hello i need anyone who is willing to help me chose what sound card to get ive been looking at the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD, ASUS XONAR ESSENCE STX & Creative Sound Blaster ZxR im undecided ? ? help me out thanks ! hello i need anyone who is willing to help me chose what sound card to get ive been looking at the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD, ASUS XONAR ESSENCE STX & Creative Sound Blaster ZxR... » Read More hello i need anyone who is willing to help me chose what sound card to get ive been looking at the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD, ASUS XONAR ESSENCE STX & Creative Sound Blaster ZxR im undecided ? ? help me out thanks ! « Show Less
488343
Some say the ASUS card is better. Some say it's a bitch to get running --funky drivers??? I don't know. I also don't know about the ZxR, but the X-Fi card is effortless to install and does a nice job. If your motherboard has embedded sound, you may need to get into the BIOS to disable it rather than doing it from Control Panel, but that would likely always be the case.
488344
I have the Creative Sound Blaster X-FI Titanium HD and the sound is amazing, so clear and 100% realistic, of course you need a very good speakers too
488345
This card will do a couple of functions that others will not. You must have the right drivers. I will not tell you in this review, contact me directly.
284741
Wow, I am truly sorry that one is too technical a question for me. I purchased to replace a Sound Blaster card that wasn't compatible with Windows 7 updates. It works great and the sound is fine but other than it works for me is the best I can tell you.
2237167
This card is extremely loud! If you want quiet, go for a card with an aftermarket cooler. BTW you don't need a high powered GPU for Music work. You could probably get away with an integrated graphics solution offered by Intel and AMD.
677144
I have a SoundBlaster chip built into my MSI board, which apparently has an amp, and sounds fine. Movies, and some music sounds fantastic. But if you are playing a lot of games, or listening to things with a lot of bass and treble, or just an audiophile, buy an amp. I am still considering getting one.
1435888
No one makes a sound card like that anymore really, I'm building a new comp and I'm looking for a built in mobo. But if you must get one read the reviews. The soundblasters don't have the 7.1 jacks for the tiamats.
2114972
Good question. I do not know about Linux because I am using Windows 7 Pro. What I can tell you is that I installed the PCI Express Blaster X-FI Extreme Audio into my custom build, without even using the provided software, and the optical sound going into a receiver and speakers is amazing. For me, it was just plug and play installation. I am now playing my music through this set up more than any other. I have not changed any settings because I am so pleased with what I am hearing. The richness and clarity of the sound makes me glad that I did this installation. I am very happy with my purchase. Good question. I do not know about Linux because I am using Windows 7 Pro. What I can tell you is that I installed the PCI Express Blaster X-FI Extreme Audio into my custom build, without even using the provided software, and the optical sound going into a receiver and speakers is amazing. For me, it was just plug and play installation. I am now playing my music through this set up more than any other. I have not changed any settings because I am so pleased with what I am hearing. The richness and clarity of the sound makes me glad that I did this... » Read More Good question. I do not know about Linux because I am using Windows 7 Pro. What I can tell you is that I installed the PCI Express Blaster X-FI Extreme Audio into my custom build, without even using the provided software, and the optical sound going into a receiver and speakers is amazing. For me, it was just plug and play installation. I am now playing my music through this set up more than any other. I have not changed any settings because I am so pleased with what I am hearing. The richness and clarity of the sound makes me glad that I did this installation. I am very happy with my purchase. « Show Less
2049290
Not Better than the ASUS XONAR DG. Just get the ASUS XONAR DG and be done with it. A great Alternative is the ASUS XONAR USB Sound Card which I am running right now on my HOME PC with WIN 8 and have been completely satisfied with, sounds nearly as good as the XONAR DG. As far as a fit for the DS 7.1 on your particular board it would all depend on the type of slots you have available, PCI OR PCIE. As far as Case fit, it does come with another adapter for 2 different style Cases. Good Luck :)
2697
What makes this card awesome is the amount of settings you can change, I used this to fuel the razer tiamats 7.1, a very missunderstood headset, because it needs a great sound card, I have a intel xtreme series motherboard with the newest realteck sound chip, and if you just install the xonar with the regular drivers, there will be no diference, but if you install the unidriver, and move some settings, then this xonar card will blow your mind I guarantee it, I have a very extended review on the tiamats paired with this sound card, if u want it, just tell me, but if you just dont want to read that mouch, Im pretty sure that you will love this card over the integrated you own
651418
Honestly, no. Soundblaster does have drivers available on their support page, but they are frustratingly outdated and may or may not work. But you would be better off using the on-board sound device and drivers for your motherboard. If you want clearer and louder music and games, SoundBlaster and Asus offer a few new models worth checking out first. kk
1405452
never could get this card to work, another option, the one I took is the emotiva xda-2. it will push the senn 600's and has pre-amp outs. a few dollars more, but well built and worth it.
27344
I'm currently using Schiit Magni - Modi combo ($200) after my ST. If you ask me I'll go that route, it's sound better to my ears and I don't have to depend on a PC with an extra PCI lane for the sound card. It was a pain finding a mATX mobo with a PCI slot and even more with room for a two slot GPU. In the end the ST was causing overheat on my GPU, and after deciding I wanted to go mITX there was nothing else to think about.
133370
The manufacturer drivers are indeed bad on basically all of Asus' sound cards as far as I know, but this can be avoided by installing the Uni-Xonar drivers. These have worked great for me on my Xonar STX and they are quite simple to install. Honestly, if it weren't for the Uni-Xonar drivers, I don't know if I would recommend this card, but thankfully this option exists. My recommendation: Get the STX, install the Uni-Xonar drivers, then enjoy some amazing sound!
1671782
Yea I have the asus xonar Dx it's great once you get a sound card there's no going back. Unless you get a rog board those have great sound cards on board the mobo
2699
Your board has Soundblaster cinema onboard. If you get the right software for that, it will be fine. It has a very decent onboard amp that is capable of driving headphones, and you won't find a significant difference in quality here. If you are getting any sort of hum, whine, static, or other noise when using the analog outs, you will probably get that with the Asus card also. In that case, you can use the optical digital out and use a decent DAC like the Fiio D3 or E3.
1202904
I run out of the Main Outs into my Lexicon Alpha USB Interface. I have had multiple boards with USB cards built in but they all really suck as USB Sound Interfaces. Love the way the Lexicon Alpha works and the recorded sound it sooooo much better. That is my solution. Even you can get the Alpha pretty cheap and it will far out perform build in USB interfaces.
2217273
My experience with this card has been fairly negative. The nature of the problem is that 2 completely different sets of drivers are available: the Diamond drivers and chip set drivers. I tried them both and after an uptime of typically 72-96 hours or so, I would start hearing static and audio dropouts. Ultimately, I had to pull the sound card, only to find that my onboard sound was corrupted as well. An email to Asus tech support resulted in new onboard sound drivers and the end of my audio woes. Bottom line: my advice - I would not trust this card - test, test, test. Any problems AT ALL, dump the Diamond while it's still under warranty and find another brand. I have had very good luck with Asus. My experience with this card has been fairly negative. The nature of the problem is that 2 completely different sets of drivers are available: the Diamond drivers and chip set drivers. I tried them both and after an uptime of typically 72-96 hours or so, I would start hearing static and audio dropouts. Ultimately, I had to pull the sound card, only to find that my onboard sound was corrupted as well. An email to Asus tech support resulted in new onboard sound drivers and the end of my audio woes. Bottom line: my advice - I would not trust this card - test, test, test. Any problems AT ALL,... » Read More My experience with this card has been fairly negative. The nature of the problem is that 2 completely different sets of drivers are available: the Diamond drivers and chip set drivers. I tried them both and after an uptime of typically 72-96 hours or so, I would start hearing static and audio dropouts. Ultimately, I had to pull the sound card, only to find that my onboard sound was corrupted as well. An email to Asus tech support resulted in new onboard sound drivers and the end of my audio woes. Bottom line: my advice - I would not trust this card - test, test, test. Any problems AT ALL, dump the Diamond while it's still under warranty and find another brand. I have had very good luck with Asus. « Show Less
506923
I use the soundblaster ZxR sound card and I use the noise cancellation feature that is built into the sound card. I run an extremely loud fan right next to my computer and I have been told that my mic sounds better than everybody else's. The mic is very good quality.