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Should I get X-Fi? Please help!

W

wearefree

Weaksauce
Joined
Sep 4, 2005
Messages
76
Guys,

Now I'm driving my z-5300 set with the Dell onboard audio, and I finally get the budget approved for a sound card:) I'm serously thinking about getting the new X-Fi, and from all the reviews and posts I read it seemed to be very good. My questions are:

1) Will this be an overkill for z-5300? I mean, will z-5300 be able to produce all the effects that this sound card is supposed to?
2) I mainly listen to music (mp3) and watch movies, and only game (Far Cry) a little bit. Will this card be able to connect to my *future* receiver with a high-quality connection? (Being a poor grad student, the computer will serve the purpose of my poor man's home theater till I get a real one :eek:)
3) How would this compare to Mystique? I know Mystique can have better connections to receiver, but will the sound quality be much better than the connections made from X-Fi? Supposing listening on a decent set of speakers in the future:)

I really want the X-Fi because even though I'm a light gamer, this card will help a lot in the Far Cry game (being able to pinpoint the location of the enemy is the key):p

Any inputs are highly appreciated!
 
wearefree said:
Guys,

Now I'm driving my z-5300 set with the Dell onboard audio, and I finally get the budget approved for a sound card I'm serously thinking about getting the new X-Fi, and from all the reviews and posts I read it seemed to be very good. My questions are:

1) Will this be an overkill for z-5300? I mean, will z-5300 be able to produce all the effects that this sound card is supposed to?
2) I mainly listen to music (mp3) and watch movies, and only game (Far Cry) a little bit. Will this card be able to connect to my *future* receiver with a high-quality connection? (Being a poor grad student, the computer will serve the purpose of my poor man's home theater till I get a real one )
3) How would this compare to Mystique? I know Mystique can have better connections to receiver, but will the sound quality be much better than the connections made from X-Fi? Supposing listening on a decent set of speakers in the future

I really want the X-Fi because even though I'm a light gamer, this card will help a lot in the Far Cry game (being able to pinpoint the location of the enemy is the key)

Any inputs are highly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Hello wearefree,

Ok personally I own the X-FI and love it.

1. I do not think it is the least bit overkill for 5300's. If you are going to have a nice system like that, might as well get a decent card to back it up. Now if you had regular non amplified multimedia speakers that would be a different story.

2. I do all three of those things as well. Yes, this card IS pretty furutre proofed. It supports all of the latest jacks, including coaxial and optical for digital recievers.
(**NOTE** this is ONLY with the Platinum edition that you get the optical connections!)

3. My last sound card WAS a Mystique. I actually dropped it for the X-FI. You can trust me in saying that the X-FI sounds worlds better. With its crystalizer and other effects, it REALLY enhance the clarity and overall quality of the sound.

Hope this helps!
Ps. IMO :D
 
Thank you so much! However, I'm planning only to get the basic one (XtremeMusic) that does not come with any extras (simply can't afford those:eek:). Will the basic card offer a comparable connection to receivers? Or a higher one (like at least a platinum one) is a must?

Edited: I'm sorry I guess you have answered that question. I'll rephrase it: does this coaxial connection offer same/higher/lower quality compare to optical connections (that is only available at at least platinum version)? I'm an audio n00b and have never owned a receiver :eek:
 
Allright there are a few differences between optical and coaxial. Perosnally I have always used coaxial and can hear a difference between normal analog sound(analog is what you are using right now) and the coaxial. Pretty much what coaxial is, is a signal that the computer encodes, then sends to a reciever, to where it is decoded and played though the speakers. I think the bass is a little more stronger with coaxial, but that may just be the nature of my speaker system.

Ok, then you have optical connection. Ever heard of fiber optics? Well this is all it is. The sound signal is transmitted via light through a cable. It works pretty much the same way coaxial does, except that coaxial uses copper wire.

With optical the signal is said to be clearer, and is inferior to electrial noise.

Now, for your appication the extreme music should be fine. You really have no reason to the the Platinum. With your current speaker system it does not support coaxial or optical so there is no need to get the Platinum. Furure systems you may get? Regardless they will all support analog(Your 5300's use analog). Unless you are going be building an all 100% Dolby Digital home theatre anytime soon there is no reason to get the Platinum.

Hope that was helpful :)
 
Thank you for your great and detailed reply! And sorry for my ignorance, but it seems the XtremeMusic edition has only analog connections and does not offer coaxial either. If this is true, is there a way to get around it to have better sound transferred to home theater speakers since you mentioned analog connections are somewhat lower quality compared to coaxial/optical? Or I'm kinda stuck and the only way out is to get the higher one (platinum version)?
 
wearefree said:
Thank you for your great and detailed reply! And sorry for my ignorance, but it seems the XtremeMusic edition has only analog connections and does not offer coaxial either. If this is true, is there a way to get around it to have better sound transferred to home theater speakers since you mentioned analog connections are somewhat lower quality compared to coaxial/optical? Or I'm kinda stuck and the only way out is to get the higher one (platinum version)?
Click to expand...

The XFi does include coax digital. I am using it now. You just need a 1/8" mini to coax adapter. So no probs there. It's the top jack.
 
Oops my bad, yeah I forgot that you CAN use coax with the xtreme music. Its the port furthest from the midi/joystick connector. I forgot because it dubs as a mic/line in as well as coaxial out.
 
No problem. I guess I'll just keep this in my mind and wait until I get my real home theater system then to worry about the adaptor. Thank you for your very helpful input!
 
Hey guys, going along w/ this whole thing... I have Klipsch 5.1 Promedia Ultras, and been stuck using my onboard sound. If I were to get a Xi-Fi (and well... should I?), would you say I should just get the most basic one?
 
Another nice sound system. Yes, the X-FI would be a MAJOR improvment over your onboard sound. Xtreme music should work out fine for the Klipsch's. You too have no need for optical.
 
faji_tama said:
Hey guys, going along w/ this whole thing... I have Klipsch 5.1 Promedia Ultras, and been stuck using my onboard sound. If I were to get a Xi-Fi (and well... should I?), would you say I should just get the most basic one?
Click to expand...

Lets see if you can answer your own question. :p
Do you need the connectivity options the "advanced cards" have?
If not the basic one will suit you just fine.
 
haha thanks folks. well the thing is, i don't really even know what the extra stuff on the higher end cards is for, so i'm assuming it's not something i'd be needing. i just haven't been sure if there's any difference in terms of sound quality between the cards (given an analog system like mine). because i'd imagine an optical connection probably sounds better, but that of course doesn't apply in my case.
 
lol, good point.

Lets see what the drive bay thing has to offer you.

the Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum has:
Two RCA jacks for coaxial SPDIF input and output
Two RCA jacks for Auxiliary input
Two optical connectors for optical SPDIF input and output
Two mini MIDI female connectors for MIDI input and output
Headphone output and volume control via 6.35 mm (1/4-inch) stereo jack
Shared line-level analog Line/Microphone input via 6.35 mm (1/4-inch) stereo jack
on the front panel plus a remote.

the Sound Blaster the Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty has:
Two RCA jacks for coaxial SPDIF input and output
Two RCA jacks for Auxiliary input
Two optical connectors for optical SPDIF input and output
Two mini MIDI female connectors for MIDI input and output
Headphone output and volume control via 6.35 mm (1/4-inch) stereo jack
Shared line-level analog Line/Microphone input via 6.35 mm (1/4-inch) stereo jack
on the front panel plus a remote.


the Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro has:
Two RCA jacks for coaxial SPDIF input and output
Shared Auxiliary input / Phono input via RCA stereo jacks
Two optical connectors for optical SPDIF input and output
Two standard MIDI female connectors for MIDI input and output
Headphone output and volume control via 6.35 mm (1/4-inch) stereo jack
Shared line-level analog Line/Microphone input via 6.35 mm (1/4-inch) stereo jack
Shared line-level analog Line/Hi-Z input via 6.35 mm (1/4-inch) stereo jack
DIN jack to connect Creative analog speaker systems with the wired remote control or Audio Control Pod that comes with the speakers
One AD_LINK connector for linking to the audio card

Other then possibly the headphone jack and the remote do you need any of that other stuff?
 
Ya, I think the sweet spot, if you can afford it, is the platinum. I'd want the front panel and the remote myself, but if you fon't need it than just get the regular one. Lucky you...
 
That's the thing, I don't know if I need the others. Well, I don't do headphones, and I don't see the point of a remote to be honest. And considering how I JUST got my Klipsch, I probably won't be buying new speakers anytime soon (probably not until my next system, which... will probably be a couple years down the road), so... The only things I do a lot of on my computer are listening to music, and gaming, so I don't have any need for audio creation either.

The other thing is, I'd say I'm new to the audio scene. I was running 2.1 speakers (Logitech....... 350Zs? I forget) until a couple months ago, so I really have no clue what things like SPDIF and those jacks are.

**Edit** Wow. I just realized I've been spelling it wrong this entire time. Sorry folks. X-fi*
 
Hmm. Alright. Although it seems like the basic card is aimed more at music folks rather than gamers. Of course that's what the advertising says... but what do you think?
 
I think it is a prime example of Creative's misleading marketing nonsense.
 
haha awesome. Thanks for all the help mister x, I appreciate it lots. Now I just have to wait for it to become available at a couple more places. Unless ya have any to recommend? I haven't seen anything on newegg or monarch yet, only pcconnection
 
How would the sound quality produced by a combination of x-fi sound card and z-5300 compare with a home theater in the low(<$200)/mid($200~$1000)/high(>$1000) range?
 
faji_tama said:
haha awesome. Thanks for all the help mister x, I appreciate it lots. Now I just have to wait for it to become available at a couple more places. Unless ya have any to recommend? I haven't seen anything on newegg or monarch yet, only pcconnection
Click to expand...
I have the same set-up. Klipsch 5.1 and the xtreme music. The card is fantastic. It games like a champ and music is excellent. This card is NOT just for music, thats marketing bullshit. The "cheap" model has all the stuff any of the others have EXCEPT for a front panel and the X-Ram. By the way, you may now order the Xtreme music and the platinum on-line from Creative.
 
DaRkF0g said:
Oops my bad, yeah I forgot that you CAN use coax with the xtreme music. Its the port furthest from the midi/joystick connector. I forgot because it dubs as a mic/line in as well as coaxial out.
Click to expand...

That's not a Midi/Joystick connector, it's called an AD Link. I'd have been better off with a Platinum, the Flexijack is a joke.

Donnie27
 
FWIW, you may want to consider what I ended up doing - finding an Audigy 2zs *Platinum* on eBay. Right around $100 right now, and you get all the advanced connectivity options you could possibly want.

(Although, to be fair, ALL the digital connections on the Audigy or X-Fi....optical or coax....are pretty close to useless for me. You only get surround sound of them in movies, PERIOD. The Audigy/X-Fi digital outputs can only encode a stereo signal themselves, or pass through pre-encoded surround signal as from a DVD. No surround in gaming out of the digital connections, no surround in music.)
 
Donnie27 said:
That's not a Midi/Joystick connector, it's called an AD Link. I'd have been better off with a Platinum, the Flexijack is a joke.

Donnie27
Click to expand...
Sorry I know older sound cards, that was a midi jack. I have never used it before, so I really dont know what its exact prupose is.
 
Don't forget the 64MB of X-RAM!

Not that any game takes advantage of it but when they do, it will rock!

</blingboi-rant-off>
 
soekev said:
Don't forget the 64MB of X-RAM!

Not that any game takes advantage of it but when they do, it will rock!

</blingboi-rant-off>
Click to expand...
LOL. I think the X-RAM will turn out to be next-to-useless for the forseeable future. I mean, if Creative wanted mainstream support for this feature, they should have included it on their mainstream card.
 
I honestly cant see where there CAN be any use for the X-RAM. I mean hell my games sound perfect enough as is!
 
magoo said:
I have the same set-up. Klipsch 5.1 and the xtreme music. The card is fantastic. It games like a champ and music is excellent. This card is NOT just for music, thats marketing bullshit. The "cheap" model has all the stuff any of the others have EXCEPT for a front panel and the X-Ram. By the way, you may now order the Xtreme music and the platinum on-line from Creative.
Click to expand...

i have to agree that the name Xtreme Music is pretty dumb considering that the card's strong point is not even music reproduction. A similiarly priced EMU will most likely walk over the X-Fi in terms of music reproduction.
 
wearefree said:
How would the sound quality produced by a combination of x-fi sound card and z-5300 compare with a home theater in the low(<$200)/mid($200~$1000)/high(>$1000) range?
Click to expand...

i think the 5300 will get owned by any set of equivalently priced speakers that has a seperate tweeter and mid range driver. and bass? logitechs only make fartwoofers not subwoofers. they have "nasty car audio bass" written all over them
 
Xeero said:
i think the 5300 will get owned by any set of equivalently priced speakers that has a seperate tweeter and mid range driver. and bass? logitechs only make fartwoofers not subwoofers. they have "nasty car audio bass" written all over them
Click to expand...

In fact, most "subwoofers" in multimedia computer speaker systems are considered "fartwoofers" or "fart cannons." Furthermore, at any price Logitech doesn't even offer a speaker system which uses a separate tweeter and mid-range driver. Their flagship line continues to use one or more "full-range" drivers without whizzers -- all of which are the same size as each other.
 
hey, srry im late joining the conversation, but i am getting a Logitech Z-2300 2.1 system (mainly because of space and money constaints, or i would get Z-5500) in two weeks and want deticated sound card rather than onboard audio. And i am am in between the X-Fi and Audigy2 ZS Gamer. as i understand it, the X-RAM is suposed to increase gaming performance, but no games take hold of that feture yet? :confused: I have kind of a sucky comp in terms of graphics (PCI only, no PCI-e or AGP) so right now i have a radeon 9200 SE card, and it could use a real BOOST! i do everything but record, games, music, movies, and i would kinda like the 5 free games with the A2-ZS Gamer, but i also want a better gaming preformance, so witch card would u recomend? X-Fi X-Music, Fatl1ty (X-RAM), or the ZS Gamer?
 
with that kind of graphics card, no soundcard in the world can help you there
 
with that kind of graphics card, no soundcard in the world can help you there
Click to expand...

lol, THANKS A LOT! :( hey, it get a 5200 score on 3D Mark 2001 ( 800x600, no FSAA or AF, triple buffering) and a WHOPPING 575 on 3d Mark 2003(default settings, 1024x768) :D but yea, pretty bad isnt it :( My system only came with 256 mb ram but i added a 512 stick in there too and that REALLY helped :) still, more input would be apprciated! (maybe) lol
 
Hobbit89 said:
lol, THANKS A LOT! :( hey, it get a 5200 score on 3D Mark 2001 ( 800x600, no FSAA or AF, triple buffering) and a WHOPPING 575 on 3d Mark 2003(default settings, 1024x768) :D but yea, pretty bad isnt it :( My system only came with 256 mb ram but i added a 512 stick in there too and that REALLY helped :) still, more input would be apprciated! (maybe) lol
Click to expand...

lol sorry man, really its not worth spending any money at all. its best for u to keep saving until u have enough for a new machine
 
E4g1e said:
In fact, most "subwoofers" in multimedia computer speaker systems are considered "fartwoofers" or "fart cannons." Furthermore, at any price Logitech doesn't even offer a speaker system which uses a separate tweeter and mid-range driver. Their flagship line continues to use one or more "full-range" drivers without whizzers -- all of which are the same size as each other.
Click to expand...

This answer actually made me happier. I will have no problem ditch this set in the future then, and won't even consider upgrading to another set of computer speaker set at the moment (since they are basically the same). However, the new sound card did make a world of difference when playing MP3 (using windows media player, not the sucky creative media source player). Haven't get chance to try games or movies yet, but at least it does live up to its name - Extreme Music! Did you notice my signature changed?

However, someone (can't recall where) on this board mentioned the digital output on that sound card (even with the optical output on higher versions of x-fi) can only encode stereo but not true surround. In other words, I may get 5.1 surround when playing DVDs on computer if this sound card is connected to a receiver digitally because the DVD playing software can decode the surround itself, but I may not get the surround effect when playing games with that setup. With tthe current analog speakers, 5.1 is achievable in games, but if what was claimed was true, then does anyone can come with a solution to solve the problem (i.e. have true surround effect in games while connecting digitally)? Connecting the sound card to reciver with an analog connection may be a way, but wouldn't that decrease the sound quality? Oh well, I guess if I'm immersed in intense shooting and I may only care how to survive, and less about how the gun shot sounds like :cool:
 
wearefree said:
does anyone can come with a solution to solve the problem (i.e. have true surround effect in games while connecting digitally)? Connecting the sound card to reciver with an analog connection may be a way, but wouldn't that decrease the sound quality? Oh well, I guess if I'm immersed in intense shooting and I may only care how to survive, and less about how the gun shot sounds like :cool:
Click to expand...

Two methods:

- Buy a "Dolby Digital Live" card like this one or this one to replace the Audigy with. They can *encode* a Dolby Digital (surround sound) signal "on the fly" - the Audigy cannot.

- As you say, connect the analog outputs to your receiver, and swap back and forth between analog or digital depending on if you are listening to movies or playing music/games.
 
I guess I'll keep the X-Fi. Anyway this is the new generation sound card and up to now I'm very happy with the effects it can produce. It's so much different that even my wife, who was strongly against spending so much on a sound card and had absolutely no taste on good audio system(!), said "was the original sound that bad?" and I just smiled back at her.

Besides, I believe creative cards generally does do game sound effects better, and I don't really care 5.1 music (I don't have any:))
 
just to clarify, using coax and using optical will yeild the same audio quality... the only difference in one uses light and one uses electrons... they are both digital signals, therefor cable quality does not matter. its really just a matter of preference... and coax is generally cheaper... where as optical... is cooler :cool: :rolleyes:
 
This would be a mini review from a person with amateur ears.

Music (mp3): a drastic improvement, very good. I felt like the sound card revitalized my mp3 library! Didn't try CDs because never used computer to listen to CD, always ripped them as mp3s on computer. It's more convenient and saves wear and tear to my DVD drive.

Game: games with no EAX support doesn't seem to improve that much with this new card compared to onboard audio. Games that do support EAX will have great improvement. It's the first time I can tell EXACTLY where the helicopter is in Far Cry, and no matter where I turn, the sound moves nicely and smoothly from speaker to speaker, no muffled sound and no lag behind. Sound in BF2 are also crystal clear.

Movie: DVDs could really use this boost. Even though winDVD offer it's own theatrical mode, I found the EAX theatrical mode (in entertainment control panel) is better. Other people may not like it but I really enjoyed. Divx avi movies are similarly enhanced, which to a level, I must say, realistic. Real media and rmvb sucked. Seriously, they sounded worse than onboard sound:( But after I turn off the crystalizer, they sound better. I guess the crystalizer only works on mediocre quality sound. If the original sound is of too low quality, even the crystalizer won't help and sometime even makes it worse (of course high quality won't need the crystalizer:)) No wonder no one would make a real media hardware player, it's just not worth it.

Anyway, I found this sound card to be extremely satisfactory, and well worth the $117 I paid for it:)
 
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