X-fi Titanium

[melimoo]

Hello, I just been given an X-fi titanium as a gift. I've never been very big on audio and thus I've always used onboard audio. I play games, listen to music and watch movies off of my pc.

My question is: If I install the titanium, can I expect noticable benefits? Or is it similar in quality, and speed to the onboard CM6501.

Thanks.

[Hybrys]

You'll see minor benefits in gaming performance, if the games sound can be hardware accelerated. Beyond that, you'll see minor sound quality increases.

[melimoo]

Ok thanks, I think I'll just sell it then

[the limp man]

I also own a creative X-FI Titanium. Good for games, very awfull when it comes to listening to music. Very nutral and flat sound. '

I had a listen to the Xonar D2. The Xonar was ten times better. Very warm, tight and detailed sound.
I would consider the Xonar.

[sonci]

Originally Posted by the limp man

... Very nutral and flat sound.

Thats the goal of an audiophille card!!

[germanium]

Originally Posted by sonci

Thats the goal of an audiophille card!!

Neutral with flat frequency response yes not flat soundstage or sound that lacks energy & dynamics. Sound should be able to be projected both in front as well as behind the speakers. That is a sign of excellent dynamics

[googleborg]

sell it as new

[muad]

It has a decent sound stage. The problem I have with the titanium is that its overly defined. With anything better than little pc speakers it was making my head hurt. Also the highs were shrill. I never noticed any of this on my old logitechs, but when i got my ae5 speakers it was very pronounced.

[sonci]

Originally Posted by muad

It has a decent sound stage. The problem I have with the titanium is that its overly defined. With anything better than little pc speakers it was making my head hurt. Also the highs were shrill. I never noticed any of this on my old logitechs, but when i got my ae5 speakers it was very pronounced.

Try to use asio/Kstreaming playback output in software player, I recommend Foobar, in Audio Creation Mode, and don`t forget to click bit matched playback, (all enhacements are disabled)
DON`T use Wasapi, its not bit perfect, at least for xfi cards..

This way, xfi cards have a decent sound, at least for speaker output!!

[muad]

That was the way I was running it! When i got an external dac the sound was much more level and smooth. Im sure it wasn't a placebo effect either. The other thing maybe is that the ae5 and xfi just aren't good together? The ae5's are known to be slightly bright to begin with so it may have just been a bad combination?

[leeperry]

Originally Posted by sonci

Try to use asio/Kstreaming playback output in software player, I recommend Foobar, in Audio Creation Mode, and don`t forget to click bit matched playback, (all enhacements are disabled)
DON`T use Wasapi, its not bit perfect, at least for xfi cards..

This way, xfi cards have a decent sound, at least for speaker output!!

is KS bit-perfect on the X-Fi(in audio creation/bit-matched)? a friend of mine ran some tests on his X-fi Forte 7.1...and only ASIO appears to be, which is a damn shame.

OTOH, he's put all kind of fancy opamps, and he looooooooves the discrete HP amp

http://hfr-rehost.net/fullsize/http:...f436d4cb4.jpeg
http://hfr-rehost.net/http://self/pi...c2a13bdc1.jpeg

PS: indeed, only ASIO is bitmatched: http://ixbtlabs.com/forum/0010/000043.html

[sonci]

Originally Posted by leeperry

is KS bit-perfect on the X-Fi(in audio creation/bit-matched)? a friend of mine ran some tests on his X-fi Forte 7.1...and only ASIO appears to be, which is a damn shame.

OTOH, he's put all kind of fancy opamps, and he looooooooves the discrete HP amp

http://hfr-rehost.net/fullsize/http:...f436d4cb4.jpeg
http://hfr-rehost.net/http://self/pi...c2a13bdc1.jpeg

PS: indeed, only ASIO is bitmatched: X-Fi & Bit-matched playback - Digit-Life Forum

Of course, KS is bit perfect, it should be, cause the purpose is the same as asio,
the issue mention in that post has happened to me also, but only because the KS plugin is experimental, smt dont go with xfi drivers, it works fine with EMU drivers, and is bit perfect..

Smth, curious to report; if I use JRiver with wasapi output, in ACMode, bit matched, the first song plays with the sanple rate configured in control pannel, then it immediately changes to 48Khz, whatever file I play, Wasapi is still a mistery to me..

[leeperry]

it's not because KS bypasses that it's bit-perfect! it isn't on the Xonar cards...it bypasses the windows mixer, but if there's a fixed sample rate in the audio drivers...you're SOL.

apparently only ASIO is automatically bit-matched on the X-Fi, and nothing is on the STX...you have to set the sample rate manually in the drivers(and yet I'm quite sure it still won't be bit-perfect )

Creative drivers crapola again! the VIA Envy24 drivers are bit-perfect/automatically bit-matched over DS/KS/WASAPI...and the Musiland Monitor serie is the same over KS(which is all that matters to me )

[Behemot]

I found X-Fi's response quite neutral too. Some people set the enhancements on (Crystalizer etc) - no wonder upper end becomes somewhat shrill. But without that the response is good and natural.

Originally Posted by leeperry

apparently only ASIO is automatically bit-matched on the X-Fi

You can set X-Fi for bit-perfect playback in the audio creation mode.

[leeperry]

Originally Posted by Behemot

You can set X-Fi for bit-perfect playback in the audio creation mode.

only ASIO is automatically bit-matched apparently...that's what the link I quoted above and this site says: X-Fi for Music Lovers: Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 in Detail (page 5) - X-bit labs

All sounds reproduced through Windows will be converted to the basic sampling frequency you select in the Settings window. Automatic switching of the frequency is implemented only for ASIO.

too bad I need automatically bit-matched KS, I don't care for ASIO.