You look happy and healthy. Quitting your job may have been a good choice. Thanks for the video btw. I really liked it. Keep up the good work! :)

@clblanchard08

4 жыл бұрын

Who would have thought slaving away at an unfulfilling job would take a toll on someone's health.

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

Or that working full time and putting 30+ hours into KZread while supporting a family of 4 for 2+ years would wear on someone :-D

And here I am using a Creative Extigy from 2002. Driving some coaxial digital speakers and my headset out the front. Still works damn well.

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

I had an Extigy. Loved that setup!

"Is a sound card worth it?" -- proceeds to review a DAC instead.

@resneptacle

4 жыл бұрын

That is basically a sound card, no? Just a USB one

@hi_tech_reptiles

3 жыл бұрын

I mean... A sound card is just an internal DAC. An audio interface and external DAC are also very similar, just different features. They all contain a DAC of some kind.

@r448191

3 жыл бұрын

@starshipeleven In the same way a hometrainer is a bike, sure.

@hi_tech_reptiles

3 жыл бұрын

@@r448191 a sound card contains a DAC on the internal PCB that plugs into the PCIe slot. An external DAC has the chip inside along with I/O, it's essentially just a chip housing. To use your bike metaphor, a DAC is the wheels, what you put on the wheels makes it a bike, "hometrainer" or a car, like a sound card, audio interface, external DAC or even a internal/external/portable DAC/Amp combo etc

@whydohandlesexistAAA

3 жыл бұрын

@@r448191 In the end both things are just a combination of a DAC and an amplifier, whether they use PCIe or USB as the digital interface makes no difference really.

So how are the images processed? In the app or on their servers?

This video made me discover your channel. Tech and beer. Guess I'm a fan and a subscriber now!

If you use the line outs on the back for powered speakers, how do you switch between the headphone and speaker output? Are they both on all the time? Does the volume control knob on the Sound Blaster X3 control the volume of the line outs as well or are they at a fixed volume?

so would an audio device like the Audient ID14 replace a soundcard like this Soundblaster card?

Does it work with iPad Pro ? If it’s not can you recommend for me sound card that has a good output and works with iPad Pro 2020

Hi, is the line out on the X3 variable or fixed? Thanks

How does the X3 sound compared to the K3+? I was waiting for a comparison with the K3+ but there was none.

Was thinking about getting the X3 so thanks for the review, I have the AMP and there is a Windows application for it that does everything apart from the head mapping for which you need to use the phone app

I'm the odd ball that still shoves a sound card in every machine that I can.

Picked up an external DAC/AMP for my PC and it definitely relieves a sort of veil my motherboard audio had on vocals and mids, definitely worth it but id keep things out of a PC case just to be safe and avoid another background app running on my PC.

Should I buy this and use with Audio Technica M50 and/or HyperX Cloud Alpha headphones? Or should I better invest in more high-end headphones for better results?

i use logitech z5450 5.1 so is an pre amp worth it

Dose it has mic effects sound like revarbs and echo like old versions 5.1 XI-FI

Does this piece improve volume?

Have you considered reviewing the EVGA NU Audio Pro?

How would you use the line outs to connect it to a 7.1 receiver? Or is that impossible in these days of hdmi inputs? my Pioneer only has a toslink in for TV and although it will work when my input is set to TV, I have my hdmi going from my laptop to the receiver in on DVD and then the Hdmi goes from my receiver out to the back of my TV so I have to choose. Ideas?

Is it worth putting my old sound blaster fatality 64mb soundcard, it's the gaming Jonathan Wendell one, in my rig that's 2 years old with a Gigabyte X99-SLI Intel X99 (Socket 2011) DDR4 ATX Motherboard in it? My sound card has 3 diff platforms, one for movie watching, one for gaming that flies a helo around your head and u know even with headphones where it is at what 'o'clock' and also a sound engineering platform which my son would use maybe as a DJ but he got all that now and signed. My problem is when I play games after a while of thumping out auto rounds the sound goes off or intermittent, reckon the old sound blaster would fix it? Only reason I never put it in was cos it has a front panel which my new rig has a disc player there!

That little bugger has a pretty good power output considering the footprint! Great Video!

How does it compared to iPhone earbuds or schiit hel

I want to add DAC with sxFI when I connect my android phone to my car stereo system through the 3.5mm port. Would you recommend getting the small CREATIVE SXFI AMP for android or Sound Blaster X4?? """If both were in the same size"""" as for me size does not matter but I would like to have more options to tweak the sound. Since I am using my android phone, please tell me which would be better for me if I placed the music through my car stereo system thru 3.5 mm audio input jack. My car stereo system has Bluetooth as well however I know that high-fi sound does not transmit well through the Bluetooth. Thank you very much.

I dont have ön my motherboard 5.1 connection . U think is good option to have 5.1 to my 5.1 sound speakers ?

Interesting clip mate. Thankyou

where is the link to the beer you are drinking?

Thanks for the detailed review, really liked it :) I've got 2 more questions thou if you don't mind answering: 1. Is it possible to switch between headphones and speakers via a physical button? I'd prefer to keep my headphones plugged in all the time, even when I want to listen to speakers. 2. Does the BT connection work with PC as well? I'd love to switch between my desktop and laptop without having to unplug/plug in the USB cable.

@chrisanderson4387

2 жыл бұрын

1. Sometimes. If you have 2 channel speaker system it's possible to get an inexpensive aux switch and to swap between amps (one going to headphones, one going to speakers or an AVR). I use an AVR (plugged in via HDMI ARC: computer -> 4K TV -> AVR) for my speakers and usually just plug my headphones in/out of that, which is "close enough" to a physical switch for me (sound changes automatically and I can still use the volume knob on the AVR or my TV remote control) and the amp on the AVR is 'good enough' to me for headphone out. 2. BT often works "well enough" - if you don't have bluetooth on your desktop, you can buy an adapter for as low as $10. I have found bluetooth in general to be finicky with some configs, it could be me and/or my hardware pairings.

Dude, just name a simple sound card with separate Treble and Bass controller. Funny it's hard to find any.

@Boemtie

3 жыл бұрын

i can find those, only not one with a 3.5 mic input

I've been impressed with everything I've had so far from Level.

I know this is old, but a question for any1 that can help. I'd greatly appreciate it. Don't you need the optical cable even on PC if you want 96khz quality? I've seen people say you only need the USB plug in, but the leaflet the device comes with says you need optical for the higher quality.

I recently put a Sound Blaster XFi card from 2007 into my Alienware Area 51 R3 as an "upgrade" over the onboard sound and it is much better. It sounds amazing running through my Pioneer A-50 Aplifier.

Would be interested to hear your opinion on the Sennheiser GSX1000 vs this one, the surround features on the Sennheiser appear to generally still be rated higher, even though it's an older product. It is rather more limited, configuration wise (no equaliser etc), and can't drive higher end headphones (but that could be fixed with an amp, if really required). But on the flip side, it doesn't require installing any software, and will work on pretty much anything.

@Princeton_James

3 жыл бұрын

What did you go with? I chose the G6 over the GSX.

Creative ZxR with Burson opamps and yes, very happy owner here. I also have a X3 paired with a Hackintosh in direct mode and a tube amp. Paired with Roon and a DT1990... glorious!

Hey it's a OPT output. You said it input. Right?

Took a bit of hunting around, but I knew I saw a sound card video in my subscriptions somewhere.

Hi, I really need your advice! I am setting up a low end (i3) tower for music production using Cubase. I used to use 2496 some years ago but my current motherboard can only support PciE-1 or PciE-16 (which I think is a graphics card slot). I need to have an audio card that reduces latency in Cubase when I use a MIDI keyboard to write and compose, something that can handle a maximum of 6ms latency and have an ASIO support. Could you recommend anything that can fit in my slots or perhaps an external soundcard that will work well with Cubase. My set up is VST only.Thank you very much in advance!

@sonang7721

2 жыл бұрын

Just get yourself an USB audio interface instead. A Focusrite Scarlett Solo is 120$, perfect for starting out with music production or podcasting.

I use something a little different. I've got a PS Audio Sprout 100, connected to hi-fi speakers and a subwoofer; but the Sprout also has a pre-amp for vinyl, an amp to drive passive speakers, a headphone amp feature (I don't use that, because I have a headphone setup) and a tos-link input that runs with with my CD changer - with the internal DAC handling the data. It's not surround sound, but I wasn't looking for that experience.

ASUS Xonar DX vs Sound Blaster X3, which one will you pick? Currently I have Xonar DX with my Edifier 5.1 sound system, do you think X3 will perform any better than Xonar DX?

@ShreN_

3 жыл бұрын

Slightly better, less EMI because it's outside of you case and maybe slightly better hardware on the X3.

Love your energy in this video, keep up the good work!

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Sound Blaster G6 vs X3?

My first soundcard ever was AWE64 SoundBlaster, or something, kinda forgot the full name. Man how glorious it was back then. Siege Tank's cannon sounded so good, at least from memory

can used razer tiamat headphone on this?

i have this but unfortunately need to return it.. might be my unit.. it completely butchers the sound while i play my game.. and starts random screeching .. :/

Would it be good to use with Logitech z906 speakers 5.1? Most people review for use with headphones. I dont have space to fit sound card into pc, so looking for external sound card. But mostly everyone reviews X3 as to use with headphones. How is it with 5.1???

@C.Krisztián

Жыл бұрын

Hi you found the answer ? I have the same speakers

Yes, for pro audio. If you need good ASIO drivers, XLR in with phantom power, switchable instrument and line level inputs, realtime monitoring and whatever else, you won't get any of that from your onboard Realtek chip. Or this Creative product for that matter. As an added bonus, those adapters usually have very good DACs and headphone amps built in, and entry level professional solutions from companies like Presonus, Native Instruments or Audient are quite affordable at around $100.

Great video, buuuuuut... why is the K3 there on your desk if you never compare the X3 to it or even mention it? :)

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

Construction comparison. I had a clip talking about it, but it didn't make the final cut.

@ObieForceGaming

4 жыл бұрын

1:53

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

Yep. I had a cut of me comparing the buttons between the two, but didn't like how it turned out. I felt the single clip got the point across just fine.

@ObieForceGaming

4 жыл бұрын

@@CraftComputing agreed. Great video as always mate.

I ended up buying this because of your video! Very detailed and well done! Can you hookup a home theater system to it?

@vMaxHeadroom

3 жыл бұрын

Yes...I know you have figured this out as I am 10 months late..

Thanks for the review. I picked up the X3 a month ago to see if it made a difference in my gaming. Then noticed it wouldn't take a USB headset. The Audio-Technica ATH-M40x should arrive any day now.

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

M40x is a great set. Enjoy!

Sould love a comparison to Senheisser's comparable offering/s.

Using an M-Audio Transit Pro and it's a fantastic. I needed something to power my M50x and my motherboard audio is garbage so that was a no-go.

Great Video!

I own the creative sb ae5 and its amazing. my hd 650's sound full and everything just works. drivers are always something thats hit or miss but its perfect so far. had it 2 years.

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

I've got an AE-5 is in my editing PC, and it's amazing.

I upgraded from a 5930k/rampage v extreme to a 9900k/ gigabyte pro wifi. The motherboard was definitely a downgrade compared to the rampage v. The on board sound was horrible on my 5.1 surround system. I ended up buying a soundblaster z audio card it's much better and on par with the rampage v sound but I wish that I would've spent more on the motherboard to begin with. That's what I get for trying to cheap out on the mb

I have a sound blaster Z PCIE sound card and I love it! It sounds so much better than any other sound devices I have heard! The sound is so much more "powerful" and the base response is so much faster

@jackinthebox1817

2 жыл бұрын

Have one plugged to a pioneer tower kit. Makes those realket's cry in a corner.

just watched your Bartop Arcade Machine Build video, its so sweet it gave me diabetes! Why did comments get turned off? Trolls?

I wonder if there will be somewhere in the future, a video about the collection of Intels Bunny People in the background (and the plant).

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

There is a video featuring the Bunny people coming soon. There are always hints of future videos in the background ;-)

Thanks Paul

Thank you for the review ! What is the best way to connect this to a macbook pro with usb c ports only ?

@CraftComputing

3 жыл бұрын

USB-C to USB-C cable.

@JeremTer

3 жыл бұрын

@@CraftComputing Thank you, when I connect it with the usb c - usb c cable that comes with the macbook charger, I have some issues like mic not working or the sound card turning off for no reason. Do you know if a specific type of usb c - usb c cable is needed or not ?

About to get my 1st sound card! Satisfying button clicks. bahahaha

external speakers ???

Yeah sound stage feels bigger that it does not feel tiring to listen for a long while.

If both my mic and headphones use usb ports is there any reason to buy this? Thank you

@postnutregret

3 жыл бұрын

No lol

Yeah, at that price you are getting into the low end pro-audio units that have proper jacks (XLR, 1/4", etc.).

That K3 unit looks NOICE. Is it a USB sound device? Only asking as I'm after something like that but that will work with Linux. And the advice I've gotten is make sure it is USB compatible, and it should work.

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, it is USB, and should work just fine in Linux. It's an older review, but it still checks out: kzread.info/dash/bejne/jKatsdR7csbQlMo.html

@longnamedude3947

4 жыл бұрын

@@CraftComputing Thanks for sharing the link, it's crazy that video was 2 years ago! Time has flown past, well, up until about 6 months ago when everything slowed right down due to "the thing". Thank you for getting back to me, I greatly appreciate the response, you do great work and amazing content, I'll try to make sure I send a few Penny's your way when I have some spare :) Take care of yourself, all the best to you and your family, stay safe, stay healthy and I'll keep an eye out for your next video in the weeks ahead :) Peace dude :)

I just tried Onboard audio and it sucks and sounds like schiit and I think I'm fine with a DAC/AMP or maybe a Soundcard.

@onlytrueanonymousfanszzzzzz

2 жыл бұрын

Virtual 7.1 sucks and I would actually prefer to have EAX personally.

Interesting. There's a lot of echo and clipping happening in this video though ;)

I wanna know if it's easy to switch from headphones to speakers

@CraftComputing

3 жыл бұрын

Yep! Auto-sensing port. Plug in your headphones to the front and it switches over to them. Unplug, and output returns to the speakers.

Hey Jeff, will this amp work for 32 ohm headphones?

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely. I tested with 20 ohm (Senheiser IE 40), 32 ohm (Mixcder E9) and 38 ohm (ATH-M50x). All were wonderful.

@d3stroyah

3 жыл бұрын

@@CraftComputing please suggest something like this that can drive proper cans 2.1 on the desk! G6 sucks sooo much with them!! Please, hoping in your advice here

What are you going away from what your drinking first in videos?

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

Beer reviews are always at the end.

Why the beer can and glass of beer on your desk?. Advertising for a beer company?.

Is a Sound Card worth it in 2020? I would say: Yes! I recently installed my old Asus Xonar DX into my new machine and even though the sound quality from my gfx cards hdmi output isnt bad, it doesn't compare to using the optical out on the Xonar where the amp now detects the 7.1 surround and outputs it as such. Loved the review, hope your keeping safe & best regards from Australia!

@beetooex

4 жыл бұрын

Now that's VERY interesting. Could I ask what your amp and speaker setup is please? I was so disappointed when I finally assembled a surround sound system that I eventually went back to my old 2 channel hifi fed by a USB DAC. Maybe it was the hdmi source that was rubbish rather than my AV amp?

@adamfreeman3652

4 жыл бұрын

@@beetooex My old theatre amp was a midrange 2013 Pioneer that had 5x hdmi inputs, which handled surround encoded signals from my ps4 and xb1 but only ever detected stereo from my gfx cards hdmi, I'm saying this because it appears to be a common issue so don't beat yourself up about it. In any case, Pioneer amp died, back out comes my old faithful 2002 Sherwood R863RT (speakers: front, mid, back, centre, bass) no hdmi just a million inputs including 3 optical. I initially installed the Xonar Dx with the idea of just hooking up analog jacks, thinking it's gotta be better than the onboard sound, right? But remembered the optical out, so one optical cable later and I have an amp detecting a variety of surround signals and it sounds great. I paid a bit for my Xonar years ago but you can now pick them up cheap, 2nd hand on ebay.

@beetooex

4 жыл бұрын

@@adamfreeman3652 Ah so the issue was it wouldn't decode surround. My mid range Yamaha theatre amp decoded fine- it just didn't sound great compared to my old 2 channel amp. Still, it might be worth seeing if the sound quality improves when connected via toslink Vs HDMI

@adamfreeman3652

4 жыл бұрын

@@beetooex I believe the sound quality is the same whether it's through optical or hdmi (as long as the source isn't outside the limits of optical). The problem for me has always been the audio output from my gfx card's hdmi. For example, I had games with DTS support and an amp setup with DTS support but a gfx card's hdmi that appeared to reduce it to stereo. Once I changed to a sound card it took away the problem. I never tried it, but if your onboard audio has a toslink connector that would probably work too. Also I never tried buying any Dolby software/drivers for my OS. It would appear that gfx cards have no audio capabilities, they just act as a pass-thru whereas sound cards do. In the end though, I just went around the problem, there totally could be a solution I missed.

sounds like the mic is clipping or some other problem with youtube audio processing.

@micmc23000

4 жыл бұрын

The irony of the video about sound cards having audio issues

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

I'm blaming KZread for this one. Max db in Premiere was -2.1.

wow didn't knew were a bass player. same here dude.

cheap portabledac + amp: MEIZU HI-FI "PRO" version... That thing is just crazy good for 40 to 50 US dollars, its DAC+amp chip is the cirrus logic CS43131 (yes the same as the SB G6)

I agree with you, definitely need a sound card in 2020. AWESOME review Jeff

a lot of people said the motherboard's audio chips got a lot better these years and you don't need a sound card anymore.But my Sound Blaster X Fi from 2008 still sounds way better then the on board audio on my current pc (msi z370 tomahawk...it sounds like crap)

Is a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi worth it in 2020?

can it work with BT earbuds ?

@Princeton_James

3 жыл бұрын

No. Wired headphones only.

Beer + Tech =

@CraftComputing

3 жыл бұрын

🖖

I love Creative products but as a Linux user, I don't get the benefits of their software.

@stavroskois9656

2 жыл бұрын

Does x3 work on Linux?

which is better, sound card or audio interface?

@SianaGearz

4 жыл бұрын

Check out Julian Krause. Interfaces also have all manner of weirdness.

@victorcoss2600

4 жыл бұрын

External DAC such as the Topping E30, one of the best for the money in that price range.

@prodj.mixapeofficial6431

4 жыл бұрын

@@victorcoss2600 does it have inputs for recording?

Not what I would call a 'sound card', more an effects box for the headphone fraternity (why didn't you check out the other jacks on the back?) When I think of external 'sound cards' I think of high end DAC's, which are usually two channel only, this is definitely not one of those. I really think they stuffed up by putting a great divide between this unit and the mobile phone version, they should be totally interchangeable, as they don't know your usage requirements. I mean, say at your office desk the X3's large knob etc. might be more convenient with your mobile .... oops the software doesn't do this, and the small mobile version better on your laptop whilst in your lounge chair .... oops the software doesn't do this. Big mistake

SXFI seems like it's like the ESXI acronym

Mainboard soundchips are in a bit of a nomansland as far as driving headphones. They aren't good at driving high impedance headphones, since they simply don't have enough voltage swing to make them pleasantly loud - and i expect Creative really haven't done much better in this regard. But what high impedance headphones have going for them is that they need little current, and don't particularly upset the output circuit of the chip, they do not induce switching/crossover distortion or any other weirdness and aren't sensitive to output impedance. But these chips aren't good at driving low impedance ones either... typical Realtek chips (as opposed to say VIA ones which have gotten rare, because VIA can't get their driver shit together) need a 10 Ohm output stabilisation resistor, because their output stage is not very robust to current, so that forms their output impedance, making for less electrical damping of oscillation occurring in the headphone speaker, and some response deviation. You can try a loaded test with a Y cable, you should be able to see both a small-ish frequency response deviation on the output, and intermodulation distortion shooting right up in the case when they're loaded with 32 Ohm headphones vs. unloaded, and if you had a step response test, maybe you can see a result too. Naturally it's a test that can be repeated with the external soundcards and audio interfaces you have there. Of course the adverse effects of output stage wonkiness caused by higher current consumed by the headphones, and the output impedance, get worse as the headphone impedance gets lower! On one Realtek equipped low end tablet, i can generate a -3db peak 20Hz sine, drive it into some (not all) 16 Ohm earbuds, and observe the soundchip just giving up and occasionally outputting clicks and bursts of noise instead, like, u wot m8! Something Creative had done in the past is just to take AC97/HDA chips same as they'd be on the mainboards, of course there's a DSP before them but let's ignore that, was to just buffer their output with maybe a little bit of gain with plain old NJM4556, a chip which costs several cents, and behaves surprisingly well when driving headphones. I think it's kind of stupid that mainboard manufacturers don't just copy that. This kind of buffer is not patentable nor really unique to Creative, just something i noticed once. I think Creative is quite aware that people will usually plug low impedance headphones into their soundcards and know to at least not terribly neglect this case, which seems like what everyone should be doing, but alas. Apropos sound quality. Have you noticed the high frequency buzz in the background of your vocal recording? Have you attempted to notch it out?

8:28 THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP

@Ciel069

3 жыл бұрын

🤣

I wouldn't call a desktop dac/amp a "soundcard" in 2020. Just sounds outdated and it almost implies it goes inside the PCIe slot in your pc which nobody wants anymore.

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

I have a Sound Blaster AE-5 in my editing PC. The only difference between it and the G6 is one is internal, one external. The features on each are the same. Same with the X3, which adds S-XFi support.

@qorkado5007

4 жыл бұрын

@@CraftComputing Would you then say that separate desktop audio modules like the Schiit Modi and Schiit Magni are "sound cards"? They are a separate DAC and Amp and are exclusively used on a desk. I think the audio community would be very confused if you did. And heaven forbid if you call a tube amp or something a sound card. PS to answer the question yes good audio is very important in 2020 and is far too neglected.

@ShreN_

3 жыл бұрын

@@qorkado5007 No because they don't have mic inputs and other software effects that make a soundcard a soundcard

Linus sent me :) - subbed

Just put a sound card in a high end gaming machine.... OMG !! The difference ! Sounds cards are worth every penny !!

Yeah, but not this one, because for 10 euros less you can actually get a WAY more feature-packed audio interface like a Behringer UMC404HD.

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

Audio interface, yes. But they are two very different devices with very different features serving two different use cases. There are no gaming specific features or virtual surround on the UMC404. A good DAC, sure.... but a different device all together.

So... why is there not a single sound card shown in this video?

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

Because the X3 is a sound card, just external...

@Dorraj

4 жыл бұрын

@@CraftComputing Weird, I've never seen DACs or AIs called "Sound card"s before. Guess I just missed out on whenever that became normal haha

As always, hardware controlled by software not available on linux desktop... =/.

@Prism_JTN

4 жыл бұрын

I hope Linux keeps growing🥴

Has anyone ever told you that you look like the dude from Forgotten Weapons but younger? (Which i think is a good thing).

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

All the time :-D And I'm a long time fan of Ian's.

Wait... you have been Jeff all along?

Just about anything is better than motherboard Onboard audio. Sure some get close, but they're all technically still using AC97 codecs it seems. Even ones like my Sound Blaster Core3D equipped Z97 mini ITX I used in an old build. I used a Sound Blaster Zxr for quite awhile, then moved to a laptop full time at my desk and I got a Sound Blaster Omni external unit, which doesn't have the fidelity that the z has, but still leagues better than onboard. Now I got a desktop again, the Zxr is in, and my Omni now is my home theater PC's optical out card for my Pioneer 1131 receiver. Been using soundcards ever since they were a multi-purpose card for game ports. My favorite for a software suite would still have to be what came with the Sound Blaster 16. Dated now but the stuff it came with was cool for the Windows 95 days.

@SianaGearz

4 жыл бұрын

For one, there was nothing terribly wrong with AC97 per se, it's just a communication standard, and some chips were better than others. It's an elegant standard too. Some of the best portable players have used AC97 codecs, for example by Wolfson and National. All the modern mainboard chips are Azalea or HD Audio standard, which extends AC97 in an incompatible way but similar in spirit to provide more channels and higher bit depths and sample rates, as well as most importantly declarative architecture, where the codec or an accompanying EEPROM or firmware can tell the host how the things are wired up inside it, and which can then be auto-configured by the host. The latter is a key innovation. It's also completely broken, the descriptions used by mainboards are famously buggy, all declaration parsers in the operating systems are buggy and wrong, it's a glorious shitshow. I only poke around these things out of morbid fascination with failure. Anyway neither is THE problem why mainboards suck at driving headphones. They would do well to buffer the outputs with high current drive IC or choose a CODEC that actually handles current well, i.e. not a Realtek product. Also layout and other problems are rampant. Enclosures introduce their own issues, even when mainboard designers carefully separate the ground and suppress common mode and compensation current, the shitty front panels often connect USB ground to audio ground, with predictably disastrous consequences, it will piss all over audio, not just headphone drive. It's an insidious problem too, not an overt one, it can be both annoying and difficult to notice - most people will struggle for example to identify harmonic distortion below several %, but will be able to hear it in direct comparison.

Says the guy with a loud buzz in his mic 🤣

X-Fi is pronounced "exfye" it means extreme fidelity being a level up on high fidelity

early beer gang

ooooh the irony, the audio on this video is fscked and nothing about the K3 being displayed? :O

@CraftComputing

4 жыл бұрын

I've reviewed the K3+ separately around 2 years ago. It was on the table for scale and quality comparisons.

You know, I'm gonna take this opportunity to bitch about ASUS. My Essence STX II apparently doesn't support any AMD platform at all. It just crashes after a few months and I have to reinstall the software. It's hidden in a section of ASUS's support site. So now I need to find something with RCA on the back and hopefully not give up sound quality. Their software is never updated, so I believe they're just being lazy with figuring out a way to support AM4. I am one hundred percent confident they could make it happen.

@SianaGearz

4 жыл бұрын

Probably not AM4 related at all. Windows 10 simply has a habit of bulldozing uncommon audio drivers every few months during system updates. A lot of soundchip/soundcard manufacturers can't figure out Windows 10 or don't want to deal with Microsoft. Things became fairly recently this way, for the first couple of years, it didn't use to do that quite as much. If you have any software-only drivers like EqualiserAPO, MUNT and VirtualMIDISynth, they get damaged regularly too and need to be reinstalled.

head phones yeah right this my house i play what i like when i like and as loud as i like :P

@shaneinfinity4597

3 жыл бұрын

id love a surround sound system but my online friends wouldnt enjoy listening to it haha