Creative X-Fi Notebook

Hey guys,

Wondering if I could get some quick opinions on the creative x-fi expresscard sound card for notebooks.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on whether you think this is worth it... and where the best place to get it in canada is.


Thanks everyone!

 

I think it's a great card but I have driver trouble with it. It has a memory leak or something on Vista x64 and I had to write a batch command to restart the service every few days or so. No problems with Windows 7 x64 or Vista x86, though. Maybe it's just my compy.
Sound quality is great though. I love it. I'd say get it.

 

Cool... Have you ever run it on XP??

Thanks

 

No experience with XP... I think the driver community has stuff for it somewhere enabling Dolby playback or something like that. There are one or two features that I never use that aren't enabled in XP (I think it has to do with hardware decoding).

 

the card is really great for headphone use or a 5.1 setup with the dongle which isnt included. dont expect your stock nb speakers to sound better, technically the card cant force its software with the stock speakers.


i dont believe the modded drivers enable dolby for this card. i know the daniel k drivers enable dolby on the older audigy cards and the newer desktop based ones as well. if im wrong please correct me!

 

Ohhh maybe that was it. Thanks for correcting me!

 

Creative has a usb version and cheaper than the xpresscard ($US50) - the X-Fi Go...I heard it's not as problematic as the expresscard on drivers. The drivers come preloaded on the 1gb usb (also acts as a storage device).

 

I have the card, alone it sounds better than the onboard audio that came with my Vostro and that's without the software X-Fi enhancements modifying audio. With the Creative Speakers I bought sound comes out much sharper and with better bass.

Drivers haven't been a problem for me, I used the update program that came with the software and haven't experienced a sound driver related crash. The Alchemy feature hasn't been too bad either.

 

I considered that... but Creative kinda lies to you about this usb x-fi go. The Usb version is not actually a sound card of its own... what I mean is that it doesn't actually 'process' the sound. Whereas the x-fi express is its own sound card and does all the processing itself. The usb only is good for the drivers which can give you surround sound etc. It isn't actually a sound card.

 

the usb 5.1 has its share pf problems, just like all creative products nowadays, which is too bad


my main problem is my xtreme audio notebook locking up my enitre os at random intervals when idling and then i have to do a hard shutdown. i cant figure out this problem, ive tried a slew of drivers

 

I have the USB 5.1, it work great, but to carry and plug it on every time, I found it painfull.

 

X-fi xtreme audio is different form the one i want... it uses the older audigy chipset... which is basically what all x-fi is built on but this one uses a newer chipset

 

the xtreme audio notebook is purely software based just fyi

 

My card is, but I believe the newest version introduced to fix the expresscard does support hardware-accelerated EAX. This was a few months ago though.

 

seriously...., i'm guessing the 'fix' is hardware?

 

Ya I believe your correct... and that this one does use hardware accelerated EAX.

 

I wouldn't buy it. Maybe if I was doing a 5.1 system then I'd get a creative, but I'm all 2.1 or headphones. For expresscard I'd definitely go with the Echo Indigo. I personally use the Echo AudioFire2 and its very nice, and well worth the money.

 

Hey that Echo Indigo looks pretty nice... is there somewhere I can get it in Canada?? And whats and approx. price range of both cards?

 

The Echo usually goes for 150-200USD but if you go used then you can get them for less. And I most certainly would get a used Echo over a new Creative.

 

Ya I looked into it... they are pretty nice cards but I don't know if I would like to buy it used and I can't spend almost 200USD for one.

 

Well, your missing out then.

 

I found a used PCMCIA one... but will it work with my express card slot?? I heard that it is a common misconception that they are the same??

Thanks.

 

PCMCIA is not the same as Expresscard, the two formats are completely different and not backwards compatible. You could take up the Echo suggestion or go with the Creative solution, either one should be much better than the onboard sound option you probably have especially if coupled with a decent set of speakers.

 

Ok Cool... but I can't go with the echo solution because it is PCMCIA (the one I found) so I guess creative it is!