Quote:
Originally Posted by
NamelessPFG 
Which X-Fi cards are you talking about? Be specific here.
Most of them may be rather "meh" by audiophile standards (the OP's XtremeGamer included), but you have to factor in the Auzentech cards and Creative's own Titanium HD that were designed with an emphasis on good sound quality from the start.
Anyway, as for gaming, that depends on how much the OP wants EAX effects in older titles. If that is not a concern, then it's a toss-up between whether or not he'd prefer CMSS-3D Headphone or Dolby Headphone. Regardless, gaming's the only thing that X-Fi-based cards have any particular edge in, and if he's aiming for more music listening or movie viewing, a Xonar might-just might-be of more benefit. (Can't say I've had a Xonar card, even though I often cite the DG as a bang-for-the-buck offering.)
Most of the older Creative Labs X-Fi cards were not all that great sounding, better than on board at the time but thats not too difficult to accomplish. All X-Fi cards use coupling caps in them but newer cards such as the Auzentec Prelude use solid electrolytics for coupling which may sound better but I haven't a had a chance hear them.
The only disadvantage of the Xonar D2 series is they don't have a high output headphone amp however they should work better with high sensitivity IEM's than the Xonar Essense ST/STX cards due too the lower gain of the amp that would be feeding them. In spite of the gain control on the essense cards the actual gain of the essense cards is fixed & the gain control only limits the output volume by 1-3 bits relative to max volume.
The D2 cards are limited to a max gain equivolent to line out voltage hense will have max dynamic range available to IEM type earphone of 112db instead of about 99db with Xonar Essense cards at the same max volume of the lowest gain of the Essense cards. To get the max dynamic range out of the Essense cards you need to use low sensitivity high impedance earphones. The D2 would drive them to such volumes that the full 118db output of the line out would not be usable but 112db would be with most IEM's unlike the Essense cards.
With the D2 series you will NEED an amp to feed high impedance phones making the Essense series cards a better bang for buck for driving high impedance phones however the D2 series is definately more versitle than the Essense cards if you have other needs besides listening to music. With the D2 cards you have MIDI capability plus they come with recording software. You also have multichannel analog out with the D2 cards that the Essense cards don't have unless you opt for the Essense ST which you still have to pay extra for the surround analog outs. It really depends on what your needs are for audio.
Edited by germanium - 10/30/11 at 1:11am
