Sound Blaster X-FI Titanium HD Sound Card Review @ [H]

BoogerBomb said:
Dont they make some kind of extension cord that you would be able to route to the front?
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Apparently the switch is in the connector on the back of the board, so if you were to plug in an extension, the speakers would go silent regardless of whether te headphones are plugged in on the other end or not :(

You can plug the case connector for the front of the case, but that plug only supported low impedance headphones (33 ohm if I recall)
 
Every video card I have ever had until this I had to manually tell it to use headphones or speakers every time I switched.
 
Burn me once. Shame on you. Burn me twice. Shame on me.

Creative might as well sell these out of the trunk of a car at your local gas station. This company has a long history of shitting on their customers. I'm suprised people still give them money considering there are great alternatives out there.

Even the [H] crew had to put their somewhat veiled disclaimer on this apparently great product.

-"Creative's support has faltered in the past and it is a primary concern of ours that the company stay on top of its customers' needs."

I have total confidence that this is a great product(for the time being) if the [H] guys say so however, Buyer Beware of Creative and their business practices. Creative has no problem with screwing their customers over.
 
Bamboo said:
I have total confidence that this is a great product(for the time being) if the [H] guys say so however, Buyer Beware of Creative and their business practices. Creative has no problem with screwing their customers over.
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Interesting. I've owned a series of Creative sound cards, including the following:
  • Sound Blaster (bought in ~1989)
  • Sound Blaster Pro (bought in ~1991)
  • Sound Blaster AWE32 (bought in ~1994)
  • Sound Blaster Live! (bought in ~2000)
  • Sound Blaster Audigy (bought in ~2005)

Since I had kept my Audigy for so long, and primarily used Linux with XP as a dual boot until about 2009, I never experienced the Audigy driver issues in Vista and the whole kerfuffle surrounding that time period. I didn't even realize Creative had garnered such a terrible reputation.

Back in the day they were essentially considered a one stop shop for sound cards. (at least after Adlib cards lost favor in the market)
 
Auzentech is the single reason why Creative even bothered putting more features on their cards. Whats funny is a lot of people switched to Auzentech for the new features and to escape Creatives horrible software and lack of any updates. Now that Creative has almost caught up hardware wise and its software is hundred of millions of times better, its Auzentech that is losing customers due to non existent updates.
 
Zarathustra[H];1037579577 said:
Interesting. I've owned a series of Creative sound cards, including the following:
  • Sound Blaster (bought in ~1989)
  • Sound Blaster Pro (bought in ~1991)
  • Sound Blaster AWE32 (bought in ~1994)
  • Sound Blaster Live! (bought in ~2000)
  • Sound Blaster Audigy (bought in ~2005)

Since I had kept my Audigy for so long, and primarily used Linux with XP as a dual boot until about 2009, I never experienced the Audigy driver issues in Vista and the whole kerfuffle surrounding that time period. I didn't even realize Creative had garnered such a terrible reputation.

Back in the day they were essentially considered a one stop shop for sound cards. (at least after Adlib cards lost favor in the market)
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I never said anything about Vista but, you nailed it.;)

I was a loyal customer till that fiasco. The info is still out there.

Google any combination of
-Creative
-Vista
-Daniel K
 
I'm loving my Titanium HD. This is the first sound card I've used that didn't produce a slightly audible "hiss" around sounds. I've always used Creative sound cards, and have never had a problem; even with Vista and an X-Fi Extremegamer Fatality Pro in my last PC.

I have noticed one problem so far that just started: after I switch modes using the console, the sound disappears. I need to reboot after each mode change to get the sound card to work again. It worked fine for about a month, then this just started. My first Creative problem!
 
rampantandroid said:
No offense Kyle, but how much did Creative pay you to say that? Seriously - I know I'm not that old in the tech industry, but going back to the 90s I remember Creative software and hardware being questionable. I know people at work who are 20 years older than me and if you mention Creative will have horror stories and curse about them, ranging from modem and USB woes to the optical drives & controllers they had. They've got a bad rep for drivers, it's not recent.
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I never had a problem with the SB line through the Live. By the Audigy Audigy2 series the drivers were so huge that it overshadowed the hardware for me. Then with the Vista fiasco I just stuck with onboard audio. Never had a problem with SB in the 90's though. Actually my first DVD was the Creative Encore DXR2 kit with the hardware decoder card which was pretty nice for a college guy back then.

I also had a Creative TNT2 which was also very nice and never had any driver problems with that card.

I'm considering this card but I may still go to Asus who I have had very good experiences with. I have some Sennhaiser 595 phones and I really like them and want to try some better sound hardware.
 
I still have my Audigy 2 ZS on my older pc but oh boy what a disaster moving to wnidows 7 as creative pretty much crippled their official drivers/software (they're fine with XP). I got around some issues simply by using the "tweaked ones" from a guy who's well known for fixing some issues.

But due to this I'm sticking with Asus for soundcards now..creative have lost a lot of fans by messing their users around. You should not have to update your soundcard just to please Creative.

The Asus card sounds a lot better anyway granted the Audigy 2 ZS is an older card but oh my what a difference cost a lot less as well ;-)
 
Mr Spocko said:
I still have my Audigy 2 ZS on my older pc but oh boy what a disaster moving to wnidows 7 as creative pretty much crippled their official drivers/software (they're fine with XP). I got around some issues simply by using the "tweaked ones" from a guy who's well known for fixing some issues.

But due to this I'm sticking with Asus for soundcards now..creative have lost a lot of fans by messing their users around. You should not have to update your soundcard just to please Creative.

The Asus card sounds a lot better anyway granted the Audigy 2 ZS is an older card but oh my what a difference cost a lot less as well ;-)
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ASUS isn't known for their great support of their soundcards either.
 
so i'm rocking an Audigy LS from back in the day...Will I notice a significant improvement in sound quality if I upgrade to the new Titanium?
 
ultraman7k said:
so i'm rocking an Audigy LS from back in the day...Will I notice a significant improvement in sound quality if I upgrade to the new Titanium?
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Depends on what speakers and headphones you use.
 
Well I noticed the same improvement going from my Audigy 2 to my Xi-fi (non HD) as going from my SB Live to my Audigy 2.

I'd say it was worth it as the HD is a much newer card than my current xi-fi.
 
I wish to thank author Earl Keim and Editor-in-Chief Kyle Bennett for writing and publishing their HardOCP October, 2010 review of the X-Fi Titanium HD.
Your review was instrumental for me when I was considering making the purchase.
Two months after your review appeared on HardOCP I had the opportunity to read Steven ROBSCIX Wall's review of the X-Fi Titanium HD on Guru3D. Steven is the Assistant Editor to Hilbert Hagedoorn. Hilbert as the Chief Editor and owner of Guru3D should need no introduction, as Guru3d, like HardOCP, is also renowned for in depth, technical reviews.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/sound-blaster-xfi-titanium-hd-review/1

The reason I am citing that review is because it corroborates Earl's assessment that Creative's X-Fi Titanium HD offers a significant improvement in listening fidelity above their previously released sound cards. With that said, I want to quote Earl's "Apples to Apples" comparison of the Titanium HD to the Titanium Fatality Pro.
--------------------------------------------------
Apples to Apples

When comparing the Titanium HD to Creative's last high end consumer card, the X-FI Titanium Fatality Professional, there is simply no contest. The Titanium HD sounded better in every listening test we performed. Simply put, the sheer audio fidelity blew the older Titanium Fatality away. We used the Titanium Fatality for two years, but after installing the Titanium HD, there is no going back, ever. The only thing we miss about the Titanium Fatality is that is has 7.1 analog as well as optical outputs. The Titanium HD only has two analog outputs and optical in and out. The software of the two generations of cards looks identical in every respect, so beginning our the use of the Titanium HD required absolutely no learning curve whatsoever. This will certainly be a boon and buying point for all Creative brand enthusiasts.
-Earl Keim
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I agree with everything that Earl has written in the above paragraph. I too had been using a Titanium Fatality Pro in my computer based multi-media system and prior to that it was a HT | Omega Claro Plus+. After hearing the Titanium HD I could never go back to the Fatality Pro, or any other consumer level sound card. The sound field has an elevated depth and presence that is excellent. The Titanium HD will be especially appreciated when accommodated with audiophile level sound components and especially when you are playing DVD, Studio Quality and higher lossless recorded music (starting with 16 bit, 48000 Hz and 24 bit, 96000 Hz respectively). On a minor note, I have experienced no problems what so ever with the Creative XFTI_PCDRV_LB_2_17_0008.exe drivers and their console.
--------------------------------------------------------
Creative Titanium HD sound card
Harbeth C7 ES-3 (floor standing speakers)
LFD LE IV Signature Edition integrated amplifier
LFD Spiroflex Speaker Cables
Chord Company Crimson Plus interconnects
 
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Apples to apples is not comparing the Titanium to another Creative card. It's comparing it to the Xonar Essence ST|X or Clario.
 
I also upgraded from an X-Fi Titanium to the Ti HD after reading this review. I have noticed a marked improvement in sound quality. I watched Tombstone last night and listening to the score with DT880's was pure heaven.
 
rampantandroid said:
Apples to apples is not comparing the Titanium to another Creative card. It's comparing it to the Xonar Essence ST|X or Clario.
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I feel differently. Apples to Apples seems to make more sense comparing the identical chipsets used in both Creative branded cards: The Titanium HD and the Titanium original are both based on the same X-FI hardware processor which was posted in the review.

Apples to Oranges would be comparing the C-Media 8788 in the Asus Essence to the Creative X-FI Titanium HD .

Thank you for your comment.
 
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Listening to this device as you say is the same as "monitoring" in the Audio Creation Mode. It will definitely cause latency as the device playback you are hearing is pausing so you can hear it rather than be processed or recorded directly.

The Auxillary inputs come from the Digital in and out when used in tandem. I never had or have problems with it. The problem you are speaking of is similar to trying to listen to your microphone as you speak into it. It will cause echo and feedback.
 
Can I connect the rca cable the card comes with to my receiver somehow? The sound card end of the cable has two plugs but goes to a 3.5mm connector on the other end.
 
Better than optical? Without a doubt.

When you use the optical connection all sound is passed untouched to the stereo receiver or speaker set receiver/control pod where the decoding will done.

When you use analog, you then hear the card's analog sound which gets its character from op-amps on the card and digital to analog converter.

If you are using optical you are hearing the same as you would hear using onboard with optical out.
 
Riddleofsteel said:
Oh, neat. Is that a better choice for sound quality than optical?
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That answer is a solid "depends".

It is going to depend on the DAC in your receiver. If its DAC is better than that in the Sound Card then using the optical (or any other digital) connector will be better.

If the DAC on the sound card is better you could wind up with better sound quality by using RCA outputs, but its going to depend on how well shielded your RCA cables are, and what types of noise sources are around to reduce the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR).

Typically when using analog output, you want to have the output side volume as high as possible without introducing any clipping on the speaker inputs. 96% volume is a good rule of thumb for this. So set the computer to 96% and keep it there, while changing volume using the dial on your speakers. This will give you the highest possible SNR.

All this may be pretty moot though. Yes the DAC in the sound card is pretty decent, but the DAC's in receivers with digital inputs tend to be pretty good as well, or at least no better or worse than the speaker/amplifier they are installed in. Chances are you will hear little to no difference between the two.
 
Zarathustra[H];1037611219 said:
Yes the DAC in the sound card is pretty decent, but the DAC's in receivers with digital inputs tend to be pretty good as well, or at least no better or worse than the speaker/amplifier they are installed in. Chances are you will hear little to no difference between the two.
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I agree with much of what you are saying, but it is simply not as cut and dried as it appears. Sure, you can pass onboard sound out the digital ports all day. Then you need to rely on your receiver and speakers for the final sound. Having swappable op-amps etc allow you to change the sound of your card as your tastes see fit. Once it is connected by analog means to your speakers, you only worry about your speakers, not the addition of a quality receiver etc.

The DAC on the card and the DAC on your receiver again comes into play where your receiver might be better, but the card does a phenomenal job on its own. That adds value for the end user.

Is your receiver going to be superior? Sure, if it is the right equipment and you have the extra space and money for it.
 
If someone's receiver has a better DAC they would not need to buy this card. They could just pass optical from the onboard.
 
I have no idea how good or bad my receivers Dac is. It's a Harman Kardon 3490. That's why I asked. I used to use my Titanium HD with it via optical but now I am using onboard audio as an experiment.
 
EarlKeim said:
I feel differently. Apples to Apples seems to make more sense comparing the identical chipsets used in both Creative branded cards: The Titanium HD and the Titanium original are both based on the same X-FI hardware processor which was posted in the review.

Apples to Oranges would be comparing the C-Media 8788 in the Asus Essence to the Creative X-FI Titanium HD .

Thank you for your comment.
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I wholeheartedly disagree. I don't care here about the digital processor involved. I care about the quality of analog audio coming out...which means comparing a card with a poorly filtered line voltage and such to a better built card is just silly. Hell, for stability sake I ran with XRAM disabled because it wasn't stable.


EarlKeim said:
Better than optical? Without a doubt.

When you use the optical connection all sound is passed untouched to the stereo receiver or speaker set receiver/control pod where the decoding will done.

When you use analog, you then hear the card's analog sound which gets its character from op-amps on the card and digital to analog converter.

If you are using optical you are hearing the same as you would hear using onboard with optical out.
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No, you're not. Not if the card offers some EQ ability that is digital. Not if it offers some of the stereo 3D options - those are applied at the digital level, NOT in the analog section. Sure, you hear the characteristics of the card. Sure, buying a card with a high end analog section in it to use as a DAC IS kinda silly....but it's not worthless if you use toslink to the reciever, I'm a firm believer in "keep it digital as long as possible" in both audio and video. If you like the coloring the sound card gives you, sure - use the sound card outs. But if you have a good receiver, just use toslink to there and let it's DACs do the work. You certainly avoid messy interference coming in due to it being an analog signal.

I'm building my own DAC and I own a tube amp to get the sound signature I want. If going analog to the receiver produces a pleasurable sound, great...but if you cannot hear anything you prefer by going analog, then switch over to toslink and avoid interference - you can hear UMTS modems for example.


EarlKeim said:
I agree with much of what you are saying, but it is simply not as cut and dried as it appears. Sure, you can pass onboard sound out the digital ports all day. Then you need to rely on your receiver and speakers for the final sound. Having swappable op-amps etc allow you to change the sound of your card as your tastes see fit. Once it is connected by analog means to your speakers, you only worry about your speakers, not the addition of a quality receiver etc.

The DAC on the card and the DAC on your receiver again comes into play where your receiver might be better, but the card does a phenomenal job on its own. That adds value for the end user.

Is your receiver going to be superior? Sure, if it is the right equipment and you have the extra space and money for it.
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You're again missing the reason to stay digital: AC3 support and whatnot. That's a huge bonus there. Chances are if you can hear the coloring of the sound, you've already picked an amp and speakers you like for their sound. If you cannot detect coloring, then why bother worrying about the DAC or the Opamps? I'm personally going to scrap my Xonar Essence STX and X-Fi because they're shit when put through a tube amp. I'm building a gamma1 that I'll later convert to a gamma2 - I can control the 5VDC source myself, I can filter it myself...and I can end up with a cleaner signal than my Xonar has been able to provide, and better than my X-Fi ever managed.
 
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rampantandroid said:
I'm personally going to scrap my Xonar Essence STX and X-Fi because they're shit when put through a tube amp. I'm building a gamma1 that I'll later convert to a gamma2 - I can control the 5VDC source myself, I can filter it myself...and I can end up with a cleaner signal than my Xonar has been able to provide, and better than my X-Fi ever managed.
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The card seems to offer you nothing. If you are building tube amps, etc, this card or anything like it will provide you with little or no benefit in comparison to the results you wish to achieve.

The comparison of the two cards was done because users want to know, should they upgrade from Creative's previous top-of-the-line consumer offereing? The answer was yes. The Titanium HD has many of the features of the original X-FI Titanium but it implemented many of the same features and improved upon them without question.

Would upgrading from an original to the new provide you with a discernible and audible benefit when connected by analog means? Absolutely.
 
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EarlKeim said:
The card seems to offer you nothing. If you are building tube amps, etc, this card or anything like it will provide you with little or no benefit in comparison to the results you wish to achieve.
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It's SUPPOSED to be a good DAC at a very high SNR, and well filtered. It's none of the above, but it's advertised as such. Also, some of the tubes I use are older than I am. There are times when having a constant heat source next to me is pointless and the build in headphone amp is preferrable.

The Xonar and cards like it fit my need well. toslink to my DAC for when I use speakers or the tube amp. Also able to use the built in amp for times when I don't care about warmer sounding tube-awesomeness.

EarlKeim said:
The comparison of the two cards was done because users want to know, should they upgrade from Creative's previous top-of-the-line consumer offereing? The answer was yes. The Titanium HD has many of the features of the original X-FI Titanium but it implemented many of the same features and improved upon them without question.
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And that's a valid comparison. But that's NOT an apples to apples comparison.

You don't compare the Impreza to the Impreza WRX and call that apples to apples. The apple is a high performance turbo charged car for which the insurance companies bend you over. You compare it to a Lancer Evolution or something similar. You don't compare it to a smart car and say "look, it's got better seats!"
 
So the Big question is???

For purely gaming purpose on headphones would you suggest this over the essense stx?
 
They both have excellent headphone performance. The Titanium HD has a headphone "out" not an amp as we mistakenly believed. That was my mistake, not Creative's.

The Essence would give you room to grow if you ever wanted to power a less sensitive, high impedance set of headphones.

I feel the Creative is a better gaming card for both legacy and new games. The Essence does music slightly better with its stock op-amps. The Titanium HD rivals it without a doubt when you swap out the stock op-amps.
 
EarlKeim said:
They both have excellent headphone performance. The Titanium HD has a headphone "out" not an amp as we mistakenly believed. That was my mistake, not Creative's.

.
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That's news to me.I thought it had a built in amp to drive headphones unto 300 ohms.:eek:
 
EarlKeim said:
The Titanium HD has a headphone "out" not an amp as we mistakenly believed.
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That is good for people who use an external amp with the 3.5mm jacks. Small contingent perhaps, but nice to not double amp in such a case.
 
EarlKeim said:
They both have excellent headphone performance. The Titanium HD has a headphone "out" not an amp as we mistakenly believed. That was my mistake, not Creative's.

The Essence would give you room to grow if you ever wanted to power a less sensitive, high impedance set of headphones.

I feel the Creative is a better gaming card for both legacy and new games. The Essence does music slightly better with its stock op-amps. The Titanium HD rivals it without a doubt when you swap out the stock op-amps.
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If you want EAX support/hardware sound out of older games, Creative's ALchemy is what you'll want. The Xonar isn't really a "gaming" card and any of the features that require hardware audio rendering likely won't work. But so few games require it anyway. EAX is gone anymore.

Riddleofsteel said:
How hard is switching op-amps?
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Easy. If you're unsure of pulling ICs out of sockets, get an IC puller and make sure you note where pin 1 is and you're golden. It's insanely simple (but then again I just got done soldering SMDs with shaking hands, so anything by comparison will seem SIMPLE.)
 
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