add-on sound card to improve performance?

[=CJW= Rad Hanzo]

For any X-Fi Card I highly suggest trying alternative drivers....

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?p=3805318

Installed them while my Teufel Concept F 5.1 was still operational and was quite blown away, especiall when mixing music in X-Fi´s "Audio-creation mode" (I know its just true stereo, but the speakers and the sub were very good sounding pieces of equip).

Try and report hands on xp.
Btw: Above driver is available for Auzentech cards as well, since they are upgrade X-Fi´s

http://fm4.orf.at/soundpark/g/gweilu/main
one of my pieces... just drums and guitars

[onesoul]

Paid $150 total for the Galaxy 465 GTX 1GB.  Didnt find any 460 at that price.  Runs way cooler than the 8800 GTS it replaced.  Hit auto detect because I wanted to start playing!  :-). I will fine tune the video settings and likely wont overclock the card.   Dont remember the clock rate off hand.

[GB-72AT Talon]

Paid $150 total for the Galaxy 465 GTX 1GB.  Didnt find any 460 at that price.  Runs way cooler than the 8800 GTS it replaced.  Hit auto detect because I wanted to start playing!  :-). I will fine tune the video settings and likely wont overclock the card.   Dont remember the clock rate off hand.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600007323%20600062521%20600007779&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20

That's where I was trying to steer you.  I see around 7 of them in that price range.  That's where my $150 would have gone.  Just trying to give you good purchasing advice based on personal experience.  Enjoy the game either way though.  :-)

[ShotgunSpiff]

Current audio hardware:
Asus Xonar D1 Audio Card
Audio-Technica ATH-A700 Headphones
Logitech USB Desktop Microphone

If you are going to buy a separate audio card, save up and get a GOOD pair if headphones with it.  Don't pay $200-$300 on a card only to keep using the same average-quality/subpar phones or speakers bottlenecking the output.  Not just games, but movies and music will sound much better (given some extra equilizer tweaking).  Your ears will thank you for it, I know mine did.

[=CJW= Rad Hanzo]

Spiff?
Cut the EQ´ing out.
This is being done by real wizards with tools that are hard on actual cpu´s, not to mention the best tools for audio mastering are still analogue

Never asked yourself : why do so many bands spend tons of cash on serious masterings? 
Getting the best out of the material on many many speakers (known and oldskool fact, but hey) and thus sparing us the old HI-FI (yes, old vinyls could use a boost here, a cut there, but thats something else) hassle of fiddling around with the EQ´s and this is taking into cosnideration the available EQ´s (just coarse filters....really coarse; instead anybody maybe wanna take a look into 32-way EQ´s in Cubase^^) on nowadays standard Audio Equipment like Soundcards or low to medium Soundsystems (most pc-speaker systems/ 5.1 systems up to 1k €/~1.5 USD).

If your having Mid-to High end audio Equip (5k€ and upwards to ....) you will be fiddling around....with setting up positions for most accurate room usage, damping of room-nodes and so on and on^^

I had to get that out, excuse me^^

[=KoS= 37]

For any X-Fi Card I highly suggest trying alternative drivers....

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?p=3805318

Installed them while my Teufel Concept F 5.1 was still operational and was quite blown away, especiall when mixing music in X-Fi´s "Audio-creation mode" (I know its just true stereo, but the speakers and the sub were very good sounding pieces of equip).

Try and report hands on xp.
Btw: Above driver is available for Auzentech cards as well, since they are upgrade X-Fi´s

http://fm4.orf.at/soundpark/g/gweilu/main
one of my pieces... just drums and guitars

Thanks for this, the drivers for my Audigy 2 ZS for Windows 7 were awful.  Sounds a lot better now! 

Agreed, spend money on a decent pair of headphones. 

I got the HD 280 Pros many years ago, and they're great (though admittedly I think they're worse than others in that were in that price range like the Sennheiser 555s or the Audio-Technicas, but they're closed!).  They've lasted long enough that any crappy headphones would have been replaced several times over by now.  I'd spend more money on my headphones WAY before more money on a more expensive sound card, when even cheap sound cards are supposed to be decent.

[=CJW= Rad Hanzo]

Another pair of ears delighted....mission "Hear-well" is still on the way and rolling^^

Good hardware will nearly last forever...thats why I am toying with the thought of replacing my trusted Sennheiser PC161 with Sennheiser´s PC360 (right speaker membrane of 161 seems to develop a faint crackling...awful to have that intermixed into bass rumbles, kersplosions and such...yuck, but they lasted through 4 years constant "ab"use, constantly being on TS for ArmA/MWLL and any other games running over them too).

Welcome on the hearing side and have fun with it, 37

[Wolf]

Well to drop my two cents in here, I´m running a Auzentech X-Fi Forte in this computer and with my old Boxes (Creative TT-7700) it sounds awesome. Much better than the onboard, but I heard the Auzentechs are better than the Creatives, better A/D converters, and I´ve never had any windows 7 64-bit driver Problems. The Auzentechdrivers run like clockwork. The difference at upgrading from a Audigy 2 ZS was astounding. That old dog was around for 5 years.

Hmm I´m thinking about Replacing the TT-7700 but, so far I haven´t seen any Teufel 7.1 system, analog of course. But if you got some ideas........tell me. Also If I want to replace a Sharkoon X-tactic Digital (run on analog) what would be your recommendations, sourround and stereo. The only problem is that the CMSS 3d makes the sounds a bit too loud, too close.

[=KoS= 37]

Welcome on the hearing side and have fun with it, 37

Thanks!

The difference at upgrading from a Audigy 2 ZS was astounding.

Someday I'll upgrade, someday...

On the other hand, I do more listening on my ipod so pumping that money towards its replacement would do a lot more for me.  I really really want a Cowon D3.  I like Cowon's sound quality, equalizers, and drag and drop much better than having to use iTunes and the ipod touch isn't a very good music player.  I never use apps anymore anyway, and the android web browser is probably going to be great for me.

[=CJW= Rad Hanzo]

@Wolf
Very weirdly Auzentechs drivers are lightyears better than Creative´s....go figure^^
But maybe those Paxdrivers can top it off with a nice cherry to your good cake.

As for 5.1/7.1 sets...I might not want to have them ...neither for PC nor any Stereo set I might buy in any possible future but that is to everyones taste.
Anyway, here is a teaser from Teufel:
http://www.teufel.de/heimkino-thx/system-6-thx-select-cinema-7.1-p627.html
http://www.teufel.de/heimkino-thx/system-8-thx-ultra-2-cinema-7.1-p2197.html

Wanna get one of the 2 above...start saving big time^^

Recommendations for headsets :
Sennheiser PC360
Sennheiser PC350
Sennheiser PC161
Sennheiser PC151

above all in Stereo, I really recommend listening to pure stereo sounds as your brains will localize any EAX-based SoundFX ingame nearly a 1000 times preciser than any CMSS or other Software just based on the fact that its all just runtime informations received by your brain, which are quite well placed through EAX.

I had my funny times playing CS:S semi-pro, standing at odd angles around close to walls and listening to the enemies approaching half the map away because of unfettered stereosignals (well yes unfetterd but EAX based still, your brain computes those runtime informations just a million times faster and way more precise than any software could )
I´m still getting questions and taunty remarks (ya, Rad´s cheatin again, that fugger^^)when playing ArmA2 OA ,being on TS and still being able to early hear, identify and localize any gamesounds way before most headset/5.1 users albeit running ArmA´s ingame Volume at like 5% of its maximum.

Again...the power of brains, unmodified EAX info (no crystalizer, no CMSS, no EQ´ing) and a good headset.

Oh and to clear another shady area up : You will just need EAX to receive runtime informations to localize sounds coming from behind

Aaaand another thing comes to me sick mind: pls PLS PLS guys....dont listen to music/games on full volumes....any level over 85 db SPL WILL damage your hearing over time and really quick too. This damage is irrereversible most of the times, except with deaf-aids.

Have fun and some nice, precise hearing.

[Wolf]

Thanks Rad Hanzo, just got some additional questions, My X-Fi forte is PCIe so should I takt the Titanium drivers for Win7 then? And do they support DD and DTS? Since I get the DD and DTS connect pack for free with the auzentech driver. It still sounds interesting, though. And it seems like everyone but Creative can make decent drivers, and souncards. I think they should just make the chip for the next one and hand production over to auzentech for example. I mean nowadays its mostly us enthusiasts that buy soundcards, because we like good sound. Still when it comes to music nothing beats a record player.

About the speaker systems.............well...........the System 8 is waaayyy out of my price class, unfortunately, looks nice. The 6 looks nice even if it´s a hefty investment, especially if you want a decent amplifier to go with it. Hmm I´ll keep it in mind for the long term. But I think it´s more for movies than playing, well I also watch movies on this PC, what do you need a blu-ray player for if you got a decent pc.

In the 5.1 PC speakers the Concept E300 and E400 Control are really interesting, and affordable, though not in the same quality class.
http://www.teufel.de/sale/concept-e-400-control-p7799.html
http://www.teufel.de/sale/concept-e-300-control-p7788.html

Are there alternatives to Teufel, you´d reccomend? With 7.1 Speakers? Just looking over it, though I´m seriously considering saving for the Teufel Concept Es. And I´m combing through the net for alternatives. Always better to make a thorough search before buying something, or planning on it.

I´ll try that tipp with the pure stereo signal.

[=CJW= Rad Hanzo]

Maybe try this one for the Auzie Forte PCI-e
PAX MASTER Suite V2.05 (is in the thread on page 9, check da spoiler below)
[spoiler]http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=334230&page=9[/spoiler]
There also is some further procedure to be adhered to when DTS and other things are being used, not sure though what, you might have to look that up in that PAX-thread, sorry I couldnt help you with that.

Yo, some of the Ultra THX Systems are damn pricey^^
Well...any other company producing decent 7.1 systems might be favorable over Teufel, ´cause they got bad manufacturing in the PC systems earlier e.g: my Concept F´s poweramp (situated in the woofer) killed itself twice becasue of ( at least I guess so)shitty layout and heat issues (and I am in no way an electrician) and prolly not so good internal parts.
It was literally just cramped in there when I opened up the back of the woofer(nice hex-screws, no brutality needed), made me a sad panda.

The fun fact about Teufel systems are : they are really good sounding, but the internals and layout are just not very advanced/well conceptionalised, at least in the PC-systems category.
Maybe its the thing that the systems are built in China and just inspected by Teufel, not sure, but won´t buy anything again from them.
Maybe they have already reacted and improved production, I don´t know.

If you are able to find something else, you could also give it a try.

Logitech comes to mind here, not sure if they got 7.1´s.

Other manufacturers than that: Zalman,Empire, Arctic Sound, Cambride, Marantz, ESI, Altec-Lansing, Denon, Elac, Bowers&Wilkes, Nubert, Focal, Sony, Fonel, Quadral, Audioplan, Abacus....the list is long, if not endless and and above are just some names.

I think it might be really interesting to think a step further than just pure pc-usage, build a fat ass multimedia-capable rack system and just plug the pc into it, next to cd-player, blu-ray drive and tv ^^

I for myself am looking to save me like 2-3k and get me a killer stereo set (mind me, I am looking for clarity, precision and musicality, not just plain oommph and loudness) with some nice clinically sounding amp (which might be another 1-1.5k), hell if I might get really lucky at the time I have that cash ready I might get me some nice bundle^^

[Wolf]

Well I´m dowloading the master suite right now, but there was a Forte specific driver, but the link is dead. Paxyoursoundout had it though. http://www.paxyoursoundout.com/ I´m eating myself through some tests on Sourround sound systems. (a german joke about reading a crapload of something)

I just hope that the PAX drivers do have a menu for the volume of the speakers themselves in the game-mode since I need to set them manually for the X-tatic and the soundsystem seperately, and and doing that over the control panel is just nagging.  The secret about a better bass sound with the X-tatic is to raise the Volume of the Subwoofer, and the bass sound,  but keep the overall sound volume below 50%. Though the bass is more subtle then, if you put it up to much it soon sounds to bassy.

I like the Sourround in Gaming and especially in Movies, the DTS Master HD audio just rocks. I never use the CMSS3D in conjunction with music, it just sounds horrible.

Your last sentence yub that sounds great, especially if you have a great soundsystem, well I got the Blu-ray already in the PC, and they do sound awesome compared to the DVD. When I first watched the Bourne Identity on Blu-ray, I nearly jumped out of the seat when he shot the gas tanks. There was much more boom in the bass, plus a good load more clarity. It´s simply a good load more colour and resolution in the sound. I personally like a clear, but warm sound, with a healthy but not obnoxious bass, the bass is the base on which the rest of the sound is built, atleast for me.