiltzkin said:
alg7_munif - So in my Media Player Classic

Should i leave HRTF ON, CMS3d ON ??

OR

HRT OFF CMS3d ON

??? Please advise :(
Click to expand...

Try either one and hear which is more suitable for you but don't use both of them together. I think that MPC also has dolby headphone with some codec so you could also try it.
 
tc17 said:
I find it rather ridiculous a card costs this much money and they can't even put color coded connections on it.

I've had this type of card before where its all gold colored, and its is a HUGE hassle when your behind your computer bending over trying to find which connection is for which.

Neweggs price isn't even any cheaper than what the manufacturer sells it for, which is pathetic in itself.
Click to expand...

Digital FTW: one cable does it all. Of course, there are many advantages beyond that as well.

alg7_munif said:
HRTF has different effects with different people because the shape of a person's head, shoulder and ears is the not same as another person. CMSS3D might work for a person but not with another. You can't argue that a stereo speaker won't give a good sound positioning with HRTF compared to a surround setup because even if it doesn't work for you, it would probably work with another person.
Click to expand...

And that is the biggest problem with HRTF/psychovisuals IMO. No matter how much the technology advances, it will never match the tried and true multi-channel configuration.
 
AlphaWolf said:
Digital FTW: one cable does it all. Of course, there are many advantages beyond that as well.
Click to expand...

Headphones? Mic in? Line in? Sure you can use front panel, but not all cases have those.

BTW I'm with you on the headphones vs. receiver as you stated earlier... I'd take the 5.1 setup with a receiver anyday. As much as I love my HD580s, they don't make the neighbors' walls rumble.
 
:D
alg7_munif said:
Try either one and hear which is more suitable for you but don't use both of them together. I think that MPC also has dolby headphone with some codec so you could also try it.
Click to expand...


Thanks for your advise.

I feel stupid cause i've been watching some Tv Series - Supernatural with CMS and HRTF ( mpc turned on hrtf )

I will try listen again
 
mito said:
I really meant Vista 64 + SPDIF + Bioshock = No EAX.........

:mad:
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If it's anything like my XtremeMusic, and it probably is, since they're both using Creative's garbage drivers, EAX output will inepxlicably be diverted to the analog outputs instead of SPDIF. Rebooting fixes the problem temporarily.
 
I'm hearing a FLAC file using foobar, spdif toslink and an Onkyo ht-s970. The front speakers are both pointing towards my ears and at the same level.

The instrumental song is called Fields of November, by The Fawn String Ensemble (Norman Blake).

The violin, Jesus, I can feel nuances I never heard before.

Could it be psychological?

Gonna have to hear it again using the onboard's realtek sound device, but I'm lazy.
 
Is there a way to attach an external MIDI device to this guy? Even if it is by way of a header?

I have a roland MT-32 that needs some loving.
 
I checked on their website and saw that DIN board. It runs 59.99. Yikes!

Might just get a USB->Midi connector, and just use this for games/music.
 
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