[KetchupNinja]

Did you decide on what card to get Kel Ghu?  I'm pretty much in the same situation as you.
 

 

[BetaWolf]

It's between the HT Omega Claro Halo and the Sound Blaster ZxR for me. It all depends on reviews for the ZxR. *Crosses fingers*

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

It's between the HT Omega Claro Halo and the Sound Blaster ZxR for me. It all depends on reviews for the ZxR. *Crosses fingers*

A small Note, one is PCI, the other is PCI- Express.

 

[BetaWolf]

Quote:

A small Note, one is PCI, the other is PCI- Express.

Yeah, I know, but that doesn't affect audio performance. A small note, Turok does indeed rock.

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

Yeah, I know, but that doesn't affect audio performance. A small note, Turok does indeed rock.

LOL...Thanks, what I meant is that one should make sure that his MB supports PCI (non express) ,as I have the asus p8z77-v deluxe, which is missing a PCI port.

 

[NamelessPFG]

I still think it's important to note what interfaces are being used not necessarily for performance reasons, but because everyone's desktop configuration is different, often leading to cases where only one particular type of slot is free on the motherboard. Especially SLI/CrossFire setups where most of the slots are blocked off by graphics cards with double-slot (sometimes even triple-slot) HSFs.
 
A small note: CEREBRAL BORE!

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

I still think it's important to note what interfaces are being used not necessarily for performance reasons, but because everyone's desktop configuration is different, often leading to cases where only one particular type of slot is free on the motherboard. Especially SLI/CrossFire setups where most of the slots are blocked off by graphics cards with double-slot (sometimes even triple-slot) HSFs.
 
A small note: CEREBRAL BORE!

..Also the ZXR comes as a dual card solution (but requires only one PCI express slot).
 
A small note :

 

[BetaWolf]

The daughterboard is mainly for audio capture and recording though, right? Also, is the Claro Halo the best HT Omega card for headphones?
 
A small note: Chronoscepter!

 

[KetchupNinja]

After doing a little research, I found that many Titanium HD owners are upgrading or plan to upgrade to the ZxR series card.  That being said, the Titanium HD can be had at a price lower than ~$100.  With the specs being almost similar, wouldn't it better just to get a used Titanium HD and an external amp?  I was thinking the Schiit Magni + the HD.
 

 

[genclaymore]

They might want the option to do analog 5.1 again, Instead of doing it over digital with the DD live or DTS encoders.

 

[Kel Ghu]

Quote:

Did you decide on what card to get Kel Ghu?  I'm pretty much in the same situation as you.
 

 
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) and TiHD (DAC).
 
I'm going for the ZxR and probably try OpAmp rolling. I'm much more a computer poweruser than an audiophile. I don't want to spend too much money nor do I want to "clutter" my desktop. So the easiest way is to cut out external amplifiers for both the speakers and headphones. Active monitors is the first solution. ZxR's headamp is the second and will be reasonably enough for my needs.

 

[KetchupNinja]

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) and TiHD (DAC).
 
I'm going for the ZxR and probably try OpAmp rolling. I'm much more a computer poweruser than an audiophile. I don't want to spend too much money nor do I want to "clutter" my desktop. So the easiest way is to cut out external amplifiers for both the speakers and headphones. Active monitors is the first solution. ZxR's headamp is the second and will be reasonably enough for my needs.

 
Hmm It seems they have brought back hardware audio acceleration in Windows 8.  Link here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/br259116
 
With that being brought back, do you guys think we will see a re-emergence in support for hardware accelerated features?  I'm a little skeptical about it TBH seeing how developers now a days would rather not have to spend more time to develop for the few of us with above average sound cards.

 

[kinubic]

Got my soundblaster z few days ago as thr zxr was still out of stock.
Came with nichicon gold caps as opposed to others
That use G-Luxon and Fujicon caps.

 

[kinubic]

Sorry double post. Please delete.

On phone.

 

[NamelessPFG]

Quote:

After doing a little research, I found that many Titanium HD owners are upgrading or plan to upgrade to the ZxR series card.  That being said, the Titanium HD can be had at a price lower than ~$100.  With the specs being almost similar, wouldn't it better just to get a used Titanium HD and an external amp?  I was thinking the Schiit Magni + the HD.

 
I'm not one of them. This is the first I've heard of a mass Titanium HD -> ZxR exodus...should make for a nice influx of cheap second-hand Titanium HD cards, at least. And, hopefully, a few good reviews.
 
I'm generally in favor of using external amps with sound cards. Doubly so in my case, because no sound card amp is capable of powering electrostatic headphones like my Stax SR-Lambda.
 
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) and TiHD (DAC).

 
Am I seriously the last person on Head-Fi who still plays older PC games? Just because future games don't use hardware acceleration doesn't mean it retroactively changes how those older games handle audio...but believe me, if there were any sort of software OpenAL implementation that could function as perfectly as a real X-Fi card could, I wouldn't be tying myself so tightly to the Titanium HD.
 
Too bad Creative of all companies can't even get a software OpenAL implementation right.
 
Quote:

Hmm It seems they have brought back hardware audio acceleration in Windows 8.  Link here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/br259116
 
With that being brought back, do you guys think we will see a re-emergence in support for hardware accelerated features?  I'm a little skeptical about it TBH seeing how developers now a days would rather not have to spend more time to develop for the few of us with above average sound cards.

 
It means nothing if the DirectSound3D API is still deprecated, as that's what most older games used for 3D audio (when they weren't using Aureal A3D instead). If that isn't brought back, then we would still need OpenAL wrappers for DS3D-based games, and chances are the new API isn't designed like DS3D and OAL in the sense of being designed to facilitate hardware-accelerated 3D audio in particular.
 
Most likely, this little change in Windows 8 will go unnoticed by game developers as they continue using XAudio2 + X3DAudio, or FMOD Ex. Besides, using an API limited to Windows 8 would significantly limit the number of people who could take advantage of it anyway, especially given the backlash Windows 8 has received (and rightfully so).