Your opinions if you please....

[Lukey]

Hey all, just a quick post, I need to know what you all think of two different sound cards, the SBLive and MX300 by Diamond..

Anyone that owns one of these, please could you post a little message just stating what you feel about the card (good, bad, indifferent) and any compatibility problems you've had with games (specifically when using A3d or the other standard which name seems to have left me)

Cheers

Lukey

[Steve C]

I've used a first gen A3D PCI card for a long time (an orchid nusound pci), but about a fortnight ago I bought an SBLive Value, and that was a massive improvement. The 4 speaker surround is really cool. Make sure you download the LiveWare! 2 (and then the 2.1 update) for best results. Then cook next to your V2 SLI setup at gas mark 4 for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Also, check out <A HREF="http://www.hoontech.com" target="_blank">hoontech</A> for addons for the card.

Cheers,

Steev

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Yeah, you know the score...
(ICQ: 29468849)

[Jammrock]

I use a SB Live! full retail and my brother uses a Diamond MX300 full retail. The arguement is a bit lopsided though since I use Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Theater 5.1 speakers and he uses Altec Lansing ACS-45's. I used to use the ACS-45's, but that was a long time ago (I got the sound card on the first week it was out and the speakers in February).

The SB Live! has a much more defined and clear sound to it. The better speakers you have, the better sounding it is (the clarity of the amp is very important too). The Live! by far has a better sound to it. The 3D sound is much much better with LiveWare 2.0 and works best with 4 speakers. If you want the best sound there is, the Live! is the way to go (value sounds just as good, but not as many goodies for it).

The Diamond MX300 is a pure gamers card. If the game support A3D 2.0 you will defintely hear the 3D sound no matter the speaker configuration. The Live! produces VERY simular effects with headphones and 4 speakers, but with 2 the MX300 wins. The sound quality is good, but not a clear and defined as the Live!, mainly because it uses on board amplifiers and the Live! sends out a line signal, so there is less signal lose on the Live!. That and Live!'s DAC just seems to sound better. The MX300 is rather inexpensive and really is a great card, as long as the game is written for A3D.

That is my run down. Hope it helps. My ICQ number is 4704110 if you want to ask more.

Jammrock

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PIII 504 (112 MHz x 4.5 - 504), 256 MB PC133 SDRAM, 18 GB WD Expert HDD, Encore 6x DVD w/ Dxr3 decoder, (TEMPORARY!!!) Voodoo 3 2000 @ 175 MHz which will be replaced by a Matrox G400 MAX, Sound Blaster Live! full retail, MAG DX715T 17". A nice little toy don't ya think?

[Flangor]

Have MX300, and would not get rid of it for anything.

I think there is one very impotent thing to think about here. the MX300 is more of cpu hog than the Live!. Especially when using A3D in games.

The A3D 2.0 also has EAX support. Well it will once the drivers are finalized that is. (Has anyone heard that song and dance before?)

The sound the comes forth from my speakers are wonderous. And where talking el'cheapo's here. Paid more for the card than the speakers.

A friend has the SB Live! Value. And I do beleive audio cd's, mp3's and so on sound better on his. And games sound better on mine.

Hope that helps some.

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Flangor StrongAxe
flangor@matroxusers.com

System specs: One bourbon, one scotch and one beer

[Lukey]

Cheers man, glad someone cares, I'll ICQ you tonight about it mate....

Laterssssssss

[chuck]

Hi Guys,
I am looking at a new sound card too.
The SBLive seems to show up in a lot of the configs of people who are having problens.
Sould I be worried about that?
Thanks
chuck
(erstwhile cjolley)

[NotEd]

Hey Steve C,
I just checked out that Hoontech website. Am I right in thinking that if I get the SB Digital Bracket III they have advertised I can basically make my SB Live Value the equivilant of a full Live? I hope this doesn't sound like a stupid question, but I narrowly missed buying a full Live because of an especially good deal on the Value. If I could get all the functionality of the full Live for only $34 more I'd jump at the chance.
NotEd

[Lukey]

Steve, Jam, Flang (hey that rhymes!) thanks for the advice...

Seeing as I've got a PII333 not o/c'd (the board won't do it dammit!! Goddamn Intel boards) I need a card that will take away all the sound processing within games away from the CPU, thus freeing up alittle more power fo rthe CPU to deal with the rest of the stuff going on...

So with that, now whats the best option?

Cheers guys

Lukey

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PII333(no o/c), 16MB G200 Millenium, 128MB PC100, 10GB Quantum Fireball, IntelSE440BX+Snd, Sony 420GS 19", STB BlackMagic Voodoo2 SLI

"Follow your dreams, you can achieve your goals, I am living proof...beefcake....BEEFCAKE!"

[Steve C]

Hey NotEd -

"SB Digital I/O III allows SB Live!(Value) to use the
Optical IN, Coaxial In, AES/EBU In, Optical Out, Coaxial Out, AES/EBU Out & 4CH Coaxial Out for "SPDIF Digital AMP/4CH"
$ 34 US"

I can only assume so. The only possible catch would be you would have to use their "SPDIF Digital AMP/4CH" But I very much doubt it.

Sounds a little too good to be true, doesn't it?

Cheers,

Steve

------------------
Yeah, you know the score...
(ICQ: 29468849)

[Jammrock]

Lukey,

The SB Live! uses less CPU overhead. It has a programmable sound processor (very similar to flashing a BIOS, meaning that they actually reprogram the hardware everytime you update the drivers) and it does sound really nice. The MX300 supports EAX 1.0 and will supprt DX8 EAX functions, but it will not support EAX 2/3 functionallity. EAX 2/3 functionallity will be a larger feature set than A3D 2.0 has and it will support true 4 channel HRTF with EAX 3 (A3D 2.0 does 2 chanel HRTF). I say go for the Live!, but Flagnor may say otherwise.

Jammrock

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PIII 504 (112 MHz x 4.5 - 504), 256 MB PC133 SDRAM, 18 GB WD Expert HDD, Encore 6x DVD w/ Dxr3 decoder, (TEMPORARY!!!) Voodoo 3 2000 @ 175 MHz which will be replaced by a Matrox G400 MAX, Sound Blaster Live! full retail, MAG DX715T 17". A nice little toy don't ya think?

[Lukey]

Cheers again Jamm, think I will...

Laters

Lukey

[LAMFDTK]

The SB live value is around 40-45 $$ the support is amazing ! Its a layup!
Lukey overclock that p-333 !!!

[Wombat]

Anyone know how the Linux support for the Live is yet? I know it was having major problems, but I don't know what the current state is.

-Wombat

[Flangor]

Since both cards are good ones I say go with whichever is the best solution for ya. In this case I would belive the Live! Value to be your best bet. It does use less of the cpu than the MX300 does.

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Flangor StrongAxe
flangor@matroxusers.com

System specs: One bourbon, one scotch and one beer

[Lukey]

Thanks for all your input boys, Flang, I'm with you, the Live sounds fine, but is there any performance difference between the Value and the full on pack?? Or is it simply what you receive in the box?

Cheers guys

Lukey