Sound Cards - Fed Up With SB Live 5.1

[steely07]

Game theater XP,a mate has one and it does a fantastic job with no hiccups or conflicts,i've installed several and they are all running without a hitch

[minus]

now using MSI KT 333 ULTRA ARU   it haz  own 5.1 onboard hardvare  chipset and it perform same like my old SB live 5.1

before got a sh.t load problem with  266a2 series  used them 5 month and never never again   kt 333 series work damn fine for me

[Gunthr]

Funked, here is a review by SoundSurge: Accoustic Edge

The AE does 5.1 and is comparable to the Live card, except it works, heh heh. It has worked perfectly in every game I've played, under both Win98 and Win2k. It works fine in any pci slot, and no problems at all with Via chipsets. It is stable.

I use Klipsch Promedia 4.1s with it for loudspeakers. The headphone out, as on most sound cards is a bit lame. I use digital out to Cal Gamma DAC to a Total Airhead Headphone Amp, to Grado 125 phones. Sweet.

[Skuzzy]

Question.  Are the problems with SB products only in VIA based motherboards?

Only reason I ask, is I have never had a problem, but all my systems are Intel based.  So I would like to know if this is related to VIA only, or anyother chipset.

[Lephturn]

The majority of the problems are related to VIA chipsets.  There are some other REALLY stupid things to do with Creative's drivers that apply to all, but they don't cause big problems with Intel chipsets.  That's why you've never seen the problem Skuzzy.

Other really stupid things they do are, for example, not allowing you to remove DOS support in their 9x drivers.  You have to delete the damn files, because every time you load the drivers, it will re-write to the autoexec.bat and/or config.sys files to re-load the DOS drivers.

Hopefully they don't have this issue anymore with 2k/XP drivers... but I don't trust their driver team as far as I can throw them.   Also, the Live line eats CPU time for breakfast... with 3D sound turned on it can eat 30% on my machine no problem.  The new Audigy line is much better, but the nForce integrated sound is even lower CPU utilization.  I'm gonna go nForce and avoid both VIA and Creative this time.

[Gunthr]

The Live! sound cards have very well documented issues with Via chipsets. You will find people with Via chipsets pulling thier hair out all over the web.

I do not think these issues effect other chipsets, however.

[straffo]

any one knowing a sound board having REAL drivers ??

like one having the

MIXERCONTROL_CONTROLTYPE_PEAK METER

control type ?

Creative has just FUBAR drivers .... I'm wasting my time at work with this junk ...

[weazel]

Other really stupid things they do are, for example, not allowing you to remove DOS support in their 9x drivers.

To install Liveware I edited the installers ini file and removed all the crap I don't need or want.

You have to change it after the installer is executed but prior to the last prompt before it runs to completion.

I have the full directory tree with the modified ini file if you want it, this allows you to choose the Liveware options you desire instead of forcing all of them.

It was a squeak to figure out how to do it the 1st time but is easy with the hack I created.

[Masherbrum]

I run a Soundblaster Audigy Gamer (Audigy Mp3 is the same, different software bundle) and have never had a problem.  I have a Pentium III, 800Mhz, XP Pro pc and love it.  I also looked into the Turtle, but like the Creative stuff.

Masher

[Lephturn]

Originally posted by weazel
[BI have the full directory tree with the modified ini file if you want it, this allows you to choose the Liveware options you desire instead of forcing all of them.

It was a squeak to figure out how to do it the 1st time but is easy with the hack I created. [/B]

Cool!  At this point, I'm not touching anything since it mostly works.  I appreciate the offer though.  I'm selling this box and building my new one.... with no bloody SB in it.

[funkedup]

Lephturn, do you know if the sound daughtercard on the Asus nForce boards has discrete miniplug outputs for 5.1?

[Lephturn]

I think it does, yeah.

http://usa.asus.com/mb/socketa/a7n266-c/overview.htm

Even has SPDIF out.

Check at a local shop if you want to be sure it has what you want.  That's why I'm going MSI... local guy has them in stock.

[funkedup]

Cool. I might give it a whirl then.

[AKSWulfe]

Funked, I have an SB Live!... been using it for 2-3 years now.

I have no problems in RTCW, Op Flashpoint, AH or Il-2.

Make sure you disable the 16 bit emulation in the control panel (it's under Creative Misc or something like that)

Also, do you have the latest drivers? I installed a set that had the EAX2.0 demo included- this allows it to run EAX games.

You've probably already done that- the last thing is that I have a custom setup in Il-2 for the Sound Blaster Live!. I have _NO_ audio problems in the game and it sounds very good.

If you shoot me an email: weissdr1@yahoo.com

I will send you a copy (either in text or with screenshots) of the settings I use in Il-2.

It's also on a mobo driven by the VIA KT133a (686b southbridge), and although a lot of people report problems with the SB Live! I have no issues what-so-ever.

I use Win98 and DX8.1.

If you send me an email, I won't get to it until Sunday night... so I'll reply to you then.
-SW

[Yippee38]

I've got the Santa Cruz.  It's a damn nice board.  My only gripe is related to the Linux drivers.  

I refuse to buy a CL product.  They screwed me when they bought Aureal and refused to support their products or release the source code to the Linux drivers.