Thoughts on creative sound cards

[Nit3Rid3R]

For some reason, Asus sound cards are extremely hard to find here, and the only other one I seem to see a lot is creative. Now, I've had creative products before, such as their speakers, and they work like a charm. But I'm not 100% sure on their soundcards.

So, my question is:

Do any of you guys use creative soundcards?

Are they any good?

PS: there is no price range.

[t0wer]

if there's no price range, go external dac.

fiio e7, e17 and nuforce udac are cheap places to start looking.

[Nit3Rid3R]

I'd much prefer something internal than external.

[GoodBytes]

Creative sound card are garbage. It's always the same issues:

I had an X-Fi XtremeMusic, a med high-end sound card at the time:

-> When I got the sound card it was amazing. The drivers where bulky and felt like it needed 20 super computer to run the stupid panels they have, and sloweed Windows boot time, but it was fine. Nothing too distracting once setup, and it worked as per reviews.

-> You upgrade your computer, like add more RAM or change the entire computer with new hardware, and this where the world of hurt starts. This is not something new by Creative, which I learned after the event. Creative hardware are VERY VERY BUT I mean VERY picky with hardware due to their piss poor hardware design. You might be lucky and it works, but in most cases, the sound card wasn't tested for it, and you'll have issues making you think it's something else (like the computer not waking up after Sleep after a long period of time, or the system freezes, or BSOD or the sound pops and crackles, and more), But after spending weeks on trying to figure out whats' wrong and multiple re-installs of Windows, and RMA of ports,you realize.. oh.. if I remove the damn sound card, everything is 100% perfect.

-> Oh please note that I am not alone on this issue, and I have RMA'ed my card twice to Creative.

Here are some other issues:

-> As I mentioned, piss poor circuit design. This leads also to the possibility that the card itself can lock up.. and when it does.. a reboot wont fix it. You need to shutdown the computer, AND, cut the power on the Power Supply, to completely cut the power to the sound card, and NOW you can put the power back, and boot your computer, and everything will be fine. Very irretating.

-> Creative doesn't support new version of Windows, unless the sound card just came out before a new version of Windows, and reviews of the sound card might continue to pop-up. So Creative is being nice here, but normally.. nope. They want you to buy a new sound card. They find a million and one excuse why the sound card won't work with the new version of Windows, but after after month after Windows is released, NOW they release their drivers for your sound card, but half the features are missing, and wont' be added as "it is impossible"/

While it is "impossible", you see people hacking the Creative driver installation, and driver files, and magically make it work, day 1, on the new version of Windows, full featured. And it always end up, that Creative put these limitations on purpose.

-> If you report on their support forum about any of the above issues, I learned, and experienced ('caiuse I didn't believe it at first) that they delete your post, and ban you. The reason I got, was to say false issues about "Creative quality products". Yes I kid you not, it said "quality products" on the reason for me being banned. And please note, this was before I even RMA my card the first time. I was thinking it was a driver issue, and all I wanted was a beta version of the X-Fi. I didn't knew how all the crap they were doing.

-> When I called Creative for clarification, because at first I thaught it was just a miss communication, before I could even explain, and even express my appologies, I got a lady screaming at me of all anger, telling me that Creative support is a privilege, and I should be lucky to even get what I got. And hanged up on me. Wow. nice.

So yea, don't buy Creative, they are crap. They are wonderful at first, has great reviews... but long term support... forget it.

OH, talking about long term support. When a new sound card is out from Creative, Creative pulls out all traces of their drivers. So that means, if you re-install Windows, and you didn't backup a download copy of the drivers.... you are screwed. Yes, they are alternative drivers, but that's not the point.

[Nit3Rid3R]

Wow...interesting, because all I see stores here are selling Creative sound cards. Very very interesting.

[GoodBytes]

Wow...interesting' date=' because all I see stores here are selling Creative sound cards. Very very interesting. [/quote']

Well its probably because ASUS doesn't have any distribution channel for their sound card in your area. If you do manage to found one, it's because the retailer did a lot of work to try and get a few in stores. As ASUS and Creative are pretty much the only consumer grade sound card.. you don't have much choice.

The market for sound card is small because:

1- The average user doesn't know about better sound. Beside most use cheapo headphones and speakers, and most that gets high end headphones are Dr.Dre or similar artists named headphones, which no one would normally pay more than 60$ for them.

2- As sound is no longer CPU intensive, like back in the old days where it actually affected your games performance, and that you have an onboard solution now, there is little reason for people to get a dedicated sound card.

3- As most gamer get a 3000+$ computer, and a fancy "gamer" mouse and keyboard, they usually use 8$ speakers and crap monitor, so they see onBoard sound card as "just as good as dedicated sound card", while, obviously it's truly not.

4- Unlike graphic cards, sound cards don't need upgrading. The only reason a person would upgrade their sound card, is that an accident occur and the ports or something broke. Or they seek a better sound experience. So there is little for making profit. I can assure you ASUS does it, just for fun. And Creative is doing cheap tricks, and cutting on everything to reduce cost to minimal, to maximize profit, in exchange of you being disappointed.

5- As for audio enthusiasts, they have the money for super fancy high tech equipment, they don't mind spending high amount of money for an external DAC and fancy speakers, and know what they are looking for.

So really, the market for sound card is a niche of a niche. In the recent years I am seeing more and more computer enthusiasts and gamers interested in a dedicated sound card, but it's still a very small market.

[Daedalus]

I use an Auzentech Forte, which uses an X-Fi chip, and most of the same software as Creative's own cards, and I find it fantastic. Funny thing though: The control panel is actually much slower to open and use than when I was using an XtremeGamer sound card.

[Mo5]

I used to have a Sound Blaster Live! and I have to say that it hasn't caused me any trouble - not with the drivers and not with the card itself. Don't know how it's nowadays though.