[Reck45]

I'm looking for a budget gaming card and it appears as though the best options are either the sb live 24 bit or the audigy 2 value. Which is better? Thanks.

 

[Sycraft]

If those are your options, get the Audigy 2. It has an improved DSP over the Live, and can do real 24-bit support (the LIve isn't 24-bit all the way through, despite the name). As always, I recommend going the distance and getting an X-Fi, but the Audigy 2 is a good 2nd place when it comes to games.

 

[Reck45]

i guess i'll go with the a2. i'd love an xfi but unfortunately i don't have 200 bucks to spend on a soundcard.

 

[Behemot]

I would not cut corners on sound but $200 for just a PCI card is a lot.
They used to cost just under $100 before new year. I mean xtreme music.

EDIT: It's $130 now on bestbuy

 

[bhjazz]

I wasn't sure I really needed the midrange or high end version of the X-Fi, so I bought the eXtreme Music. The price was around $120 and it sounds great. Why do you want the upper end models? I'm fairly sure the card itself is the same (except for the top end model). I sure didn't need all of that functionality. For me, I installed the card and software, turned all the extraneous crap off (EAX effects, CMSS virtual 3D, compression, and even the Crystallizer) and it sounds damn good. Definitely lots of details ther without highlighting the upper end. Just very clean.

 

[Sycraft]

Might want the extra I/O. The Xtreme Music is a little spartan in that regard. The Platinum adds a headphone jack, S/PDIF and so on. The Fatality is pretty worthless IMO, as nothing uses X-RAM yet. The Elite Pro is nice though, I like mine.

 

[Reck45]

i got my card, sounds a lot better than the sb live. games and movies sound sooo much better now. the audigy 2 drivers are a bit buggy though...

 

[TooNice]

I couldn't decide between the Xtreme Music and the Elite Pro myself. I went with the later because I know I won't be getting an external DAC anytime soon anyway (too many of them, not enough comparisons... and when I add shipping to the UK, it would make the Xtreme Music + DAC combo significantly more expensive than the Elite Pro, even if the result is better).

 

[]|[ GorE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sycraft If those are your options, get the Audigy 2. It has an improved DSP over the Live, and can do real 24-bit support (the LIve isn't 24-bit all the way through, despite the name). As always, I recommend going the distance and getting an X-Fi, but the Audigy 2 is a good 2nd place when it comes to games.

Unlike the Audigy 2 ZS which downconverts to 16 bit whenever any FX are used ,the Live! 24bit is a REAL 24 bit card all the way through.Confirmed by ixbt.com

 

[Alu]

Get the audigy 2. I used to have one as well in my gaming rig some time ago and it worked pretty good.

 

[Reck45]

there seems to be a volume bug or something, whenever any eq effects are applied, the volume get really low. also the volume in winamp goes down for no reason sometimes. creative's reputation for having buggy drivers is certainly well deserved.