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OK here is the truth as I understand it but I am a xonar fan so take from it what you will. My sound card history is
SB Live 5.1 > Audigy 2 > X-Fi gamer > Xonar DX , Xonar Essence STX
EAX is dead
Unless you are still into playing your old games (nothing wrong with that) then forget about EAX when choosing a new SQ. Most of the old EAX enhancements wont work naively on win 7 and is re written by OpenAL. Stick with XP and EAX for gaming nostalgia on old PCs and games.
The Creative Camp
Its a bit of a sweeping statement but most of the creative cards have been rehashes with gimmicky branding to sell them. They have not really improved the tech \ SQ for a long time until the titanium arrived.
I tried a lower end X-fi and had driver issues up to my ears (no pun) and as a ten year creative user that was the end..
(I still hear good things about the KX driver pack which is the only saving grace of the X-fi)
Xonar ( Dolby Headphone & Pro-logic IIx ) vs CMSS3D
Plenty has been argued over this but IMO Dolby headphone is superior than CMSS3D in sound quality and positional accuracy vertically and horizontally and general audio experience. I find it doesn't distort the SQ as to make the audio experience a horrid one. You also have the option of adding Pro-logic IIx for even more sound stage and imaging customisation.
The lower end Xonars (DG & DX) have Dolby tech including digital live 5.1 encoding for a bargain price. You should be hard pushed to not choose a Xonar when looking low and mid range.
The DX sound quality is much better than the lower end offerings from creative and has full windows 7 64bit drivers with ASIO with which I have no problems. Not to say ASUS are perfect many have had issues and their driver release schedule is iffy, but for that we can use the custom Unified driver pack. Big up to the custom driver mod scene.
Higher End: Essence STX vs Titanium HD
The STX brings a quality DAC and not just a built headphone amp and is well regarded here on head-fi and gives a noticeable bump in SQ over the DX. The HP amp may not be high end audiophile league but it can power some audiophile cans (HD650). The STX is regarded as up there with if not the best sound card available.
I have not heard the Titanium HD but this looks to be a great card from creative and if I was still in the creative camp I would probably buy it. Reading the reviews the sound quality is comparable and for some even better than STX.
Which to buy
For me the Xonars represent the best sound card for gaming and music & movies and the top offering being the STX. Ever since I fist purchased the DX was a very happy Head-fier and Game-fier and now with the STX even more so.
The only creative offering that should be considered is the Titanium HD but without dolby headphone it will be second choice every time.
Other notes
The X-fi HD / Digital music premium external Sound card looks to be a great external option but lacks flexibility for gaming.
/SEMIRANT
I think you should have said that if you
don't have a Creative soundcard, you have to stick with XP in order to have access to the lower levels of EAX the competition has. Creative can convert DS/DS3D calls to OpenAL and have full 3D audio in Vista/7.
Using a low end Creative is the worse way to base an opinion as there are quite a few low end models which do not share the main processing chip, being switched by lower quality ones, like Audigy LS or X-Fi XtremeAudio.
I've never had any driver issues whatsoever, and while they do feel a bit bloated, always were stable and never affected the sound. Though I do know of people who had issues, but nothing severe enough, despite me knowing some things that have happened through other forums.
Creative has quite solid modded drivers release scheduling, and any Creative other than the LS, SE and XtremeAudio variants (the lowest end) will give you quite good audio.
Again, gaming is for Creatives, Asus solutions don't even come close without introducing severe sound issues, which in itself degrades the whole sound experience. For music, Asus fare better, with Creative's Titanium HD being a serious contender to Asus offerings. External solutions is basically X-Fi HD, Asus has nothing to match it.
