XFI extreme music sounds AWFUL.. help?

matt100

matt100

matt100

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OK I figured it would be nice to get an extreme music as they're pretty cheap and I do have loads of music and some half decent headphones and speakers and a spare pci slot.

It turned up today and I've installed using the newest drivers and the sound is terrible, its like its distorting because its too loud but its at any volume both on windows and on my speakers/headphones. Like a high end buzz like I've got a blown tweeter or something.

I'm on vista ultimate 64 and I'm using the latest drivers off their webiste. Quite honestly I hate sound cards, every one I've tried has wound up trashing my pc (only tried 3, all creative but thats mainly because I've been put off by how hard work they've been!)

Anyone got any tips? I can't see the value in a fresh install just for this when the 5.1 on my asus mobo works fine. I'll just get rid but its frustrating because I do know what I'm doing! Why can't I get on with soundcards!?!?!?!
 
Downloaded Creative Alchemy?

I do not have vista myself but understand this is needed for xfi to work at all properly in vista
 
AgedIdiot said:
Downloaded Creative Alchemy?

I do not have vista myself but understand this is needed for xfi to work at all properly in vista
Click to expand...

do I really need thta??
"Notes:

Do not install this application if you do not play DirectSound3D games in Windows Vista. "
 
Disable CMSS 3D, EAX, Crystilizer, EQ.
Although a bit daft buying a Creative Labs just for music- they're crap. Only have one because of EAX/gamin. You should have got a M-Audio/Emu card.
 
It's PERFECTLY fine for music/movies (and of course as expected, games) - you don't /need/ an M-Audio/Auzentech or EMU card for music unless you're a purist.

I have good cables and a good configuration but still I went back to my XFI Gamer on Vista due to the very poor gaming sound quality on the Auzentech HDA with upgraded burr brown opamps and don't notice that much of a difference between the 2 in music or movies (the AZ sounded a bit warmer, more full but nothing major now looking back).

The OPs XFI issue seems to be driver related I'd say, I have CMSS3D, EAX and Crystaliser disabled - everything is managed by my NAD amp. I have Windows master volume set to 94 (default) and have enabled full dynamic speaker mode:

xfi_1.jpg


And also 24/192 output

xfi_2.jpg


I used to get distortion/clicking/popping issues but these have long been fixed by Windows updates (don't know which one as I just update every Patch Tuesday)
 
I've tried disabling everything, EAX/Crystaliser etc.

Its hard to describe but the issues make it unusable, there's basically static noise over everything.

Switched back to on board last night and all back to normal.

I even disabled my onboard in the bios before installing it just to make absolutely sure, and I tried 2.13 as well as 2.15.

So maddening!
 
Try setting the master volume to 80% on the Creative volume panel (which should be synchonized with control panel) anything over that and i get distortion on my system.
 
I have an xfi soundcard same as the op , i wish i had bought something different... It either hisses or i've had crackling and at the worst in the past it used to scream at me through the speakers. My soundstorm sounded way better and was easier to use/setup oh i how i miss that soundstorm
 
oh screw that...

installed alchemy, no difference.. constant distortion and static with every speaker option on or off.

Also when its in my pc it becomes seriously unstable with the indexer, cryptography services, the sidebar etc etc etc all stopping working at random intervals. I can only assume the vista 64 support sucks hard.
 
That is what made me stay away from Creative cards since they always developed a problem sooner or later. Got an M-audio and never looked back.
 
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