Sound Card Question

[JimBear]

My question is about the Audigy series of cards.
 
I have an Audigy 1 in my computer but need to put a new one in my wifes machine. So does it make any sense to get myself an Audigy 2 @$129 vs $79 for the 1?

Does the sound in gaming really reflect the price break or is it just in the DVD/Audio features that it offers?  I guess what I am really wondering is if anyone has made this change and if you thought it was worthwhile.

TIA

[funkedup]

Whatever you do, go to mwave.com or newegg.com and get the OEM white box version so you don't get ripped off paying retail.
Audigy should cost you about $50 and Audigy2 about $70.

[Skuzzy]

The Audigy 2 is a pretty nice sound card.  I never had an Audigy 1, so I cannot compare the differences, but the 2 has very low CPU overhead (noted by my 5-10fps gain in every game I have after moving from the SBLive).

[Eagler]

the Audigy 2 was a big improvement in sound quality over my asus mb onboard sound - AH sounded like a different game

[214thCavalier]

Related note, currently using a SB live several years old and figured what the hell upgrade it.
Fitted a Hercules Digifire 7.1 and regretted it as soon as i ran some tests.

On average in every test in 3Dmark 03 i lost 5-6 fps.
In IL2 FB at 1600 res from a high of 23 fps sitting on the runway with the SB Live.
After fitting the digifire 7.1 it dropped to 9 fps.

Needless to say i went and got a refund and back on the old SB Live.

If anybody knows for a fact an upgrade option gauranteed to improve over the SB live card, let me know.

[Skuzzy]

Cav, when I pulled my SBlive and replaced it with the Audigy2, I did get a fps boost in my games.  Frames were more fluid as well.  Could be the card is just a good match to my system, but you never know.

[214thCavalier]

Thx Skuzzy will keep it in mind.

[capt. apathy]

my experience is the same as Skuzzys.
I've been nothing but happy with my audigy (1) xp.

[bockko]

i recently got the audigy gamer, i was under the impression it did the sound work onboard. turns out when i key vox i see a video stutter, nothing big, but still I see it. I believe, but again, not certain, that the audigy 2 does its own work rather than farming it out to the cpu. If $$ isn't a problem, try the 2.

[Gixer]

I just sold my Audigy 2 as while being ok for games. Was absolute rubbish (infact starting to have the opinion that all creative stuff is cheap over hyped crap)  for music and watching DVD"s. Have some high quality Klipsch speakers and all I would ever hear during a DVD is snap crackle pop and interferance.

Bought the new M Audio Revolution 7.1 and the difference is amazing. Crystal Clear and music is much richer, plus the application software is uncomplicated..

Games take a hit in FPS though as it dosn't take load off the CPU like the Audigy 2 does. But if your running a system with a good graphics card you'd never notice.

I never liked the Audigy 2 from the moment it was installed. Music/DVD's sounded awful. Software was over complicated for just a sound card and to me (for games) I could never hear the difference or improvments over my old SB Live 5.1

If I was looking for a good gaming only card, I much prefer the Hercules range of cards and Turtle Beach. If you like listening to music and DVD's then M-Audio is top of the class at the moment.

Sound Blaster has become the Microsoft of sound cards, capturing most of the market and the card with most marketing. Which is  a shame as there are other card out there which are not only alot cheaper but far superior imho.


...-Gixer
-Hells Angels-

[Skuzzy]

I don't know what kind of system you put the Audigy 2 in, but something was very wrong.

I get absolutely great sound from DVD's and CD's.  Much better than the SBLive.  Movies sound great.  Almost as good as my home theatre system.

The CPU utilization is way down on the Audigy 2 as well.  You must have gotten a bad card, or something.  Oh, I never use Creative's software (except for the drivers, of course).  I won't even install it.

[Gixer]

Skuzzy,

What kind of speakers etc do you have? I'm using Klipsch 5.1's and with the Audigy 2 every little crackle and interferance was audible. Music especially (classical,opera) was no where near as clear,rich and dynamic as the M Audio.

Maybe if your using some standard 2 speaker setup or 2.1's it wouldn't be as noticable as the card is only going to be as good as the speakers it's hooked upto.

As for the card, I had a friend connect up his P4 box with Audigy 2 to my speakers and it had same problems.

I'm just saying for the money there are better cards out there. Especially for DVD and Music.



...-Gixer

[Skuzzy]

I have my outputs connected to a Yamaha DSP-A1 amp, with a B&W surround speaker system.

I am pretty much an audiophile nut.  The sound is always crystal clear.  I would not tolerate any type of noise.

The dynamic range is very nice.  The highs are particularly clean and the mid range is clean of any muddiness.  The lows are a bit punchy, but not bad.