The Best gaming sound card?

[BaseBallDudeSteR]

Hey all!
I'm having the hardest time deciding on a sound card, i want to use it for strictly gaming. Im deciding between the Asus Xonar Essence STX Sound Card, and the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional. I like the Creative because it has x-ram and it helps the game move smoother. But i want a slid sound card that is going to make things sound amazing and so i can hear anyone around me and know were they are just by hearing them. If anyone can help me decide that would be great!!

 

[gamerk316]

X-RAM = joke; only a handful of games ever bothered to use it, and it has almost no performance impace whatsoever.

EAX = Dead; if the new audio stack in Vista didn't kill it, the wave of USB headsets [which ignore soundcards] did. Only a handful of new titles even bother with it anymore.

So it comes to quality; in that category, Creative has fallen hopelessly behind the competition. If you want an X-fi chipset, go with Auzentech, as they use the Creative chipset using high-end parts to greatly improve quality.

As a rule:

ASUS <> Auzentech > HT Omega > Creative

Best choices on each end:

ASUS: Essense ST/STX, Xonar D2/D2X
Auzentech: Forte, Prelude
HT Omega: Striker, Claro

 

[BaseBallDudeSteR]

Ive done the research on the ASUS: Essense ST/STX and that one is not geared twords gamers. And the Auzentech: Forte doesn't have a connection for a mic. Ive heard great things for gaming with the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional. Ive heared people have just installed the hardware in wrong and not installed the software right and so they have problems with it. About the Ht Omega : Striker ive read in multiple forums and such about reviews that "For gaming you don't want this card" I keep reading that about it. With the claro i keep seeing people complaining about the c-media. The Auzentech prelude i see people that say "Honestly I find the sound crisper on the Titanium then I do with the Auzentech XFI". I also read that the Auzentech make you register your hardware for it to work. And if you register it to many times or activate it to many times it might now work anymore. I like opinion about certain and reviews about the products but i would like facts on these sound cards on to which one is the best one for a high end gaming headset. I would like a high end gaming sound card. Personal first hand reviews are what im looking for, if you have switched from a creative to a Auzentech. Or if you have tried them both and went to something else.

 

[BaseBallDudeSteR]

Best answer selected by BaseBallDudeSteR.

 

[gamerk316]

Ive done the research on the ASUS: Essense ST/STX and that one is not geared twords gamers. And the Auzentech: Forte doesn't have a connection for a mic. Ive heard great things for gaming with the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional. Ive heared people have just installed the hardware in wrong and not installed the software right and so they have problems with it. About the Ht Omega : Striker ive read in multiple forums and such about reviews that "For gaming you don't want this card" I keep reading that about it. With the claro i keep seeing people complaining about the c-media. The Auzentech prelude i see people that say "Honestly I find the sound crisper on the Titanium then I do with the Auzentech XFI". I also read that the Auzentech make you register your hardware for it to work. And if you register it to many times or activate it to many times it might now work anymore. I like opinion about certain and reviews about the products but i would like facts on these sound cards on to which one is the best one for a high end gaming headset. I would like a high end gaming sound card. Personal first hand reviews are what im looking for, if you have switched from a creative to a Auzentech. Or if you have tried them both and went to something else.

You've read a lot, but provided no sources. Fact is, all X-fi's have a SnR of 107dB, where even the low end Xonar D1 spots a 116 SnR (significantly more). Creative doesn't support DDL/DTS-C out of the box, and frankly, its drivers are horrible.

People keep saying the X-fi is a "gaming" soundcard, but really, what does that even mean? The only advantage is X-fi, which is a dead tech. In every other category, the C-media chipset and Auzentech's modded X-fi's are better.

 

[tsjcrna]

I have the same problem i want i high quality gaming card that can also play music very well. All the Auzentech, HT Omega etc get thrilling reviews from the sound quality anti creative community but the fact is those card are not geared toward gamers and no EAX no Xi Fi = decreased positional sound and crispness in games - dead tech or not, just because I am a gamer I feel stuck with creative but all the high end cards are for audiophiles and such... I suppose the Auzentech X fi is a reasonable choice. I've come the conclusion if you can live with creatives bloatware and know how to install and fix an occaisional bug creatives cards may be the way to go....

 

[MEgamer]

let me add. putting the word 'gaming' to describe a soundcard or its feature, is now completely meaning less now.

 

[tizz]

Advertising baby, lets put the spin and confusion on everything ^__^

Sore a advert saying "Quad Core! now you can check your email, listen to music and edit an image AT THE SAME TIME!! " i was liek wtf, ive never been able to do that before.. ever...

Off topic but yeh the word gaming means jack, just nice post by gamerk316, was helpfull for me also.