Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Computer Audio › Not happy with my new Creative XFI XtremeMusic card. What should I get?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Not happy with my new Creative XFI XtremeMusic card. What should I get?

post #1 of 32
6/25/11 at 8:24pm
Thread Starter 

Got a used xtreme music and I am not happy with the sound quality that it outputs to my headphones. It sounds tinny and harsh. I only paid $20 for it so its not too much of a loss. What should I buy instead? Don't want to spend a whole lot of money so a DAC is out of the question. 

 

Thanks!!

Reply
post #2 of 32
6/25/11 at 10:17pm

What gear do you use, speakers, headphones? And what are your listening habits? Music, gaming, movies? Also, which OS are you running?

Reply
post #3 of 32
6/25/11 at 11:18pm
Thread Starter 

Outputing to headphones only (AD700). Listen to music mostly and do some gaming. Running windows 7 x64

Reply
post #4 of 32
6/25/11 at 11:31pm

Do you have any DSP effects enabled, like Crystalizer, EAX, SVM, etc? Also, any and all X-Fi settings have to be changed through Creative's control panels, never through Windows as that makes a mess out of the system configuration.

 

For how long have you been using those headphones? Because AD700 is known for its gaming prowess, both soundstage and good positional cues, but being quite bass light.

Reply
post #5 of 32
6/26/11 at 12:55am
Thread Starter 

Yeah I made sure I turned all that junk off. 

Reply
post #6 of 32
6/26/11 at 1:16am

How long have you been using those headphones?

Reply
post #7 of 32
6/26/11 at 2:11am
Thread Starter 

I have had the headphones about a week. I have let them play for about 12 hours every day to burn them in

Reply
post #8 of 32
6/26/11 at 8:01am

Its better to get a little better sound card. Xonar DX might be better.

Reply
post #9 of 32
6/26/11 at 12:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sushantV View Post

Its better to get a little better sound card. Xonar DX might be better.



A better card? Yes. A Xonar card? No.

 

@killeraxemannic: Just like you were already asked on the previous thread you created, are you sure those headphones are right for you? They're not everyone's cup of tea, and certainly not the most "fun" and easy to get into headphones.

Reply
post #10 of 32
6/26/11 at 6:59pm
Thread Starter 

They sound okay with the sound output from my laptop. The sound card does something to them that I do not like. 

Reply
post #11 of 32
6/26/11 at 7:04pm

Fine, if you prefer to spend money switching cards, there are plenty available. Creative X-Fi Titanium is a good purchase for little money, just like Auzentech X-Fi Forte, or if you can stretch your budget, you can get a Creative X-Fi Titanium HD, one of the best soundcards available right now. All of those have a complete gaming feature set that other cards, like Xonar series, don't have.


Edited by Roller - 6/26/11 at 7:06pm
Reply
post #12 of 32
6/26/11 at 7:08pm
Thread Starter 

Ok thanks for the options! If I decide to switch headphones what should I get? For 90's rock, and Eric Claption type stuff? 

Reply
post #13 of 32
6/26/11 at 7:15pm

Either of those would work best, and each is a step higher on the ladder of audio quality wink.gif

 

How much is your budget for headphones?

Reply
post #14 of 32
6/26/11 at 7:51pm
Thread Starter 

Probaly no more than $250

Reply
post #15 of 32
6/26/11 at 8:28pm

For that budget you have quite a selection available to you, and I'm just talking about new gear, because if you went to the FS forum, you'd get even more.

 

There are several headphones you could consider:

- Audio Technica ATH-M50

- Shure SRH840

- Ultrasone HFI-580

- Sennheiser HD25-1 II

- Denon DN-HP700

 

I've heard quite the praise over those Sennheisers, but keep in mind they're supraaural, so they won't go all around your ear.

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Computer Audio
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Computer Audio › Not happy with my new Creative XFI XtremeMusic card. What should I get?