Monday, August 20, 2001 - 9:54 am CT
Creative Shipping Sound Blaster Audigy
Creative Technology today announced the Sound Blaster Audigy line of PC audio cards, slated for immediate shipping to global retail and online outlets. The Sound Blaster Audigy features four times the processing power of the previous Creative audio processor used in the Sound Blaster Live.

Sound Blaster Audigy delivers multi-channel audio through 24-bit, 96kHz digital-to-analog converters, producing a 100dB signal-to-noise ratio. The Sound Blaster Audigy also includes support for true discrete multi-channel playback, which enables Dolby Digital 5.1 music. For gaming, the Audigy audio processor features a 32-bit multi-effects engine, providing users four simultaneous audio environments in real time; a natural audio transition from one environment to another with real-time morphing of each environment's audio characteristics; 3D spatialization and localization of an upcoming or distant environment; sound bouncing off surfaces and returning to the gamer in full 3D; and accurate simulation of sound from both indoor and outdoor environments.

Digital music enthusiasts can also utilize Audigy's EAX ADVANCED HD to slow down or speed up a track while retaining accurate pitch, and Audio Clean-Up to remove hiss and scratches from LP and MP3 music. Users can also sample the new Dynamic Repositioning of Enhanced Audio and Music technology, which allows them to reposition different bands of music in a surround 5.1 environment. Audigy users can also expect the Dolby Digital decoding, DirectSound, DirectSound3D, and Open AL acceleration features included in previous Sound Blaster products.

The Creative Sound Blaster Audigy family currently includes the Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum eX, Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum, Sound Blaster Audigy MP3+, and Sound Blaster Audigy X-Gamer.

The Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum eX features a radical departure for the Sound Blaster line of products. The front-facing drive in the external Audigy Drive connects to a custom cable that allows users to position the drive on the desktop. The Audigy Drive in the Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum is installed in the drive bay of the PC. Both products allow simultaneous digital and analog connectivity to devices such as MIDI instruments, MiniDisc players, external digital audio devices, and headphones. Users get two SB1394 connectors -- one on the drive and one on the card -- with both the Platinum and Platinum eX models. Both products also come with a wireless remote control. The Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum eX and Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum include 16 and 15 software titles respectively, some of which include:

Steinberg's Audio Suite;
Ulead VideoStudio 4.0 SE Basic;
MixMeister Technologies' MixMeister;
Beatnik's Mixman Studio Remixer;
Unibrain S.A.'s FireNet;
Vienna SoundFont Studio 2.3, and;
iM Networks' iM Tuner Software
In addition, the Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum eX includes Sonic Foundry ACID DJ 2.0 and Image Line Bvba FruityLoops, while the Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum includes Deus Ex Game of the Year. A host of Creative software is also included with both products, including Creative PlayCenter 3 and the Oozic Player, which adds visual enhancement to music.

The Sound Blaster Audigy X-Gamer delivers true surround sound and comes with full versions of Interplay's Giants: Citizen Kabuto and Deus Ex Game of the Year.

The Sound Blaster Audigy MP3+ enables users to create, customize, and listen to audio files. The Sound Blaster Audigy MP3+ comes with MixMeister Technologies' MixMeister; Beatnik's Mixman Studio Remixer; Unibrain S.A.'s FireNet; iM Networks' iM Tuner, Creative PlayCenter 3, Oozic Player, and five additional Creative software titles.

The Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum eX holds an estimated street price of $249.99; the Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum's estimated street price is $199.99; and the Sound Blaster Audigy X-Gamer and Sound Blaster Audigy MP3+ hold an estimated street price of $99.99. The entire line is slated for immediate shipment to global retail and online outlets.

gravy!

sweet!

I am curious as to what everyone thinks about this new card

quote:Originally posted by Milkman:
I am curious as to what everyone thinks about this new card

is this to compete with nForce audio?

Didn't they just announce these a couple of days ago, and they are shipping already? What happened to the requisite (at least) 6 months of pimping the product before release?

The new cards do look nice though. Still, I just don't feel the need to rush out and buy a new sound card the way that I do a new video card or CPU. I guess I just don't use my PC for much in the way of sound (cd's, mp3's and games are about it) and my old SB Live! works just fine.

P.S. I sure hope you cut & pasted that info

lol he did from the creative website. I will get it even tho I have the soundblaster live! I think its time to experince new sound.

No I got it from www.avault.com which was the first to anounce the shipping starting today!

And its to compete with the Turtle Beach Dominater 7.1 coming out in like 4 months.
I think I`ll get this soundblaster though!

Yeah which Avault got from Creative.. Damn right its gonna rock.

I love my current plat. But now it's looks like I'm gonna have to dump it for the new platinum ex.

Is it that Usefull to have an external Drive? or they just wan`t to do someth`n like the GTXP?
and about the software I went to sounbalster site it s some what Diffrent Ther isn`t any thing about the 2 Additinoal Foundry ACID DJ 2.0 and Image Line Bvba FruityLoops that should come with the EX and Platinum has the Tribes 2 and Gaints not Deus Ex...anyhow I was waiting for this card for 2 months now...Man At last...I just hope they have good drivers.....

Damn... I thought my SB Live! was fine and dandy.

How many of you HATE that after you buy a damned product they come out with some massive technology that will squish your pathetic, puny, and overrated hardware to hell? Well, I do...

-!DOG

I'll just have to see how much it costs. I have sb live which it rocks but i might have to do a little upgrading gotta keep up with the joness you know

quote:Originally posted by !DOGgie:
Damn... I thought my SB Live! was fine and dandy.

How many of you HATE that after you buy a damned product they come out with some massive technology that will squish your pathetic, puny, and overrated hardware to hell? Well, I do...

-!DOG

Yeah, that sucks, but for myself, i dont even use the EAX features of my SBLive now, so the Audigy wouldnt make any difference to me. Plus the fact that there are no linux drivers for the audigy out yet anyways, so i'd have to have 2 sound cards in my system.

Well, once you guys buy your new Sound Blasters, I'll buy the Live! 5.1 from you.

Good card, but they didn't include any backwards support for the live drive. I was hoping that they would allow you to buy a x-gamer and plug it into the live drive, but to no avail. They don't even have the option of attaching a audigy drive after you buy one, like the current 5.1 line does. As for pricing the platnum ex will cost 199.95 retail. The x-gamer,mp3 units will cost 99.95. And the most expensive model will cost you 250.

now sound cards are getting expensive

quote:Originally posted by Elxman:
now sound cards are getting expensive

Well, you dont *have* to upgrade....i mean, what game requires even a SBLive right now? And what DVD requires more than a SBLive 5.1? As for audio purity, how many people have 7.1 systems hooked up to their computer capable of harnessing 100db S/N ratio anyways. It all seems like overkill to watch a DVD on a (at best) 21" screen with these options. Seriously, i dont know about anybody else here, but if i want to watch a movie in 5 or 7.1 audio, i'll watch it on a home theater setup. :-)

quote:Originally posted by blppt:
Well, you dont *have* to upgrade....i mean, what game requires even a SBLive right now? And what DVD requires more than a SBLive 5.1? As for audio purity, how many people have 7.1 systems hooked up to their computer capable of harnessing 100db S/N ratio anyways. It all seems like overkill to watch a DVD on a (at best) 21" screen with these options. Seriously, i dont know about anybody else here, but if i want to watch a movie in 5 or 7.1 audio, i'll watch it on a home theater setup. :-)

I would !
I mean look these things are now just as if not more powerful than a home theater.
Example build:
All these parts currently exist and are lower priced compared to a home theater .

Amd 1.4Ghz system
512 megs of DDR ram
2 100 gig hardrives
Sounblaster Audiogy 5.1
Ati Radeon 8500
16x dvd player pick one
180Inch Lcd monitor
total $12,500 shipped

Home Theaters run $15,000 minium!
The above setup would still be cheaper than home theater and just as powerful if not more so!

Looks really nice for recording freaks - having a 100 db S/N will be great. The added signl processing prower helps on some effects too..

Hardware wise maybe this card will be a bit more workable with all the different equipment arrangements people are using..

well I know but it's raising the bar, just like the gf3. inflation I guess.. or I'm getting old

Awesome sound card. I agree that it's kinda overkill for gamers and DVDs, but, being a musician who originally wanted to go with a Live! Platinum 5.1 for the Live!Drive inputs and outputs, the Audigy Platinum and Platinum eX are excellent options--ESPECIALLY with the new software bundle: Acid and some other one.

I'm definitely keeping my eye on this one!

I have a home recording studio, using my current live platinum 5.1. I would by the new platinum ex, but it is only an enhanced live platinum 5.1 in essence.

sure it has 24 bit/96khz sampling rate, but this is only in playback. it is marketed as the home studio solution, but with a home studio, one is looking for enhanced recording, enhanced playback being a bonus.

it does finally have asio support...but i would only buy this card for home studio use, if it had 24 bit/96khz sample rate for recording also.

~Milkman

Yeah this card is perfect for the studio i'm building, well computer studio at least. It's cheaper then the real high end ones and it looks just as good if not better. Plus I play games and am getting the Klipsch Pro-Media's soon. Damn I can't wait to get this card.

Oh and to the guys who do have studio's have you ever used the recording software that the new Platnium comes with I bealive it's called Cubasis, it's it the same as Cubass?
Is it any good? Thanks

quote:Originally posted by SunshineSuperMan:
I would !
I mean look these things are now just as if not more powerful than a home theater.
Example build:
All these parts currently exist and are lower priced compared to a home theater .

Amd 1.4Ghz system
512 megs of DDR ram
2 100 gig hardrives
Sounblaster Audiogy 5.1
Ati Radeon 8500
16x dvd player pick one
180Inch Lcd monitor
total $12,500 shipped

Home Theaters run $15,000 minium!
The above setup would still be cheaper than home theater and just as powerful if not more so!

Yeah, its cheaper for a reason. None of those components can compete with a dedicated Dolby EX system. And secondly, you didnt include the price of a 7.1 speaker setup in that equation. And whats this about a home theater costing 15K?

Pioneer VSX-39TX ~$3K (Dolby EX)
7 speakers and a sub ~$1K (slightly more if want Infinitys or Polks or whatever)
DVD player $100-300
TV 32" ~$1K

Those are generous estimates and we still only reach about $5 or 6 grand. Plus the far superior sound and visuals you'd get versus watching a DVD on a 21" monitor and a Klipsch Promedia system.

EDIT: Also forgot to point out that you wont have to have your friends crowding around your monitor to watch a movie. Unless you use the Video out on your video card to the TV, which will yield far less video quality than a set top DVD with component video hookups. And besides, you'd need to buy an EX receiver and speakers anyways unless you are planning on thrilling everybody with your computer speakers. Not to mention the fact that you'd have to move the speakers all around every time you wanted to watch a DVD on the TV rather than on your monitor or playing a game.

quote:Originally posted by Idiot356:
Yeah this card is perfect for the studio i'm building, well computer studio at least. It's cheaper then the real high end ones and it looks just as good if not better. Plus I play games and am getting the Klipsch Pro-Media's soon. Damn I can't wait to get this card.

Oh and to the guys who do have studio's have you ever used the recording software that the new Platnium comes with I bealive it's called Cubasis, it's it the same as Cubass?
Is it any good? Thanks

curious as to what kind of studio you are setting up? (midi...?)

cubase is the simplier, and cheaper version of Cubasis (if i remember correctly). it is quite good, but i usually use cakewalk for midi purposes.

Thanks, I'm going to be using accoustic (miked) drums a MIDI keyboard and a external mixer. I was looking into buying cakewalk, is it easier? Or does the bundeled software that comes with the Audigy good enough? Although I will probably get cakewalk also.
I guess it's a MIDI/Accoustic studio. Thanks.

EDIT: Also what do you use personnaly as far as recording and mixing go? What do you reccomend for an external mixer no more then $300? Thanks again.

are we talking US$ for the mixer? if so, i would highly recomment one of the mackie lines. I use a Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro Mixer, connected into my SB Live Platinum 5.1. the mackie one ran me about 500$ CAN, which you could probably pick up for about 300. also some other makes to look for:

behringers are also good.

cakewalk is not that much easier than cubasis, it just is for me because i have been using it for almost 5 years now.

if you want to get a little more professional with your studio, check out different makes of cards such as the ones from a company called terratec. (terratec.net i think).

when looking for a good audio sound card for recording especially (this is the mistake i made):

look for a high sampling rate, ideally - 24bit/96khz.

look for a high signal to noise ratio

a bonus of the sb audigy platinum ex is the asio driver support - the only downfall: it still only has 16bit/48 khz sampling rate for recording

~Milkman

sorry if my post is a bit sketch...consult your local music guru for more details (or post back here)

The big thing as far as I'm concerned is the built-in Firewire. That's why I'm going to buy one...

Good point, even a standard Firewire adapter card is like $50.

Yes, the firewire is what sold me. The two integrated firewire connections on the Platinum version will save me the expense of getting a dedicated firewire card and the pci slot that it would take.

noname

You use the live platinum right? (milkman) Is the recording quality good? Or should I invest in something more exspensive (I don't need the best quality though) I also play games and watch movies on my PC thats why I want the Audigy because of DD and EAX HD. How do you like your platnium? Are you gonna get an Audigy? Thanks.

quote:Originally posted by blppt:
Yeah, its cheaper for a reason. None of those components can compete with a dedicated Dolby EX system. And secondly, you didnt include the price of a 7.1 speaker setup in that equation. And whats this about a home theater costing 15K?

Pioneer VSX-39TX ~$3K (Dolby EX)
7 speakers and a sub ~$1K (slightly more if want Infinitys or Polks or whatever)
DVD player $100-300
TV 32" ~$1K

Those are generous estimates and we still only reach about $5 or 6 grand. Plus the far superior sound and visuals you'd get versus watching a DVD on a 21" monitor and a Klipsch Promedia system.

EDIT: Also forgot to point out that you wont have to have your friends crowding around your monitor to watch a movie. Unless you use the Video out on your video card to the TV, which will yield far less video quality than a set top DVD with component video hookups. And besides, you'd need to buy an EX receiver and speakers anyways unless you are planning on thrilling everybody with your computer speakers. Not to mention the fact that you'd have to move the speakers all around every time you wanted to watch a DVD on the TV rather than on your monitor or playing a game.

As they and I stated Home Theater!
Not what your talking about which is a enterainment center NOT a home theater!A home Theater cost alot more than that!

and ---->TV 32" ~$1K you don`t price shop often do you?
I can get a 45 inch Tv for that.

Home Theater miniums intails:
Sound configured room to prevent badd audio
$2500
Light configured room to prevent glare and picture dedragration $2500
Deadacated THX aproved Full Digtal Dolby 7.1 sound system $5000 with
7 Thx aproved speakers
Projection or HDTV screen veiwing area 50+ inches $5000+
THX approved DVD player/vcr $550
system componet control device $350
cabling + labor $1900

Total $17,800

Cheaper way with new tech
Amd 1.4Ghz system + heast sink and fan
512 megs of DDR ram
2 100 gig hardrives
Sounblaster Audiogy 5.1
Ati Radeon 8500
16x dvd player pick one
Case
180 Inch Lcd monitor <<<----Thats not 18inch or 21 but 180inch!
Dolby reciver jacked into with audiogy not hard to do
7 peace speakers pluged into reciver
total $15,250 with speakers

Idiot,

sorry, i do not mean to call you an idiot, but your name is idiot356.

my live platinum has sastifactory recording quality. the audigy platinum ex, will not offer any better quality playback - but will be better for playback/midi sequencing.

if you want a good card for those purposes (plus recording) go with the audigy platinum ex. i am notupgrading any time soon, as i just purchased my live platinum not even a month ago.

~Milkman

quote:Originally posted by SunshineSuperMan:
As they and I stated Home Theater!
Not what your talking about which is a enterainment center NOT a home theater!A home Theater cost alot more than that!

and ---->TV 32" ~$1K you don`t price shop often do you?
I can get a 45 inch Tv for that.

Home Theater miniums intails:
Sound configured room to prevent badd audio
$2500
Light configured room to prevent glare and picture dedragration $2500
Deadacated THX aproved Full Digtal Dolby 7.1 sound system $5000 with
7 Thx aproved speakers
Projection or HDTV screen veiwing area 50+ inches $5000+
THX approved DVD player/vcr $550
system componet control device $350
cabling + labor $1900

Total $17,800

Cheaper way with new tech
Amd 1.4Ghz system + heast sink and fan
512 megs of DDR ram
2 100 gig hardrives
Sounblaster Audiogy 5.1
Ati Radeon 8500
16x dvd player pick one
Case
180 Inch Lcd monitor <<<----Thats not 18inch or 21 but 180inch!
Dolby reciver jacked into with audiogy not hard to do
7 peace speakers pluged into reciver
total $15,250 with speakers

Oh come on! Who would actually compare what YOU call a "Home theater" setup to one with a PC? Especially when the people who buy the stuff you listed above nitpick about cables and outboard D/A converters. You honestly think anybody like that will use a PC as the centerpiece of that kind of setup? Now you're being ridiculous. I mean, these people buy components with electrical isolation. Can you imagine the problems they'd have with power surges from the PCI bus in the computer affecting the bitstream? Manaical Audio/Videophiles would die if they had to live with the MPEG2 decoding of a computer video card, no matter how good the ATI Radeon 8500 is compared to other video cards at that task. It may be closer than any other card, but the Radeon cant even match a lower end dedicated DVD player for clarity. And it certainly wont compare with a THX certified high end DVD player. Thats the first problem with your PC setup.

As for what you call "home entertainment center" just look at the number of consumer electronics ads---they all call a receiver/satellite speaker/TV/DVD a "home theater" setup. Granted, it isnt an exact terminology, but a commonly used one. That example i gave for what you call a "Home entertainment center" will beat a normal PC setup any day of the week.

And no, you CANT hook an audigy 7.1 hookup to a NON 7.1 Dolby receiver and get 7.1 sound. It has to have 7.1 inputs, so that is not 'easy to do'. And even if you just sent the undecoded 7.1 data to the receiver, the BEST you'd get is 5.1 sound UNLESS you buy a 7.1 or 6.1 ready receiver. Add a couple of grand onto your estimate for that Pioneer VSX-39TX to match 7.1 sound and THX. Now your price is almost exactly the same.

Finally, buying all THX rated components for one and not the other is not fair. THX computer standard is NOT the same as THX home theater. And where are the THX speakers and amplifiers in your "cheaper" setup? By all accounts this is a bad comparison. You clearly skimped on parts for your second estimate to bring the price in lower, and there is no way you will get equivelant picture and sound with your computer estimate. Not even close. :-)

Edit: Corrected a typo.

DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT! I just bought a platinum a week ago! Now I have to pay a 15% restocking fee!

Y do most of ya guys say ex ex ex I don`t see a diifrence form the platinum just that it has an external Drive (is it that?)..

sunshine, the other guy is right dude no person in their right mind would spend that much for a "home theatre" system if they were going to go for a pc. If they are that serious in getting that kind of quality, they would just buy the real thing.

that and you would have to add 5 g's to your pc setup for teh sound and audio configured rooms, if you do it for the home theatre why would you leave it out in the pc solution?

quote:Originally posted by m316foley:
DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT! I just bought a platinum a week ago! Now I have to pay a 15% restocking fee!

no you don't! i don't charge any restocking!

umm all i use is headphones.. so like these new sound cards with 4.1 and stuff wont really make a diff right??? i think my onboard AC9 sound is just fine.

quote:Originally posted by kpxgq:
umm all i use is headphones.. so like these new sound cards with 4.1 and stuff wont really make a diff right??? i think my onboard AC9 sound is just fine.

Well, AC97 audio isnt the most fideltity gifted sound solution on the planet. Even with headphones, a SBLive would make a differemce. But i dont see any advantage of the audigy for you unless one of the new surround sound algorithms is designed for headphones.

I was just wondering, I am currently using a Yamaha AP-U70 CAVIT, how is it compared to the Audigy?

Why bother upgrading to this card? Does't seem to herald any great enhancements over the old Live! 5.1 series...ok wow...the firewire ports ... who really needs firewire? there is no device that I would even think (let alone affoarding to buy) that attatches to one.

I rekon it's just a case of Creative saying:
Peter - "Well, how in the hell are we gonna improve on the SB Live! 5.1 Steve?"
Steve - "Put a clock on it?"
Peter - "Doh! "

lol

I just bought this damn sound card too oh well. That's the business for ya.

This guy i know spent R160,000 on just the projector!!!! THe rest added up to, including the projector, approx R300,000.

that's about $36,407.77c!!!!!!!!!!!!

quote:Originally posted by cs1tc:
Why bother upgrading to this card? Does't seem to herald any great enhancements over the old Live! 5.1 series...ok wow...the firewire ports ... who really needs firewire? there is no device that I would even think (let alone affoarding to buy) that attatches to one.

I rekon it's just a case of Creative saying:
Peter - "Well, how in the hell are we gonna improve on the SB Live! 5.1 Steve?"
Steve - "Put a clock on it?"
Peter - "Doh! "

lol

2 reasons for me.

1.
24bit <-----audio at 96,000somthing

2.
From what I have heard Audiogy is not a system cpu resorce hog.
Like the Soundcrapper Platium 5.1 is.

Hopefully they have fixed their Win2000 driver issues.
If so I`m getting one for the 2 above reasons.

quote:Originally posted by mrsinster:
2 reasons for me.

1.
24bit <-----audio at 96,000somthing

2.
From what I have heard Audiogy is not a system cpu resorce hog.
Like the Soundcrapper Platium 5.1 is.

Hopefully they have fixed their Win2000 driver issues.
If so I`m getting one for the 2 above reasons.

sorry...but i just wanted to point out - the sampling rate is only 24bit/96khz. Audio will not be sampled at 96,000 khz for a very very looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time. and mind you, this is only for playback, not recording...but if you do not do any recording - it does not matter.

quote:Originally posted by packer:
This guy i know spent R160,000 on just the projector!!!! THe rest added up to, including the projector, approx R300,000.

that's about $36,407.77c!!!!!!!!!!!!

DAMN. My whole home system only cost about $1500. Where do these people get their money?

Is it worth getting strictly for games and nothing else?

quote:Originally posted by blppt:
DAMN. My whole home system only cost about $1500. Where do these people get their money?

HE invests money for people, something like that, he does my monye to. OH this was In S.A. as you can see.

I wonder this time, how many IRQ's this card is gonna take, 3 or even 4?

I'm more concerned whether there'll be a repeat of the 686B fiasco.

My SBLive! Value still skips under Win2k, even with the 3300 WDM drivers (only under Winamp, for some reason - it may be the Nullsoft mp3 decoder).

quote:Originally posted by tu2thepoo:
I'm more concerned whether there'll be a repeat of the 686B fiasco.

My SBLive! Value still skips under Win2k, even with the 3300 WDM drivers (only under Winamp, for some reason - it may be the Nullsoft mp3 decoder).

i second that poo. Fiasco's a plenty.

J

Thats not Creative's fault. They're card came out back in what---1998? And not other chipset besides ones with Via's 686B southbridge had that problem. Place the blame on Via, guys. :-)

quote:Originally posted by blppt:
Thats not Creative's fault. They're card came out back in what---1998? And not other chipset besides ones with Via's 686B southbridge had that problem. Place the blame on Via, guys. :-)

I've read a couple articles which stated that it skips on boards based on the i815 as well (but no data corruption - that's pure Via). But it never skipped on my 440BX board - too bad that board doesn't support Cumines.

[edit]
I'd link to the articles, but pacbell is the absolute shittiest dialup ISP around - I can't access a bunch of websites right now. Anyway, it might also be because the SBLive! wasn't designed for bus-mastering (so I've heard - I guess you can't really blame Creative that much, as it is, like you said, a 3yr old card) and the latency becomes more obvious with higher-clocked CPUs? I never had anything faster than 467mhz (133x3.5) on that BX board...

quote:Originally posted by tu2thepoo:
I've read a couple articles which stated that it skips on boards based on the i815 as well (but no data corruption - that's pure Via). But it never skipped on my 440BX board - too bad that board doesn't support Cumines.

[edit]
I'd link to the articles, but pacbell is the absolute shittiest dialup ISP around - I can't access a bunch of websites right now. Anyway, it might also be because the SBLive! wasn't designed for bus-mastering (so I've heard - I guess you can't really blame Creative that much, as it is, like you said, a 3yr old card) and the latency becomes more obvious with higher-clocked CPUs? I never had anything faster than 467mhz (133x3.5) on that BX board...

I never had any problems with my MSI 815EP Pro lite even when i had it clocked at 160fsb. On both Via 133A boards ive had i encountered the data corruption if i didnt install the Via 4.32 drivers. Nor does my SBLive skip, although i have a newer revision of the card (CT4780 and EMU10K1-1). BTW, if its just a bus mastering issue, why were there no problems with Via's own 686A? :-)

Think I will just get a X-gamer 5.1 and use the money I save to dump more money into my "real" home theatre system. Besides, who wants to invite friends/family over to watch a movie on a PC ? I still don't even have a DVD player for my PC, because I don't see the point in having one. I watch movie DVDs on my HDTV and use a progressive scan DVD player. The only thing I want good sound for on my PC is for games. Will get a SB X-gamer 5.1 and klipsch 5.1 speakers.

Home Theatre:
Kenwood receiver
JVC DVD progressive scan(plays MP3 CDs too!)
Mitsubishi WS-65809 65" HDTV(wide screen 16:9 ratio)
Infinity speakers 5.1 setup SM series

quote:Originally posted by blppt:
BTW, if its just a bus mastering issue, why were there no problems with Via's own 686A? :-)

Well, here's some food for thought. I'm streaming the MP3's off an add-in IDE controller (thus, not using the 686B controllers), and I access the internet through a NAT gateway (using my NIC). Now, are you going to suggest that it's a problem with Via, my NIC, and my add-in IDE controller?

All these new soundcards, are great, but you can never compare home cinema on a computer to the quality standard of pro kit. It's a different league. This stuff's been made fine tuned and tested to do one thing, to kill you with the most amazing audio/visual experience known to man (LOL!!)

And THX! LOL, thats the creme de la creme - goto a THX engineer and tell him that your SB/Machine bests a THX system and they'd prob die of hysterics.

Personally, I like the new SB's and I'm sure they're great for watching a movie every now and then, doing some audio mastering work, and playing games (AVP2...shudder), but I'll stick to my home cinema for my viewing pleasure

Sony 32" Vega (Art Coutre - the white jobby)
Denon Amp
REL Q100-E Sub
B&W Studio Reference Speakers
DM602 S2 in front
DM601 S1 in back, along with a DM center channel

Toy Story 2 rox in 5.1

quote:Originally posted by tu2thepoo:
Well, here's some food for thought. I'm streaming the MP3's off an add-in IDE controller (thus, not using the 686B controllers), and I access the internet through a NAT gateway (using my NIC). Now, are you going to suggest that it's a problem with Via, my NIC, and my add-in IDE controller?

No, but it could be a problem with your *gasp* particular motherboards implementation of the chipset. This is my current setup:

Tbird 1333@1450 (145X10)
ABIT KT7A with latest July 5 BIOS
512MB PC133
SBLive Value CT4780 (EMU10K1-1)
NVidia Geforce 2 Pro @ 230/460 w/12.40s
Latest WinME SBDrivers
Generic Win2k SBdrivers
Via 4in1 4.32
Western Digital ATA/100 40GB
Western Digital ATA/66 10GB
Creative 12X DVDROM
3com 3cR990-TX95 NIC

All the drives are hooked up to the 686B, and i dont get any crackling, and i'm even overclocking the PCI bus. Nor do i get any data corruption now that the 4 in 1s are installed. So, i'm guessing that the problem must lie somewhere on your particular motherboard's implementation, or one of your other devices is causing the problem. What other conclusion is there? :-)

edit:typo