Looking for opinions

gballard · October 22nd, 2003

I am considering buying a Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 for the new system I built. It already has a Live! 5.1 card in it but I was told the difference in the sound with the Audigy is simply amazing. I was wondering if any of you guys have any experience with this card and could offer up opinions on it. I noticed newegg.com has it on sale for $72.00 + free shipping. Any input would be appreciated...

**GoNz0** · October 22nd, 2003

i have 1, it's an amazing bit of hardware. my main game is battlefield 1942 and making full use of surround hardware mode is amazing. theres some games out there using the new EAX HD, very very good sounds. 1 of the biggest problems is emulating in software mode, lagging your PC in games. none of that with audigy 2

gballard · October 22nd, 2003

Yeah...I am just now getting into gaming really...just bought copies of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy and Return to Castle Wolfenstein

**GoNz0** · October 22nd, 2003

well it's a good card for gaming, thats all i got it for. with the creative 6.1 speakers it's an awsome setup, a friend got the speakers setup in his room.
now is a good time to pick 1 up cheep, they just replaced it with the 7.1 surround output

gballard · October 22nd, 2003

so the Audigy 2 on this page looks like a good deal then?

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...tby=14&order=1

**GoNz0** · October 22nd, 2003

seems to be

you can probably save a couple a $$ if you can be botherd searching.

gballard · October 22nd, 2003

well I went ahead and got the one from newegg...I do alot of business with them...never have had a problem with them...thanks for your input...

**GoNz0** · October 22nd, 2003

happy gaming

remember to set all audio options to max & EAX modes where allowed.
medal of honor sounds like the opening scene from saving private ryan with 5,1

*tip, enable CMSS*

October 22nd, 2003

is it really that good? i have a regular SB 5.1 card and i do watch a lot of movies and do play games.

but when i play games, i usually wear headphones (Plantronics Audio 60s or 90s). would it really make a big difference when im using headphones?

**Petros** · October 22nd, 2003

If you don't have high-end speakers, the sound coming from your sound card won't matter. With my Klipsch speakers, the difference is obvious, but they're kinda spendy (~$320). I recommend getting new speakers and a sound card at the same time.

A word of caution: While the sound is great, Creative's drivers are simply awful. If it weren't for the superb KX Project drivers (good for Live! cards too

), I would have sold my card and bought a Guillemot Fortissimo III a long time ago.

gballard · October 22nd, 2003

if you go with the KX Project drivers...can you still use the other software from Creative? Like Playcenter and stuff...

**Petros** · October 22nd, 2003

Yes, as long as you install them before the KX driver. The KX driver also has built-in apps for speaker control that you can use instead of the Creative apps like Surround Mixer.

gballard · October 22nd, 2003

would I still use the Creative app to enable CMSS?

**Petros** · October 22nd, 2003

I've never tried it, but I would assume it wouldn't, because CMSS is tied to the Creative driver structure.

There are a vast array of presets in the KX DSP section that will do quite a few effects, a couple of which strongly resemble, if not sound identical to, CMSS.

gballard · October 22nd, 2003

well from what i have read...CMSS is what turns on the 5.1 functionality

**Petros** · October 22nd, 2003

CMSS upmixes a stereo stream (like a CD) to a pseudo-5.1 sound, or so Creative says.

What it actually does is just add subtle reverb to the high end of the sound spectrum, giving you the odd sensation that the sound is all around you.

Movies and games already produce true surround sound (usually 5.1, sometimes more or less), and CMSS actually becomes detrimental to the sound, becuase it takes away the distinctness of the separate channels.

gballard · October 22nd, 2003

well...I have the Creative Inspire 5.1 speakers hangin off my Live! 5.1 and right now the center speaker doesn't put out any sound...I read that turning on the CMSS would put sound out of all 5 speakers.

**Petros** · October 22nd, 2003

Ahh...go into the control panel and the sound options and make sure Windows has your speaker setup as "5.1".

gballard · October 22nd, 2003

I do have it set to 5.1 speakers

**Petros** · October 22nd, 2003

Maybe the Creative speaker test (KX has got one too

) will let you find out. Has it always been this way? You should have center-channel even without CMSS.

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #1
gballard OSNN Senior Addict Joined: December 2001 Posts: 549 Reputation: 151 Power: 130	Looking for opinions I am considering buying a Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 for the new system I built. It already has a Live! 5.1 card in it but I was told the difference in the sound with the Audigy is simply amazing. I was wondering if any of you guys have any experience with this card and could offer up opinions on it. I noticed newegg.com has it on sale for $72.00 + free shipping. Any input would be appreciated...

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October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #2
GoNz0 NTFS Stoner Joined: March 2002 Location: the year 2525 Posts: 2,781 Reputation: 350 Power: 152	i have 1, it's an amazing bit of hardware. my main game is battlefield 1942 and making full use of surround hardware mode is amazing. theres some games out there using the new EAX HD, very very good sounds. 1 of the biggest problems is emulating in software mode, lagging your PC in games. none of that with audigy 2

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #3
gballard OSNN Senior Addict Joined: December 2001 Posts: 549 Reputation: 151 Power: 130	Yeah...I am just now getting into gaming really...just bought copies of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy and Return to Castle Wolfenstein

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #4
GoNz0 NTFS Stoner Joined: March 2002 Location: the year 2525 Posts: 2,781 Reputation: 350 Power: 152	well it's a good card for gaming, thats all i got it for. with the creative 6.1 speakers it's an awsome setup, a friend got the speakers setup in his room. now is a good time to pick 1 up cheep, they just replaced it with the 7.1 surround output

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #5
gballard OSNN Senior Addict Joined: December 2001 Posts: 549 Reputation: 151 Power: 130	so the Audigy 2 on this page looks like a good deal then? http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...tby=14&order=1

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #6
GoNz0 NTFS Stoner Joined: March 2002 Location: the year 2525 Posts: 2,781 Reputation: 350 Power: 152	seems to be you can probably save a couple a $$ if you can be botherd searching.

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #7
gballard OSNN Senior Addict Joined: December 2001 Posts: 549 Reputation: 151 Power: 130	well I went ahead and got the one from newegg...I do alot of business with them...never have had a problem with them...thanks for your input...

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #8
GoNz0 NTFS Stoner Joined: March 2002 Location: the year 2525 Posts: 2,781 Reputation: 350 Power: 152	happy gaming remember to set all audio options to max & EAX modes where allowed. medal of honor sounds like the opening scene from saving private ryan with 5,1 tip, enable CMSS

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #9
Bronx Bomber Unregistered Posts: n/a	is it really that good? i have a regular SB 5.1 card and i do watch a lot of movies and do play games. but when i play games, i usually wear headphones (Plantronics Audio 60s or 90s). would it really make a big difference when im using headphones?

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #10
Petros Thief IV Joined: May 2003 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,038 Reputation: 1647 Power: 153	If you don't have high-end speakers, the sound coming from your sound card won't matter. With my Klipsch speakers, the difference is obvious, but they're kinda spendy (~$320). I recommend getting new speakers and a sound card at the same time. A word of caution: While the sound is great, Creative's drivers are simply awful. If it weren't for the superb KX Project drivers (good for Live! cards too ), I would have sold my card and bought a Guillemot Fortissimo III a long time ago.

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #11
gballard OSNN Senior Addict Joined: December 2001 Posts: 549 Reputation: 151 Power: 130	if you go with the KX Project drivers...can you still use the other software from Creative? Like Playcenter and stuff...

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #12
Petros Thief IV Joined: May 2003 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,038 Reputation: 1647 Power: 153	Yes, as long as you install them before the KX driver. The KX driver also has built-in apps for speaker control that you can use instead of the Creative apps like Surround Mixer.

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #13
gballard OSNN Senior Addict Joined: December 2001 Posts: 549 Reputation: 151 Power: 130	would I still use the Creative app to enable CMSS?

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #14
Petros Thief IV Joined: May 2003 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,038 Reputation: 1647 Power: 153	I've never tried it, but I would assume it wouldn't, because CMSS is tied to the Creative driver structure. There are a vast array of presets in the KX DSP section that will do quite a few effects, a couple of which strongly resemble, if not sound identical to, CMSS.

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #15
gballard OSNN Senior Addict Joined: December 2001 Posts: 549 Reputation: 151 Power: 130	well from what i have read...CMSS is what turns on the 5.1 functionality

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #16
Petros Thief IV Joined: May 2003 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,038 Reputation: 1647 Power: 153	CMSS upmixes a stereo stream (like a CD) to a pseudo-5.1 sound, or so Creative says. What it actually does is just add subtle reverb to the high end of the sound spectrum, giving you the odd sensation that the sound is all around you. Movies and games already produce true surround sound (usually 5.1, sometimes more or less), and CMSS actually becomes detrimental to the sound, becuase it takes away the distinctness of the separate channels.

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #17
gballard OSNN Senior Addict Joined: December 2001 Posts: 549 Reputation: 151 Power: 130	well...I have the Creative Inspire 5.1 speakers hangin off my Live! 5.1 and right now the center speaker doesn't put out any sound...I read that turning on the CMSS would put sound out of all 5 speakers.

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #18
Petros Thief IV Joined: May 2003 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,038 Reputation: 1647 Power: 153	Ahh...go into the control panel and the sound options and make sure Windows has your speaker setup as "5.1".

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #19
gballard OSNN Senior Addict Joined: December 2001 Posts: 549 Reputation: 151 Power: 130	I do have it set to 5.1 speakers

October 22nd, 2003	Top \| #20
Petros Thief IV Joined: May 2003 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,038 Reputation: 1647 Power: 153	Maybe the Creative speaker test (KX has got one too ) will let you find out. Has it always been this way? You should have center-channel even without CMSS.