XFI extreme music sounds AWFUL.. help?

[matt100]

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!?!?!?!

 

[matt100]

Downloaded Creative Alchemy?

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

do I really need thta??
"Notes:

Do not install this application if you do not play DirectSound3D games in Windows Vista. "

 

[matt100]

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!

 

[matt100]

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.