Xfi card dying and possibly spec me a new gaming sound card

[subbass]

I currently have an old Creative X-fi which is acting weird and I think needs replacing. It has crackled and made a fizzing sound coming out of my headphones/speakers in the past (very rarely) which a reboot fixed it. This however just happened again not long ago and I rebooted the pc and it came back again. It also froze Windows when I went to change the audio profile in the Xfi software. My machine also froze at the Windows loading screen on my first reboot (oblivious to me at the time, this was before it froze via Xfi software). On my second reboot, sound came back and now I have no sound even though the card is detected in device manager etc.


So it looks like the card is dying or dead.

What is a good gaming card with virtual surround for headphones (eg. CMSS, Dolby)? I was also looking at the GSX-1000, is it THAT good?

 

[EsaT]

Yeah, definitely sounds like old age has reached that card.


Creative still has best binaural simulation.
While losing to CMSS-3D in detail nitpicking SBX Pro Studio is more balanced and doesn't kill bass and mutilate frequency response.
Dolby Headphone is again public path echo chamber.
Supposedly it's meant to simulate sound of movie theaters, but they must have had bad map reader and done their measurements in gothic cathedral...

I was also looking at the GSX-1000, is it THAT good?

Correction:
It's audiophile snake oil overpriced!

1 Vrms into 32 ohms is worser than Realteks!
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/global-downloads/file/8226/GSX_1000_-_Fact_sheet.pdf
Not to mention it using very basic level cheap ass Conexant DAC/output buffer chip meant for phones/tablets.
Audigy Fx which can be had for 30€ here in not the cheapest Finland is above it!

While Sennheiser GSX avoid's Dolby's echo it isn't fully up to Creative in direction cues.

(tested with Beyerdynamic DT990, Sennheiser HD595 and Superlux HD330)

And when you consider how grossly overpriced those are...
You could get couple steps higher SB Z and separate Objective2 capable to driving almost any possible headphone for less.
And while technically not the greatest TPA6120 using ZxR is also lot more capable while being cheaper.

 

[FredFlint]

The new Sound BlasterX AE-5 will be out soon, it’s a bit pricy but it should be good. I have a Sound Blaster Zx and it's been good, had no real problems with it and the Sound Blaster Z can be got for < £50.