Do you actually use digital out to external DAC? If you just use the analog out on the card of course there will be no difference at all

PC > Sound card > DAC > Amp >Speaker
PC > DAC > Amp >Speaker

any sound quality different between this 2 set up ?
will there be some sound quality enhancement if we use sound card to tune Equalizer?
Thanks!

This post has been edited by yehlai: Jun 27 2008, 10:45 AM

You get extra feature if the card has it, like if you use X-Fi you get EAX too with digital out.

I don't think equalizer can be used with digital out. You using a good speaker (at least what you plan to buy is good) why bother with equalizer? Equalizer is evil, ruins the speaker sound signature

This post has been edited by Najmods: Jun 27 2008, 09:52 AM

depends on which mode you use...without bit-matched playback, you can tune EQ using sound card in digital out...for the quality enhancement, yes, if you know your speaker response and know how to tune for compensate certain frequency band roll off.

This post has been edited by coolkwc: Jun 27 2008, 10:08 AM

yeah thanks for the advice. got one today for myself.

the sound is clear but not so many difference from my onboard one. maybe cause i used to tweak the onboard already. but nvm. i have 5.1 and digital output from my crap laptop today...

new user of X-Fi Surround 5.1 reporting!

Congratulation... how much you bought?

hahaha i bought in sg.
99 SGD.

not the best la, but i think better than sound blaster 24-bit external., its 79.

however when i plugged in the headset can feel more power and lots of stuff rather than the speaker cause in the speaker i only feel the clarity part. nvm though quite happy with the item...

Sure this one will sound better than SB 24bit external since the chip inside 24bit external too old adi...

yap, honestly say your Edifier M3300 reached its limit adi...maybe you need to change to better speaker for future...

actually some users need some times to adapt with the new sound and unveil the full potential of the card...when i first bought my XtremeMusic i felt the same thing as you...but after few days of listening, i gradually noticed a lot of differences from onboard, tested with a lot of songs, i can heard some sound i never heard before, you need time...

This post has been edited by coolkwc: Jun 28 2008, 09:21 PM

agree. of course the speaker is still the same i wont notice many difference. im no longer using M3300. it sound sucks actually. i use another no brand speaker abit cheaper than M3300 but superb than M3300 in almost all aspect.

what i notice actually is that the soundcard itself, have 1% difference from my onboard one. then i use crystalliser and cmss3d. nah from here actually i say.. u know. now i feel the sound now is so warm... after few songs ive played. i mean usually its not this warm. can relax better sia... hahahah and i test with battlefield 2 and counter-strike. yes i feel difference in them... maybe should listen more. burn-in my own ear...

yap, burn-in your own ear rather than the sound card....i actually don't believe any kind of burn-in except my ear burn-in...

New owner of Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB Soundcard reporting in!

Jeez I never realised there's such a big difference in performance btw crappy laptop soundcard and a real one o.O. Glad i decided to invest in this thing lol.

what speaker you paired with?

X-fi titanium out already? how much ah?



This post has been edited by rayfoo: Jun 29 2008, 08:27 AM

I'm using logitech z680, simply becoz of it's flexible i/o ports

still can't see in Lowyat price list...if you want, i think you need to buy online from Creative online store...SG$219

This post has been edited by coolkwc: Jun 29 2008, 04:32 PM

hi again all X-Fi users!

just wanna ask simple question:
Do you all use (download) the PowerDVD 6 that is given free by purchase of any X-Fi card? or you all use better dvd program to watch videos or movies?

i have powerdvd 4 and 6 (all unlocked) but dont find it better than WMP11 with ffdshow...

cheers

i'm using media player classic with K-Lite Codec to watch DVD...in terms of picture quality, undeniable power DVD is better but i need the K-lite codec AC3filter flexibility of sound tuning when playback surround movie...is up to you actually...just use the program you like...

How much you bought it ? and where you bought it ? i need one for my laptop as well.

If I use Media Player Classic the sound is much lower than using PowerDVD. I fix the volume of my speaker Edifier R51.
I need to lower the volume of the PowerDVD. Not sure if this normal

Which one better - Stereo surround or expand. I read in a forum, better use expand and make it 100% as this will dedicate each sound to each speaker. Where as surround mirror the sound to all speaker.

I do not wish the sound to travel to other room, so use expand (this is suggested by a person in a forum. Dont remember which).

Please advice. Thanks.

if you using Media player classic AC3filter to watching surround movie, the filter will auto normalize the sound to avoid clipping, thats why the volume is lower...

i don't use surround when listening music...if i do, i will set stereo surround rather than stereo expand...stereo surround will clone the front stereo to the real channel, so that the real channel will have the exactly same sound as front, more natural....while stereo expand will add some reverb and depth to the real channel, i don't like it...

This post has been edited by coolkwc: Jun 29 2008, 09:52 PM