ATI did it again...

[isochar]

Live compared to what other Creative soundcards? I had an AWE64 which sounded slightly worse than the Live! Value.

[Indiana]

I only know the AWE32 and this IMHO had slightly better analog sound than the Live, at least when played through a Hifi system. The SBLive sounds just kinda cold / "metallic" / computer-ish, not "vibrant" / "warm" or "rich" in any way. And I bet it has some deficiencies in the trebles (never seen any real diagram based on measurements, though) - and it definitely has a HEARABLE low sound-to-noise ratio.

And the similar aged Terratec CS4624-based cards sound much better as well, not to speak of the EWX24/96.

[Wombat]

The AWE64 did have better analog than the Live.

[isochar]

Guess I had too many factors affecting my ability to properly compare the two soundcards:

- youth/inexperience in audible differences
- poor listening equipment

I stand corrected.

[The PIT]

Or a personnel preferance. How did this thread get onto soundcards anyway

[Novdid]

Creative drivers suck just as much as ATI ones...

[Wombat]

Ouch Novdid! That's not fair to ...ummm...erg...uhhh...

[Rags]

My AWE 64 sounds worse than my Live!. Any day of the week, anything I play.

Rags

[DentyCracker]

I agree with Rags. Warmness usually means non flat frequency response. If you mute the other sources that aren't being used then I challenge you to hear the "hearable low signal to noise ratio"

[Dr Mordrid]

PCAVTech has an interesting soundcard comparator;

http://www.pcavtech.com/soundcards/compare/index.htm

Click on the cards name to get the numbers. They use these general criteria;

http://www.pcavtech.com/soundcards/techtalk/ratings/index.htm

Soundcard tech pages;

http://www.pcavtech.com/soundcards/index.htm

Dr. Mordrid

[Indiana]

Originally posted by DentyCracker
I agree with Rags. Warmness usually means non flat frequency response.

Not necessarily. Depends on what YOU call warm. This is more a personal preference like the Pit said. It's like the decision between a Yamaha (cold, "precise") or an Onkyo (warmer, "more natural") amp. I prefer the latter.

If you mute the other sources that aren't being used then I challenge you to hear the "hearable low signal to noise ratio"

So then mute the inputs (still, with the inputs turned on you HAVE to ask yourself: "why is there SO MUCH noise?!?!", even when there's nothing connected), take the DIGITAL out and connect it to your digital amp and turn up the volume fully. There is noise with the SBLive connected that's not there when you switch to e.g. the input where a Sony DAT is connected.

P.S.: If you need a GOOD soundcard, look here
and here