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Topic: Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi (Read 5674 times) previous topic - next topic
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Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi

Right now, using the onboard Realtek ALC880 "Azalia High Definition (    ) Audio".  It's....uhh....getting on my nerves.  So, I'm shopping around for a replacement solution, have narrowed it down a bit, but am really torn on these options!

It's looking like X-Fi Platinum vs Prodigy 7.1 LT.

REALLY fishing for an opinion on these two cards from someone who has actually HAD both.  Basically, my thoughts are:

Soundblaster X-Fi
+ Better at games (EAX1-5 in hardware)
+ Drive bay device for better connectivity options (MIDI, headphones, etc)
+ Superior headphone virtualization algorithm (for gaming with headphones)
- Concerned about 44.1khz -> 48khz resampling (apparently, even setting it to output at 44.1khz still has it resample up to 96khz, then back down to 44.1khz.  No way to make it STOP F***ING RESAMPLING!)
- Concerned about rather medicore OpAmps
- Concerned about requirement of setting one of multiple 'modes' (no ability to play MIDIs while in game mode, for example)

Audiotrak Prodigy
+ Equiv. DACs and notably superior OpAmps
+ More streamlined drivers
+ True, bit-accurate output
+ Half-height and red, so looks better in my case.     
- No MIDI input
- Concerned about support only for EAX1 and EAX2, in software at that (not a huge disadvantage, BUT...)
- Concerned about reports that QSound algorithm for any in-game audio apparently has frequent depth and positioning problems

What I'm really looking for is advice from someone who has had BOTH cards on which sounds better OVERALL - not just in one thing, specifically.  As, after all, I don't use the computer for only one thing.  (I mean, if stereo music listening was the only thing I did, the ESI Juli@ would be my pretty clear first choice).  Generally, I find my computer usage thus:
  • Music - 40%
  • DVDs (5.1) - 40% (just the two of us, so we watch movies on the nice PC widescreen LCD)
  • Games (5.1) - 20%
(I know, I know, it's a question that comes up often...but it seems it needs a refresh every time a new major soundcard release occurs, and, well, here we are!)

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi

Reply #1 –
If you can actually FIND an Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 LT, go for it.  I wanted one, but the only place selling them here, sold out of them.  So now I am considering an M-Audio Revolution 5.1.

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi

Reply #2 –
Quote
If you can actually FIND an Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 LT, go for it.  I wanted one, but the only place selling them here, sold out of them.  So now I am considering an M-Audio Revolution 5.1.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I'll probably regret this, but....[a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-AUDIOTRAK-Prodigy-7-1LT-8-7-1-Channels-PCI_W0QQitemZ6798330206QQcategoryZ3701QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem]linkage[/url].  eBay store - 3 in stock.

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi

Reply #3 –
Quote
- Concerned about 44.1khz -> 48khz resampling (apparently, even setting it to output at 44.1khz still has it resample up to 96khz, then back down to 44.1khz.  No way to make it STOP F***ING RESAMPLING!)
- Concerned about rather medicore OpAmps and DACs
- Concerned about requirement of setting one of multiple 'modes' (no ability to play MIDIs while in game mode, for example)


- The X-fi doesn't resample in Audio Creation mode.
- The DACs are not mediocre, the DACs on the cheapest model is CS4382 with a SNR of 114 dBA. The opamp is according to some purists not very good, but this doesn't show up in tests (my Extreme Music measures better in RMAA than my M-Audio Revolution 7.1).
- You can definitely play MIDIs in Game Mode. What idiot has led you to believe otherwise?

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi

Reply #4 –
Quote
- The X-fi doesn't resample in Audio Creation mode.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


I dunno, I hear otherwise.  No evidence of that, so it's just hearsay, but the "word on the street" was that [a href="http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/audio/creative/xfi%20elite%20pro/srcfirfilter.jpg]the SRC[/url] never REALLY gets disabled, even in "audio creation mode", and when you set 44.1khz output...it's just sampling all the way down to 44.1khz from the 192khz it sampled up to.

Quote
- The DACs are not mediocre, the DACs on the cheapest model is CS4382 with a SNR of 114 dBA. The opamp is according to some purists not very good, but this doesn't show up in tests (my Extreme Music measures better in RMAA than my M-Audio Revolution 7.1).
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

That doesn't sound right.  All the pictures I've seen of the card show it having the JRC NJM4556 on the front two channels and 3 ST Micro ST4558s for the other 6 chanels.

For example, [a href="http://www.guru3d.com/admin/imageview.php?image=5926]closeup of X-Fi XTreme Music[/url].

Those are pretty clearly ST 4558C and JRC 4556A OpAmps on it.

Quote
- You can definitely play MIDIs in Game Mode. What idiot has led you to believe otherwise?
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Well, basically, the chart on [a href="http://www.techreport.com/reviews/2005q4/soundblaster-x-fi/index.x?pg=4]this page[/url] (that pretty much every review echoes a copy of):
Quote
Hardware MIDI playback:
(Gaming) No
(Entertainment) Optional
(Audio Creation) Yes


I presume that means that Soundfonts (which are basically needed for any decent MIDI playback) are absent in gaming mode.

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi

Reply #5 –
Concerning that you define gaming-usage only at 20%, the only significant disadvantage of the audiotrak is the lack of midi-input. The rest of the audiotrak suits your needs better.
I am arrogant and I can afford it because I deliver.

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi

Reply #6 –
Quote
I dunno, I hear otherwise.  No evidence of that, so it's just hearsay, but the "word on the street" was that the SRC never REALLY gets disabled, even in "audio creation mode", and when you set 44.1khz output...it's just sampling all the way down to 44.1khz from the 192khz it sampled up to.


Well, that's just unfounded theories. Since the card performs best when set to "bit-matched playback" without audible (udial) or measurable (RMAA) distorsions even when all volume faders are maxed out I see no reason to believe that CL is lying.

What is true, though, is that it doesn't support 44.1 kS/s digital out, but digital out is not supported in Audio Creation mode anyway.


Quote
That doesn't sound right.  All the pictures I've seen of the card show it having the JRC NJM4556 on the front two channels and 3 ST Micro ST4558s for the other 6 chanels.

For example, closeup of X-Fi XTreme Music.

Those are pretty clearly ST 4558C and JRC 4556A OpAmps on it.


Who are you arguing with? What are you arguing?

Quote
I presume that means that Soundfonts (which are basically needed for any decent MIDI playback) are absent in gaming mode.


No, soundfonts work fine in Game Mode. The only midi functionality missing is the ability to place midi sounds in 3d.

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi

Reply #7 –
Quote
Concerning that you define gaming-usage only at 20%, the only significant disadvantage of the audiotrak is the lack of midi-input. The rest of the audiotrak suits your needs better.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=336686"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


I don't know how/why you would come to that conclusion.

- The X-fi is equal or better (depending on model) when it comes to music
- The X-fi is without a doubt better for games
- The X-fi is under no circumstances worse for movies (even without using any DSP effects).  Furthermore, the new CMSS modes are much improved and actually do a decent job with matrix encoded sources, and it adapts to your speaker setup (including headphones).

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi

Reply #8 –
Quote
Quote
That doesn't sound right.  All the pictures I've seen of the card show it having the JRC NJM4556 on the front two channels and 3 ST Micro ST4558s for the other 6 chanels.

For example, closeup of X-Fi XTreme Music.

Those are pretty clearly ST 4558C and JRC 4556A OpAmps on it.


Who are you arguing with? What are you arguing?
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=336688"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Oh, um...oops.  Thought you were talking about the OpAmps, not the DACs.  *smack*.

I'll grant, the DACs are certainly decent, and slightly superior to the Prodigy DACs.  The OpAmps on the Prodigy, however, are much better than the X-Fi.

X-Fi OpAmps:
Quote
NJM4556A: (front two channels)
"The NJM4556A combines many of the features of the popular NJM4558 as well as having the capability of driving 150Ω loads.In addition,the wide band-width,low noise,high slew rate and low distortion of the NJM4556A make it ideal for many audio,telecommunications and instrumentation applications."
THD - 0.0008%
SR - 3 V/μs
GB - 8mhz

ST4558C: (other six channels)
THD - 0.008%
SR - 2.2 V/μs
GB - 5.5 mhz


Prodigy OpAmps:
Quote
NJM4580s: (all eight channels)
THD - 0.0005%
SR - 5 V/μs
GB - 15mhz

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi

Reply #9 –
Personally I'm of the opinion that differences in hardware should be measurable. What I mean by that is that if the stereo op-amp on the X-Fi Extreme Music is so bad it should be very apparent in RMAA tests.

However, when I do a loopback from my X-fi into my Revolution 7.1 I get excellent results (up to 103 dB DR), results that are limited by the Revo's less than stellar ADC. The results are also (as I said above) slightly better than the Revo's.

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT vs Soundblaster X-Fi

Reply #10 –
The X-Fi cards seems to be pretty decent, and most people would be hard pressed to ABX it from M-Audio and other cards... if anyone have links to people actually ABXing, I would appreciate it.

For gaming there is no question about it. EAX in hardware is a big pluss.

My only problem with the X-Fi series is the price. In most games, an Audigy would perform just as well. And as I have a dedicated gaming PC, the choice for me is easy. I play FPS games in a Clan and competes in various leagues, so for me in *that* PC, there is really no option.

My media/music/playback PC is a linux box, so that limits the options a bit. Also here, Creatives cards up to the Audigy has had good driver support. X-Fi drivers are not on linux yet.

And about resampling, DAC quality, OpAmps, caps and SNR of 109dB or 113dB or whatnot... Can you hear the difference? If you really can, then it is important... if you cannot or don't care enough, it is not a factor.

What you should pick? You decide

(not much help, huh?)