[xDARKx]

hello everyone! first post so hopefully i dont mess anything up too badly.
 
like the topic title says im looking to purchase a sound card mostly just for gaming.  my main goal is to get one with good surround sound and directional cues for fps games and stuff like that.
ive done alot of research around the net and on these forums and it seems most people suggest the xonar stx cards for the best audio. but then they also say its pretty overkill for games and that that there are cheaper alternatives more focused on games. 
 
so i guess my question is .. should i just get the xonar essense stx card? or is they a cheaper alternative made for games?
 
money isent too much of a issue but off course i dont want to spend more if i dont have too. also im currently using a sennheiser 598 headphone for my sound.
 
 and for more info i also have an astro mix amp that i use for 360 and i rlly like the surround sound that gives.. but sadly to use it on pc i need dolby digital live which is what started this whole search lol..
 
thanks for your time!

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Like the topic title says I'm looking to purchase a sound card mostly just for gaming.  my main goal is to get one with good surround sound and directional cues for fps games and stuff like that.
I've done a lot of research around the net and on these forums and it seems most people suggest the Xonar STX cards for the best audio. but then they also say its pretty overkill for games and that that there are cheaper alternatives more focused on games. 
So I guess my question is .. should i just get the Xonar Essense STX card? or is they a cheaper alternative made for games?
money is not too much of a issue but off course I don't want to spend more if i don't have too. also I'm currently using a Sennheiser 598 headphone for my sound.
and for more info I also have an Astro mix-amp that i use for 360 and I really like the surround sound that gives.. but sadly to use it on PC I need Dolby digital live which is what started this whole search lol..

I'm a happy Essence STX owner, but you do not have to buy an STX.
Get the Asus Xonar DG or DGX sound card, comes with Dolby Virtrual Headphone, plug the HD598 straight into it.
Adding something like a used ($55) Asus Xonar DX or D1 sound card will add the ability to output Dolby Digital live 5.1 (optical).
You can also use the DX or D1 which come with Dolby Virtual Headphone 5.1 to pre-processes surround sound before sending the signal to the Astro Mix-amp. (use the Astro's line-in).
Get the Creative labs Titanium HD ($150) all the FPS support you could need.
The Essence STX (Dolby Virtual Headphone 7.1) would be good if your planning on adding a headphone in the 250-ohm to 600-Ohm range.

 

[xDARKx]

thanks for the help!
 
looks like im either going to go with the xonar DX or the titanium HD. the only thing im worried about is that ive heard alot of bad things about creative products and there drivers.
 
are they still having problems? 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Looks like I'm either going to go with the Xonar DX or the Titanium HD. the only thing I'm worried about is that I've heard a lot of bad things about creative products and there drivers.
are they still having problems? 

I switched over to Xonar (3 years ago) because I was having too many problems reinstalling creative software.
But I believe Creative drivers have gotten more stable since the Titanium HD come out.
If the price is not the problem, get the Titanium HD.

 

[NamelessPFG]

Quote:

thanks for the help!
 
looks like im either going to go with the xonar DX or the titanium HD. the only thing im worried about is that ive heard alot of bad things about creative products and there drivers.
 
are they still having problems? 

 
I've had very few driver issues with the X-Fi cards I've used (X-Fi Prelude, X-Fi Forte, X-Fi Titanium HD) over the last couple of years, especially the Titanium HD. Maybe I'm just lucky with Creative drivers, but it does look like they've gotten their act together in the driver department with that card. I can recommend the X-Fi Titanium HD without hesitation.
 
Good thing, too, since I insist on having the best DirectSound3D and OpenAL support around, along with EAX 3/4/5 and so forth. Otherwise, games won't sound as they were intended to. Of course, I still like to play older games (that actually use those APIs), contrary to most people around here.
 
If none of that made sense to you, reading my PC gaming audio guide can help.