# Creative's Quantum Wave technology



## KainXS (Nov 7, 2009)

I'm sure you have heard all about all this but did you know this







basically the quantum wave card itself is nothing but a codec(the ALC889 on the MSI Big Bang motherboards) on a pci-e slot, its very similar to Asus's Supreme FX cards,  to make for more room for more IO connections, it seems to work very similar to creatives Audigy MB and X-Fi Xtreme MB but its optimized by THX moreso than the other i guess

I don't know what to make of it, X-Fi MB doesen't make much of an improvement over stock drivers, maybe THX did something special this time if this is really the case.


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## Polarman (Nov 7, 2009)

The ALC889 is made by Realtek so why does it to do with Creative?


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## KainXS (Nov 8, 2009)

yes it is realteks chipset but creative has designed another software like x-fi mb to be used on them, its Trustudio, it might just be x-fi mb renamed and reskinned, i don know, the only difference is that it enables Eax 5 where as X-Fi MB only allowed up to Eax 4 I think.


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## dir_d (Nov 8, 2009)

You got a link to the software..i have ALC889 on my board but im using my Audigy2 ZS..id like to read more about it


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## ToTTenTranz (Nov 8, 2009)

EAX 5 through software could become a big burden to lower end CPUs. That's probably why it's only present in a high-end motherboard.


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## Wile E (Nov 8, 2009)

Meh, it still wont sound anywhere near as good as a proper audio card. I'm not impressed at all.


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## LittleLizard (Nov 8, 2009)

Learn this: if a sound card comes with a mobo, is a codec, not a real audio chip. That was in the golden era, (msi p4n diamond plus for instance)


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## xBruce88x (Nov 8, 2009)

yea... i miss my nforce2 audio


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## ToTTenTranz (Nov 8, 2009)

Wile E said:


> Meh, it still wont sound anywhere near as good as a proper audio card. I'm not impressed at all.



Why not?

You don't know the DAC's quality of that riser card.

All the Asus cards and many from Auzentech only use simple codecs like the ALC889.


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## Zubasa (Nov 8, 2009)

ToTTenTranz said:


> Why not?
> 
> You don't know the DAC's quality of that riser card.
> 
> All the Asus cards and many from Auzentech only use simple codecs like the ALC889.


Asus Xonar and quite a few Auzentech uses C-Media chips, Oxygen HD in particular.
The Realtek stuff is simply not up for the job.


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## ToTTenTranz (Nov 8, 2009)

Zubasa said:


> Asus Xonar and quite a few Auzentech uses C-Media chips, Oxygen HD in particular.
> The Realtek stuff is simply not up for the job.





It's just a codec.. analog quality doesn't depend on it.


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## Zubasa (Nov 8, 2009)

ToTTenTranz said:


> It's just a codec.. analog quality doesn't depend on it.


I am not refering to analog quality, I am pointing out that none of the Asus sound cards uses an ALC of any kind.
The riser cards that comes with Asus boards is another story.

From the Realtek site it looks like the ALC889 do have intergrated DACs.
http://www.realtek.com.tw/products/...d=2&PNid=24&PFid=28&Level=5&Conn=4&ProdID=173


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## ToTTenTranz (Nov 8, 2009)

Zubasa said:


> I am not refering to analog quality, I am pointing out that none of the Asus sound cards uses an ALC of any kind.
> The riser cards that comes with Asus boards is another story.
> 
> From the Realtek site it looks like the ALC889 do have intergrated DACs.
> http://www.realtek.com.tw/products/...d=2&PNid=24&PFid=28&Level=5&Conn=4&ProdID=173



It doesn't mean it can't use external DACs of higher quality.


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## LittleLizard (Nov 8, 2009)

ToTTenTranz said:


> It doesn't mean it can't use external DACs of higher quality.



but it wont use just to save money.


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## Wile E (Nov 8, 2009)

ToTTenTranz said:


> Why not?
> 
> You don't know the DAC's quality of that riser card.
> 
> All the Asus cards and many from Auzentech only use simple codecs like the ALC889.



I understand how codecs work, but if they used better DACs and Opamps, don't you think they would somehow mention that in the press release? As far as I can tell, this is no different than the Supreme FXII or X-Fi cards in terms of hardware quality. All the features are purely software.

Considering even my 5 year old Audigy 2ZS shames all of the other current factory solutions, I see this as likely being no different.


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## Zubasa (Nov 9, 2009)

ToTTenTranz said:


> It doesn't mean it can't use external DACs of higher quality.


The whole point for using the ALCs is simply becauses these are cheap.


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## ToTTenTranz (Nov 9, 2009)

Zubasa said:


> The whole point for using the ALCs is simply becauses these are cheap.



I'm pretty sure that licensing Creative's exclusive EAX 5.0 software wasn't exactly cheap, so the riser card could have better DACs than the ones found inside the ALC.


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## Wile E (Nov 10, 2009)

ToTTenTranz said:


> I'm pretty sure that licensing Creative's exclusive EAX 5.0 software wasn't exactly cheap, so the riser card could have better DACs than the ones found inside the ALC.



Still doesn't account for opamps either. If they upgraded the DACs, I'm sure they would've mentioned it. I'm pretty sure this is your run of the mill ALC riser card.


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## department76 (Nov 10, 2009)

Wile E said:


> Still doesn't account for opamps either. If they upgraded the DACs, I'm sure they would've mentioned it. I'm pretty sure this is your run of the mill ALC riser card.



i agree.  

it's no big deal and no point in arguing about DACs, opamps, etc. on a entry-level card such as this...


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## KainXS (Dec 8, 2009)

^^


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## KainXS (Dec 17, 2009)

OK I got ahold of the software and the drivers(the newest realtek drivers lol), and this time round, unlike X-Fi MB the software is only available on Windows Vista and 7, also the software is locked this time around to only work with 2 device Id's(888 codec, not 889) and the quantum wave cards.

if anyone wants em just ask.


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## 2wicked (Dec 17, 2009)

So it wouldn't work if you had an ALC888 chipset in your motherboard?
Do you need to have the quantum card?
The msi card pictured in the first post is the same that comes with MSI's Big Bang-Trinergy board it just uses plain reatek hd drivers and alchemy for eax 5.0 not much different than the xfi-mb software.


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## KainXS (Dec 17, 2009)

I already tested Realtek 888T and it didn't work,(I was half sleep though)  I think its because these are the very first release of them(1.0), the software is locked to specific device ID's you don't need a quantum wave card though, Acer is allowing users with onboard realtek chips to use this software without the quantum wave cards

The way Eax 3.0 and highers is utilized on Realtek chips requires realteks Eax patch which only allows Eax 3.0 instead of the default 2.0, Trustudio allows up to Eax 5.0 via emulation, or X-Fi MB only allows up to Eax 4.0, this software is also, way way smaller in size vs X-Fi MB, about 29MB vs X-Fi MB which was about 150 MB, but I think it will sound similar but I haven't got it working yet, I will post the drivers and software later so others can look at them

Bad news is . . . . . . . . . its another 30 day trial:shadedshu


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## dir_d (Dec 17, 2009)

bah i was gonna ask where you got it til i saw the 30day trial...If it comes with the mobo why would you put a trial on the software for a soundcard....I think that is really dumb


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## KainXS (Dec 18, 2009)

I kno right. . . . .

but still this is the software and drivers

Trustudio original 1.0 software(installs, only on windows 7)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W855Z2ST

Trustudio modded 1.0 software(installs on 7 and vista)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WEQK3B5R

its mainly the Trustudio console and creatives eax gadget I can't get the software to work, but the modded software should install on vista and 7 on every realtek HD card, maybe it will work for some elses codec, but didn't work on mine(prob cause i didn't really care)

Newest realtek drivers with THX Trustudio support
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V4PI27PQ

The HDATHX.inf in the drivers point to the ini that will install if a trustudio supporting codec is detected.

done, bye


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