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Head-Fi neophyte, please give me some feedback

post #1 of 29
6/29/11 at 10:27pm
Thread Starter 

I have the following equipment in my possession and i am wondering if i can get a really good or descent sound output from this.

 

Most of my music that i aquire are 128-320 kbps / VBR mp3s or better (FLAC)

 

I like to listen to all kinds of music genres, House, Pop, Rock, Hard Rock, Jazz, Classical, Rap . . etc

 

I generally don't play around with the equalizer settings in Winamp other chan choosing the built in pre-sets but i understand from reading some on the forum that there are plugins avilable to richen the listening experience so i got hold of the Izotope Ozone plugin for winamp and i thought it sound better but then i read that with using FLAC files it's not a good idea to use equalizer because it can not sound any better than the origional recording.

 

Desktop

Windows 7 64 bit Enterprise

Winamp v5.86/Foobar 2000 / Itunes (I generally like Winamp but i've used it forever)

SB Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCI-e (shared mode sample rate and bit depth 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality)

 

Notebook

Macbook Pro 64 Bit Snow Leopard (late 2009)

 

Headphones

Sennheiser HD 598 (50 Ohm) Not using any DAC's

Sennheiser HD 555 (broken)

 

Portable Headhones

Koss Porta Pro (iphone edition)

 

Portable Devices

Ipod Touch 2g

Samsung Galaxy S2 (Android smartphone with MP3 player PowerAmp)

 

Portable Headphone Amplifier

Fiio E5 (tried it with HD 598 and i couldn't hear any significant difference)

 

How acceptable is my setup and what do you guys think i need to change/ or upgrade? It's very subjective i know but it would be great if i could get some feedback on it.

 

I have been thinking about getting a 2nd hand HD 650 once the economy allows it but i fear that if i get those can's then i will need a DAC for my desktop as well as upgrade my sound card to be able to appreciate the headphones.

 

I forgot to mention that i don't really play any games although when Diablo III comes out who knows..


Edited by kashtwa - 6/30/11 at 5:56am
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post #2 of 29
6/30/11 at 1:58am

download the latest driver

http://support.creative.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?catID=1&subCatID=208&prodID=15855&prodName=Sound%20Blaster%20X-Fi%20Xtreme%20Audio&subCatName=X-Fi&CatName=Sound+Blaster&VARSET=prodfaq:PRODFAQ_15855,VARSET=CategoryID:1

 

change sample rate to 44100 hz 16 bit so you dont upsampling

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post #3 of 29
6/30/11 at 5:28am
Thread Starter 

Thanks Tom,

 

I'm downloaded the file but when i try to install it it tells me that it can't find any supported devices in my PC. I have had the same problem before though.. I have the X-FI PCI-e version of the card perhaps thats why it failed.. I will look and see if i can find another version.

 

I have changed to 16bit 44100 Hz

 

I downloaded latest X-Fi driver for my soundcard from creative and says that the version that i have installed is newer than the one i just downloaded which was suppose to be the latest...


Edited by kashtwa - 6/30/11 at 5:51am
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post #4 of 29
6/30/11 at 5:53am

i didnt know

should you specified

 

i think you finished downloaded

 

this page for pci-e version i you didnt download

 

http://support.creative.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?catID=1&CatName=Sound%20Blaster&subCatID=208&subCatName=X-Fi&prodID=16770&prodName=PCI%20Express%20Sound%20Blaster%20X-Fi%20Xtreme%20Audio&bTopTwenty=1&VARSET=prodfaq:PRODFAQ_16770,VARSET=CategoryID:1


Edited by tom2011 - 6/30/11 at 5:55am
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post #5 of 29
6/30/11 at 5:55am
Thread Starter 

Yes thats the one i downloaded just now and get the message i already have the newest installed.

 

Doing a creative webupdate to see what it says.. It wants me to download ALchemy 1.41.02 and the X-Fi driver v 1.04.0000 and some Audio pack.. downloading.... going slow


Edited by kashtwa - 6/30/11 at 5:59am
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post #6 of 29
6/30/11 at 5:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kashtwa View Post

Yes thats the one i downloaded just now and get the message i already have the newest installed.



so you cant install now

 

if you can install it

install it

 

sometime the driver is mistaken that you have the latest driver

dont use the driver that came with windows for better sound quality

 

maybe you select auto update driver from creative application

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post #7 of 29
6/30/11 at 6:03am

how is the sound quality with the card you have

 

because pepole say its not true x-fi

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post #8 of 29
6/30/11 at 6:13am
Thread Starter 

I like the X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCi-e although i am not an expert.. although i think i hear the sound pretty clear although i don't have a DAC connected nor own one for that matter.

 

but i'm not an expert.. When it comes to equalizer settings, preamp, DAC, sample rate and so forth i'm just trying to learn.. I realize i don't listen music that much any more at my desktop and was asking myself why it was.. i don't mind silence though, laughs.

 

Alright the download is finished in 20 seconds.. going to install it.

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post #9 of 29
6/30/11 at 6:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kashtwa View Post

I like the X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCi-e although i am not an expert.. although i think i hear the sound pretty clear although i don't have a DAC connected nor own one for that matter.

 

but i'm not an expert.. When it comes to equalizer settings, preamp, DAC, sample rate and so forth i'm just trying to learn.. I realize i don't listen music that much any more at my desktop and was asking myself why it was.. i don't mind silence though, laughs.

 

Alright the download is finished in 20 seconds.. going to install it.


 

people say that some programs on the cd cant be obtained from website

not driver other things

 

so make an image of the cd you have

 

or copy the files from the cd to  hard disc

 

i am not saying that xtreme audio is not good card

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post #10 of 29
6/30/11 at 6:22am
Thread Starter 

OK!

I have downloaded the latest Creative drivers and sample rate is at 16bit 44100 Hz

It says that i can allow other programs to take exclusive rights over the soundcard as well in the preferences.


Edited by kashtwa - 6/30/11 at 6:26am
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post #11 of 29
6/30/11 at 6:25am

did you hear a deffrence in sound quality

 

i dont know if you are using music more than 44100 hz 16 bit

do you need to change the sample rate

 

or windows will use that sample rate even if not selected

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post #12 of 29
6/30/11 at 6:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kashtwa View Post

It says that i can allow other programs to take exclusive rights over the soundcard as well in the preferences.



what do you mean by this

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post #13 of 29
6/30/11 at 6:28am
Thread Starter 

What i listen to right now is FLAC music with an EQ in Winamp 5.6 that is completely FLAT

3 Doors Down My World (Acoustic) 984 kbps 44 kHz

 

I don't have any DSP plugin for Winamp installed or currently running


Edited by kashtwa - 6/30/11 at 6:29am
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post #14 of 29
6/30/11 at 6:32am

also to improve sound quality

 

you know you must disable x-fi effects

 

like crystlizer and CMSS-3D and eax

 

this settings will alter the audio

 

also select enterteniment mode if you can select with your card

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post #15 of 29
6/30/11 at 6:33am
Thread Starter 

I have never really used  those functions..  i just saw that creative thought i was using 7.1 speakers.. changed it to Headphone.. but the EAX, Crystalizer etc was all turned off.

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