[Eurobeat]

Hello all,

I have this card from my old build back from 2006-2007.  I really liked the card, and it came with a I/O box with a bunch of nobs to change settings from the software.

A lot of people seem to say that I should look into an external Amp/DAC but I do not see many choices for 5.1 setups (I have a 5.1 Logitech Z5300e speaker setup).  The only one I see is the "Creative X7" which is a 400$ external unit.  I am also looking for a new pair of Headphones, but I was looking at external Amps and DACs for that....

I bought a PCIe to PCI adapter, and wanted to use it in a new build since PCI slots are outdated and most, if not all new MBs don't have a slot for them....

I also found an external adapter that I could use for my laptop called the "EXP GDC Beast"which is a Mini PCIe to PCIe adapter, and then I could use the converter on top of that for the Sound Card...

I think the external way would be preferred, because I saw a video that was mentioning about the inside of computers creating tons of static and electric current flowing throughout the box, while the Sound Card itself is trying to eliminate all that stuff, so essentially there is conflict inside the box...  I figure if the soundcard is now EXTERNAL it should perform much better...  Right?


So I'm curious what people think of this card?

TBH I just realized now there are 2 listings for this device

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102191

as well as

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102015

Not too sure what the full differences are, nor which one I have tbh....  Idk where I would find that info either.....


So overall I really would like to use the sound card with my speakers, since I don't want the 400$ X7, but at the same time the converter was 35$(returning it tomorrow and shipping back was 8$), and  the EXP Beast is 45-65$ depending when I get it...

It sucks It's been tucked away for awhile and hopefully still works, so I'm not sure about it all...  I want to use my speakers with something better than my current laptop setup, especially since the front plug is wobbling and doesn't connect well.  The speakers themselves are also dying as the RCA inputs on the back are wobbling, however I could buy another Woofer/motherboard for the woofer, plus I have a second woofer, so in a sense the best bet would be another mb...

So I really like these speakers, but not sure what I should do.. Especially since I am looking to build a new computer (but would it be able to handle the 3 inputs from my Logitech speakers)?


So I'm curious what people think...?  Thanks...

 

 

[Eurobeat]

bump?

 

[Eurobeat]

Guess no one has comments?

I found this thread http://www.head-fi.org/t/753017/got-an-x-fi-elite-pro-for-28-old-but-still-better-than-the-sound-blaster-z-aside-from-the-higher-end-zxr-right#

That gave me some hope, I also see the ZxR mod thread, so it would be interesting to see how it goes, and possibly be modded.

I think I'm going to start a new build around this card.

Anyone with some advice, is appreciated thanks!

 

[yay101]

There are very few things capable of surround processing that are considered "great" for music. This goes for home theatre packages, amps, dacs everything. HOWEVER since you said you were happy with the sound of the logitech speakers there is no reason to really go looking for a expensive dac to go with it, if you are happy changing things just costs you money That creative card was good at the time and is fine now, if you want to do the mods feel free, they can certainly add some extra life into older cards.
 
This all said, any new computer built will come with a very very reasonable onboard audio setup capable of digital or analog out for many channels and will have no problem with 5.1/ 3X3.5mm plugs like your speakers take. This i can assure you.

 

[Eurobeat]

  There are very few things capable of surround processing that are considered "great" for music. This goes for home theatre packages, amps, dacs everything. HOWEVER since you said you were happy with the sound of the logitech speakers there is no reason to really go looking for a expensive dac to go with it, if you are happy changing things just costs you money That creative card was good at the time and is fine now, if you want to do the mods feel free, they can certainly add some extra life into older cards.
 
This all said, any new computer built will come with a very very reasonable onboard audio setup capable of digital or analog out for many channels and will have no problem with 5.1/ 3X3.5mm plugs like your speakers take. This i can assure you.

Thanks.  I do like the Logitech's sound, but I guess I haven't compared it to anything, besides headphones so...  I did find my closed headphones sounded very nice with the volume up, something I really can't with my speakers do as I live with others.

The speakers themselves are kind of falling apart, sad to say, so their life expectancy is who knows lol...

I really liked the card, but not sure how amazing it really was.  It seems the software is more important sometimes than the hardware, and Creative seems ot have a nice setup, though some people on here think Creative is "noob level," but the snob level of some members can be very high .

Creative might suck though, but it seems a lot of people enjoy them, but probably aren't audiophiles, but maybe are....

I know my Dell XPS 702x has 3 ports, but I'm not sure if all newer boards will.   A lot of people say that the newer onboard audio is a lot better, (some claim beter than some soundcards), but I cannot see "integrated" being as good as "dedicated" if you know what I mean...

I'm actually looking to build a new build, which I'm going to just use the card in, make a Home Theater computer, and it will work nicely.


I just wanted to see what people on here think of the card, since it was the flagship product at the time, and I would assume it still kicks butt, since I've heard DAC chips really haven't improved in a long time, and I'm not sure about sampling rates and all that crap..


To me, a lot of it has to do with the fact I spent a lot on the card, I did like it, and the I/O box is cool...  I'll see if there's much of a difference, or not, but the software is probably where the "fun" happens.  I do remember the sound being very "holographic" with the sound, with certain settings  like CMS3D or w/e it's called .

I'm not sure if youi think it's worth it to use this card, but since I have the ability to use it in a new build, I figure.. why not right?


Now if I wanted to connect an external AMP/DAC, how would I go about that?  Would I be able to connect my speakers to the external devices, or would that defeat the entire purpose of the sound card?  I'm not sure what exactly the I/O box powers , or what's inside of it i.e., amp/dac, or if the amp/dac gets transferred from the sound card, or what....


Thanks a lot for your time.

 

[yay101]

For home theatre or gaming, a decent gaming card like that will be fantastic. As good if not better than a majority of receivers that cost anywhere near that much but without the amp function.

External DACs usually use USB or some type of spdif to get data to the DAC, external DACs definitely CAN be technically superior easier thanks to isolation, but also come with another set of problems most common is dirty USB power or signal.

Creative cards always offer optical out (a port will be glowing red) and that's one way to feed an external DAC to avoid USB data issues.

Not knowing your listening situation or priorities its hard to recommend something.

You said you often listen through headphones to save others from extra noise, would you be happy going to headphones full time?

How much gaming and movies do you do?

How much would you be happy to part with ($) at any one time if it guaranteed results (and resale)?

 

[Eurobeat]

For home theatre or gaming, a decent gaming card like that will be fantastic. As good if not better than a majority of receivers that cost anywhere near that much but without the amp function.

External DACs usually use USB or some type of spdif to get data to the DAC, external DACs definitely CAN be technically superior easier thanks to isolation, but also come with another set of problems most common is dirty USB power or signal.

Creative cards always offer optical out (a port will be glowing red) and that's one way to feed an external DAC to avoid USB data issues.

Not knowing your listening situation or priorities its hard to recommend something.

You said you often listen through headphones to save others from extra noise, would you be happy going to headphones full time?

How much gaming and movies do you do?

How much would you be happy to part with ($) at any one time if it guaranteed results (and resale)?

Damn I forgot to reply to this awhile ago.

I like the sound of "fantastic" .

So if I want an External DAC, using this optical out will be a good thing then, instead of using USB power?

My listening situation is essentially I try to listen to music all of the time.  I have a few threads up with "what I like to listen to" which can be found here


http://www.head-fi.org/t/785486/looking-for-a-great-pair-headphones-for-fast-music-details-inside


Currently I have no headphones, and mostly listen through my speakers.  I used to have a pair of ogitech G35's that I broke, and had to fix the earcup with.  I brought it out about a month or so ago to take another listen,a nd it sounded great compared to my speakers (possibly due to the closed design on ear).

I tried to get another pair of HPs, but was met with harsh treble or whatnot, and just not a good experience.

I'm deciding if I want to spend more money on a new pair of headphones or wait, who knows...  I'm spending some money on anew computer build, to host this card, so not sure how much I'll want to spend on HPs also...  Besides trying to find a pair is driving me NUTS

Would I be happy with Headphones all of the time?  If I can find something that blows me away, I'm sure I would use it over speakers, but I do like my speakers it['s just hard to crank them with people in my house.

I don't really game much anymore, and movies are a not really, but I sometimes watch TV shows online, I used to be big into anime, slowed down a bit though.

If I could find a pair of HPs or a setup that blows me away I wouldn't mind spending some money, but I need to make sure it's perfect, or at least what I want in term sof sound and a setup .


Will I buy new HPs?  Idk..  I don't want ot buy new speakers now, since I'm moving within the year, but new HPs mgiht work.  I think I should try out this Speaker setup first, don't you think?

Also FWIW I've heard Sound Cards have a high Output Impedence of 10, but I've heard the ZxR cards are 22?!?!?


So how much would that affect speakers?  I'm not sure if speakers are higher or lower impedence.  It seems a sound card would be best with higher impedence devices.

Thanks

Thanks!


 

 

[yay101]

IF i were you, after reading the headphone suggestion thread i would buy a cheap Sabre based DAC like the JDS labs ODAC (second hand can be had pretty cheap). Sabre based simply because they usually have a famously flat and controlled frequency response that can tame troublesome headphones and bring out the best of your headphones.
 
I would also get a flat response headphone amp like magni/O2.
 
Some headphones... this is the hard part. Which have you actually tried? And what did you think?
 
I'd leave your speakers plugged into your creative card and use the dac just for your headphones. You can toggle between the two by just changing output either within apps or in the system settings.
 
Impedance is a fickle beast. I'd suggest doing some googling to get to the bottom of it. Things have impedance on every input and output and it can get complicated fast.

 

[Eurobeat]

  IF i were you, after reading the headphone suggestion thread i would buy a cheap Sabre based DAC like the JDS labs ODAC (second hand can be had pretty cheap). Sabre based simply because they usually have a famously flat and controlled frequency response that can tame troublesome headphones and bring out the best of your headphones.
 
I would also get a flat response headphone amp like magni/O2.
 
Some headphones... this is the hard part. Which have you actually tried? And what did you think?
 
I'd leave your speakers plugged into your creative card and use the dac just for your headphones. You can toggle between the two by just changing output either within apps or in the system settings.
 
Impedance is a fickle beast. I'd suggest doing some googling to get to the bottom of it. Things have impedance on every input and output and it can get complicated fast.

Hmm, I'll look into that.. Thanks.  JDS Labs, from what I remember, was pretty expensive overall as a company, so I'll have to se what "cheap" means


Well, if I input through the sound card, I could bypass both the amp and the dac? What's the point of the card then?  Just the speaker inputs, or is external dac/amps specifically for headphones only??  Would the speakers not utilize any of it unless it was connect to the actual amp/dac? What would be better to replace in the card, the dac, or the amp for either??

The only headphones(sets) I've tried were the "Logitech G35" which I really liked, and the "Pioneer HRM-7" which had a really nice soundstage but was very harsh, and I fatigued fast...  IT also felt like it was missing something.  People say "yeah an amp/dac," which I guess could be possible, but not too sure...

I've been looking for a long timeto try and find the right pair for me,a nd everyone has their own opinion.  I really just want something that I will love, and a setup I will love, but at the same time I'm not sure if I want to start spending 500$+ on a headphone setup..  Is it really worth it?  I think to myself.  I want this sound card to work, so I can also test how good it is with both HPs and the Speakers, but I'm still on the fence with a new pair of HPs too...

Yeah a lot of people seem to talk about Impedance and it's confusion...


Thanks for the help

 

[Eurobeat]

Part of me feels trying to find a PCI slot for this card is too much of a challenge while trying to keep other things balanced.


some of the onboard audio looks nice, but I really wanted to use the card again :'(.

I'm looking to do a Skylake build, but a lot of it is DDR4, while I also have DDR3 memory.  I could just buy new memory though...

Thoughts?

Thanks ....

I just hope this Card is worth this hassle LOL!

 

[Eurobeat]

I also decided on this motherboard for a new computer, so I'll be curious to see how the onboard audio compares to the dedicated sound blasted

http://www.msi.com/product/motherboard/Z170A-GAMING-M3.html#hero-overview

 

[alexdemaet]

Hello all,

I have this card from my old build back from 2006-2007. I really liked the card, and it came with a I/O box with a bunch of nobs to change settings from the software.

A lot of people seem to say that I should look into an external Amp/DAC but I do not see many choices for 5.1 setups (I have a 5.1 Logitech Z5300e speaker setup). The only one I see is the "Creative X7" which is a 400$ external unit. I am also looking for a new pair of Headphones, but I was looking at external Amps and DACs for that....

I bought a PCIe to PCI adapter, and wanted to use it in a new build since PCI slots are outdated and most, if not all new MBs don't have a slot for them....

I also found an external adapter that I could use for my laptop called the "EXP GDC Beast"which is a Mini PCIe to PCIe adapter, and then I could use the converter on top of that for the Sound Card...

I think the external way would be preferred, because I saw a video that was mentioning about the inside of computers creating tons of static and electric current flowing throughout the box, while the Sound Card itself is trying to eliminate all that stuff, so essentially there is conflict inside the box... I figure if the soundcard is now EXTERNAL it should perform much better... Right?


So I'm curious what people think of this card?

TBH I just realized now there are 2 listings for this device

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102191

as well as

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102015

Not too sure what the full differences are, nor which one I have tbh.... Idk where I would find that info either.....


So overall I really would like to use the sound card with my speakers, since I don't want the 400$ X7, but at the same time the converter was 35$(returning it tomorrow and shipping back was 8$), and the EXP Beast is 45-65$ depending when I get it...

It sucks It's been tucked away for awhile and hopefully still works, so I'm not sure about it all... I want to use my speakers with something better than my current laptop setup, especially since the front plug is wobbling and doesn't connect well. The speakers themselves are also dying as the RCA inputs on the back are wobbling, however I could buy another Woofer/motherboard for the woofer, plus I have a second woofer, so in a sense the best bet would be another mb...

So I really like these speakers, but not sure what I should do.. Especially since I am looking to build a new computer (but would it be able to handle the 3 inputs from my Logitech speakers)?


So I'm curious what people think...? Thanks...

Thanks to your post I found out that I can use this old sound card on my pc! I bought the card in 2005 and I did not know I could still use it with a pci-e to pci adapter.

 

[shaitan667]

I bought one last year and love it. Full package with the IO console and remote.
Analog output sounds nice and the X-Fi crystalizer actually sounds good at like 20%

Getting a headphone amp so I can drive my new HE400i 2020 from the card.

 

[shaitan667]

Well, I just plugged my HE400i into the sound card output instead of the IO Console output - seems to put out more power from the card than the console

Edit, maybe not more power, but more volume at least

 

[alexdemaet]

I have not yet tested the headphone output yet of the external sound card device (I see the device also has turntable inputs). I will try to test it with a Grado Ps1000e as these are the easiest to drive (the others are Sennheiser HD600 300 ohm and Beyerdynamic T1.2 600 ohm)