[Solved] X-FI Audio or Gamer (SOLVED) - Sound-Cards

Hi, thanks for reading.

Please, Can someone tell me which one is better, X-fi Xtreme Audio or X-FI Xtreme Gamer? I listen music more than play games, but if Xtreme Gamer can provide the same sound quality for music, I prefer to use it cause it's smaller. I'm using good Edifier Speakers.

X-Fi Audio
http://us.store.creative.com/Creat [...] IZC0GO.htm

X-FI Gamer
http://support.creative.com/kb/Sho [...] ?sid=26092

Thanks, Gabriel

Message edited by Gabriel4TH on 02-13-2012 at 10:08:59 AM

Reply to Gabriel4TH

Best answer

Neither! both are really outdated cards,released in 2006.
The Gamer(EMU20K1) is the better card though.
ASUS Xonar DS 7.1
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=4 [...] cture=ASUS
ASUS Xonar DG 5.1
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=5 [...] cture=ASUS

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to davcon

Between the two, the ExtremeGamer is better due to not being a re-branded Audigy 2.

That being said, both are totally obsolete cards at this point. The under $100 market is dominated by three cards: The ASUS Xonar DG, DS, and DX.

Reply to gamerk316

davcon wrote :

Neither! both are really outdated cards,released in 2006.
The Gamer(EMU20K1) is the better card though.
ASUS Xonar DS 7.1
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=4 [...] cture=ASUS
ASUS Xonar DG 5.1
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=5 [...] cture=ASUS

Both cards mentioned still provide real excellent audio quality today and great sound quality never gets old outdated or outta style.

Reply to Gordon Freeman

Thanks for everyone who is trying to help me.
I bought the cards mentioned for a low price, I think it was good business for me, cause I have 2 systems.
I listen MP3 320Kbps with very good Edifier Speakers, I play games too. X-FI gamer is smaller, helping VGA temperature.
I thought X-FI Audio was better for music, but I was wrong. Reading the answers, looks like X-FI Gamer is overall better, correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks for Gordon, davcon and gamerk316 for the answers. If someone have another opnion, I'll be glad to read it.

Reply to Gabriel4TH

They don't call it x-fi gamer any more. It's called x-fi titanium. The lowest level x-fi titanium card ($80) is really the only creative labs card worth getting. Anything higher isn't any better, they just either have extra memory (which isn't used) or a front bay interface thing.

Anything lower doesn't support 5.1 encoding. And the new recon series integrates the DAC on the processor, making it more prone to interference (worse).

The $80 x-fi model has a decent signal to noise ratio (109db). Lots of people like Xonar cards too, they have their fair share of issues, but seem like a good deal.

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ 6510 8-bit CPU @ 1.023 MHz
64Kb RAM 20Kb ROM
VIC II
SID
Reply to MagicPants

MagicPants wrote :

They don't call it x-fi gamer any more. It's called x-fi titanium. The lowest level x-fi titanium card ($80) is really the only creative labs card worth getting. Anything higher isn't any better, they just either have extra memory (which isn't used) or a front bay interface thing.

Anything lower doesn't support 5.1 encoding. And the new recon series integrates the DAC on the processor, making it more prone to interference (worse).

The $80 x-fi model has a decent signal to noise ratio (109db). Lots of people like Xonar cards too, they have their fair share of issues, but seem like a good deal.

I completely agree with you and can speak from experience of owning and wasting money on all the flavors of Creative sound cards in the X-fi range except the Titianium HD which I do think is better quality DACs and other components for a truly audiophile grade experience of sound that is on par with the supposedly superior Asus Xonar cards. PS my Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE sounds great and was only $40

Reply to Gordon Freeman

So, I`ll use X-FI Gamer on the main system. X-FI Audio in the other PC.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to Gabriel4TH

Gabriel4TH wrote :

So, I`ll use X-FI Gamer on the main system. X-FI Audio in the other PC.

They are both the same exact sounds cards just different names and I like the Crystaliser it really does clean up today's shity Digital music with lower Bitrates.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to Gordon Freeman

Crystalizer is really good! Another option that I prefer is to use foobar with Noise Sharpening plugin.

Message edited by Gabriel4TH on 02-07-2012 at 12:37:46 AM

Reply to Gabriel4TH

The gamer is missing the optical and digital outs.

The original link confused me a bit because it showed a picture of and x-fi titanium at the top. And what I think you really mean is the x-fi extreme gamer (I like xonar's naming scheme far better BTW).

Anyway if you check the wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi

you'll the two use different chips.

The audio uses the CA0106 (also with a lower 104dB signal to noise)
The extreme gamer uses the EMU20K1

I'd recommend the titanium, which uses the EMU20K2 (it is however a PCIe card)

But since you are looking at PCI cards, I'd recommend looking at other brands, like Xonar or HT Striker. One of creative labs strongest point is they have good PCIe interface cards. If you don't care about that, go with someone else.

Gordon Freeman wrote :

They are both the same exact sounds cards just different names and I like the Crystaliser it really does clean up today's shity Digital music with lower Bitrates.

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ 6510 8-bit CPU @ 1.023 MHz
64Kb RAM 20Kb ROM
VIC II
SID
Reply to MagicPants

MagicPants wrote :

The gamer is missing the optical and digital outs.

The original link confused me a bit because it showed a picture of and x-fi titanium at the top. And what I think you really mean is the x-fi extreme gamer (I like xonar's naming scheme far better BTW).

Anyway if you check the wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi

you'll the two use different chips.

The audio uses the CA0106 (also with a lower 104dB signal to noise)
The extreme gamer uses the EMU20K1

I'd recommend the titanium, which uses the EMU20K2 (it is however a PCIe card)

But since you are looking at PCI cards, I'd recommend looking at other brands, like Xonar or HT Striker. One of creative labs strongest point is they have good PCIe interface cards. If you don't care about that, go with someone else.

Oh I only use the PCI-E interface card the older ones and they all sounded identical Xtreem Music, Gamer, Fatality

Reply to Gordon Freeman

Best answer selected by Gabriel4TH.

Reply to Gabriel4TH

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