Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro Review

[superklye]

nope. but pokking around the web i have learned that the game does 2.1. when i was using the nvidia audio, it was emulating surround sound. i can make it like that on my 24-bit with that CMSD thing, or whatever it is, but i'm not really down with emulation, so i'll pass on that. but COD2 is a different world
The game has no 5.1 support at all? That's crazy. I still need to reinstall it, too. :o I promise, I'm going to. Once finals are done, I'll have an entire month with nothing to do besides work.

And as for the CMSS-3D, it doesnt so much emulate 5.1 as it just upmixes stereo sound to be 5.1. So instead of turning 2.1 stereo into 5.1 positional, it basically makes the sound 5.1 stereo. The front and back left are playing the same thing, the front and back right are playing the same thing and the center is playing a mixed signal of both, from what I understand. It's just a way to utilize your whole setup in a non-5.1 environment/situation.

[zoomy942]

gotcha:) you are just a bucket of knowledge.:)

[superklye]

gotcha:) you are just a bucket of knowledge.:)
Nah, but thanks. :o

EDIT: If I didn't make it clear, the CMSS-3D only upmixes 2.1 stuff. If there is a 5.1 signal coming, it comes out in true 5.1 sound, without the CMSS-3D stepping in and touching it at all.

[Rytr]

I enjoyed reading the review, very well done Kyle! (cheers)

[superklye]

I enjoyed reading the review, very well done Kyle! (cheers)
Thanks a lot, Steve! I appreciate it! :)

[OWA]

I'm still using the drivers that came on the disc with the card...I'm thinking about updating to the latest ones tonight. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Any other X-Fi users have experience with the new drivers? Any praise/warnings?

EDIT: And I'm glad to hear the Live! 24-bit is working out for you (again) Paul. :) You get that GW thing figured out?
I was also leery of upgrading since things were fine with the ones from the CD but I bit the bullet and upgraded them recently. Things have been fine so far and I've tried most of the games since then (but not all of them yet). I didn't really notice any difference either though.

[superklye]

I was also leery of upgrading since things were fine with the ones from the CD but I bit the bullet and upgraded them recently. Things have been fine so far and I've tried most of the games since then (but not all of them yet). I didn't really notice any difference either though.
I assume you uninstalled the old ones, driver-cleaned and put on the new ones? Do you have to uninstall EVERYTHING when you upgrade?

[jAkUp]

I never used the ones off the CD, I went straight to the latest drivers.

[OWA]

I think I installed over the top of the CD drivers but if I recall correctly, the installer mentioned I had old versions on a couple of things. It then uninstalled them and installed the newer ones. I think that's the way it went anyway. As you can probably tell, I'm not positive about that though.

[superklye]

Oh okay, awesome. I think I'll give that a shot tonight or tomorrow. :)

[superklye]

I never used the ones off the CD, I went straight to the latest drivers.
yeah, but didn't you have to do that with Windows XP x64?

[superklye]

Holy crap...I have a subscription to CPU Magazine and I get their daily emails. They always have a "featured review," a "featured deal" and all that stuff and today, the review was of the X-Fi Elite Pro. I thought it was kind of weird since they reviewed the card 2 or 3 months ago. And then I read the paragraph blurb. It seemed REALLY familiar...

I clicked the link expecting it to take me to their page, since every other review I've seen from those emails does, and it took me to my review! MY REVIEW WAS FEATURED BY CPU MAGAZINE!

[zoomy942]

thats so badass. i gotta check it out. i have a subscription to that too

[superklye]

HOLY CRAP! It's listed on the front page of http://www.computerpoweruser.com/ too! This is ridiculous!

[zoomy942]

wow!

[OWA]

HOLY CRAP! It's listed on the front page of http://www.computerpoweruser.com/ too! This is ridiculous!
Cool. (cheers)

[superklye]

Here is the much talked about and much promised expanded look at the Entertainment functionality of the card.
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=792543#post792543

Now, I did not get into Creative's suite of software or anything, that is merely a guide I've created to tweak the drivers and settings to get the best possible sound, from my point of view. I want to do more of a look into their media center software and that will be forthcoming as well as an expanded look into the audio creation mode and the immense power that holds.

[superklye]

The review itself has been updated with the additional content I posted in the guide thread.