[forciano]

Good god its a pain in the arse to change opamps on this cards, theres even less space than the ST...

 

[leeperry]

 

Good god its a pain in the arse to change opamps on this cards, theres even less space than the ST...

 

[forciano]

It was more of a pain to make 2x LME LME49720 can versions fit in there.

 

[rio197]

 
Quote:

Found another review of Titanium HD, http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/sound-cards/creative-x-fi-titanium-hd-712750/review
Looks not bad but seems a little overpriced. Still looks and waits for more reviews.

So Amazon sells it. The USB version is €91.67. As I only use TOSLINK, I'm not sure if it would be a better option than the Asus Xonar U1 USB. Somebody care to enlighten me if the difference in internal circuitry between the Creative and Asus matters if one only uses optical?

 

[dduckquack]

Quote:

It may have been proven in a single setup, but EMI is going to be different depending upon the box that the soundcard is installed into.  Faraday cage metal shields block most EMI, plastic does not.  Also, metal is a better heat conductor than plastic so as long as your box is properly cooled the components on the board will run cooler with more metal to sink the heat.  Sure, the metal may feel warmer to the touch because that it is conducting heat AWAY from the electronic components.

problem is the other components of the pc (GPU) run hotter than a sound card, a metal box would be like an oven (transfer of heat is hot to cold, the cold being inside the metal box)
 

 

[forciano]

So I added  2x LME LME4972HA in the I/V and then the 2xOPA827 in the other available OPAMP slot, and so far I am amazed and how much that improved the sound. There is lots of detail and there is actually bass compared to using almost the same combo with my essence ST. Of course I have to do more listening tests but so far music with lots of instruments sounds really nice, electronic music sometimes lacks in the higher frequencies but I guess I can live with that.

 

[ROBSCIX]

The 2114D's are generic opamps that are usually laidout in the reference design for the DAC in the spec sheets.  Same thing was used on the Essence series.  The OPA2114D's would be used for differential input I/V feeding into a single end converter/buffer.  However, usually reference designs would just use another dual channel version.   The dual single channel opamps are a definate design improvement.
 
Most that have even worked with opamps a little will know that 2 single channel opamps will usually trump a dual channel version.
 
It is nice to see Creative Labs using these types of higher end design ideas.
 
Great card for the opamp rollers out there.

 

[raymond555]

forciano
can you guide me please where you to put the omp's and were to get them?(same as yours)
and which omp's are best suited for rock\metal music?
i think that the 2114d pretty much sucks in bass.

 

[Peterk]

I just recieved my Titanium HD in the mail, right now I'm just on the Xfi Titanium, is there any noticable upgrade?  There isnt much out on this card yet, how good is it without changing out the opamps?

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

I just recieved my Titanium HD in the mail, right now I'm just on the Xfi Titanium, is there any noticable upgrade?  There isnt much out on this card yet, how good is it without changing out the opamps?

I am thinking you should hear a difference because of the higher end components provided you have speakers or headphones that are not limiting your system.
It has impressive specs and the early adopters are saying it is a great sounding card.  Let us know what you think when you get it and have a chance to test it properly.

 

[spacemanspliff]

If you have a high end receiver and just run optical out, would my X-FI Titanium be the same as this card?
 
Also, is the DTS feature pretty much useless when using headphones? I find that it sounds weird.

 

[Aynjell]

Quote:

If you have a high end receiver and just run optical out, would my X-FI Titanium be the same as this card?
 
Also, is the DTS feature pretty much useless when using headphones? I find that it sounds weird.

I'd say that if you use optical you're missing almost all the benefit of the X-Fi titanium HD. That being said, it's a no brainer not to upgrade. Personally, I wouldn't if optical is a primary concern because (and really it should be because the X-Fi is a ground loop creating machine), because the connector for optical is non standard and personally I prefer the standard connector on the stock titanium.

 

[Alexander01]

How are the high's on the Titanium HD compared to the Xonar ST/STX? Less harsh? Also, is the sound of the Titanium HD more relax, laidback and mellow compared to the ST/STX? I found the ST/STX too loud, agressive and fatigue.
Is this card a huge improvement for Electronic Music over the normal Titanium? I always listen with a V-shaped Equalizer to get as much sub-bass and detail in the high's as possible. But the Titanium HD has less bass then the normal Titanium?

 

[Peterk]

I had the STX for a short time and ended up returning it, it had little bass and I thought had a harsh sound in general.  It was useless for gaming compared to Xfi as well. 
 
I just plugged in the Titanium HD, going to Schiit Asgard > HD650. Compared to the Xfi Titanium it's very similar, the HD seems to have slightly better mids but lacks deep bass, and isnt quite as clear in general as the original.  But I havent had it in long, and they are very close sounding so I'll have to take some more time with it.
 
Does anyone have op amp alternatives for it?

 
Quote:

How are the high's on the Titanium HD compared to the Xonar ST/STX? Less harsh? Also, is the sound of the Titanium HD more relax, laidback and mellow compared to the ST/STX? I found the ST/STX too loud, agressive and fatigue.
Is this card a huge improvement for Electronic Music over the normal Titanium? I always listen with a V-shaped Equalizer to get as much sub-bass and detail in the high's as possible. But the Titanium HD has less bass then the normal Titanium?

 

[raymond555]

I think the high's on the HD are pretty harsh,and the bass lacks real punch,even my old SB Live had a lot better bass reproduction.
overall its a good card with great build quality,but i think the stock omp's(2114d) ruins it all,as they are doing nothing but keeping low noise levels.