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Good Sound Card? (one im thinking of)

post #1 of 10
7/8/09 at 11:06pm
Thread Starter 
hey, i plan on getting either the ath ad-700 headphones or the hd-555s (based on availability and pricing), and figured if i could find a good sound card on sale on the way, i would get it.

i heard pretty good things about this one :

NCIX.com - Buy AuzenTech Forte Low Profile PCI-E 7.1 Sound Card PCI-E Dolby Digital Live Headphone AMP - AZTXFF7102550 In Canada.

whats your take on it? also, any suggestions would be great.. try not to go too expensive for me.. preferably under $200, or a little more if its REALLY worth it.

also, if the one i listed is great, would it be good for speakers too? as i plan on getting a nice pair of 2.1s eventually... or maybe ill go crazy and get some 5.1s
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post #2 of 10
7/8/09 at 11:42pm
It really depends on what your after. The Forte is meant more for hardware gaming using in game effects such as EAX/OpenAL.
What tasks do you usally do?
Games? Music movies? -Recording?
The more informaiton you can give the better suggestions people here can give you.
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post #3 of 10
7/9/09 at 12:10am
I've been considering the same card tbh, more for the headhpone output amp...I already have an X-Fi Xtreme Music...great card, but I want more power for now and into the future. TBH it seems to be the cheapest route to a decent sound setup imo. I don't think a reciever or decent headphone amp in the price range would be worth it, at least if you don't already have an x-fi...that's where my dillema lies.

Looks like a great card, I also really like the looks of the newer Titanium front panel with game mode and cmms3d switching on the fly setup, granted it's overpriced, I was hoping to hear that the front headphone output was amplified too though...but the that card would do good for gaming and music, especially if my current and older x-fi is any testament, though take Robscix's suggestions, he does some great reviews and I definately take his words seriously. Cheers.
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post #4 of 10
7/9/09 at 12:19am
Thread Starter 
usually i dont forget to say what im going to be using the thing im asking bout for... my bad!

anyways, i play a few games, including counter-strike, meaning detecting where things are coming from would be a big pro.

also, i listen to music almost whenever im on the pc, mostly rock / alternative stuff, but some heavier stuff (not like real metal stuff though lol)

i like to watch movies on here too, as its a fast pc and can handle the HD stuff i throw at it.

so basically all round. not so much on recording though.
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post #5 of 10
7/9/09 at 12:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kursah View Post
I've been considering the same card tbh, more for the headhpone output amp...I already have an X-Fi Xtreme Music...great card, but I want more power for now and into the future. TBH it seems to be the cheapest route to a decent sound setup imo. I don't think a reciever or decent headphone amp in the price range would be worth it, at least if you don't already have an x-fi...that's where my dillema lies.

Looks like a great card, I also really like the looks of the newer Titanium front panel with game mode and cmms3d switching on the fly setup, granted it's overpriced, I was hoping to hear that the front headphone output was amplified too though...but the that card would do good for gaming and music, especially if my current and older x-fi is any testament, though take Robscix's suggestions, he does some great reviews and I definately take his words seriously. Cheers.
Thx for the kind words. The Headphones amplifier on this card amplifies soudn for both rear output and for the front panel output.
Hope that helps. The Forte and Prelude are pretty much the highest quality hardware gaming soundcards you can get.
There are other cards with headphone amplifiers also.
The Xonar STX and ST aswell as the Claro Halo. There are also USB/Firewire audio interfaces with headphones amplfiers also. As was already said, depends on what your needs are.
Hope this helps.
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post #6 of 10
7/9/09 at 2:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ROBSCIX View Post
Thx for the kind words. The Headphones amplifier on this card amplifies soudn for both rear output and for the front panel output.
Hope that helps.
That is awesome, but I woudln't ever use the HD FP connection on my HAF and expect equal quality...but what about thru the x-fi titanium i/o drive front panel? If the sound output was decent, that would sell me. Simply for the fact of a good output, input, and fast/seamless switching to Game Mode and CMMS-3D w/o needing to do anything else, + having a volume for input and output. That would be my ultimate task, and great to know that the Forte amps both directions...thank you! That sold me on the card...now sell me on the I/O drive please! I want the other features plus the headphone amp drive of the fote!

PS: The kind words are justified from reviews I've read of yours over time, I agree with your opinions, logic and suggestions, hench I definately support you here!
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post #7 of 10
7/9/09 at 6:46pm
Thread Starter 
edit: i did some more research.. and it seems its main competitor in this range is the xonar essence... which seems to be better for music, and the forte better for games.

are these two basically the best in this range? and it just basically comes down to which i would like more - games or music? (id probably go with the forte in this case, as its $80 or so cheaper this week at ncix)

the forte is still good for music though right? im not much of an audiophile - will i notice a difference between the forte and essence? even if i was one, would it be worth the extra $80 / $70?


thanks!

edit 2: found that i/o drive for the forte... that things sexy! im curious too about what youre asking (if this is what youre asking lol) if it amplifies the headphones on the i/o drive's headphone input.. i would assume it would, but what do i know lol...

ready to order this right asap...
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post #8 of 10
7/10/09 at 12:52am
Yes you'll notice differences between forte and essence for music, but at that price for the forte, it is a very very good deal.
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post #9 of 10
7/10/09 at 1:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by strobeshow View Post

edit 2: found that i/o drive for the forte... that things sexy! im curious too about what youre asking (if this is what youre asking lol) if it amplifies the headphones on the i/o drive's headphone input.. i would assume it would, but what do i know lol...

ready to order this right asap...
For an $80 difference, unless you listen to music most of the time, bar-none, the Forte will suit you fine from what I've read. My old X-Fi does quite well from music to gaming for the most part and it's pretty damn old.

I just got an answer back from Auzen, they state that the amped front output feeds to both Front Panel and Creative I/O connections, thus the Titanium I/O panel does not amplify the sound any further. But the other features like one-the-fly Game Mode/CMMS-3D and volume/level control on the headphone and mic lines is very, very cool indeed. It looks clean and simple, sure the older I/O panel for my current X-Fi has more options, but they're not much cheaper and very hard to find atm, plus there's no amplification to be had there beyond what the card provides which seems to pale in comparison to the Forte's outputs from what i've researched.

I'm really considering the Forte + I/O panel myself, overall it'd be easier to deal with than a more expensive headphone amp or reciever, and primarily as a gamer, something that'd make more sense. Granted I listen to tons of music, more-so recently with the JVC HA-RX700's that pwn my old Turtle Beach HPA2's beyond any notion of a doubt. I like my music to sound good, but I want my games to sound great, I can deal with the middleground, and as someone who feels they're not an audiophile, spending more on gaming equipment seems to be the more logical choice, at least for me. Cheers.
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post #10 of 10
7/10/09 at 2:59am
Thread Starter 
bought the forte... and some 500gb external hard drive i saw on redflagdeals for $45 (!!!).. and a nice cheap card reader..

came out to like $178 total... the forte gave it free shipping.. nice

thanks for the reply kursah.

so basically plugging into the i/o panel would be the same as plugging into the back of the card? i wasnt aware some i/o panels could amplify it more, if thats what you said it COULDNT do...

thanks!
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