X-Fi -> Is it good?

Jeeva · 15 Jan 2007 at 22:54

First off, I'd like to point out this thread isn't really for me, so I'm sorry. It's for the people who don't really think that an X-Fi is worth the money for me, and to prove that people that aren't me would get X-Fi's.

I'm not really talking for audiophile type music listening here, but gaming and various other things, although music will be listened to, they will hopefully be connected to some lovely 7.1 speakers, and in a truly beautiful gaming PC.

So is it worth it, to get the Fatal1ty FPS, do you think?

Anyone?
Sorry about this, by the way, seems a bit odd to post asking for people to post about something that I don't want my opinion changed on, but...

Gotta convince my friends I'm not crazy somehow, right?

fish99 · 15 Jan 2007 at 23:14

The X-ram isn't a significant feature, it's rarely used and doesn't add a great deal when it is, but if you want the front panel then you may as well get the Fatal1ty FPS, especially with the £25 cashback. If you don't need the front panel then just get the xtreme music OEM and save some money.

As for the card, as long as you don't end up with the crackling problems, then it's probably the best gaming card around. As you say though it's not the best for music.

Only other thing I would say, will you be connecting to your speakers through analogue or digital? If you need to connect through digital, games will be limited to stereo since the X-Fi can't do encoding on the fly.

IceAlchemist · 16 Jan 2007 at 02:39

Hi I'm a little new to all this but could some one explain how to connect to analog and to digital?

I use the Megaworks 550 5.1 speakers and connect with 3 jacks. Is this analog or digital? :confused:

mrk · 16 Jan 2007 at 04:00

IceAlchemist said:
Hi I'm a little new to all this but could some one explain how to connect to analog and to digital?

I use the Megaworks 550 5.1 speakers and connect with 3 jacks. Is this analog or digital?

It is analogue.

The xfi sounds best when connected to an amplifier and speakers with all xfi "features" turned off (cmss-3d/crystaliser/entertainment mode EAX & SVM)

I had a TB Santa Cruz before and the XFI is richer in music (the cruz was superb in the first place, check out any review) and movies and it's miles ahead in games. There are no crackling issues on my Nforce 4 mobo with nvidia gfx card. I'm not quite sure why some people think the xfi is not good for music when it clearly is providing you have a decent amp and headphones to make use of the quality it outputs to them.

Don't install the software off the cd though, get the drivers off the site, they are lite and up to date with new openAL

revrondo · 16 Jan 2007 at 08:16

hope u dont mind me hijacking a lil' but maybe people can pursuade me by answering a couple of questions.

I'm think about getting the FPS model. Will it allow me to connect my headphones and mic to the front panel and at the same time my Logitech Z680's to both the front panel with a toslink and to the actual card with the 3 analogue cables and will this give me the option of DD/DTS in movies and surround in games by for example just a switch in the software/speaker remote?

cheerz
steve

Saxon · 17 Jan 2007 at 16:52

I have the X-Fi Elite Pro, and although pricey I wouldn't go back. It's a highly engineered piece of kit and I love it, and I know I'm safe for years to come.

A2Z · 17 Jan 2007 at 17:12

i have an audigy 2 zs, and im wondering, how much better would an X-FI card be?

Primarily used for gaming, then listenin to music, then watching movies.

Jeeva · 17 Jan 2007 at 17:32

Just got mine, installed it... it's lovely.

Yes to all the front-port links above, I think, will check in a moment, also, there's a multi function jack on the back I think will do TOSLink, but otherwise there's definitely one on the front.

Mmm... got some Gigaworks (S750) coming soon from ebay for 160 =D. Refurbished, but "Like new" other than the box, apparently. Huzzah!

pegasus1 · 17 Jan 2007 at 17:33

A2Z said:
i have an audigy 2 zs, and im wondering, how much better would an X-FI card be?

Primarily used for gaming, then listenin to music, then watching movies.

Ive just gome from that card to an XFi extreme music and the sound is noticable better in games as well as DVDs and music.
COD2/ Q4/ FEAR with all sound options on full and decent 5.1 all sound amazing.
It took me a couple of days of using in order to tweek the settings though.

Saxon · 17 Jan 2007 at 17:52

A2Z said:
i have an audigy 2 zs, and im wondering, how much better would an X-FI card be?

Primarily used for gaming, then listenin to music, then watching movies.

I've never used an Audigy before, I went from a Live 24 to the X-fi Elite Pro, but I can give you some feedback on my experience with the EP (Elite Pro)

First off, the EP is all the X-Fi range rolled into one with a large I/O control box that would fit in nicely on a stereo system with it's black panel and sturdy control knobs. You can set the volume, turn various options on and off all via the box. It also comes with a remote control which can be used to navigate DVDs, adjust the volume and pretty much everything else you'd expect a Remote Control to do.

The software has three modes, Entertainment, Game and Music Creation and all have different settings that can be adjusted for what you need for each task.

Headphones can be auto detected with all the settings changed again when you plug them in. Unplugging them reverts back to your previous mode. With a set of basic headphones you can experience a surround sound vibe where you can actually hear things in front, behind and to the side without problems.

Sound quality is amazing in all areas and games like Battlefield 2 suck you in. I didn't realise there were were so many ambient sounds in the game. You know exactly where the enemy is sneaking from.

I really am chuffed with this piece of kit and cant see myself using anything less.

Of course there are cheaper X-Fi cards which also do a great job, but if you want it all, this is the daddy.

humax · 17 Jan 2007 at 18:36

Hi Saxon .if you plug your headphones in to the front control box does it shut the sound off from the speakers

Saxon · 17 Jan 2007 at 19:22

Hi,

It has an option to mute the speakers when you plug in the headphones or to play sound through the speakers and the headphones when you plug them in.

humax · 17 Jan 2007 at 19:26

so i take it that after u have set this option in the software .it will auto do it everytime you plug your headphones in . so it will only play the sound through the headphones and NOT the speakers

Saxon · 17 Jan 2007 at 20:06

Yep, you can have it either way. And it will do it all automatically for you when you plug the headphones in. As soon as you plug in the headphones the whole settings console changes to show only the options for your headphones and as soon as you take them out it changes to the speaker console etc. It saves a lot of time and I think it's an excellent idea.

fish99 · 17 Jan 2007 at 22:49

mrk said:
I'm not quite sure why some people think the xfi is not good for music when it clearly is providing you have a decent amp and headphones to make use of the quality it outputs to them.

I meant compared to an M-Audio or even Creatives Emu line. They have better DACs, better op-amps, better caps, connectors and solders, whereas with the X-Fi you're paying for the DSP chip and the R&D that went into it. Creatives gaming cards have never had great SQ, but having said that they are the best gaming cards around. X-Fi is good enough for most people with music though.

tommy_knockers · 18 Jan 2007 at 18:08

fish99 said:
Only other thing I would say, will you be connecting to your speakers through analogue or digital? If you need to connect through digital, games will be limited to stereo since the X-Fi can't do encoding on the fly.

bleh. I brought a xfi xtreme music and creative g500 5.1

is this analogue or digital.

cheers

fish99 · 18 Jan 2007 at 19:57

G500 are analogue. Info found in 5 seconds through google

Codmate · 18 Jan 2007 at 21:00

fish99 said:
I meant compared to an M-Audio or even Creatives Emu line. They have better DACs, better op-amps, better caps, connectors and solders, whereas with the X-Fi you're paying for the DSP chip and the R&D that went into it. Creatives gaming cards have never had great SQ, but having said that they are the best gaming cards around. X-Fi is good enough for most people with music though.

Another point in favor of more serious-minded cards is the sheer amount of circuitry on an X-Fi, and the software post-processing.

Simpler cards with better DACs produce more transparent sound.

If you want to hear what the mastering engineer heard, then you get a simpler, cleaner product.

Whether you consider the X-Fi a "jack off all trades, master of none", or a "great all-rounder" is really down to your needs.

Whoop · 19 Jan 2007 at 07:37

Well it seems Creative still haven't solved the issues with Nforce4 motherboards. I can't use my Fatal1ty since I changed board and am now faced with sending the X-fi to Creative for them to replace it with a card running modified firmware. What a really useful solution to the customer problems. :mad:

Whoop

dieschwalbe · 19 Jan 2007 at 08:52

I have an nForce4 mobo, the ASUS P5N32-SLI-SE-Deluxe with an nVidia 7950GT (512mb) and an Intel Core 2 Duo 6600 and I recently bought an X-Fi Xtream Gamer Fatal1ty Pro and I'm running it happily with no issues (yet!). I'm playing both BF2 and BF2142 and don't experience any of the issues that I have read here from some peole. Am I one of the lucky ones, or have they finally sorted the problems they did have? FYI, I have the system overclocked in BIOS to 20% too.

I am real pleased with my purchase. The sound is incredible.