Should I get an Audigy 2?

[saturnotaku]

The Big Blue Monster (aka Best Buy) is running a deal where you can buy an Audigy 2 for $80 after rebate. That sounds like a really good deal, but I wonder if it would be worth getting. I'm currently using the onboard audio on my nForce2. What do you think?

[fastguy94416]

I'd be happy with the onboard.

Right now I am extremly pleased with my Herc Gametheater XP

[Dazz]

I would stick with the onboard Audio performance wise they are the same the only real diffrence is that the Audigy 2 supports EAX3.0 aka Advanced HD.

[jAkUp]

i would get it.. cuz i cant live without my eax:D

[PsychoSy]

Go to a computer trade show and nab an OEM Audigy2 for $50-60 - no rebate hassle. :)

Now, if that Best Buy deal is for the Plantium Audigy2 (with the drivebay box) for $80 after rebates, then all I got to say is WTF you waiting for?!?! :p

[LiquidX]

I have a A2 and I have to say it was my best upgrade. I went fron Intel onboard which was......ok but hear NForce 2 is real good so I would say get it on these merits.

1. You got some kick ass speakers to take advantage of it.
2. You can make use of the games that come with it, Hitman 2 Soldier of Fortune 2.


In any event I think its a great investment for $80. You get a sound card and 2 great games.

[StealthHawk]

Audigy2 sounds great. CPU utilization is low. I never bothered comparing it to the onboard nforce2 sound, but the Audigy2 sounds quite a bit better than sblive.

[jAkUp]

most reviews have said it is a small upgrade over the nforce2 audio as far as the quality of sound... although it does have eax support:D :D :D

[Dazz]

So does the nForce APU, heck even the realtek AC97 supports EAX2.0.

[VoltFox]

I don't know about nforce 2 sound quality but I'm using Audigy 2 (upgrade from Audigy 1) for a couple of months now and I think it produced the best sound quality... it beats Audigy 1, the difference is there... :)

[tastyweat]

the audigy 2 is great - alot better than n-force onboard sh*t -but you will need good speakers to go with it - i recommend the Creative Inspire 6700

[saturnotaku]

Originally posted by PsychoSy
Go to a computer trade show and nab an OEM Audigy2 for $50-60 - no rebate hassle.

And I just did that...at the computer trade show known as ebay. $70 from a seller with 100% positive feedback. Not too shabby. Only one place to get true EAX support and that's with a Creative card. This also means I can use my Gameport Sidewinder game pad as opposed to my USB one. :)

[saturnotaku]

I got the card this afternoon (three day auction turnaround, seller totally rocked) and plugged it in. The drivers on the CD are the most recent ones so no need to do any updates. I did what I've done with all previous Creative cards and installed the drivers only. I fired up Winamp and ho-ree cow! I thought Soundstorm was good, but even this Audigy 2 has all the makings of kicking it in the nuts. I've only tested it with Winamp but so far so very, very good. :jammin:

[EciDemon]

As far as I know only Creatives sound boards have EAX support. (The technical specifications is not released for other companies to use)
From a gamers point of view that is as good as ever reason to upgrade. It far supasses Direct sounds 3d features and such (witch Im sure nforce uses)

AC97 has some basic reverb features you can use when you play music but it is not eax so it wont be used in games as a hardware feature.

EAX is a hardware feature that can be used in both games and apps (if you want effects for music listening or just an equalizer)
It gives you sound acustic effects and most games supports eax. Sound really comes to life in games I think.

I bought my Audigy 2 a few months ago and Im very happy with it. Sound quallity is superb, Its also good for home music production as it has asio support, 24 bit sound quallity and very high sampling rate. It also features DVD audio support and the audigy2 is the only sound board with that feature. Once you have heard it with surround speakers ordinary audio cds sounds like crap!

I cant speak for nforce audio cos ive never experienced it but I do have a built in AC97 on my mobo and the difference is HUGE. Even my old sblive 4.1 sounds better then "new?" ac97.

So If you ask me you cant go wrong with an audigy 2.

[Nutty]

Does it have realtime dolby digital ENcoding?

[Smokey]

Originally posted by Nutty
Does it have realtime dolby digital ENcoding?

Only nForce supports that :p I dont know much about Dolby Digital, but the Audigy2 supports Dolby Pro Logic II i think, I guess the difference is one is digital and one isnt?

[StealthHawk]

Originally posted by Smokey
Only nForce supports that :p I dont know much about Dolby Digital, but the Audigy2 supports Dolby Pro Logic II i think, I guess the difference is one is digital and one isnt?

No, Soundstorm nForce2 can encode some(?) audio to Dolby Digital in real-time.

Audigy supports Dolby Digital decoding, meaning it can play back Dolby Digital.

[DaveW]

The Audigy 2 drivers have that MCSS thing that translates stereo into 5.1 speakers in software.

[FastM]

I noticed a slow-down with my RAID Array (promise Tx2) when i installed a Audigy2 in my system, also had compatability problems with the Audigy2 and my Leadtek TV Tuner (problems to the point it would crash the system hard enough that i need to hit reset).

So my advice is... unless your doing some kind of work and need the best sound devices.. stick with Soundstorm.

[Nutty]

No, Soundstorm nForce2 can encode some(?) audio to Dolby Digital in real-time.

Yeah, from what I gather, the original design was so DirectX sounds in 3D get encoded into dolby digital automatically, and nforce2 is the only consumer sound system that supports this.

Audigy supports Dolby Digital decoding, meaning it can play back Dolby Digital.

What use is that? If you have your soundcard connected to an amp+speakers, the amp decodes the dolby digital signal anyway. Why bother decoding it in the sound card, unless you have the speakers plugged directly into the soundcard.

Considering the price of an audigy2, I find it a complete rip, it doesnt encode dolby digital like the nforce2 as well. Creative have been coasting along on a lack of innovation for too long IMO.

[StealthHawk]

Originally posted by Nutty
What use is that? If you have your soundcard connected to an amp+speakers, the amp decodes the dolby digital signal anyway. Why bother decoding it in the sound card, unless you have the speakers plugged directly into the soundcard.

Considering the price of an audigy2, I find it a complete rip, it doesnt encode dolby digital like the nforce2 as well. Creative have been coasting along on a lack of innovation for too long IMO.

My point was that both nForce2 Soundstorm and Audigy support dolby digital decoding, but only nForce2 Soundstorm supports DD encoding.

I'm still not sure how useful dolby digital encoding is either. Doesn't EAX do something similar with DirectX sounds(make it into surround sound).

[Nutty]

What d'ya mean, dont know how useful? It takes 3d positioned sounds, and converts it into a dolby digital audio signal for your amp.

I'm not too sure what EAX does, I know my SBLive, outputs Pro Logic 1, when I tried it ages ago.

[Smokey]

How many of todays current soundcard low-high end, accually encode DD? another thing to consider also is that not everyone is connected via digital output, I like many gamers, use only headphones. Basicly, if you're a gamer, the Audigy2 is the best sound card to get, end of story IMO :p

[Nutty]

Well I'm planning on getting some optically connected 5.1 speakers over chrimbo for when doom3 comes out. Yum yum! Hell even HL2 has 5.1 audio too.. audio-tastic!

[EciDemon]

To clear some things up:

The Audigy 2 decodes dolby digital EX, that is the newest standard and it introduces 6.1 and 7.1, it also decodes normal dolby digital (5.1). So it is backward compatible.

It does allow you to connect analog speaker systems. That is the reasone it has the abillity to decode. But you can also connect in digital mode if you have an external decoder (often found in digital 5.1 speaker systems anyway)

While soundblaster does not convert Direct sound to Dolby(3d) digital it does convert it to Eax. So that means you still get true 3d sound. Even Live cards do that in fact. It also wraps A3d if Im not mistakend