X-FI xtreme audio 7.1 V's X-FI titanium 7.1

Xtreme Audio is rubbish, it's not an X-Fi, just some clever re-packaging by Creative of an older card, so they can get more sales out of it. The Titanium is a superior card.
 
ok so it doesnt have the x-fi chipset is that right ?
If so what does that mean in terms of the sound experience ? What would I be missing out on ? bearing in mind I dont have amazing top quality audiophile speakers
 
From past experience with low end Creative cards, they're pretty poor, even on cheap and cheerful speakers. That said, I don't exactly rate Creative for sound quality.

Have you looked at the Xonars? The DG is really good value for money, and the DX will blow the X-Fi ti out of the water...
 
Ive got an xfi titanium and a xonar dx2 in different systems, both have pros and cons
but out of the two id say xonar if you can find one that doesnt suffer problems with the crappy power connector :rolleyes:
 
I appreciate the input on this subject guys but i still don see what the extra cash in th titanium brings ?
Its very easy to say the titanium is better , but how ? More effects ? Higher quality sound.
I cant just believe its better just because it is :-) if you know what i mean
 
Yes more effects. The Titanium supports EAX5, where as the Xtreme Audio only supports EAX4. More importantly, the Titanium has the full version of CMSS-3D that includes elevation and macroFx. Both these improve surround positioning in some games. Thirdly, the titanium supports Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect, which allow you to have 5.1 gaming audio sent over optical to a receiver. Fourthly, the Xtreme audio is a software based card and offers no acceleration to gaming audio (although in practice framerate differences will negligible if you have a multi-core CPU.

The Xtreme Audio is, quite simply, an out of date card that is not worthy of the X-Fi name. The only benefit it offers over onboard is marginally better compatibility in a few more games. In fact, some motherboard audio now offers better features. The Xtreme Audio should, IMO, have never been released. It offers nothing that couldn't be done on an older Audigy SE card with a simple driver update (the SE is far inferior to the Audigy 2 or Audigy 4). It has no place in a modern PC and is one of the worst value for money soundcards on the market. Steer well clear!
 
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Over what, on-board audio?

It's certainly not overkill to get a decent sound card when using a decent stereo amp and speakers. I have the same speakers you have, but a different amp. I do have an X-Fi Xtreme Music, which is roughly the same as the Titanium. The X-Fi Xtreme Music beats on-board audio to death with a stick, at least it would if it could. :p
 
yeah I got on board, I was thinking about getting a decent sound card for a while but didn't really know what to go for.

Love the 9.1s, what amp you running?
 
Audiolab 8000A.

I don't use the X-Fi with the amp and speakers, but I have done so to do comparisons. The X-Fi I have in my main PC, which I use for gaming. The amp and speakers are connected to my HTPC, which I use for film and music. I have a Xonar Essence ST in that.
 
just recieved my SB670 XF-i today from the fleabay for £19 quid delieverd! i hope its a rebranded OEM proper x-fi music 2mb model.

Does sound better than stock onboard sound. Im hooked up to a denon amp and tannoy custom f1's...
 
if you havent got dolby headphone capability on your card / board (realtek and asus do) then your missing out from a seriously important feature for long gaming sessions

in fact, if your running a realtek onboard a tip is to right click on the speaker icon in the tray and left click speakers go to advanced & somewhere around there is the dolby headphone feature and dolby natural bass thats not normally visible on the realtek control panel
 
there is absolutely nothing wrong with the X-Fi xtreme audio

There is a huge problem with the Xtreme Audio. It labelled X-Fi when it's actually a rebranded Audigy SE, which is in turn a Soundblaster Live! 24 bit, which is in turn a cut down Audigy Value, which was not even a full Soundblaster Live! card. The Soundblaster Live! was released in 1998!

If it were about £10 and still called Audigy Value (its original name) I wouldn't have a problem with it. In fact - here you go: apart from drivers this is practically the same flipping card! http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SP-149-CL&groupid=701&catid=11&subcat=

As a graphics card analogy - you remember the abomination that was the Geforce 4 MX series? This is worse. It's the equivalent of taking a Riva TNT card and calling it a Geforce 6000 MX or something.
 
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