X-Fi Support Syndicate & Owner's Clubhouse

[imperialreign]

At SG, creative's home country their Titanium is $142 while their Fatal1ty is $229, quite a lot of different in price for a boost in x-ram from 16mb to 64mb and the EMI shield.

To you know whether there is a DAC upgrade for the Fatal1ty version?

that's an insane price difference . . . but, I'm not sure how it compares to the US . . .

Anyhow, there's no difference in the DAC. Honestly, except for the Xtreme Gamer and the Elite Pro - all Creative X-Fi cards use the same DAC, ADC, OPAMPs, MOSFETs, capacitors, V regulators, etc.

 

[Beebee]

no 5.1 sound

have you tried setting up the channels as 5.1 in the windows audio console?

Yes its setup as 5.1 in both. As is usual with Creative Drivers it might tell you that its setting things in Windows but you allways have to open up the volume control advanced settings & tick the digital output only box before you get any sound at all. Then advanced audio Properties/ speaker setup/ 5.1 surround speakers. I've also set it up as 5.1 in the creative Audio Console as well

I've been looking at the rather limited manual that came with this card and there is no mention of support for 5.1 audio anywhere in it. I thought the Bostons would work through the Digital I/O link but so far no luck.

I was thinking about the gamer version of the card but I supect the I might have the same problems with it. The use of a minijack to connect the soundcard to 5.1 speaker systems was I think, a Creative standard, all the way back to the Live 5.1.
The first version of the live card needed a breakout card for digital out, but sense then all Creative cards have more or less worked with 5.1 straight out of the box, sometimes with a little fiddling.

The drivers that came with my Audigy 1 card used to produce an allmighty roar from the speakers until I could update the drivers.

I still have a folder full of Sound blaster & Audigy drivers that I collected from various parts of the world, but this is the first time iv'e been utterly defeated by a Creative product.

The real bugger is that the sound that Iv'e got from the 2 speaker setup is so good. The chips themselves are so good, it's a pity that ther software is so crap Beebee

 

[FreedomEclipse]

are you using 1 digital cable plugged in or the standard 3 analogue cables??

 

[Mussels]

he did mention digital.

Digital signals are only 2.0 sounds, without a card capable of real time encoding.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

he did mention digital.

Digital signals are only 2.0 sounds, without a card capable of real time encoding.

how bout if his speakers have a built in encoder?

 

[Mussels]

how bout if his speakers have a built in encoder?

... what?


software -> soundcard -> digital cable -> decoder -> speakers


by that point, you're already getting 2.0 sounds... so you cant have an encoder in a speaker. You can have an upmixer, which gives you 3x 2.0 sound - but no matter how you look at it, it aint 5.1

 

[Beebee]

JUst the 1

are you using 1 digital cable plugged in or the standard 3 analogue cables??

Just the one plugged into the Digital I/O Blue Miniplug

 

[Mussels]

Just the one plugged into the Digital I/O Blue Miniplug

what soundcard do you have again, and does it support Dolby digital live, or DTS connect?

 

[Beebee]

he did mention digital.

Digital signals are only 2.0 sounds, without a card capable of real time encoding.

The speakers do have a built in Dac Beebee

 

[Mussels]

The speakers do have a built in Dac Beebee

thats a digital to analogue converter. All digital speakers have that, and its unrelated to the question i asked.

 

[Beebee]

Re 5.1

... what?


software -> soundcard -> digital cable -> decoder -> speakers


by that point, you're already getting 2.0 sounds... so you cant have an encoder in a speaker. You can have an upmixer, which gives you 3x 2.0 sound - but no matter how you look at it, it aint 5.1[/QUO

As a Dolby Digital 5.1 System.
The first thing to consider is that the system is physically a 4.1 system, with a “virtualized” center channel. I was quite impressed with the performance of this, especially in the AC3 sound test where the center channel sounded quite distinctly to be right in front of me.
The BA7500’s truly excel as a DD audio system, with astounding 5.1 audio performance.
Sound effects were seamlessly transited from one speaker to another, seeming to go straight through or across myself. All the sound effects were audible with a crisp, clear sound of bullets firing, or footsteps on the floor, and the voices were crystal clear. The surround volume and balance adjustor on the control panel are particularly useful if you don’t happen to be able to get into a position where you are all exactly the same distance away from each satellite.

http://www.gamesurge.com/pc/hardware/reviews/BA7500.shtml

These speakers have Dolby Digital 5.1 audio decoder in the Sub. I've been using them for a few years first with a live 5.1 then an Audigy 1 and now Xfi. They have been working as a competent 5.1 speaker system. In fact I haven't heard anything that costs less than $600.00AU that sounds better then them & thats as 2 ways. This is the first time I've had this problem. They have been working for a few years as a 5.1 system.Beebee
PS Ok I know there's no centre speaker but it does a fairly good impresson of one in a small space

 

[Mussels]

yes, they have a decoder. that is not a DAC. They are different things.

Those speakers support dolby digital decoding. That REQUIRES a dolby digital signal from your soundcard, to your speakers.

Movies that come with this may give you 5.1, but i can guarantee you that without a soundcard capable of encoding dolby digital in real time - you have not been getting 5.1 audio.

In fact i can kinda guarnatee you havent had 5.1 audio, cause thats a 4.1 speaker set anyway.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

My pci-e x-fi extreme audio is hooked up to my denon av amp via a optical digital cable,and i'm sure its only a 2.1 output.Which sound card would i need that can output a 5.1 signal to the amp?

I am using the amp to upmix it with 5,1 stereo mode atm.

Thanks.

 

[Mussels]

anything with dolby digital live - thats the name they give to real time DD encoding.

The latest X-fi cards do it, auzentech and asus xonar do it.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

Whats the cheapest xonar that does it?

Does this do it?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-002-AS&groupid=701&catid=11&subcat=

Thanks mussels

tigger

 

[Mussels]

Whats the cheapest xonar that does it?

Does this does it?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-002-AS&groupid=701&catid=11&subcat=

Thanks mussels

tigger

"Real-time DDL and DTS Connect encoders for amazing gaming and surround sounds over your Home Theater System"

 

[Beebee]

yes, they have a decoder. that is not a DAC. They are different things.

Those speakers support dolby digital decoding. That REQUIRES a dolby digital signal from your soundcard, to your speakers.

Movies that come with this may give you 5.1, but i can guarantee you that without a soundcard capable of encoding dolby digital in real time - you have not been getting 5.1 audio.

In fact i can kinda guarnatee you havent had 5.1 audio, cause thats a 4.1 speaker set anyway.

yes I know it's only 4 speakers, but with both my earlier sound cars I was getting imput to my rear speakers & both the Live 5.1, & the audigy said they were outputing A 5.1 Digital stream, & it certainly sounded like they were in games like doom Beebee

 

[Mussels]

live 5.1 and audigy cards do not support encoding, so they definately werent outputting your games in 5.1.

Your card has (and always has been) outputting a stereo signal over a digital connection - your speakers must have a feature such as what tigger mentioned a few posts above, an upmixing mode thats making the rear speakers clone the front speakers.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

I'm using my amp to upmix,i am going to buy one of these xonar dx card now i think.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

I'm using my amp to upmix,i am going to buy one of these xonar dx card now i think.

Tigger - you sexy beast. care to donate that Xonar to me??? In return you can have my PCI-E Titanium Fatality Pro

 

[Deleted member 24505]

Thanks but i'll give the xonar a try first.I need the ddl output for my sexy denon amp.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

my X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro has DDL

 

[Mussels]

my X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro has DDL

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showpost.php?p=1478770&postcount=1114

Yup, some of the latest X-fi cards do.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

I know. I was asking if youd like to swap

 

[Mussels]

I know. I was asking if youd like to swap

me? nooooooo.


I get EAX 4.0 out of this thing thanks to alchemy universal, DDL and... well, it sounds good.