Integrated Audigy option

Does anyone here have a dell laptop with the integrated audigy sound? I'm wondering if its a real big step above the regular sound and worth the money

 

There's a brief discussion about it here

There has yet to be a concrete answer as to its performance.

 

It's a software option.

I downloaded the drivers for the M1710 and installed them on my e1505 w/ Sigmatel HD audio and everything installed just fine. It puts a different volume control option in the taskbar and gives you a link to purchase the soundblaster audigy Advanced HD MB page where you can buy the software for $19.99 so whatever you do, don't buy it from Dell for $40 or $25.

I'm postive it software because when I tried to install it without the sigmatel drivers it said there was no compatible hardware, but once I installed the sigmatel drivers and then the two soundblaster files everything installed fine and the new volume control showed up in the task bar.

I can't really say whether it's worth the money or not, but you don't need to make that decision now, since it's software you can buy it anytime and for the same price or less than Dell is charging.

 

Anone have this link...or has anyone something to report about the value of this software solution?

 

This appears to be it

http://support.dell.com/support/dow...=1&vercnt=1&formatcnt=1&libid=3&fileid=143273

 

I downloaded that audigy advanced hd mb thing onto my Dell Dimension 4700, however the upgrade link on it doesnt work, i get an error message saying "the product license cannot be installed on this system" Not to mention Creative's website makes no mention of it

 

Hopefully someone will be able to find the purchase link to soundblaster's site..

 

I have an e-mail in to Creative, we shall see what they have to say.

 

when you install the driver, the creavite sound control panel has a link where you can buy a cd key and "upgrade to audigy"

 

By any chance have you done this? If so, does it sound a little better fromn the onboard speakers?

 

Still looking for one person to step to the plate, upgrade is $19.99 + free CD + $5.95? shipping? Who has done this? What is the quality?

http://support.dell.com/support/dow...=1&vercnt=1&formatcnt=1&libid=3&fileid=143273

Thanks!

 

You should look at the newer version instead of the link you posted. I've been able to locate the driver used on the M1710 --- http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R116061&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=153776

This doesn't do anything as far as I can tell on the E1705. Perhaps there is a way to mod it -- tried installing the driver first then the current version of the invitation package:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R116059&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=154291

Installing this puts the mixer in the task tray with the link to upgrade.

Debating on purchasing it.... Hmmmm....

 

has anyone gotten the upgrade link to work? it doesnt work on my dell dimension 4700

 

I got the upgrade and am now testing it. There were a few installation problems, just uninstall both the soundblaster and onboard sound drivers ...and reinstall starting with the onboard sound drivers then install the new Soundblaster drivers (MBSetup.exe)...after I did the install went well...

More to follow

 

how did you get the upgrade to work on your computer, on mine I got an error message when trying to hit the upgrade link

 

Are you sure your configuration is supported?

 

Did you use this link?

http://support.dell.com/support/dow...eid=R116061&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=153776

 

Acolyte: So how did the testing go? Worth it? Install steps (invite download then upgrade)?

 

Have to complete testing tonight...

 

Anyone having some testing suggestions please speak up

 

Actually im not even sure if it is, maybe thats why it wouldnt work for me

 

One of the users on the Dell Talk Inspiron forums reported buying the Audigy option for his E1505 and wasn't too impressed. It didn't affect the sound out of the internal speakers much, and the sound over his headphones had a "bathroom" sound. I didn't ask for specifics.

Also, his bluetooth headphone no longer worked, although wired ones did.

Dave

 

I for one and going to be pretty pissed if I dished out $25 just to get a lame software "upgrade". I was hoping that Dell finally came to their senses and realized that a true multimedia machine should have a 24bit hardware option... especially since their upgrade never implies that you are merely paying for software, when anyone, including the tech-savvy would assume that you are buying a hardware upgrade. They should offer us a refund.

 

Maybe I'm just wishing here, but could the hardware be already built-in to the motherboard and if you purchase the option Dell turns it on? And if you didn't buy the option, you get the rinky dink default audio instead? Dunno, but I'd be pissed if it was just a software thingy.

 

Negative. By all counts it is a Sigmatel chip and the Audigy is just a software overlay utilizing the Sigmatel chip. This is true on the M1710 as well.

Sucks -- I know.

 

So what you are saying is, we should save $ and forget about this option...

 

My dad ordered the e1705 with the Faux-digy and I ordered one without. Both systems have the same exact Sigmatel sound chip, which only means one thing: the "integrated Audigy" is a sham. When I reformatted the computers and loaded the Faux-digy driver over my dad's Sigmatel audio, I noticed several new processes in the background, increased memory usage, and a distinct audio difference... but not for the good. Someone above mentioned a "bathroom" sound. It's an annoying echo effect applied by the Faux-digy. After I turned it off, I honestly could find no difference between audio quality... This was a completely subjective test, I don't have any audio measurement tools. I would save your money and wait for a high-quality ExpressCard solution...

 

I feel that the $25 was well worth it. Just for the EAX effects and the Bass Boost.

It IS better than the Sigmatel alone. You may disagree. If you have doubts, wait for Cardexpress solution or buy USB Audigy Solution.

 

Thanks for pulling the trigger on the upgrade Acolyte. Have you noticed the reported 'echo' effect? If so, is it adjustable via the EAX controls? If it is adjustable, I'll pop the $25 for the added bass (not that I expect a huge difference from the little sub on this thing... lol)

 

Echo or "bathroom" effect is one of the options when you turn on EAX...

Bathroom, Auditoruim, Cathedral, Small Room, Living Room, etc...about 12 choices (These are Strictly optional)...you can enable EAX with no added effects....

There are many adjustments, EAX, Bass, Equalizer, etc enough to find the right fit for the user.

 

Excellent - answers my questions. thx again!

 

Sorry we can't get more opinions on this, people just aren't speaking up, or else not many ordered it.

 

The sigmatel 9200 chips are 24bit HD audio. Not multichannel, though...

 

No one really thought they were gonna offer Audigy "chip" for 20$ did you?

Oh wait, I did

 

Hey all, I know I am new here. I just placed my order a couple days ago, so I am still waiting for them to ship it after being built. I ordered my e1505 WITH the audigy option installed.

Dell told me at the store that they just recently added more options to install with the e1505, Options like: Audigy Sound, ATI GFX, Glossy LCD finish for starters.

I of course ordered it with the Audigy in hopes it is nice.. so I can tell you once I have it how it sounds.. I wont be able to compare to normal soundcards and if its software.. but I will be able to tell if it sounds like **** or if it sounds rich or not.

I mean anyone want me to look for anything once I have it? Since again, Ill have it with the Audigy option already there from the box.

 

Hey sorry to double post, been doing some studying.. the Soundblaster thats being put in my order for the 1505 is this:
313-4218 SoundBlaster Advanced Audio for XPS M1710

Anyone else find the labeling of that interesting? Makes you really wonder... Doesnt "sound" like just a software option does it?

 

Hey all.

Can't find much info on this Sigmatel 9200 chip. Apparently it supports 24-bit playback (what sample rates though?)

The big question is does it provide a real ASIO audio driver in addition to DirectX? Anyone??

 

Just more curious what this really is.. I mean if its software, that would suggest we were lied to when ordering. Image if you dont use Windows as a OS and your expecting a soundblaster in your system and its not.

So yea.. kinda would be nice to get the full 411 on this and what the hell do we have for sure, Ask Creative and Dell what the deal is 100%

 

I think its been established that, no matter what, you will get a Sigmatel 9200 chip. So the extra $ is just enabling Audigy-like features. I do think the marketing of the Audigy option is questionable, but then again, real Audigy cards might use Sigmatel chipsets...

Personally I could care less about EAX, Bass boost, or any other layer of fakey crud between me and the original audio source. I would however like to know more about the Sigmatel 9200. I have a friend with an I9300 notebook, and its audio chip is listed as "Sigmatel C-Major Audio". No idea if this is the same as the 9200, slightly older, or what.

If anyone has the Sigmatel 9200 chipset, I'd love to know if it provides a native, low latency ASIO driver for music and audio applications.

 

Here's a link to the Sigmatel poduct pdf. Then select PC audio...

http://www.sigmatel.com/support/guides.asp

 

Obviously a Sigmatel integrated laptop audio card isn't going to provide ASIO drivers

But remember ASIO drivers are just software and aren't audio-hardware-accelarated - I don't really know what accounts for the difference in performance between certain cards' ASIO drivers and the performance of other cards, but it's certainly not a big difference. You can get reasonable latencies with ASIO4All given just about any (even integrated) audio solution!

On my first e1505, I had a really hard time getting ASIO4All to work with the Sigmatel, and it required a lot of fiddling (had to set convert 32bit->16bit and force hardware buffer resample something something something... don't remember but it was hard and fiddly and it eventually worked).

After I had to return that one and got a second e1505, ASIO4All worked right away, no hassle. This was with a fresh install of XP, so that might have something to do with it.

Now THAT e1505 is gone (had to return it too) so I can't really give you much info on the latency and the performance, but it didn't seem terrible.

Audigy probably wouldn't be an upgrade you want if you're not looking for improvements in gaming audio - Audigy's are generally Creative's gaming line of audio cards, and AFAIK don't have any useful functions. With Audigy software running on top of the Sigmatel hardware, things could get a little convoluted, in terms of getting everything to work, and no doubt you would lose a bit of performance - assuming, of course, that the Audigy upgrade is just software, as has been previously established (but not for certain) in this thread.

 

Yea thats just it.. No one has reported back from Creative or Dell about this..

cause I am sure if its just software, we wouldve told Dell where to shove it vs make it sound like its a whole new chip..

Thats like giving us a Intel GFX card and saying software will make ita a ATI Gfx for gaming..

 

An ASIO interface is hardware accelerated. See http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53937&cat=3

Funny though, what's even more annoying about that link is in the 3rd paragraph

I do use ASIO4All and it works pretty well; I haven't seen it go down that low in latency though. On a newer laptop (like the I9400 which I'm kind of eyeing right now) I'd love to see what latencies it gets, who knows, maybe it is as good?

Looking at the pdf from Sigmatel (thanks hydra), looks like no native ASIO driver. That doesn't sound much like an Audigy (according to that link). They do say the 9200 chip supports SPDIF in and out. I'm not holding my breath on SPDIF in working, but does Dell still supply that little dongle to get SPDIF out (along with composite video like on the I8500's)?

The pdf also says it will play up to 24/192 material... I do wonder if anyone has actually seen 192khz output work (not that it would matter much, this is integrated audio we're talking about)

My opinion at the end of the day is that Dell has found a virtually free way to bump up their margins by using the Audigy name, but not nearly the Audigy's features. And they do it by just enabling access to effects the hardware already supported (what Creative calls "EAX® ADVANCED HD™ effects). Is it fair advertising? I'm not thinking so; at the very least, not the way that 'feature' is currently worded...

 

Hmm, I ordered a e1405 with the Audigy upgrade.

If it sounds slightly better, I'll be happy.

But if it takes up lots of memory and cpu power, i'd like to disable. Does anyone who currently has it, know if there is a way to turn the audigy feature/software on and off?

 

If it's software it can probably just be uninstalled like anything else.

 

From what's been posted previously, it sounds like if you turn off EAX effects, Bass Boost, and any other 'special' effects, you are essentially disabling the software features afforded by the 'upgrade'.

EAX was always a bit of a marketing gimmick (it sounds like 'THX'). As in-game sound engines are becoming more advanced all the time, and most support true multichannel surround, the need for EAX doesn't seem too great to me. Should be no difference in true 'sound quality' with or without the 'Audigy' updgrade. The most you can hope for with the upgrade is that the added effects don't muddy the real sound too much. And based on previous postings, it sounds like it definitely can impact sound quality negatively.

 

Ill know in a few days how mine will sound.. will tell you then.. but we really need word on this.. software only or if 20$ makes your sound WORSE etc.

However, if 20$ gives you better bass.. that could be nice.

 

Well, there are quite a few ways to boost bass response that don't cost $$ You've got the audio driver's EQ, Windows' volume control EQ, and probably EQ on the speakers themselves. Best way to get more bass (with speakers anyway) is to take the time to properly place your subwoofer. Costs nothing and can sound much better.

In my experience with EAX, all it does is provide access to some mediocre hardware accelerated reverb and delay effects. Meh.

 

If you guys are worried about it, just modify your order back to integrated option. I just did that. As long as it hasn't finished building/shipped yet, you can do it somewhat easily (there's a form, but it's faster if you just directly call them).

I took off my audigy optoin (seeing as how I can download it anytime anyways) and then requested a backup CD (I realized how important this was after the initial purchase).

Takes a couple extra days to get here, but it's worth it.

 

Ok I got my laptop! (Yeaaa!)

In the Bios, it says its a Sigmatel 9200 audio chip.

My box came with a install cd for the "Augidy"

Add remove programs shows its a program installed.

So far.. no sound issues.. however havent played with it too much.

So definatly seems we get gipped. =(

But the more advanced options are nicer...