X-FI Card Difference

I know you aren't pushing me in either direction but your explanation there just made me choose. I would like to say I don't care about EAX but the way you explained what the difference is in gaming with EAX would make me want EAX. Also the whole deal about movies and gaming and EAX and the price between the Xonar and XtremeGamer makes the X-FI card sound much better, even if overall movie sound quality is lower.

I guess I will stick with my previous choice the Creative X-FI XtremeGamer.
 
I know you aren't pushing me in either direction but your explanation there just made me choose. I would like to say I don't care about EAX but the way you explained what the difference is in gaming with EAX would make me want EAX. Also the whole deal about movies and gaming and EAX and the price between the Xonar and XtremeGamer makes the X-FI card sound much better, even if overall movie sound quality is lower.

I guess I will stick with my previous choice the Creative X-FI XtremeGamer.

My explanation about the EAX was an example. I read a review that discussed the differences between real EAX 5 and the ASUS emulation awhile ago. I can't remember where I saw it, though. You still get the general features of EAX 5. It's just not the same as the real thing. Some people may say it's not a bit deal. Others will say it is a big deal.

The sound quality from an X-fi for movies isn't garbage, either. It's not like you are settling for junk by any means.
 
I understand that, EAX I still get with the Xonar, just it might not be true, which does not matter at most. At least I wouldn't exactly care. Yet overall, the Xtremegamer is cheaper, has true EAX and I know the brand (ok i know asus, but you know). And the example made me like it even more. Stop changing that lol

I found a deal on it as well, comes to just about under $100.
 
Well rotjong, I've had good luck with Tigerdirect myself but I also tend to buy from Fry's Electronic's more when I do or get locally. Your right though I just offering a company that ships to Canada, not saying anything about how good or bad the company is or anything like that.

Well Bman the important thing out this is your happy with the choice of sound card you made.
 
I personally find the Xonar to be better at positional audo than the x-fi. Its audio quality is where it shines. I really haven't heard a better card. Really the only thing it lacks over the X-fi is EAX 3,4,5 but as I said, I get better positional audio on the xonar.
 
I personally find the Xonar to be better at positional audo than the x-fi. Its audio quality is where it shines. I really haven't heard a better card. Really the only thing it lacks over the X-fi is EAX 3,4,5 but as I said, I get better positional audio on the xonar.

Fair enough. :)

For my use the EAX 5 support in games is just as important as the other aspects so I'd rather have what sounds good all around rather than have a card that might be better at audio in terms of movies/music but lack in the game department. As I've said before, I'm not saying the Xonar is junk because it isn't. I just don't think that the better audio quality that people claim, the emulated not-really-real EAX 5 support, and the bigger price tag are enough to make it worth it. I have absolutely no complaints about the X-Fi cards that I have used with various speaker setups and HD movies or music.

If Bman had money to throw around then it would be a different story. What he has said from early on was that he was on a budget with the card. So, taking that into account, the Xonar far exceeds that budget and doesn't offer the real EAX support.

In the end it comes down to Bman and I do think he'll be happy with whichever decision he makes. :)
 
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Well rotjong, I've had good luck with Tigerdirect myself but I also tend to buy from Fry's Electronic's more when I do or get locally. Your right though I just offering a company that ships to Canada, not saying anything about how good or bad the company is or anything like that.

I really wish I even had Fry's in the geographic location that I live. Alas, I do not. They have amazing deals at times. I got my Q6600 (retail) for 180 USD back in April when everyone else was still selling the card for around 280+ USD. Even now the price still hasn't dropped that low. I can't knock Fry's at all.

Nonetheless, I didn't mean to knock you. I just have never heard anything positive about TigerDirect and try to help people avoid running into problems. I've just had too many friends who told me nightmares about their issues with TigerDirect. :(

Well Bman the important thing out this is your happy with the choice of sound card you made.

In the end, that's what is important, yes. :)
 
In the end it comes down to Bman and I do think he'll be happy with whichever decision he makes. :)

Indeed it does. However if he goes with the X-fi now and the Xonar later he'll have spent $300 + on sound.

If he gets the Xonar now he'll have a card thats great for games, stunning for HD movies and stunning for music. I could argue that its better than the x-fi for gaming based on my experiances with it while gaming and its superior audio. All while saving $100 over the long term.

Since the card's use is not solely gaming now that he has a blu-ray/hd-dvd drive it is my opinion the xonar is the better buy.
 
Money is obviously my issue right now, maybe if I did get the Xonar later on I would spend more money but at the moment I don't see it that way. Let me put it this way, from your guys conversation back and forth I am getting something good either way and for someone who has had onboard sound since his first computer I think I will be quite happy with either one I get.

So let's end it with both the XFI and the Xonar are great cards, both have there ups and there downs (yes debatable) and both provide what I basically need. If you have the money get the Xonar because of the better overall sound quality with movies and music, and possibly with gaming. Basically same goes with the XFI but if you don't have the money get the XFI, both provide great sound, one might have something less and something better that can be debated. The only thing that is in the back of my head is that with HD movies the Xonar is better, but I know you guys never exactly said that and I know I will still get great sound with my movies. One is cheaper at the moment, and that is what I can get.

Thanks guys for all the help. I should be picking up the Creative XFI XtremeGamer sometime this week.
 
I understand that, EAX I still get with the Xonar, just it might not be true, which does not matter at most. At least I wouldn't exactly care. Yet overall, the Xtremegamer is cheaper, has true EAX and I know the brand (ok i know asus, but you know). And the example made me like it even more. Stop changing that lol

I found a deal on it as well, comes to just about under $100.

I have the X-Fi Xtreme Gamer card and have had no problems with it as to gaming or audio (movies, video, songs, etc...). It has been a great audio card for me and I have had it for about a year, it has never failed. When I bought it I also was choosing between the Xtreme Gamer and the Fatal1ty card.
 
...for someone who has had onboard sound since his first computer I think I will be quite happy with either one I get.

Indeed you will. Both are great sound cards.

One thing to bear in mind. With AnyDVD HD your HD audio from movies is not downsampled. Therefore you should stick with analogue output to spearkers/amp which ever card you get now and in the future. Both the X-fi and Xonar sound best when using their analogue outputs.
 

This isn't the article I am looking for but it is one of them that gets into more detail: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/multimedia/display/asus-xonar_11.html.

The emulated EAX doesn't work on all titles. I don't know if it has been resolved but apparently Max Payne and Max Payne 2 would cause a BSOD with the latest drivers in May for the Xonar. There were issues with Oblivion and BioShock as well. I don't know if those have been resolved yet.

Anyway, I'm still trying to find the original article that I read. I'll know it when I see it.

I have the X-Fi Xtreme Gamer card and have had no problems with it as to gaming or audio (movies, video, songs, etc...). It has been a great audio card for me and I have had it for about a year, it has never failed. When I bought it I also was choosing between the Xtreme Gamer and the Fatal1ty card.

Definitely nice to see at least one other person support the X-Fi. :) Even the low-end XtremeAudio isn't that bad. I'd take the XtremeAudio over most onboard sound any day of the week. I wouldn't compare the XtremeAudio to the Xonar D2, however.

Indeed you will. Both are great sound cards.

One thing to bear in mind. With AnyDVD HD your HD audio from movies is not downsampled. Therefore you should stick with analogue output to spearkers/amp which ever card you get now and in the future. Both the X-fi and Xonar sound best when using their analogue outputs.

Bman should definitely enjoy the sound of everything better after having used onboard sound for so long. Even though systems are getting more and more powerful I am still a proponent of getting the audio processing and decoding off the motherboard. AnyDVD HD's removal of HDCP and other ridiculous limitations and requirements will definitely make things more enjoyable.
 
Right let me get this straight, using Anydvd for blu-ray playback, does this enable the asus Xonar to decode the 2 HD formats (Dolby True HD & DTS HD) as according to asus' website only the new 1.3 has that feature...
 
Indeed you will. Both are great sound cards.

One thing to bear in mind. With AnyDVD HD your HD audio from movies is not downsampled. Therefore you should stick with analogue output to spearkers/amp which ever card you get now and in the future. Both the X-fi and Xonar sound best when using their analogue outputs.

This is totally off topic and is one of my lower points of smarts lol. I never understood the whole analog and digital yadda yadda stuff. Isn't analog older then digital and digital is better, so how can something sound better with analog. Just confused with that, never understood.
 
im lookin forward to that answer too cos i never knew for sure :]
 
The audio side of things is my weak point. What I do know is that PowerDVD used to down-sample digital out above a certain point and it likely still does in terms of high-definition audio content. IMHO either analog out or decoding the audio and sending it out via HDMI to the receiver as LPCM is the best route and will result in the better audio quality.
 
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