Audigy 2 to high end sound card

rumble291 · 29 Mar 2010 at 23:51

Hey guys,

I currently have an Audigy 2 ZS, which has done me well through the XP days since now I've upgraded my PC and is now running Win 7 would there be a lot of difference between an Auzentech card running with speakers and headphones (headphones for late at night, speakers for day) or an Asus card.

I currently get crackle sounds from my card thanks to the GREAT creative drivers lol...

Is it really worth the money considering im not going to be running them into really good speakers?

I also cannot stand onboard audio since i got my card, just love the quality from my card.

Cheers guys,

Kurt

Soul.Survivor · 30 Mar 2010 at 03:31

You can try and find a cheap Xonar from somwehere? Would be a huge improvement over the Audigy 2 anyways

rumble291 · 30 Mar 2010 at 13:06

Cheers for the reply! Sweet looks like ill be getting a new soundcard either way

What do you reckon, Auzentech or Asus?

Thanks

Kurt

Marsman · 30 Mar 2010 at 13:08

How much are you looking at spending? Also what headphones and speakers do you have?

Uriel · 30 Mar 2010 at 13:09

Edit: beaten.

rumble291 · 30 Mar 2010 at 21:55

under 100.

Ive only got some sony £20 quid ones. Speakers 50W old Goodmans.

I'm not really trusting creative drivers atm as mine are shocking. Do most sound cards these days come with front panel connectors on the board?

Cheers for the replies guys

Kurt

Soul.Survivor · 30 Mar 2010 at 23:19

You can easily pick up a second hand xonar under £50. I suggest you go for that. Save up another £50-100 and get some better speakers or even some seperates, amp and speakers. Would be a massive improvement!

Mr Paul · 31 Mar 2010 at 12:21

Well I've just "upgraded" from a Augigy 2 ZS to a Asus Zonar DX and they sound exactly the same to me. IMHO I've waisted £60

rumble291 · 31 Mar 2010 at 13:10

what you using it with though? I don't think it would make much of a difference unless you have better headphones/speakers. Im only really looking into one as the drivers on win 7 are so bad.

Dazza_Random · 31 Mar 2010 at 14:46

Yea better speakers/headphones with more expensive sound cards - I have Z-5500s

rumble291 · 31 Mar 2010 at 15:09

what cards would you recommend then guys?

Tbh I wouldn't mind if it was Creative as long as the drivers will work without issues on Win 7 64. Soul, I couldn't see any used ones on ebay

I got my card off ebay though no problems.

Cheers,

Kurt

Mr Paul · 31 Mar 2010 at 15:40

rumble291 said:
what you using it with though? I don't think it would make much of a difference unless you have better headphones/speakers. Im only really looking into one as the drivers on win 7 are so bad.

Using Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers, by no means brilliant.

Uriel · 31 Mar 2010 at 15:47

That'll be why you can't tell much difference then.

Cheapest way to hear what a Xonar DX is capable of is get some reasonably good stereo headphones.

rumble291 · 6 Apr 2010 at 17:07

How come OCuk doesn't have Auzentech Cards?

I've been looking at that Asus D2X and it doesn't have a front panel connector. Which tbh i cba with having to mess around looking for cables when i want to play through my speakers instead of my headphones.

Is the Creative X-Fi Titanium a good card?

Cheers,

Kurt

laptop1967 · 7 Apr 2010 at 11:37

rumble291 said:
How come OCuk doesn't have Auzentech Cards?

I've been looking at that Asus D2X and it doesn't have a front panel connector. Which tbh i cba with having to mess around looking for cables when i want to play through my speakers instead of my headphones.

Is the Creative X-Fi Titanium a good card?

Cheers,

Kurt

ive got the xfi Titanium, and it is a good card, but the same as a post above, you need some good speakers to get the best out of it

Spartacus35 · 7 Apr 2010 at 11:47

In my experience Creative drivers really are very poor. I'm JUST about to invest in an Asus Xonar D1 which frankly I can't WAIT to hear through my lovely Sennheiser HD215 cans.

My advice - ignore X-Fi and take the nod for getting an Asus Xonar, but what others have said - get a good set of cans, it all helps.

Marsman · 7 Apr 2010 at 12:10

Xonar's suffer driver issues too, Asus need to sort it out, or the reputation for quality sound cards that work in Vista and Win7 will drop. Creative really have shot themselves in the foot, which allowed Asus to gain a good reputation. Many people say, don't buy a Creative card cause they have a lot of driver/software issues, get a Xonar instead. Quite a few thread are starting to appear with people getting Xonar driver issues. Asus need to sort it out before people start to question whether it's worth getting a Xonar due to increasing issues people are having.

laptop1967 · 7 Apr 2010 at 12:33

Marsman said:
Xonar's suffer driver issues too, Asus need to sort it out, or the reputation for quality sound cards that work in Vista and Win7 will drop. Creative really have shot themselves in the foot, which allowed Asus to gain a good reputation. Many people say, don't buy a Creative card cause they have a lot of driver/software issues, get a Xonar instead. Quite a few thread are starting to appear with people getting Xonar driver issues. Asus need to sort it out before people start to question whether it's worth getting a Xonar due to increasing issues people are having.

im using win 7 64 bit and xfi titanium fatal1ty pro, and i havent had any problems with drivers, cant say about vista, i went from xp to 7

Uriel · 7 Apr 2010 at 12:58

I had game compatibility issues with Xonar on Vista. Moved to 7 now and have an X-Fi Prelude. I had to turn to modified drivers (Daniel K) support pack to get CMSS-3D in games working properly.

Both as bad as each other for drivers TBH but onboard providers are worse.

Marsman · 7 Apr 2010 at 13:33

laptop1967 said:
im using win 7 64 bit and xfi titanium fatal1ty pro, and i havent had any problems with drivers, cant say about vista, i went from xp to 7

Maybe not, but you are only one person. I have had used 2 Xonar's, and 1 X-Fi, had no problems with any of them. Although, I did have problems with an Audigy card. I am not saying the people who have no issues are in the minority, I'd expect people with issues to be in the minority, and the majority of people to have no problems at all. If a few people post and say, I have no such issues with a particular card, that doesn't mean a potential buyer who buys that particular card will get no problems either. Of course though, we can only speak of our own personal experience, and it is better to tell potential buyers what those experiences are, than say nothing.

Due to the amount of people who have issues with Creative cards and the increasing number of issues with Xonar's, makes guaranteeing someone that the card in question will work for them with no issues, rather impossible. Until Asus sort out their driver issues, people really can't say to a potential, get a Xonar, it will work, unlike a Creative card. Asus and Creative should pull their fingers out and sort out the problems. Until then, someone can only say, the sound card in question should work, but there is no guarantee there will be no issues.