[KtoEto]

The AV-710 is available in Switzerland.

http://www.pchigh.ch/php/index_deep....e_number=24330

 

[aug1516]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Distroyed The point is that not only is the audigy2 more capable at creating positional audio effects appropriate to games, but the card itself does the audio processing, meaning it sends the now-processed signal straight to (say) the emu1212m, which then does nothing more than converts it to analog. So one uses the audigy2 for converting sound to a 3d level, and the emu for its dac.

My point was that the Audigy 2 does not do any 3d level processing or EAX when you output via the digital connection in PCM stereo format, it's just a simple PCM stereo signal. The only way to get EAX or any kind of "3d" audio out of the Audigy is to use the analog outputs or use a set of Creatives own digital speakers that support their proprietary connection. Now this information may be incorrect but I have see this same thing posted on other forums before. Has anyone been able to verify that EAX and the Headphone 3d API does in fact work when output via the digital connection on the Audigy 2 in PCM format?

 

[quke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KtoEto The AV-710 is available in Switzerland. http://www.pchigh.ch/php/index_deep....e_number=24330

I don't know any German, but I don't think they sell to Finland with COD. I wonder if you or someone else in Europe could buy me one and send it to me. Bank transfers inside Europe are free of charge to my knowledge. PM me if interested. Pretty please

 

[Distroyed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aug1516 My point was that the Audigy 2 does not do any 3d level processing or EAX when you output via the digital connection in PCM stereo format, it's just a simple PCM stereo signal. The only way to get EAX or any kind of "3d" audio out of the Audigy is to use the analog outputs or use a set of Creatives own digital speakers that support their proprietary connection. Now this information may be incorrect but I have see this same thing posted on other forums before. Has anyone been able to verify that EAX and the Headphone 3d API does in fact work when output via the digital connection on the Audigy 2 in PCM format?

Of course it does. Everything is processed before sending to the output signal, be it analog or digital.

 

[aug1516]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Distroyed Of course it does. Everything is processed before sending to the output signal, be it analog or digital.

Where are you getting this information from? Other forums have posted the opposite and said that EAX and CMSS effects do not function when used via the digital out. I finally emailed Creative and this is what they said:


With regards to the issue you are having, I need you to know that EAX effects will not affect digital output.

Run a keyword search for SID12835 from the link below on "Why do I
sometimes hear sound from front channels only when I connect from
Digital-Out on my Sound Blaster card to Digital-In on a multichannel
receiver?"

http://ask.americas.creative.com/SRV...reative_cli_us,
U={B8F60310-DA4F-11D3-94F4-00500463020E},Company={CB344281-E2C7-4902-86F5-B86111
42F879},d=1062520186265,VARSET=ws:http://us.creative.com/

Now I was unable to get the link to work but according to them, EAX does not work via the digital output. As I was browsing around their website I also found this.

"The commonplace multimedia files such as MP3, MID, AVI, WAC, or WMA etc, are of stereo format: right and left only. It is common to hear only front right and front left channels from a multichannel capable receiver when it is connected to the Digital Out jack on a Sound Blaster card. Though there are software applications, for example, the Creative CMSS, that can replicate stereo audio to a surround sound, this process requires the sound card be connected to speakers with a proprietary Digital Input, or its analog out."

This would mean that not only does EAX not function over the digital output but neither does CMSS which provided the 3d headphone effects that some have talked about. So based off this information, the digital output from an Audigy 2 sound card is nothing more than stereo PCM, no EAX or 3d headphone effects of any kind. Which would make it's signal just about identical to any PCM stereo output from any sound card. Which brings me back to my original question. If the digital output from the Audigy 2 is just a simple PCM stereo signal with no additional EAX or CMSS type effects, then why not just buy something cheaper for games like a AV-710. The PCM signals should be about the same because you are dealing with just normal stereo sound.

 

[KtoEto]

Quote:

Originally Posted by quke I don't know any German, but I don't think they sell to Finland with COD. I wonder if you or someone else in Europe could buy me one and send it to me. Bank transfers inside Europe are free of charge to my knowledge. PM me if interested. Pretty please

Hi quke,
check the chaintech european homepage.
chaintech.de
click on Europe, then Audio (under Other), then AV-710.
click on where to buy, select Europe, then choose Finland,
there you are!

 

[quke]

KtoEto, thanks for the suggestion but I couldn't find any suitable shops with the card. Indeed only one or two had the card for that matter. Maybe I'll just post a WTB to the trade forum or ask from my friends (oh yes, I still have some of them) if they'd be willing to order from US.

 

[kalzone]

someone with a 4.1 (or better) speaker setup and a digital out connection should do some testing to resolve this matter once and for all.
i don't care what creative says. they're smoking something, that's for sure!
i have a emu 1212m with an audigy 2 connected to it via digital coax and i CAN get EAX effects. Here's what i did....
opened up the EAX console which allows you to apply various EAX effects and played a wav file. all the effects that i tried i was able to hear.
still someone with a 4.1 or better speaker setup should give this a wirl, but i think this will work unless i'm overlooking some logic here.
additionally, eventhough i set my audigy card to digital out i can still select my speaker setup from creative's speaker control panel.

 

[aug1516]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kalzone someone with a 4.1 (or better) speaker setup and a digital out connection should do some testing to resolve this matter once and for all. i don't care what creative says. they're smoking something, that's for sure! i have a emu 1212m with an audigy 2 connected to it via digital coax and i CAN get EAX effects. Here's what i did.... opened up the EAX console which allows you to apply various EAX effects and played a wav file. all the effects that i tried i was able to hear. still someone with a 4.1 or better speaker setup should give this a wirl, but i think this will work unless i'm overlooking some logic here. additionally, eventhough i set my audigy card to digital out i can still select my speaker setup from creative's speaker control panel.

It would be impossible to test this with a 4.1 setup because unless you have a set of Creatives digital speakers, you can't get 4.1 audio out of the S/PDIF, just stereo. The reason for this is the proprietary digital connection that Creative uses. I would really like to see if anyone can get EAX effects in games. It appears that EAX works when you force it on using the Creative control panel but that doesn't mean it will work in games. Do some tests and see. If it does work then Creative doesn't know how their own damn hardware works, which really wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Alereon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by quke How is the M-Audio Revolution 7.1 gamewise? I'm thinking of getting one since I can't get hold of the Chaintech or the (now discontinued?) Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1. My other choices are Terratec Sky and Space at the moment, but all I see is everybody bashing Terratec's drivers. Btw how are the Revo's drivers? I've heard they're more stable.

Both the M-Audio Revolution 7.1 and the Chaintech AV-710 both use essentially the same chipset, the Via Envy24. The main difference is that the Revo uses excellent DACs on all 8 channels, hence the price, while the AV-710 uses adequate DACs on 8 channels, with an additional excellent stereo DAC used for its high-resolution mode. This allows the AV-710 to be cheap while still offering stereo output performance that is equal to or better than the Revo's. Neither card has any 3D positional audio acceleration, so any positional audio support will be handled by the CPU entirely. If you're a gamer that really demands good 3D audio support, the Audigy 2 ZS is, sadly, the only option.