OT: Sound Card Recommendation

Looking to upgrade my SB Live sound card. What do you guys recommend? I'm leaning towards Sound Blaster Audigy. I will mainly using the card for games (GPL, N2002 and F1 2002) and some music. No movie playback. I'm running 98se. Soletek SL-75DRV5 MB XP1900 Harmon/Kardon 2 channel speaker system (with sub) Thanks, Chris G.

Personally, I think the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz is the most trouble-free, reliable card on the market. It handles 5.1 surround, and is priced around $75. It also plays nice on the bus. The drivers are very solid, and give little trouble. Note, however, that I use 2K and XP. Under those two OS's, there is no better choice. -Larry "ChrisG27 >" <<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:34gu9.10249$[email hidden]...

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> Looking to upgrade my SB Live sound card. What do you guys recommend? I'm > leaning towards Sound Blaster Audigy. > > I will mainly using the card for games (GPL, N2002 and F1 2002) and some > music. No movie playback. I'm running 98se. > > Soletek SL-75DRV5 MB > XP1900 > Harmon/Kardon 2 channel speaker system (with sub) > > Thanks, > > Chris G. > >

> Personally, I think the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz is the most trouble-free, > reliable card on the market. It handles 5.1 surround, and is pricedaround > $75. $40 on ebay. rms [email hidden]

The Santa Cruz is ok for low end PC's don't buy it as an upgrade to a Live...Here are just a couple examples of some of its weaknesses... Also Turtle Beach does not manufacture the DSP, so there is no way to guarantee that they will be able to support the card for the long term. ( I have a very expensive Turtle Beach Quadzilla in a box that never worked right because Aureal the chip maker went belly up. My recommendation stick with Creative.... 1-Extra input (Aux. does not work under 2000 and XP) sucks if you have a tv card or other high end capture card. 2- No bass and treble adjustment in hardware, just a sucky digital equalizer 3-Digital output will not work in concert with analog out, sucks if you use Linux or if you wish to use your analog out for Headphones. 4-Emulates EAX, (spotty, many games don't recognize it) Good luck "Dastardly Dan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> On Fri, 25 Oct 2002 18:29:19 GMT, "ChrisG27" <<[email hidden]>> > wrote: > > >Looking to upgrade my SB Live sound card. What do you guys recommend? I'm > >leaning towards Sound Blaster Audigy. > > > >I will mainly using the card for games (GPL, N2002 and F1 2002) and some > >music. No movie playback. I'm running 98se. > > > >Soletek SL-75DRV5 MB > >XP1900 > >Harmon/Kardon 2 channel speaker system (with sub) > > > >Thanks, > > > >Chris G. > > > > Audigy is nice. If you want a cheaper card that sounds good too then > look at Hercules FortissimoII or maybe even the new FortissimoIII. >

"Conga" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:qtnu9.160774$[email hidden]... > > 1-Extra input (Aux. does not work under 2000 and XP) sucks if you have atv > card or other high end capture card. > No problems for me in either 2000 or XP. I use a Pinnacle studio PCI tuner card. > 2- No bass and treble adjustment in hardware, just a sucky digitalequalizer The Control Panel does still need some work. > > 3-Digital output will not work in concert with analog out, sucks if youuse > Linux or if you wish to use your analog out for Headphones. > I've used it under Mandrake 8 and 9 but it has no rear channels or sub. Autodetects as a Crystal chipset. > 4-Emulates EAX, (spotty, many games don't recognize it) EAX has never liverd up to the hype. I never used it when I had a Live. The Santa Cruz was a terrific upgrade from my Live. Saw it at Fry's for $59 recently. Mitch

How can you call it an upgrade to a Live? What does it upgrade? The DSP is one tenth the power, it has less inputs and outputs,no capabilities to handle a remote or hardware control panel, does not support the most popular gaming API,Has a driver upgrade once a year on average. It is a cheap replacement, not an upgrade,far from...

On Fri, 25 Oct 2002 22:36:58 -0400, Dastardly Dan <[email hidden]> wrote: >Audigy is nice. If you want a cheaper card that sounds good too then >look at Hercules FortissimoII or maybe even the new FortissimoIII. I have the Fortissimo III. Wonderful card, great sound quality, very cheap price-wise, solid drivers. Overall, I'd give it an A+. Jason

On Sat, 26 Oct 2002 03:43:11 GMT, "Mitch_A" <[email hidden]> wrote: >The Santa Cruz was a terrific upgrade from my Live. Saw it at Fry's for $59 >recently. How is the analog preamp? I used to love the old ISA Turtle Beach cards (Tropez and Multisound Pinnacle) but I was pretty disappointed with the signal to noise on the analog ins (especially the mic) on the Montego II. Jason

Now THAT is a load... Apply that logic to anyone using third-party parts, and you'd have a real mess on your hands. -Larry "Conga" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:qtnu9.160774$[email hidden]... Turtle Beach does not manufacture the DSP, so there is no way to guarantee that they will be able to support the card for the long term.

It's simple. It works, works well, and isn't in your face every other day with hardware and software conflicts. -Larry "Claude Taillefer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Zxqu9.160806$[email hidden]... > How can you call it an upgrade to a Live? What does it upgrade? The DSP is > one tenth the power, it has less inputs and outputs,no capabilities to > handle a remote or hardware control panel, does not support the most > popular gaming API,Has a driver upgrade once a year on average. > > It is a cheap replacement, not an upgrade,far from...

Thanks for all the advice guys. Just to let you guys know I had a Fortissimo II but returned it because the sound was terrible while playing N2002 and GPL would lock up while playing. Tried the latest drivers and there was still a problem.I might try the Fortissmo III or the Guillemot Game Theater XP. What ever I buy I will post my review. Chris G. "ChrisG27 >" <<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:34gu9.10249$[email hidden]...

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> Looking to upgrade my SB Live sound card. What do you guys recommend? I'm > leaning towards Sound Blaster Audigy. > > I will mainly using the card for games (GPL, N2002 and F1 2002) and some > music. No movie playback. I'm running 98se. > > Soletek SL-75DRV5 MB > XP1900 > Harmon/Kardon 2 channel speaker system (with sub) > > Thanks, > > Chris G. > >

Keep in mind that the Santa Cruz and the Fortissimo 2 use the same chip and my Santa Cruz has now been placed in a productivity PC where it will not be a problem.... "ChrisG27 >" <<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:KMzu9.19130$[email hidden]... > Thanks for all the advice guys. Just to let you guys know I had aFortissimo > II but returned it because the sound was terrible while playing N2002 and > GPL would lock up while playing. Tried the latest drivers and there was > still a problem.I might try the Fortissmo III or the Guillemot GameTheater

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> XP. > What ever I buy I will post my review. > > Chris G. > > "ChrisG27 >" <<[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:34gu9.10249$[email hidden]... > > Looking to upgrade my SB Live sound card. What do you guys recommend?

I'm

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> > leaning towards Sound Blaster Audigy. > > > > I will mainly using the card for games (GPL, N2002 and F1 2002) and some > > music. No movie playback. I'm running 98se. > > > > Soletek SL-75DRV5 MB > > XP1900 > > Harmon/Kardon 2 channel speaker system (with sub) > > > > Thanks, > > > > Chris G. > > > > > >

My Santa Cruz has never been a problem, in any machine, under any Operating System, under any circumstances. Reports such as mine greatly outnumber any negative complaints. Not sure what the difference is for those few that have problems. -Larry "Conga" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:FkAu9.160880$[email hidden]... > Keep in mind that the Santa Cruz and the Fortissimo 2 use the same chipand > my Santa Cruz has now been placed in a productivity PC where it will notbe

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> a problem.... > > "ChrisG27 >" <<[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:KMzu9.19130$[email hidden]... > > Thanks for all the advice guys. Just to let you guys know I had a > Fortissimo > > II but returned it because the sound was terrible while playing N2002

and

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> > GPL would lock up while playing. Tried the latest drivers and there was > > still a problem.I might try the Fortissmo III or the Guillemot Game > Theater > > XP. > > What ever I buy I will post my review. > > > > Chris G. > > > > "ChrisG27 >" <<[email hidden]> wrote in message > > news:34gu9.10249$[email hidden]... > > > Looking to upgrade my SB Live sound card. What do you guys recommend? > I'm > > > leaning towards Sound Blaster Audigy. > > > > > > I will mainly using the card for games (GPL, N2002 and F1 2002) and

some

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> > > music. No movie playback. I'm running 98se. > > > > > > Soletek SL-75DRV5 MB > > > XP1900 > > > Harmon/Kardon 2 channel speaker system (with sub) > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > Chris G. > > > > > > > > > > > >

> My Santa Cruz has never been a problem, in any machine, under anyOperating > System, under any circumstances. > > Reports such as mine greatly outnumber any negative complaints. > > Not sure what the difference is for those few that have problems. This thread had me curious, so I tested out my friend's Santa Cruz in his Athlon XP machine. Well, GPL worked perfectly under XP (my SBLive has issues with this) and every other sim I could get my hands on, old and new worked flawlessly. There was much less background noise when using headphones than I get with my SBLive, so overall I was pretty impressed.

Ok Claude I used the wrong choice of words... Shoulda said.. "My SB Live was a POS that caused many problems so I chucked it into the trashcan dropped in the SC and have never looked back"... :) Better? Mitch "Claude Taillefer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Zxqu9.160806$[email hidden]... > How can you call it an upgrade to a Live? What does it upgrade? The DSP is > one tenth the power, it has less inputs and outputs,no capabilities to > handle a remote or hardware control panel, does not support the most > popular gaming API,Has a driver upgrade once a year on average. > > It is a cheap replacement, not an upgrade,far from...

I can certainly agree with this. My scenario was exactly the same. I simply gave away the SB Live! cards so I wouldn't have to look at them any more :) -Larry "Mitch_A" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:L2dv9.217$[email hidden]...

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> Ok Claude I used the wrong choice of words... Shoulda said.. > > "My SB Live was a POS that caused many problems so I chucked it into the > trashcan dropped in the SC and have never looked back"... :) Better? > > Mitch > > > "Claude Taillefer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:Zxqu9.160806$[email hidden]... > > How can you call it an upgrade to a Live? What does it upgrade? The DSP

is

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> > one tenth the power, it has less inputs and outputs,no capabilities to > > handle a remote or hardware control panel, does not support the most > > popular gaming API,Has a driver upgrade once a year on average. > > > > It is a cheap replacement, not an upgrade,far from... > >

The TBSC is an impressive card :) -Larry "Damien Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:aphtd4$1nf2v$[email hidden]...

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> > My Santa Cruz has never been a problem, in any machine, under any > Operating > > System, under any circumstances. > > > > Reports such as mine greatly outnumber any negative complaints. > > > > Not sure what the difference is for those few that have problems. > > This thread had me curious, so I tested out my friend's Santa Cruz in his > Athlon XP machine. Well, GPL worked perfectly under XP (my SBLive has > issues with this) and every other sim I could get my hands on, old and new > worked flawlessly. There was much less background noise when using > headphones than I get with my SBLive, so overall I was pretty impressed. > >

I've heard like 2 people say that. Personally, I never had an issue but it's been a long time since I ran 98. -Larry "Dastardly Dan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > On Fri, 25 Oct 2002 19:56:17 GMT, "Larry" <[email hidden]> wrote: > Yea, but under Win98 the drivers are crap. I have both a SC and a > Hercules FortissiomII and in my opinion the FortII is more trouble > free than the SC and sounds just as good to my ears.

12 million user cant be all wrong your PC has some problems Larry <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:C8dv9.40786$[email hidden]... > I can certainly agree with this. My scenario was exactly the same. > > I simply gave away the SB Live! cards so I wouldn't have to look at themany

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> more :) > > -Larry > > "Mitch_A" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:L2dv9.217$[email hidden]... > > Ok Claude I used the wrong choice of words... Shoulda said.. > > > > "My SB Live was a POS that caused many problems so I chucked it into the > > trashcan dropped in the SC and have never looked back"... :) Better? > > > > Mitch > > > > > > "Claude Taillefer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > > news:Zxqu9.160806$[email hidden]... > > > How can you call it an upgrade to a Live? What does it upgrade? The

DSP

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> is > > > one tenth the power, it has less inputs and outputs,no capabilities to > > > handle a remote or hardware control panel, does not support the most > > > popular gaming API,Has a driver upgrade once a year on average. > > > > > > It is a cheap replacement, not an upgrade,far from... > > > > > >

Hehe. Read the Widnows 2000/XP Microsoft Support Groups. 12 million people might not be wrong, but a whole lot of them have been frustrated at one point or another. Including this one, but then again, I solved my problem. And my PC has no problems, thank you. -Larry "john" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> 12 million user cant be all wrong > > your PC has some problems > > > Larry <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:C8dv9.40786$[email hidden]... > > I can certainly agree with this. My scenario was exactly the same. > > > > I simply gave away the SB Live! cards so I wouldn't have to look at them > any > > more :) > > > > -Larry > > > > "Mitch_A" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > > news:L2dv9.217$[email hidden]... > > > Ok Claude I used the wrong choice of words... Shoulda said.. > > > > > > "My SB Live was a POS that caused many problems so I chucked it into

the

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> > > trashcan dropped in the SC and have never looked back"... :) Better? > > > > > > Mitch > > > > > > > > > "Claude Taillefer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > > > news:Zxqu9.160806$[email hidden]... > > > > How can you call it an upgrade to a Live? What does it upgrade? The > DSP > > is > > > > one tenth the power, it has less inputs and outputs,no capabilities

to

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> > > > handle a remote or hardware control panel, does not support the most > > > > popular gaming API,Has a driver upgrade once a year on average. > > > > > > > > It is a cheap replacement, not an upgrade,far from... > > > > > > > > > > > >

john wrote: > > 12 million user cant be all wrong > > your PC has some problems My PC "had" problems which went away when I replaced the SB Live card with a Turtle Beach SC. Been rock solid ever since. Gary

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> > Larry <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:C8dv9.40786$[email hidden]... > > I can certainly agree with this. My scenario was exactly the same. > > > > I simply gave away the SB Live! cards so I wouldn't have to look at them > any > > more :) > > > > -Larry > > > > "Mitch_A" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > > news:L2dv9.217$[email hidden]... > > > Ok Claude I used the wrong choice of words... Shoulda said.. > > > > > > "My SB Live was a POS that caused many problems so I chucked it into the > > > trashcan dropped in the SC and have never looked back"... :) Better? > > > > > > Mitch > > > > > > > > > "Claude Taillefer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > > > news:Zxqu9.160806$[email hidden]... > > > > How can you call it an upgrade to a Live? What does it upgrade? The > DSP > > is > > > > one tenth the power, it has less inputs and outputs,no capabilities to > > > > handle a remote or hardware control panel, does not support the most > > > > popular gaming API,Has a driver upgrade once a year on average. > > > > > > > > It is a cheap replacement, not an upgrade,far from... > > > > > > > > > >

> 12 million user cant be all wrong > your PC has some problems My PC "had" problems which went away when I replaced the SB Live card with a Turtle Beach SC. Been rock solid ever since. Gary

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> > I can certainly agree with this. My scenario was exactly the same. > > I simply gave away the SB Live! cards so I wouldn't have to look at them > any > > more :) > > -Larry > > > Ok Claude I used the wrong choice of words... Shoulda said.. > > > "My SB Live was a POS that caused many problems so I chucked it into the > > > trashcan dropped in the SC and have never looked back"... :) Better? > > > Mitch > > > > How can you call it an upgrade to a Live? What does it upgrade? The > DSP > > is > > > > one tenth the power, it has less inputs and outputs,no capabilities to > > > > handle a remote or hardware control panel, does not support the most > > > > popular *** API,Has a driver upgrade once a year on average. > > > > It is a cheap replacement, not an upgrade,far from...

One more here. Ever used Soundblaster since my SB16, only buying because of goo experience. But things *do* change. JensSchumi On Tue, 29 Oct 2002 16:17:08 GMT, "Larry" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>Hehe. Read the Widnows 2000/XP Microsoft Support Groups. > >12 million people might not be wrong, but a whole lot of them have been >frustrated at one point or another. > >Including this one, but then again, I solved my problem. > >And my PC has no problems, thank you. > >-Larry

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