[IHaveNoSpaceBar]

I am not worried about gaming. Just need it for music.

 

[db597]

For music ONLY, the EMU 0404 is the better choice.

 

[Gaughtfried]

Glad to see you got your space bar fixed.

I'm going to pretty much echo what db597 said, but with an amp a Juli@'s the better choice. Or so I hear.

 

[IHaveNoSpaceBar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaughtfried Glad to see you got your space bar fixed. I'm going to pretty much echo what db597 said, but with an amp a Juli@'s the better choice. Or so I hear.

I am going to be using the K81DJ's, no need for an amp..should i still consider the Juli?

 

[db597]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IHaveNoSpaceBar I am going to be using the K81DJ's, no need for an amp..should i still consider the Juli?

The Juli@ has no headphone socket, so you can't use it direct to your headphones. It has the twin RCA connectors at the back. Alternatively, you can route it through a normal HiFi in the mean time.

 

[Predator88]

the emu also doesn't have a headphone socket. Basically with the emu or the juli@ you should be using an amp (even if just a cmoy)

 

[tschanrm]

To be fair, the X-fi also doesn't have a headphone jack. All three soundcards need an amp.

 

[maarek99]

X-fi actually has a headphone amp. The first lineout doubles as a headphone amp as it's opamp is enough for low impedance phones.

 

[JaGWiRE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maarek99 X-fi actually has a headphone amp. The first lineout doubles as a headphone amp as it's opamp is enough for low impedance phones.

Yup.

I am a big fan of the x-fi. I have had an m-audio card and seen screenshots of the e-mu control panel. I am all for a card that has the most support by it's manufacter (ie new drivers occasionally), easy to use control panel interface, with lots of tweekable settings (not sure about the other cards, but you can do some neat stuff with the x-fi, mute things like wave and mute or unmute certain inputs, etc.)

 

[skyline889]

You can do that with pretty much any soundcard, even onboard sound. For music the EMU 0404 is your best bet, it's cheaper than the X-Fi, has better sound quality musically, and does fairly well in the off chance that you do plan on using it for something other than music. It'll need an amplifier but then again so will all of them, the X-Fi has a built in Headphone-amplifier/amped line out and will be enough to power some cans but that's like saying a Hyundai has an engine so it'll be enough to race on the Nurburgring.

 

[IHaveNoSpaceBar]

since I will be using the K81DJ's maybe my best option is to buy the chaintech and keep the audigy 2 in my pc when I run games every now and then? Will I notice a difference in music quality? worth the 20 bux?

I should be able to tell every program to use a certain sound card if i got 2 right?

 

[db597]

IMHO, the Audigy 2 when using ASIO is pretty good already. So the difference by going to the AV710 isn't going to be dramatic. But for $20, there's not much to lose by giving it a try.

 

[skyline889]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IHaveNoSpaceBar since I will be using the K81DJ's maybe my best option is to buy the chaintech and keep the audigy 2 in my pc when I run games every now and then? Will I notice a difference in music quality? worth the 20 bux? I should be able to tell every program to use a certain sound card if i got 2 right?

To be honest with you, the normal 2ZS is such a mediocre card that the EMU will still be able to do gaming and DVD playback better than it. I would also not recommend the Chaintech AV-710 if you're not going to be running this set-up with a DAC, it's analog outputs aren't great by any standards, the only good thing about it, is that it outputs bit-perfect, 44.1khz stereo, out of it's digital out.

 

[IHaveNoSpaceBar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by db597 IMHO, the Audigy 2 when using ASIO is pretty good already. So the difference by going to the AV710 isn't going to be dramatic. But for $20, there's not much to lose by giving it a try.

I just downloaded the KX drivers...and i am using winamp to do directsound output..is anything else I should be doing?

 

[c0mfortably_numb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyline889 To be honest with you, the normal 2ZS is such a mediocre card that the EMU will still be able to do gaming and DVD playback better than it. I would also not recommend the Chaintech AV-710 if you're not going to be running this set-up with a DAC, it's analog outputs aren't great by any standards, the only good thing about it, is that it outputs bit-perfect, 44.1khz stereo, out of it's digital out.

..::Edit::.. I was going to say I have the EMU0404 and it doesn't do DVD playback....but I just tried it again and it worked, I have upgraded the version recently to 7, and I'm using my Headfive amp....Last time I tried it with 6 and a PA2V2, I don't know why it didn't work back then, strange.