NEW Creative Sound Cards! Bring on the Recon 3D!

Shayper said:
Can I just say, this post is a bit wtf?

Why say that at the end? It sounds ridiculous for a member of staff to say something like that when it is clearly not the point of what he is saying?

:confused:
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The fact is, the entire post list in the WC section yesterday was cleeecooo.
 
This put me off: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18374779 Post#13

Uriel said:
PC Gamer said:
What’s curious is that looking at the specs sheet, Sound Core 3D is an X-Fi in all but name, and like the Bard’s rose presumably sounds the same. For starters, the press release says that it’s powered by the Quartet DSP: that’s a four core digital signal processor that has been the heart of the X-Fi chips since their launch, but which hasn’t been promoted by that name for nearly six years. I may be wrong, but I don’t recall it appearing on any Creative literature since 2005.
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http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/05/31/creative-launches-new-motherboard-sound-chip-but-wheres-x-fi/

Erm - short version is Recon3D is kneecapped X-Fi with fancy software.

On paper - these are better than XtremeAudio but worse than practically every other X-Fi.

Still - the main thing is how it sounds so I'll be interested to see the reviews.

Edit: This was Daniel_K's (remember him?) recent post on the Creative Forums regarding the new cards:

Thanks to the user BF, I was able to see what the Recon3D is all about, just by analyzing the software and driver included in the Installation Disc.

About the card itself:

- Recon3D does have a DSP with pre-programmed functions for the THX TruStudio and CrystalVoice.


About the Sound Core3D quad-core processor:

- Not quad-core at all: even the original SB Live! could process as many sound effects at the same time.
- Design is based around the CA0110 PCI Express HD Audio controller with an embedded DSP and integrated DAC.
- EAX is software based, as it is supported through Host OpenAL.
- Pre-programmed DSP with as many sound effects you could find on any car stereo or home theater.


Pros

- Less compatibility issues, as it basically uses simple codec drivers and all EAX gaming effects are processed in software by the system's CPU.
- Dedicated Headphone amplifier.
- THX TruStudio surround sound effects are better than Creative's CMSS3D.
- Hardware accelerated THX TruStudio/CrystalVoice effects.
- Microphone enhancements by CrystalVoice.


Cons

- Really overpriced, not justifiable for such cheap design.
- Average sound quality, even worse than some motherboard integrated HD Audio codecs.
- Limited to 5.1 speakers and 96kHz, questionable for a cutting edge sound card, even if a gaming only card.
- Sound Core3D is just a simple pre-programmed DSP.
- No HDMI connector.
- No hardware EAX acceleration.
- No THX speaker calibration.
- No hardware MIDI synthesizer.
- No ASIO.
- Control panel written in Microsoft .NET, loads slowly and wastes 50MB of RAM when minimized to tray.
- No WHQL drivers.
- Questionable dedicated headphone amp, as the integrated DAC is of poor quality.


The included drivers are not WHQL signed and worse, are from a debug version (just open the .sys driver and you'll see it).

Did Creative improve the software/drivers?

No, if it has less compatibility issues or does not have any at all, is because the drivers MUST be simple, as it is just an HD Audio driver, like I've said before. Then we have the Control Panel which uses a DLL to access the registers in the embedded DSP to enable and adjust the sound enhancements.


Is this a revolutionary sound card?

Not a all.

THX TruStudio Surround is the only REALLY improved feature.

CrystalVoice enhancements have been around for years, being the hardware implementation the only improvement.



As Creative have just released X-Fi MB2 as a retail product, you should better buy this if you DO NOT have a Creative soundcard and want THX TruStudio and EAX5.

Curiously, X-Fi MB2 does not work with Creative cards.

X-Fi MB2 works with ANY soundcard or HD Audio codec, although it needs some tweking for the ASUS Xonar series.



X-Fi Titanium Features you'll be missing:

- Hardware accelerated EAX.
- Fully programmable DSP in Audio Creation mode.
- Hardware MIDI Synthesizer with SoundFont support.
- Very good sound quality for Creative designs, premium/audiophile sound quality for Auzentech/Onkyo designs.
- THX speaker calibration.
- DTS Connect (DTS Interactive encoder/DTS Neo:PC)
- HDMI connector for some models.

http://forums.creative...l=1#post532625
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I'd previously assumed that THX Trustudio surround was rebranded CMSS-3D. He says it's better so I'm giving the cards the benefit of the doubt on that front.

Andrew Moore - if you could post comparisons of CMSS-3D Headphone vs THX Trustudio Headphone that would be handy. Cheers!
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Yeah, I use an X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Fatal1ty version (with the silly RAM glowy thing). I got it off the bay a few years ago for £50 when my Xtreme gamer broke.

When I sold my old computer I originally was going to leave it in there. However, when I tried my onboard I almost cried. This was on a P35 board though, but the difference really was astounding through both my hifi setup (C316BEE & Wharfdale 9.1s) and my headphones (ATH-AD700s).

Would be sort of tempted to upgrade, not sure though. I often wonder if I'd be better off investing an a seperate DAC.
 
Cleeecooo said:
so?

Not like I constantly give 1 word answersjust to up my post count.

I help where I can.
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When your advice is spending peoples money and it's not always sound advice, and you have built one questionable water cooled system then well...

By all means help, but there is users of this forum that people should take advice from and rjk is one of them also jokster

Anyway this thread is not where to discuss this.
 
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No hardware EAX - Will that not have an impact on FPS in games then?
Also - do these have memory to 'store' sounds in like the older X-Fi?

thanks.

PS - My first X-Fi fatal1ty used to have pop and crackling issues until I stuck a heatsink on it. Later revisions had a heatsink on them out of the factory as Creative changed the design due to complaints! (wonder if they will do the same here) - Soooooooo - watercooling can help ;) lol :p
 
I was having issues with my X fi Titanium HD with my sound levels dropping and some parts of the audio vanishing, but a reseat fixed it.

5.1 and 7.1 are completely overated for games unless you use some highly expensive gigaworks thx speakers, which I have but they are far too loud to use in my house now. A decent set of headphones on a £150 card is always superior to standard cheapskate PC speakers.
 
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