X-Fi alternative?

[Megalomaniac]

Ok, so we just got two new cards out with awesome chipsets and great sound and both costs 200 or so bucks.

I have a Core 2 Duo+ asus P5W Deluxe

i am not intesredted in dropping more than 80 buck on a sound card.
Montego DDL came up as a posibility and so did the X-plosion

i'm wondering, for a sub 80 dollar pricetag (going rate of x-fi) is it worth switching to one of the other cards, or should i just stick with the proven one.
I primarily game and listen to mp3 and watch anime

I have a Sony MDR-7506 set of headphones going to a JVC mini system (its a two speaker system) which goes to the line out. (although it has an optical connection also)

One reason that i think i need a sound card is beacse in some games (wahammer 40,00 dark crusade intro movie) i get aweful static but only on the speakers. the headphones seem fine.

I also have an x-fi in my day to day system (the core 2 duo is a server/gaming system) and do not seem to have any of those problems.

 

[Hobo13]

EDIT: I think I misunderstood your question, I interpreted it as a solicitation if you should find an alternative or just go with the X-Fi. My apologies.

I was in the same position as you a few hours ago....yay for 5AM purchases.

My final decision was to get the X-Fi XtremeMusic, which is pretty much the best buy of the X-Fi line if you don't want the breakout box. It can be had for $51.16 AR shipped from Amazon. I don't think the card is going to get much cheaper than that while it is still current.

The price was a large factor, the other cards I was considering ranged from $100-200. Those cards may have better music reproduction than the X-Fi, but I from what I've read it isn't, at least for me, $50-150 dollars better sound (I'd rather invest the money saved in an Amp, which would also be a fun project). The X-Fi also has, from what I've been reading, some of the best surround sound headphone support that you can get out of a card. The other factor is that the X-fi (and a slim chance the Audigy) is the only card which will have hardware 3d support in Vista.

http://openal.org/openal_vista.html
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/11/28/Vista_will_support_eax_after_all/
http://www.custompc.co.uk/custompc/news/98878/vista-will-support-eax-in-games-after-all.html

 

[alg7_munif]

Since you are only using stereo, you doesn't need the Montego/X-Plosion. Just buy this if you want an optical output. You can also get a coaxial output from your X-Fi by using a simple stereo to 2 RCA cable, one of the RCA will be the digital coaxial output for the flexi jack.

 

[Megalomaniac]

Hobo, you read me correctly.
i did have the x-fi for 51 in mind, but there was a lot of talk of better sound cards, so i wanted to see if i should get one of them or not. (but not break the bank)

as both of you have replied, i am sticking with the x-fi. just ordered one.

Thanks.

 

[Leright]

Since you are only using stereo, you doesn't need the Montego/X-Plosion. Just buy this if you want an optical output. You can also get a coaxial output from your X-Fi by using a simple stereo to 2 RCA cable, one of the RCA will be the digital coaxial output for the flexi jack.

I can't get 5.1 digital output with my x-fi? wtf?

 

[schapman]

Since you are only using stereo, you doesn't need the Montego/X-Plosion. Just buy this if you want an optical output. You can also get a coaxial output from your X-Fi by using a simple stereo to 2 RCA cable, one of the RCA will be the digital coaxial output for the flexi jack.

I don't think i've ever seen someone hook it up like that. I always just a mono minijack->RCA adapter-> Coaxial cable for my digital connection.


Also, the digital output can only output surround from pre-encoded sources (AKA DVDs). You have to do a passthrough on it and to let your external decoder handle it. You can however, use the analogue outputs to output a surround signal and let the creative hardware do the decoding (this is how you hook it up for surround gaming).