Reizo Ryuu
Member
Yes, it's pci-e 1x.
I bought a whole new system, i9 109k, z490 chipset mobo, and this card works fine with daniel_k's drivers
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So i'm planning for a new PC build soon and i realise i have to get rid of my old soundcard :(
- Thread starter nkarafo
- Start date
I bought a whole new system, i9 109k, z490 chipset mobo, and this card works fine with daniel_k's drivers
nkarafo
Member
Sound Blaster Audigy Rx
Experience the wonders of multi-channel surround sound and create high-quality podcasts! Hardware-accelerated EAX effects let you incorporate many types of sound effects with ease! Sound Blaster Audigy Rx features an SNR of 106dB, a 600-ohm headphone amp for studio monitoring, and a software...
us.creative.com
This one right?
Thank you, this is what i'm getting then.
Reizo Ryuu
Member
yes that's what I got.
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
The internal sound cards are very good for years now. On some motherboards, even shielded and so on.
Or you can get fiio dac or whatever. The soundcards driver hell of old is dead.
I don't have sound card and have internal disabled... I don't even use fiio anymore. my oled is connected to pc with hdmi 2.1 cable and gpu provides sound. I don't even care how it works nowadays.
And when I listen to headphones, I connect dongle and sonly pulse 3d just works.
So you might actually completely have no need for either internal or pcie sound card at all
Or you can get fiio dac or whatever. The soundcards driver hell of old is dead.
I don't have sound card and have internal disabled... I don't even use fiio anymore. my oled is connected to pc with hdmi 2.1 cable and gpu provides sound. I don't even care how it works nowadays.
And when I listen to headphones, I connect dongle and sonly pulse 3d just works.
So you might actually completely have no need for either internal or pcie sound card at all
Schmick
Member
I've been thinking about upgrading my PC for a while now. I've always had a soundcard. I'm currently using a Sound Blaster Z SE with stock drivers. It never crossed my mind that using a USB DAC would be a acceptable alternative.
I would love to downsize my PC case but never thought it would be possible if I want to retain the SC. I suppose using a USB DAC is the solution and I could go for a smaller case then my mid-tower.
I would love to downsize my PC case but never thought it would be possible if I want to retain the SC. I suppose using a USB DAC is the solution and I could go for a smaller case then my mid-tower.
ThatPolishGuy
Member
D1 Desktop Headphone Amplifier and DAC(Open Box) — Audioengine
Perfect for providing high quality audio to speakers or headphones, the D1 is a premium 32-bit DAC and headphone amplifier for your computer, TV, and more. The D1 connects to your computer’s USB port or optical output without any software to download, making the D1 quick and easy to set up.
audioengineusa.com
My friend has one of these if someone wants to have USB external sound card. It has optical input too so it should make use of new consoles too, I think.
And if you have an vintage or new integrated amplifier and loudspeakers, you can get signal from RCA outputs. And drive your loudspeakers or headphones through your integrated amp.
Heard also a lot of positive opinions about Schiit Audio stuff but it's mostly unavailable here in Poland so that's a bummer.
I use NuForce uDac-3 as signal source for my vintage integrated/stereo amps and drive my headphones and loudspeakers from there. But it's much more limited, no optical input and a bit more fragile than AudioEngine dac, so I'm can't exactly recommend it because of that. It's supposed to be mobile dac, but I am afraid to even move it now after USB input has broken a year after purchase of this DAC and I had it send it in for a warranty repair. AudioEngine D1 is build like a tank, so that's what I would get if I didn't have one right now tbh and if Schitt was too expensive...
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Reizo Ryuu
Member
No, ps5/series x/s don't have optical out.
ThatPolishGuy
Member
Oh, I didn't know that. I'm still hunting for my PS5...
So that's a bummer, it would be nice to use it with console.
Schmick
Member
Would a optical to hdmi adapter help? Its possible to fit a Sound Blaster X4 to a PS5 with the adapter.
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Patrick S.
Banned
My motherboard actually has a SoundBlaster ZxRi chip that is pretty awesome, but I recently picked up a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen 3 audio interface because I wanted to connect my electric guitars to the PC. Super happy with that interface 
Man the z5500 was the shit. It kills me they haven't released anything similar to it in qualityΝο, i got the z5400
Logitech Z-5400 Digital THX | VillMan Computers
villman.com
It's a tiny bit less powerful and cheaper than the z5500 and has a different control panel.
DarkestHour
Banned
Motherboard audio has come a long way and works great for the majority of use cases now.
raduque
Member
I used to use a Chaintech AV-710 with Wolfson DACs. I upgraded from my ancient Core2Duo pc to laptops for a long time, then got a new desktop with no PCI slots and realized I didn't miss the soundcard at all. Now I use the onboard on my MSI b350 bazooka to my ancient Sony receiver to power my floor standing Sony 3 way speakers.
Pagusas
Elden Member
I use to be like you… then I upgraded to an 11.2 Atmos setup and switched fully to sound over HDMI via the graphic card. never ever turned back after that. I use alchemy and a few other community tools to keep old EAX and OpenAL support in legacy titles, mostly without issue.
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I always use a sound card with Dolby digital live so 5.1 works in my PC games output to my amp over optical.
I’ve never had any luck sending over Hdmi - never seems to work properly so I will need a sound card in my next build again too. I think I would need a new amp that can do eArc to fix that. Mine only does arc.
It’s annoying as I see these nice case shots that look super clean or a nice mini itx case then remember I also need to put a sound card in.
I’ve never had any luck sending over Hdmi - never seems to work properly so I will need a sound card in my next build again too. I think I would need a new amp that can do eArc to fix that. Mine only does arc.
It’s annoying as I see these nice case shots that look super clean or a nice mini itx case then remember I also need to put a sound card in.
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It depends on your setup, but if you have an HDMI cable running from your PC to the receiver you don't need ARC or eARC. If you run the cable to a TV and your receiver is connected to a different input on the TV then ARC can forward the audio back to the receiver. The whole point of ARC is to let a display send audio back to a receiver which is useful if the display has built-in apps like Netflix, your soundbar can playback the audio while the app runs natively on the screen. But if you have the option running the audio directly to the receiver rather than over ARC will let you run with higher quality audio unless your setup supports eARC.
Another option is an HDMI audio extractor. You run an HDMI cable to and from it. And it will give you a TOS link optical connector and COAX stereo jacks.
recursive
Member
I have the omni 5.1 and love it. Did you try this with the official drivers? It has a control panel with an equalizer (10 band I think but not at my pc) among many other features. I am wondering if your experience may have been due to not eq -ing for your setup.Here's another issue i have...
With the Audigy and the fully working driver, i get this option in the speaker settings:
My speakers are pretty solid, an older Logitech 5.1 z5400 set, but they do need a small push with the higher frequencies. And that particular Treble Balance setting you see in the pic, makes the sound crystal clear.
I can't have the same result with anything else like player equalizers, for instance. Plus, this panel fixes the sound across every program, media player or game.
I couldn't find this option with the Omni. Not sure if it exists with the SoundBlaster Z.
Does anyone else use a device that gives them this particular panel?
Edit-i can grab some screen caps of the control panel if interested.
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DonJuanSchlong
Banned
A quality DAC and amp go way longer than any soundcard could ever go. Do yourself a favor, go to the local audio store, demo as many headsets or speaker setups. Get the DAC you want, pair it with a good set and amp, and you are golden.
Fuck what everyone else is saying. Your listening preferences will be different compared to what other recommendations are slung your way. You might even hate my recommendations, which is why it's important to get your own opinion (facts), on what YOU like. Different strokes for different folks.
Fuck what everyone else is saying. Your listening preferences will be different compared to what other recommendations are slung your way. You might even hate my recommendations, which is why it's important to get your own opinion (facts), on what YOU like. Different strokes for different folks.
alf717
Member
I had this problem back in 2019, my x-fi fatality was the pci version. I just went with the pci-e xf-i titanium fatality. Onboard audio isn't good enough for me. Bass and treble levels were horrible. My setup sounded like a rusted out honda tricked with an expensive walmart brand audio system. My Z-5500's weren't happy. As said before sound cards still can make a huge difference in audio quality compared to onboard. The only thing I lost was access to the front bay unit. Good luck OP, hope you find a replacement that works for you. You could also go for the pci x-fi titanium. I picked up one of those for a second PC to have as a backup.
As said before sound cards still can make a huge difference in audio quality compared to onboard. The only thing I lost was access to the front bay unit. Good luck OP, hope you find a replacement that works for you. You could also go for the pci x-fi titanium. I picked up one of those for a second PC to have as a backup.
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nkarafo
Member
I did test the omni 5.1 and i was not happy with it. The Audigy 2 sounds better for me with the settings i'm using. There was no treble setting with onmi, which is a big part why it doesn't sound good. The equilizer settings are a different thing, the Audigy also has those but, from my testing, i couldn't get the same result as i do with the treble setting.
Basically, i absolutely need the treble setting in the control panel options. The Rx has it (according to the poster above) and it's more or less the same as the Audigy 2, with a newer PCi connector.
recursive
Member
You should have been able to adjust the high frequency bands using the equalizer. It takes a bit more to get the same result since you need to determine what frequencies you want to apply gain or attenuation. Do you keep you equalizer flat on your audigy or is it also adjusted?
Andrea23
Member
If you use an AMD processor on x470 / x570 platform be very careful (especially - but not exclusively!!! - if you overclock) ... there are a lot of unsolved problems on pciex sound cards or usb dacs ...
See here:
https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=200427
I spent two months trying to fix it, with no success.
Personally I solved ... by selling my soundblaster Z + z906
and replacing them with a denon avr and suitable speakers.The alternative was to go back to Intel ... (which attracted me, but the prospect of having to disassemble and reassemble the whole config... made me lean towards the avr).
One thing is for sure, the 5900x will be my latest Amd processor, ever...
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nkarafo
Member
It's flat because i couldn't get the same result. Treble is different than rising the higher frequencies, or at least that's how it sounds to me.
I prefer the treble option to be increased globally and then use equalizers for each application independently.
I also use a custom EAX preset for music that makes everything sound much deeper. Combined with the treble adjust, it sounds like heaven to my ears. I never managed to achieve the same results in any other setup i ever tried. I guess i got used to it now and i can't accept anything else.
I wasn't going to get an AMD system anyway. I'm waiting for some newer intel CPUs to make the build since their latest ones seem vastly improved. Plus, i need intel because i use the PC a lot for emulation. Thanks for the info though, i wasn't aware of this.If you use an AMD processor on x470 / x570 platform be very careful (especially - but not exclusively!!! - if you overclock) ... there are a lot of unsolved problems on pciex sound cards or usb dacs ...
See here:
https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=200427
I spent two months trying to fix it, with no success.
Personally I solved ... by selling my soundblaster Z + z906
The alternative was to go back to Intel ... (which attracted me, but the prospect of having to disassemble and reassemble the whole config... made me lean towards the avr).
One thing is for sure, the 5900x will be my latest Amd processor, ever...
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nkarafo
Member
Unless you are using a motherboard with some magic sound chip inside, every single sound card i ever used, even older ones like Soundblaster Live, sounds a lot better than any motherboard. You may have to adjust a few things to achieve the optimal sound you like but that's something sound cards can offer. Motherboards sound flat.
M1chl
Currently Gif and Meme Champion
They are not out of the basic elektronic principles, that there is way less high frequency noise which is getting into your sound, when it's on the separate board. I have X570-E and even if there is more quality sound card there, it's no match for my old SoundBlast X-FI elite. Not the mention X-FI support low latency ASIO interface, which is needed for the music production, which I am trying to do for multiple years.
recursive
Member
I can understand, once it sounds good to your ears it's hard to change. And really that is all that matters.
The treble tone control does adjust high frequency response. The drawback is it doesn't show you the center frequency and is using a very broad bandwidth so it would take some trial and error to get that on an eq. Not sure if the creative control panel allows for adjustment of CF or BW. I tend to run flat and sometimes turn on crystallizer to brighten up the sound on my headphones.
DonJuanSchlong
Banned
Personally, a neutral DAC is your best friend. I don't like creative, don't like soundblaster, etc.
Once you get a good DAC, it's all on your next set of gear. The amp and speakers/headphones. Get what you like, don't just go for the schit or other popular brands. Get what makes YOU happy. Get YOUR sound signature, and enjoy it to the fullest.
Convincing others about sound is the dumbest thing ever, as we all have different sets of ears, different preferences, etc. Get what you like, can't stress this enough.
Once you get a good DAC, it's all on your next set of gear. The amp and speakers/headphones. Get what you like, don't just go for the schit or other popular brands. Get what makes YOU happy. Get YOUR sound signature, and enjoy it to the fullest.
Convincing others about sound is the dumbest thing ever, as we all have different sets of ears, different preferences, etc. Get what you like, can't stress this enough.
ToTTenTranz
Banned
They got majorly screwed by Microsoft when Windows Vista came with no support for DirectSound, which EAX was built on. With Vista, the Creative cards were brought down to the same functionality as any card with a Realtek or C-Media codec as hardware support for reverb effects was dropped. They could use EAX 2.0 like all the others, but EAX 3.0 -5.0 was hardware-only and Creative's custom audio processors couldn't be used under Windows Vista (and later). Creative tried to spearhead the adoption of OpenAL to support their cards but it was seemingly too late as by then most PC gamers had regressed to onboard audio with Realtek chips.
Environmental audio got pushed back by over a decade, as we only recently started to get decent audio positioning and reverb in videogames. Sony kickstarted a new trend in audio effects/positioning with Tempest and raytracing for audio and things should evolve positively from now on, but EAX 5.0 would still hold up very well nowadays.
Logitech's Z906 is similar in sound output and you can often find that set on sale for sub $200 / 200€. It's actually a pretty good option even for small and medium sized rooms.
I'm more bummed out for Creative ceasing to make PC surround speakers like their excellent S750 and other solutions from Cambridge Soundworks. All they have now are stereo systems or soundbars.
I tried the z906, it just didn't have that same full feeling to it. I got rid of the 5500 due to a hum coming from the sub, all the time. I tried everything to fix it, new wiring from sub to amp, replace all the resistors and diodes and fuses, I think it was was the coil causing issues, but regardless, it sucked losing it. I just put a Yamaha 5.1 in my office and running a good 2.0 system, does what I want and can add a sub anytime. I wish there were more high quality pc 5.1/7.1 systems. EAX was amazing. Back in 2004, I believe it was, I bought a Dell XPS, huge big blue bastard. I got the Altec Lansing 5.1 and man, it was something. I remember playing Painkiller and hearing everything circling me, just great times.
nkarafo
Member
Now i have all the exact same settings as my old Audigy 2 (using daniel_K's drivers ofc), including the tone options, the card sounds just as good (or better if there's a small difference, dunno) but now i will be able to plug it in my future build thanks to the newer PCI-e interface.
You saved me
I hope this will be the last time i will have to worry about sound and they won't remove the PCIe slot from motherboards in 10 years or something. I even think about getting a second Rx, just to have it as a backup. I might as well do it if i can find one for dirt cheap.
Edit: Turns out the Rx is not as good as the Audigy 2... If i use the same settings, the sound will crackle if the frequencies are high enough. So i have to turn down the settings a bit, which is not optimal. It's close and i think i'll settle but i'll have to accept the fact that the best sound card is for older PCs only.
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nkarafo
Member
Ok so after testing and researching more about the Audigy Rx, it turns out it's not as good as the Audigy 2, despite being a newer card in the Audigy line. Seems to me Creative used to make quality cards at some point, got popular and then they started cheapen out or something.
So once again i'm at the same place where i started. Though this time i might try this adapter
Looks like the PCI PCB is separate from the PCEi adapter PCB so it should be able to fit under the motherboard, which solves the issue of the card being able to fit in the case.
Does anyone have experience with such adapters though?
So once again i'm at the same place where i started. Though this time i might try this adapter
Looks like the PCI PCB is separate from the PCEi adapter PCB so it should be able to fit under the motherboard, which solves the issue of the card being able to fit in the case.
Does anyone have experience with such adapters though?
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rofif
Can’t Git Gud
why. Let it go man...
or get usb dac if you really must have anything
nkarafo
Member
Good USB DACs are expensive. Which isn't an issue, if there was one that i knew it would work for me, i would get it. But i don't want to spend that much money to end up with something inferior than what i have now, like i did with the Rx and the Soundblaster Z.
I just don't want to spend more money only for testing purposes. It's difficult to resell them to get some of the money back.
Like already mentioned, modern cards lack features older ones had (like the hardware treble adjust).
As for letting it go, let's just say that audio is a very important factor for me. To the point where i was thinking of keeping this whole PC and waste all that space only for the sound card, because the new build won't have the sound i want.
BlackTron
Member
I still have a creative sound blaster live 5.1 in an anti static bag that I could never bear to get rid of. The only reason I ever stopped using it was dropped support and just getting sick of chasing parity with all my past PC greatness. I know other driver solutions exist but after so many times of reinstalling Windows or changing builds, you want to slap it all together and move on.
I ended up settling on this USB external creative sound device that has L/R composite and optical on it. The thing is 20 years old but is still plug and play, better sound than mobo, and I only have to miss my old sound card a little bit lol.
I ended up settling on this USB external creative sound device that has L/R composite and optical on it. The thing is 20 years old but is still plug and play, better sound than mobo, and I only have to miss my old sound card a little bit lol.
nkarafo
Member
I actually have 3 of these. People dump old PCs on me and i end up with various cool parts like these. I even have a second Audigy 2 for backup and an Audigy 1, which is almost as good.
BlackTron
Member
The dropped driver support for all this stuff is cataclysmic. My 5.1 is still clutching to the original driver CD FFS...Maybe it feels comforting to know that if I really wanted, I could make a Windows XP machine that would play MP3s with the same sound I had back then...tbh I was never able to get back the perfection of some of the EQ presets.
nkarafo
Member
Have you tried making a virtual PC with Windows XP? Have the card as a generic one on the main OS and see if it works properly on the guest OS.
Also, have you tried the drivers in the link i posted in this thread? The Audigy works 100% with those, i know you said you tried some custom drivers but have you yried those?
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
Just use onboard. It really is good unless you have some 2002 garbage board.
And usb dac is not expensive. Even ancient fiio e10k is fine.
I compared few times and I never found any audible differences between usb dac, sound card or internal... now I am using pulse 3d with it's wireless dongle and for speakers I just use rtx hdmi audio over lg c1 and I am happier than ever.
If I were you, I would at least explore usb audio. You move away from internals and all the shit associated with internal cards noise.
amigastar
Member
Thats true, i've had DACs from 200 - 900 Euros and never really found any worthmentioning audible difference between the dac and internal soundcard. Which makes me sad, but it is how it is.
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rofif
Can’t Git Gud
It's not sad. Analog audio has peaked long time ago.
And digital audio is a common feature. We have shielded audio chips in motherboard, fantastic DACs built-in phones or even iphone adapters...
Audio is a done deal. The only thing that matters nowadays is the speakers or headphones. Everything before hat requires a minimal effort go get 99% there.
nkarafo
Member
I'll never use onboard because never in my life i came across a single one that has decent sound. And i assure you, there have been literally hundreds of motherboards in my life. Not sure what boards you are getting, personally i don't get the cheapest but i also avoid "premium" Motherboards. I would never get one before i'm 100% sure it would give me the sound i need. Problem is, who is going to give me his for a test? Also, no. My current MB isn't a "2002 garbage board" either since it's a system i built in 2015. So an older MB would not be able to work with my current CPU....
I do agree that a USB DAC would solve all my compatibility issues. Problem is, there is no way for me to test them before i buy. I only ever tested a couple that some friends happen to have (the omni and another one i don't remember the model) and they were both inferior to my current Audigy 2. All newer PCIe internal cards i tested are also inferior (only the Z comes close but even that lacks the hardware treble/tone feature that makes a big difference for my speakers).
Maybe if i could replace the speakers with something different that doesn't need those specific settings to help them, i could probably use the Z. But that would be the most expensive solution, i don't think i can find better speakers for less than 300E.
In the end, if a 15 euro adapter does the job, i won't need any other expensive solution or test any other card/DAC. But if i get the chance to test some i will anyway.
Not if you want good sound. Or at least the kind of sound that fits your ears. And each one has different tastes and standards.
Also i disagree about the speakers and headphones. No matter how good these are, they won't magically change the crappy sound from a crappy source. They help, sure but having fancy speakers/headphones and use them to hear from a crappy source, is like trying to drive a Lambo on a dirt road. A good source is the most important thing to have first, otherwise everything else will not be optimal.
And from my experience, a good sound source will make a bigger difference on crappy speakers than a crappy source on good speakers. Source: Me. I spend a lot of time tweaking sound and my ears are even more sensitive than my eyes. It's something important to me so i always give it a lot of attention.
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TheAssist
Member
Thats what I'm using right now as well. I still got my Creative X-Fi Xtreme Music installed, though I'm not using it. But the card looks so god damn coolGet yourself a Schiit stack.
PhoenixTank
Member
My old rig has a Auzentech X-Meridian 7.1 2G PCI only. Went through the same motions to figure out if I could use it with a 2019 rig somehow. I eventually ruled out PCIE adapters just from concerns with quality. Any noise introduced via shitty adapter components/shielding would entirely undermine the point of having the sound card rather than using onboard.
That PCIE to USB to PCI with SATA power seems like a nightmare situation for me. That said reviews mention positive experiences for soundcards specifically so maybe it is worth a go?
Kiya's Guard
Member
You should be able to connect it to a pciex slot, it should go into compatibility mode automatically. I use a xonar essence stx, but that is pciex already
