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  • #1

    Sound Card Recommendations

    My current system includes an Intel Tabor mobo which includes the SB/Ensoniq AudioPCI chip (ver 1371) onboard.

    Speaker system is the Diamond Audio/S2 (now MidiLand) 4060 (6" sub w/ 2 satellites - separate mid and tweater). (if you want more info, check www.midlland.com and their 4100 system. Only difference is that the 4100 has an 8" woofer).

    Sound via the AudioPCI is o.k., but seems to limit the true abilities of the speaker system.

    I'm considering a couple of soundcards - the SB Live! Value and Diamond MM M300.

    Appreciate your thoughts/input.
    Gateway Performance 850 - Matrox G450 32mb DDR, SB Live! Value, Promise UltraATA 66 & 30GB HD - and Windows 2000 Pro
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Hi cputnam

    I personally have no exp. with MX300, but I currently have the SBLive!. It's a fantastic card with many possibilities and with very good quality sound. It surpasses everything I have heard from a PC. It is always hooked up to my stereo, does not produce any bangs or other wierd sound FX when turning the computer on or off. The drivers are quite good now (there were some probs. initially, but they seem to have been sorted out), very low CPU usage, incredible strong DSP, capable of AC3 pass-through (so far only in conjunction with Creative's DVD card, afaik).

    All in all, a card I don't think would let you down. I am pleased with it.

    Just my 2 Shillings

    Ghydda

    ------------------
    A slowly desintegrating nobody, now with an AMD K7 500 but no mobo until Monday with 256MB Memorycard, Adaptec 2940UW, Adaptec 2904CD, 3 SCSI HD, JVC cooking equipment, Plextor 40Max, SBlive Value with homemade S/PDIF I/O-card and last but not least - Matrox Marvel G200 AGP 16MB SD

    Only thing missing:
    Matrox RT2000

    As I always say: You can get more with a kind word and a 2-by-4 than you can with just a kind word.
    My beloved Parhelia was twotiming with Dan Wood - now she's gone forever and all I got is this lousy T-shirt
    |Stolen Rig|RetroGames Rig|Workstation Rig|Server Rig|

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    • #3
      I have used both, if you mainly do the gaming thing, then the MX300 is your guy, if you do a variety of things (DVD, Music, and games), the Live! would be the way to go. But you really can't go wrong with either one of them, they are both reasonably priced and both sound GREAT!!!

      Rags

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      • #4
        i have a xitel platnum storm. its a very good vortex 2 chip. but the xitel card has a fiber optic digital out. now you can only use this if you have an amp that can uses it.

        other vortex 2 cards have this type of port too and are cheaper, but not all of them. and i don't know how good they are.

        other wise rags is right both the live and v2 cards are good. oem live cards do not come with cables ect. (only drivers)


        ------------------
        I think I need help. I'm not sure what do you think, do I need help?
        msi 6167 mobo k7 500 wk41 now at 650. 256 meg ram ,addtronics case w 250watt sp power supply, matrox g400, maxtor diammax 2500+ 10gig hd,10x aopen slot dvd, 3com 10/100 nic, sb live xgamer sound card, efecent networks dsl modem, dlink 701i dsl router/firewall, lots of controlers (joystick throttle rudder raceing wheel), 19in ctx monitor, logitech mouseman wheel usb, and klipsch promedia v2-400 speakers. win98 oem and win2k pro dual boot.

        noel
        it's times like this that make me think of my fathers last words....

        Don't son that gun is loaded.

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        • #5
          I also have the xitel Platinum Storm. Great card and the vibrating headphones are pretty cool.
          If you're looking to go with a 2 speaker setup or headphones, the vortex 2 cards like the Storm or M300 are the way to go. If you plan on using four satelite speakers, I believe the SB Live is the better card. SB's EAX is also more widely supported.
          Aureal is claiming to bring EAX support to the vortex 2 cards, but they have been saying that for over two months.
          Couple of other things about the vortex cards. The cpu utilization is higher than the Live, but new reference drivers improved this. There were also some issues with A3D and sub/sat. speaker combos. This should have also been fixed with new drivers, but it is something you should be aware of.

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          • #6
            Yeah, the SBLive! is a great card

            Anyone know what additional features the forthcoming Soundblaster Live! 1024 Platinum will have?


            ------------------
            aka Chris H

            Abit BE6, Celeron 300A@450MHz, 128MB PC100 RAM, G400 32MB DH, SBLive! Value, IBM 22GB ATA/66 HDD, and so on...


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            • #7
              A quick search turned up the following site with some http://www.3dsoundsurge.com/Platinum/Platinum.html

              Gateway Performance 850 - Matrox G450 32mb DDR, SB Live! Value, Promise UltraATA 66 & 30GB HD - and Windows 2000 Pro

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              • #8
                I fully agree with everything Rags says.
                I personally use the SB Live Value and my musical buddies are very impressed by the software package it comes with.
                Gigabyte GA-K8N Ultra 9, Opteron 170 Denmark 2x2Ghz, 2 GB Corsair XMS, Gigabyte 6600, Gentoo Linux
                Motion Computing M1400 -- Tablet PC, Ubuntu Linux

                "if I said you had a beautiful body would you take your pants off and dance around a bit?" --Zapp Brannigan

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                • #9
                  I've got sblive w/4 Boston Acoustics A40's around me. Crapola amps from junk speakers buy.com sent me with purchases. Can't beat the sound
                  abit kt7-raid athlon 1ghz quantum 20.4gb - 7200 + wd 200bb - 7200 rpm UDMA100-
                  g400 max-
                  256MB pc133 sdram - sblive value 3.0 - 4 Boston Acoustics A40's - 3com 3c905b-tx - cable access - winME
                  dx7.?- V3 steering wheel/pedals - MS sidewinder PRO
                  Kensiko (Netpointe) scrolling mouse

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                  • #10
                    I just went from a SB16 that stayed in perfect working condition and still works perfect for nearly 5 years (6?) and when I decided to get DVD a few days ago I snagged a SB Live Value. I didnt get the IO ports, but WOW!!!! what a difference. With all the software goodies on the live over the mx300, I'd have to stay the road with a name everyone knows. creative labs. Gawd, I sound like a freakin commercial!

                    ------------------
                    JÊÐî /'\å§tå
                    -“Artificial Intelligence has got nothing on Natural Stupidity!”
                    JÊÐî /'\å§tå
                    -“Artificial Intelligence is no match to Natural Stupidity!”

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