Hey everyone,
For my new build I was looking at sound card options and I came across the Auzentech X-Plosion 7.1 DTS Connect. It looks like it can give the X-Fi some serious competition. One key points i'm looking at is full 5.1/7.1 sound production over spdif. I read that the X-Fi's can only produce 2.1 sound over digital. Has anyone actually bought this card and compared it to the Creative offerings? I'm hoping for a Z-5500 in the future as well. I guess the main X-Fi card i'm looking at is the Xtreme Gamer version with the X-RAM.

I have the Mystique and I really like it.... I wanted an alternative to Creative and I have been pleased so far...

Auzentech, you can customize the op amps on the card itself, which is freakin awsome. You can get sound quality that will blow you away if you change the op amps, not that the cards from them are already really good.

Creative couldn't make a good driver if they're life depended on it.

Cool, also, would you suggest the Auzentech over the M-Audio 7.1 card?

I'd go for the auzentech.

It's going to perform a hell of a lot better in games. And still offer the same sound quality.

Auzentech's HDA X-Plosion 7.1 DTS-Connect Review (VERSUS X-FI)

performing "a hell of a lot better in games" and "offer the same sound quality" are completely subjective, and all out WRONG, and im baffled as to how you came to that conclusion Wafflesomd...id like to see you provide proof, if you can...

and while i do agree with you that Creative are pretty inept when it comes to writing drivers, you can tell from that review (and numerous others that i can post here, if you want me to) that Auzentech isnt really much better, if any better at all...

EDIT: i am also not sayint that X-Plosion card is a bad choice, not by a long shot, it looks like a damn fine card and i would recommend it wholeheartedly (based on the positive reviews of it) had it not been for the amazing performance and sound quality of my X-Fi (which too, can also be seen in reviews)...and i havent found a review yet that puts the X-Plosion over the X-Fi (and i have checked A TON of reviews)...no, not a single, solitary review...

unless there is something VERY specific that you are wanting to do with your systems audio that the X-Fi doesent do, then there is absolutely NO REASON not to go with an X-Fi...period...if, in fact, you find out the X-Fi cant do the 5.1 or 7.1 or whatever thing you are trying to do, then by all means, the Auzentech part looks phenomenal!

Quote: Originally Posted by Fu3lman Auzentech's HDA X-Plosion 7.1 DTS-Connect Review (VERSUS X-FI) performing "a hell of a lot better in games" and "offer the same sound quality" are completely subjective, and all out WRONG, and im baffled as to how you came to that conclusion Wafflesomd...id like to see you provide proof, if you can... and while i do agree with you that Creative are pretty inept when it comes to writing drivers, you can tell from that review (and numerous others that i can post here, if you want me to) that Auzentech isnt really much better, if any better at all... EDIT: i am also not sayint that X-Plosion card is a bad choice, not by a long shot, it looks like a damn fine card and i would recommend it wholeheartedly (based on the positive reviews of it) had it not been for the amazing performance and sound quality of my X-Fi (which too, can also be seen in reviews)...and i havent found a review yet that puts the X-Plosion over the X-Fi (and i have checked A TON of reviews)...no, not a single, solitary review... unless there is something VERY specific that you are wanting to do with your systems audio that the X-Fi doesent do, then there is absolutely NO REASON not to go with an X-Fi...period...if, in fact, you find out the X-Fi cant do the 5.1 or 7.1 or whatever thing you are trying to do, then by all means, the Auzentech part looks phenomenal!

Exepct I wasnt comparing the x-fi to the auzentech.

And yes, there are reason not to get an x-fi. Crackling, which has been an issue for a long time with these cards. Driver's arn't that great.

I have had creative cards back before the sound blaster 128 and have never had a problem with them. I cant comment on the drivers because like most of us here....I dont know how to write drivers so I have no idea what problems they run into making them work. Yah the driver front ends and controls can be a bitch to work with but in the background they seem to work just fine for me. Pared with a good set of speakers you can create a really good audio setup, for games, recording, music and movies. For the price point you cant go wrong. I know peeps that have spent a hell of a lot more on audio gear than I have and they cant do half the stuff I do with just a PC sound card. Having gone to school for Digital Arts Music I worked with some pro. setups that could not get close to the audio quality I have been able to get with my setup.

I really think it all depends on what you do with the cards. The regular joe can not tell between 100dBA and 95dBA signal to noise (hell peeps like me that went to school for this stuff dont give, most of the time, a rats ass about that stuff) so yah most of those numbers mean crap in the real world (ie the major market) so unless you do some major recording and or digital audio work go with what you like. If it sounds good go with it. Hell that is how we pick the music we like, right? You dont say I like that band because they use the brand x mixer and brand y mic, you like them because they rock your face off......

Find a card that meets your needs and a bell and or whistle here and there and go with it.

One of the main issues i am having is digital output. I read many reviews stating that the X-Fi could only output 2.1 digitally and not 5.1/7.1. Is this problem true? I mean, I'm probably going to pick up some speakers with digital inputs and would like to have the ability to play multichannel surrond digitally.