HT Omega Claro+ vs. Auzentech Prelude

Which card? (Then post WHY)

  • HT Omega Claro Plus 7.1

    Votes: 7 46.7%

  • Auzentech Prelude 7.1

    Votes: 8 53.3%
  • Total voters
    15
G

Garret Jax

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
296
Which one, and why?

HT Omega Claro+ 7.1

Auzentech Prelude 7.1

They both cost around $200 (USD) (Claro's a little cheaper.)

Claro+ does DD:Live and DTS: Interactive (real-time encoders) NOW, Prelude won't do it until the end of the year or early next year.

Prelude has the 64 MB of X-Ram and EAX 5.0.

Claro+ AND Prelude have suped-up OPAMPS out of the box.


EDIT: DOES THIS JUST COME DOWN TO GAMING VS. SOUND QUALITY?
If so, does that imply the Claro+ is the better card for non-gamers, and the Prelude is the better card for gamers?

Which one, and why?
 
Need to say how important gaming is to you. EAX 5 sounds quite different from EAX 2.
 
The Prelude has "souped up" Opamps out of the box also. It uses LM4562 for the front channels and the OPA2134 for all the rest. Both are very nice opamps.
 
According to this thread, the C-Media chip has inherent incompatibilities with Vista. I know nothing about this, but if this guy is be believed, maybe the Omega and Vista are not meant to be.

The thread also makes it sound like the Prelude won't be widely available until September or later.

After hunting around online, I found one guy who was psyched up for the Claro+, installed it, loved the sound quality, then returned it because games sounded like shit. Any of you have this experience with C-Media chipsets? I know they don't do EAX, but are there other problems with the card? (e.g. what's that poster saying about Vista/C-Media problems?)
 
I use a 8788 card and Vista and the card sounds great. No issues I have noticed.
 
I've got the Claro without the '+' and it sounds great. I think they need to update the drivers and software though. Sometimes I have trouble configuring after reinstalling Vista, but it works fine after that. I myself will maybe get the Claro or Asus board, hhhhmmm, decisions, decisions.:D
 
same here my card works in vista with no problems either. I dont know where that guy got the idea that these cards didnt work in vista.
 
You guys are saying the Claro sounds great, but everyone is voting for the Prelude. I assume that's because we hope it will have the gaming strength of the X-Fi with the overall sound quality of the Meridian.

And yet the Prelude is not out and may not be widely available for a few months. Knowing that Creative's involved makes me skeptical about this card, even if it carries the Auzentech name.

What a dilemma: get a Claro+ now, when I have time to enjoy it, or get a Prelude later when I will have less time. I think I'll at least wait until some hands on reviews of the Prelude come out.

-Garret
 
Auzentech claims that one of the delays occurred because they wanted to improve reliability. Sounds like Creative's drivers sucked and Auzentech didn't want to put out crappy drivers. I know money drives all business, but if Auzentech is really thinking long-term with this card and is trying to build up their brand with the Prelude, then it's a great sign and may override the negative effects of Creative's nonexistent QA department.
 
NICXUSA.com supposedly will have them this week. If you want one now you may want to go pre-order. I did. :eek:
 
Why was my post deleted ?

I was only following up the first posters question why get one or the other with a link to a review of the Claro. I don't see any problem do you :confused:

Whats the point of a forum if you can't share info.

*shrug :rolleyes:
 
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