This thread isn't Supposed to come across as a rant or moan this is purely a consumers opinions over the last 10 years+ concerning PC audio.
I have had various iterations of Creatives Audigy sound cards since around the year 1998 (3 or 4 I think but can't remember the models) and I more recently owned the Asus Rampage Extreme 2 which came with a Creative SupremeFX X-Fi Card. I also within the last 12-18 months bought The Creative Gigaworks T40's (£100) and a Creative HS-1000 Fatal1ty USB X-Fi Gaming Headset (£70)
So you get the picture.. I have owned plenty of Creatives PC Audio Equipment in their recent history to make an informed consumer view.
Back with the old Creative Audigy (Audigy 1 and Audigy 2 Soundblaster) cards 2 of them gave up the ghost and died after about 18 months use each. In that time I had plenty of issues concerning drivers and setting up microphones within windows, random self muting in windows etc. I do still have 1 old audigy card that still works fine and I have never had a problem with in an AMD based machine so I did have 1 good experience with those cards back then. (1 out of 4 is hardly a good ratio though)
The Creative X-Fi 'SupremeFX'..
This came with my ROG board was also a pile of poop. Poor driver support again. I think the most recent ones that worked with that board were 2009 so they showed little to no support to a premium ROG product after it's launch and that card was basicly no better than onboard audio anyway. They just made it look like it was a dedicated sound card. It was problem after problem with this card (although it did work to a degree) but very poor considering this came part of the motherboard package that cost me over £250 at the time! (should add the ROG mobo is fantastic it's just the Creative sound card that let it down)
The Creative Gigaworks T40's..
I spent quite a lot of time researching these speakers and others of around the same price as I was after 2.1 or 2.0 desk space saving and although there was a lot of good things said about these speakers they are again poor quality when you consider I paid £100 and that there are plenty of far, far superior small form factor studio monitor speakers i could have gone for at that price.
I personally think these have been given good reviews on Computer review sites because.. 1: They look nice 2: the Creative Gigaworks badge. 3: because so many 2.0/2.1 PC speaker solutions are so poor that these just seem good in comparison to the **** that has gone before them. (in reality they are overpriced and nothing more than average at best)
I could go on to list a dozen things that are wrong with these speakers but I won't.
Creative HS-1000 Fatal1ty USB X-Fi Gaming Headset..
Well this was a nice headset. Some very good audio they gave me. Then i went to use the microphone that plugs into it. Nothing.
After MUCH playing around with windows and creative settings i managed to be heard down the microphone if I shouted or whistled (but still heard very quiet the other end) I bought this when win7 was in it's infancy and thought it was just a teething problem with win7. Over time I learnt that there was a problem with the headsets microphone and I should have just RMA'd it but I didn't so now that headset is gathering dust but still works OK for a set of headphones (which isn't what I bought them for)
I don't know what the value of the silly Supreme X-FI ROG S/C is (but let's say £30 for arguments sake. although it's not worth a tenner IMO) the speakers £100 and my headset £70. So that's about £200 Creative have had out of me in the last year or so alone.
So my consumer conclusion from all this..
I have had enough of Creative!!
Yes I have seen it all from Creative, Faulty products, Poor drivers, poor support, overpriced products. It comes to a point when you say enough is enough no matter how loyal you want to remain to a product/brand.
I went out and bought an Asus sound card for my computer on an impulsive angry fit of rage a couple of months back. The Asus Xonar Essence STX Sound Card. What a different experience! Easy to install, use and sound quality that of which I have never heard from a PC before. My friend also recently bought the Asus Xonar D2X PCI-E Sound Card and after hearing his and hearing how easy he found the installation (and he is computer illiterate) it seems that the Asus sounds cards are very good across the whole range of prices. I'm still in my early days with using Asus audio but so far I couldnt be happier.
I'm sure there are some very good Creative audio products and there are plenty of people who will sing their praises but this is just my experiences over the last 10 years of buying from them.
I doubt I will I buy a Creative product again unless they make some serious improvements.
Has anybody else found the difference between Creative and Asus audio like night and day as I have?
Now I just need OcUK to get the Corsair SP2500 speakers in stock and I will be complete.
I have had various iterations of Creatives Audigy sound cards since around the year 1998 (3 or 4 I think but can't remember the models) and I more recently owned the Asus Rampage Extreme 2 which came with a Creative SupremeFX X-Fi Card. I also within the last 12-18 months bought The Creative Gigaworks T40's (£100) and a Creative HS-1000 Fatal1ty USB X-Fi Gaming Headset (£70)
So you get the picture.. I have owned plenty of Creatives PC Audio Equipment in their recent history to make an informed consumer view.
Back with the old Creative Audigy (Audigy 1 and Audigy 2 Soundblaster) cards 2 of them gave up the ghost and died after about 18 months use each. In that time I had plenty of issues concerning drivers and setting up microphones within windows, random self muting in windows etc. I do still have 1 old audigy card that still works fine and I have never had a problem with in an AMD based machine so I did have 1 good experience with those cards back then. (1 out of 4 is hardly a good ratio though)
The Creative X-Fi 'SupremeFX'..
This came with my ROG board was also a pile of poop. Poor driver support again. I think the most recent ones that worked with that board were 2009 so they showed little to no support to a premium ROG product after it's launch and that card was basicly no better than onboard audio anyway. They just made it look like it was a dedicated sound card. It was problem after problem with this card (although it did work to a degree) but very poor considering this came part of the motherboard package that cost me over £250 at the time! (should add the ROG mobo is fantastic it's just the Creative sound card that let it down)
The Creative Gigaworks T40's..
I spent quite a lot of time researching these speakers and others of around the same price as I was after 2.1 or 2.0 desk space saving and although there was a lot of good things said about these speakers they are again poor quality when you consider I paid £100 and that there are plenty of far, far superior small form factor studio monitor speakers i could have gone for at that price.
I personally think these have been given good reviews on Computer review sites because.. 1: They look nice 2: the Creative Gigaworks badge. 3: because so many 2.0/2.1 PC speaker solutions are so poor that these just seem good in comparison to the **** that has gone before them. (in reality they are overpriced and nothing more than average at best)
I could go on to list a dozen things that are wrong with these speakers but I won't.
Creative HS-1000 Fatal1ty USB X-Fi Gaming Headset..
Well this was a nice headset. Some very good audio they gave me. Then i went to use the microphone that plugs into it. Nothing.
After MUCH playing around with windows and creative settings i managed to be heard down the microphone if I shouted or whistled (but still heard very quiet the other end) I bought this when win7 was in it's infancy and thought it was just a teething problem with win7. Over time I learnt that there was a problem with the headsets microphone and I should have just RMA'd it but I didn't so now that headset is gathering dust but still works OK for a set of headphones (which isn't what I bought them for)
I don't know what the value of the silly Supreme X-FI ROG S/C is (but let's say £30 for arguments sake. although it's not worth a tenner IMO) the speakers £100 and my headset £70. So that's about £200 Creative have had out of me in the last year or so alone.
So my consumer conclusion from all this..
I have had enough of Creative!!
Yes I have seen it all from Creative, Faulty products, Poor drivers, poor support, overpriced products. It comes to a point when you say enough is enough no matter how loyal you want to remain to a product/brand.
I went out and bought an Asus sound card for my computer on an impulsive angry fit of rage a couple of months back. The Asus Xonar Essence STX Sound Card. What a different experience! Easy to install, use and sound quality that of which I have never heard from a PC before. My friend also recently bought the Asus Xonar D2X PCI-E Sound Card and after hearing his and hearing how easy he found the installation (and he is computer illiterate) it seems that the Asus sounds cards are very good across the whole range of prices. I'm still in my early days with using Asus audio but so far I couldnt be happier.
I'm sure there are some very good Creative audio products and there are plenty of people who will sing their praises but this is just my experiences over the last 10 years of buying from them.
I doubt I will I buy a Creative product again unless they make some serious improvements.
Has anybody else found the difference between Creative and Asus audio like night and day as I have?
Now I just need OcUK to get the Corsair SP2500 speakers in stock and I will be complete.
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or just down grade to a expesnive 2.1 system...probley logitech...
