I got my ZxR today. I'm pretty happy with it so far. Installation was smooth for both hardware and software. Software is a bit clunky, with redundant options. So far the sound quality is very good, way better than on-board sound. It's clean, transparent and soundstage a bit wider. It's an...

Quote:   They didn't even send us a notification email, for those of us who subscribed to it. :D

ZxR in Europe went out of stock in a day.

ZxR available in Europe: http://en.store.creative.com/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-zxr/1-21383.aspx?eventcategory=MHL&eventaction=homepage&eventlabel=SoundBlasterZxR   Ordered mine

Creative is recalling ZxR cards?: http://forums.creative.com/showthread.php?t=699322

Here in Switzerland, there's a site that says 5-10 days: http://www.powerch.com/Others.1/Creative+Labs.727/70SB151000001/CREATIVE+Sound+Blaster+ZxR+PCI-Express+Sound+Card.844547.html   Hope this is true...

Newegg even released a video interview with Ryan from Creative. The guy got confused with all the technical components. It's quite funny listening to him not knowing what he was talking...

Quote:   It should work with headphone out too. DAC comes after sound processing and shares the same I/V stage for both headphones and line out.

How's music quality of the Z compared to the STX?

Quote:   Can't wait to hear your conclusions.

Quote:   It's been up for a little while now. Though, bad news... Release has been postponed to March: http://jp.creative.com/corporate/pressroom/releases/welcome.asp?pid=13305

Quote:   NJM4556 is the buffer stage of the speakers output (in place of the two LME49710 of ZxR), while JRC2114D is the I/V stage for both speakers and headphones. I guess the sample rates only applies to the front panel, as both speakers and headphones lines use CS DAC.

Isn't it this way?   Speaker output: DAC > JRC2114D OpAmp > JRC4556A OpAmp > Speakers Headphone output: DAC > JRC2114D OpAmp > Maxim MAX97220A Headamp > Headphones   Headamp specs: http://www.maximintegrated.com/datasheet/index.mvp/id/7138?ver=F&utm_expid=50713806-2

Quote:   What's the new CPU you've got? Still, go in the bios and disable 2 of your cores. I can't see any difference in BF3.

Quote:   Sigh... I don't want to wait anymore...

Quote:   No. That's because the 2 main threads were running on low speed cores. After 2 threads, you get the well known diminishing returns because they have troubles loading multiple cores with calculations for graphics. It's far from being as easy as it sounds. For 1 core, your old CPU...

Quote:   Nothing new. They first annouced the SNR for the DACs which are 127dB and 120dB, for ZxR and Z/Zx respectively. Then the end-ouput, 120dB and 116dB.

Hahaha! I agree with all you have said. Even though it's not really about the actual gameplay mechanics you are complaining, but rather game balance, user interface and a problem of convenience which is grinding (because we don't have time for that which is a consequence of not being 10 years...

I wish 3D sound for games was fully rendered the way 3D graphics is. I wouldn't then mind buying a 3D sound card for $400+.

Quote:   You are probably amongst the few that still play older games. To me, hardware acceleration really only matters in FPS, that's where sound processing can flex its muscles. But why play BF2 over BF3? Graphics and gameplay still prevail over sound. The last older games I've played...

Quote:   1) Future games are not going to be using OpenAL or DS3D, so I see no point in getting the Titanium HD. Creative still has the best non-hardware accelerated gaming features for their cards, which sadly fits today's gaming. 2) SQ-wise, ZxR has the best from both STX (Headamp)...

Originally Posted by Roller  -------------------------------------------------------------------------- My quote thing is messed up :(     I play a lot of starcraft 2 and dota2, positional sound is very minor. I don't think it doesn't give you an edge unless you are distracted and...

It's depressing to see developers abandoning OpenAL. No more true binaural 3D sound. Fortunately, only FPS is really affected... :( I don't agree here. Are you refering to CMSS-3D ability to use OpenAL and DS3D's 3D sound coordinates to create true binaural 3D sound instead of just plain flat...

I can't find any mention of that anywhere. Game mode enables some additional EAX features, CMSS-3D... But nothing else I can find related to positional cues. And when I think about it, having 2 positional cues improvement processes running at the same time can't be good. What's is the name of...