Creative Audigy Platinum or Gametheater XP?

SniperXx

2[H]4U
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Jun 7, 2001
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In a deal where I can get $90 or $70 and either Gametheater XP or a Audigy Platinum. Which would you all go with? I thought the XP would be more useful since its in reaching distance to plug USB stuff. But the platinum has a remote which might be handy at times. But if the Audigy is much better sound quality wise and stuff I'd prefer it. I will be listening to music mostly with games here and there.

Opinions needed on which to get.
 
I would go with the Audigy. Many people on here seem to not like them, but it's mainly because they aren't very good at installing drivers. They'd had issues long in the past with some chipsets but nothing with any of the recent ones (like 2 years and newer). Hardware-wise, they are the better of the two, hands down.
 
Yeah I am aiming more for music sound quality and some gaming(when newer stuff comes out).

I currently have onboard soundstorm so how do these 2 compare to it?
 
They're both a step above the onboard solution you're using. Both will handle your sound quality and gaming needs well. Granted, they are no audiophile's soundcards, but they are a cut above most onboard setups.

I would suggest choosing the one with the features you prefer.
 
xonik said:
You mean in terms of sound quality? I beg to differ.

Coming from someone who own both of them, the Audigy is MUCH MUCH MUCH clearer. It's pretty much an accepted fact that the Audigy line had the best sound hardware....only to be surpassed by the Audigy2 line.
 
djnes said:
Coming from someone who own both of them, the Audigy is MUCH MUCH MUCH clearer. It's pretty much an accepted fact that the Audigy line had the best sound hardware....only to be surpassed by the Audigy2 line.

Well, i've got a Gamesurround Muse 5.1 DVD, and while its no gametheatre it is a really good soundcard. It installed really easily, and has brilliant sound quality. The Hercules cards are really good in terms of sound quality, listening to music and playing games the sound is really good, you feel like you are there. Go the Hercules!
 
which would come closer getting me a Audigy 2 if I can find someone to trade and me add little boot?
 
djnes said:
Coming from someone who own both of them, the Audigy is MUCH MUCH MUCH clearer. It's pretty much an accepted fact that the Audigy line had the best sound hardware....only to be surpassed by the Audigy2 line.
Coming from someone who owned both of them, I disagree. Your "fact" is acknowledged by a few vocal fans, and how can you even lump the original Audigy series into that equation? It sounds marginally better than the Live series on $100 Grado SR-80s. The Audigy series have always had stiff competition from Terratec and M-Audio soundcards, and I still find the Hercules Fortissimo and Game Theater series to perform on par with the original Audigies.
 
Neither, the Audigy 2 PCI OEM is $72 on newegg and actually does do 24 bit output, unlike the Audigy 1.

I would not buy an Audigy 1 at all with a TB Santa Cruz running $36.
I believe the GTXP is discontinued, but it is similar to a TBSC with a breakout box.
Hercules sells the Fortissimo III and Digifire sound cards these days.

For absolute sound quality go for the A2.
The TBSC does have a good onboard headphone amplifier however.
 
Definitely don't buy the GTXP for the USB hub. Many people say their hub does not work. My hub has issues with two of the ports. The other two work with some devices, but not all. I have not had any problems with the game port or any other in/out though.
 
Audigy 2 sound card. I have had that and a Diamond sound card, and the Creative Line has always been my favorite.

Xonik, you need to chill out, I think he's just looking for a decent sound card, not an audiophile card...
 
I'd say go with the A2ZS also. I built my friends' PC with one, and I've got a GTXP on my PC, and the A2 sounded a little clearer. Bear in mind, I've been using that GTXP for 2 years, so I'm very familiar with it, and I was using $1000 worth of headphone equipment to listen to both, so I've got a pretty good idea =] Also, with the Audigy, you ensure that you have the best game support, and the highest framerates.

If you really want absolute sound quality, get an Emu 1212M, those are regarded as the best. I'm going to pick one up after I get paid next, see how they turn out to be.

BO(V)BZ
 
xonik said:
Coming from someone who owned both of them, I disagree. Your "fact" is acknowledged by a few vocal fans, and how can you even lump the original Audigy series into that equation? It sounds marginally better than the Live series on $100 Grado SR-80s. The Audigy series have always had stiff competition from Terratec and M-Audio soundcards, and I still find the Hercules Fortissimo and Game Theater series to perform on par with the original Audigies.


Since apparently you like to throw the costs around, I can play your game as well. On my $400 Klipsch speakers, the Audigy is crystal clear in stereo audio, and DVD surround audio. It also sounded better in gaming. I have plenty of college buddies who are all PC enthusiasts (and we went to Drexel, one of the highest rated Engineering schools in the country) so when they examine hardware chips, they really dig down deep. The Audigy lines have some good shit on them. I'll take the word of professional chip designers, especially when it comes to their expertise, especially when it agrees with my findings. Oh, did I mention we were into audio engineering?
 
xonik said:
Coming from someone who owned both of them, I disagree. Your "fact" is acknowledged by a few vocal fans, and how can you even lump the original Audigy series into that equation? It sounds marginally better than the Live series on $100 Grado SR-80s. The Audigy series have always had stiff competition from Terratec and M-Audio soundcards, and I still find the Hercules Fortissimo and Game Theater series to perform on par with the original Audigies.
That's because the Grado line of headphones have a response peak in the lower treble range, and the Creative Sound Blaster series of soundcards also boosts the treble, as well. As a result, two treble boosts make for one fatiguing listen.
 
djnes said:
Since apparently you like to throw the costs around, I can play your game as well. On my $400 Klipsch speakers, the Audigy is crystal clear in stereo audio, and DVD surround audio. It also sounded better in gaming. I have plenty of college buddies who are all PC enthusiasts (and we went to Drexel, one of the highest rated Engineering schools in the country) so when they examine hardware chips, they really dig down deep. The Audigy lines have some good shit on them. I'll take the word of professional chip designers, especially when it comes to their expertise, especially when it agrees with my findings. Oh, did I mention we were into audio engineering?

I too am majoring in audio engineering, and have found the Audigy to be the superior of the two, and is the one I use.
 
djnes said:
Since apparently you like to throw the costs around, I can play your game as well. On my $400 Klipsch speakers, the Audigy is crystal clear in stereo audio, and DVD surround audio. It also sounded better in gaming.
Of course. That's your opinion, and I have mine. We're even.
I have plenty of college buddies who are all PC enthusiasts (and we went to Drexel, one of the highest rated Engineering schools in the country) so when they examine hardware chips, they really dig down deep.
And just what does that say about the Audigy? I am an electrical engineering student, but that says nothing about my qualifications to ascertain sound quality. Nor does the school you go to give you any more license to judge sound quality. There's more to sound than transistors and digital logic ;P
The Audigy lines have some good shit on them. I'll take the word of professional chip designers, especially when it comes to their expertise, especially when it agrees with my findings.
Again, chip design is only one piece of the overall puzzle of software, board design, DAC/ADC selection, line amplification stage, etc. MY ABX findings suggest otherwise, and so does the findings of many other individuals and review sites.
Oh, did I mention we were into audio engineering?
Well so am I, I'm "into" sound engineering very much, thank you :p

I'm sick of this ego contest; how about the thread starter try to arrange to audition both sets at a local store or borrow from friends?
 
:confused: So much bickering.

I say get the Audigy Platinum, install the A2ZS drivers on it.

End of sto--

End of my opinion.
 
Mr. Duck-bot, does that mean that my opinions aren't facts? :rolleyes: :p
 
xonik said:
Mr. Duck-bot, does that mean that my opinions aren't facts? :rolleyes: :p


'fraid so Mr. xonik :(

whats the Audigy 2 ZS drivers do for the Audigy?

Stable-er :confused: Drivers, somewhat better sound quality, funner toys in the software
 
xonik said:
I'm sick of this ego contest; how about the thread starter try to arrange to audition both sets at a local store or borrow from friends?

Please yes. That's why the thread is here, thats the way we should finish it. Test them out, check which one has the features you need etc. Make the best choice from that.
[subliminal persuation]
*cough*Hercules*cough*
[/subliminal persuation]
 
leukotriene said:
Opamp output (TI) quality. .
I figured you meant the GTXP and not the TBSC for just that reason.
Those Ti opamps are less then stellar audio equipment..... but then again not many soundcards feature anything other then "industry standard" (read CRAP) opamps so that is a moot point. :)

leukotriene said:
Capable of driving HD580 to uncomfortable levels with little noise.
That was another facet of my confusion.
In my experiance The TBSC is not anywhere as powerfull as say the audigy2 when it comes to driving headphones.

leukotriene said:
Not an integrated Pimeta. You knew this.
Yup sure did but that was not what confused me. ;)
 
Those Ti opamps are less then stellar audio equipment..... but then again not many soundcards feature anything other then "industry standard" (read CRAP) opamps so that is a moot point
They apparently did a nice job isolating them to get the amount of noise I was getting when I was using it. A/Bing the card versus the original release Audigy was not a chore with headphones. Could have been the different EMF environments in the respective cases, but I doubt it.

In my experiance The TBSC is not anywhere as powerfull as say the audigy2 when it comes to driving headphones.
Could certainly be, I haven't tried a similar impedance load on an A2 since I have given up on buying hardware acceleration capable cards.
 
They apparently did a nice job isolating them to get the amount of noise I was getting when I was using it. A/Bing the card versus the original release Audigy was not a chore with headphones.

Good point. The original Audigy sucked massively for headphones.
The hiss is almost bad enough to make the beer cans open by themselves. Oh wait.... that was a dream. :D


I have given up on buying hardware acceleration capable cards.

Me to.
After modding a few Revos I kinda grew to like the sound.
To bad the drivers suck. :p
 
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