Upgrade X-Fi Xtreme Audio to X-Fi Fatality - worth doing?

Diggsy

Diggsy

Diggsy

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As title really, I have the opportunity to upgrade my current X-Fi Xtreme Audio to the Fatality, but is it worth doing?

I currently have a set of Creative Inspire 6100's and I was also thinking of changing these to the Logitech X-540's, but again, not sure if this is a good idea. I've heard that the Logitechs are a lot better than the Creatives, even though they are similar in price.

What I find with my current setup is that music seems dull and lacking punch. There appears to be little clarity (not enough treble? Im no audiophile :p) and no amount of tweaking seems to make it much better.

Perhaps my current speakers would be okay with the better card? I haven't got a clue I'm afraid :(

I am in the position that I can do this for very little outlay, but need to know if it is worth it or not.

So what do you guys think?
 
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If you're a gamer, there's certainly an advantage to be had in upgrading. You would get access to EAX5 and a better version of CMSS-3D headphone with the Fatality. For a cheaper option for pretty much the same feature set, you might consider and Xtreme Music or Titanium (non Fatality version).

Your Xtreme Audio was misleadingly named. It doesn't use an X-Fi chip at all and has a lot more in common with the Audigy series.

For music though, I think your speakers are your real weak link. If you're more interested in music than films or games, I think you should concentrate on getting the best set of stereo speakers you can afford. For the same budget as the X540s you could get Creative Gigaworks T20 or T40. Any more expensive than that and I would start looking into getting seperate hi-fi amp and bookshelf speakers (although there are some decent PC sets like the Aego Ms or AudioEngine A2s).

Additionally, if music is your focus, I would recommend getting a Xonar (maybe D1 or DX) or an external DAC over an X-Fi. The same price will generally get you better sound quality. Consider getting a decent set of headphones, as they're a somewhat cheaper entry into the hi-fi world than upgrading your speakers. Avoid compressed audio where you can and go for higher bitrates on mp3s etc. If you can use CDs and lossless formats do so. It really makes a difference.
 
Wow! Thanks a lot for that great reply. Top notch :)

I am a gamer, and only listen to music on the PC on an odd occasion. I never use my setup for films at all. Looks like the Fatality would likely be the best choice for me then.

Headphones are something I don't use either, and I don't plan to use them anytime in the future.

With regards to the speakers, would you advise to forget about 5.1 and just go for a good 2.1 setup like the Aego M's or Logitech Z2300's?

Having previously had a 4.1 setup and now the 5.1 I am not sure what if anything I will lose in real terms.
 
Diggsy said:
With regards to the speakers, would you advise to forget about 5.1 and just go for a good 2.1 setup like the Aego M's or Logitech Z2300's?

Having previously had a 4.1 setup and now the 5.1 I am not sure what if anything I will lose in real terms.
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Well personally I'm a bit of a sucker for surround sound in games, particularly anything first person. Virtualised surround can work well, but for speakers you need an ideal room layout. Think equilateral triangle between you and the two speakers, equidistant from the side walls. In pretty much any other room setup it's not very good.

You could keep your existing 5.1 for gaming and add a better stereo set for music.
 
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