Aureal 2.0 Vs EAX/Vortex 2 Vs Soundblaster Live!

[Elexis Sin]

Well it seems that Creative has a bit of competition on their hands with the new Aureal 2.0 or vortex 2 soundcards. In the most recent PC Zone they say that the Aureal 2.0 IS BEST for HARDCORE GAMERS and the Live! for ppl who do music and stuff. They also go on to say that the Aureal has a full HTRF both front and rear and that the Live! isn't fully HTRF and according to my friend it has support for 6 speakers. I posted the a sort off same posting about 4 months or so ago about the Live! Value and the Vortex 2 many of u said that I the Live! was alot better so I went out and got the live! value. Well as I now own a Live! value I am now influenced to get a Vortex 2 the Terratec DMX. Now I have 2 questions how much is the Terratec sound card, and is it possible to have 2 soundcards like u can have 2 video cards (which i think is possible)?

[Dancer19]

I dunno what is better
but i have these supa dupa earphones i use
and I use the aureal card which is about 50 bob, and i have to say its superb, i hit the volume to max in tribes and shoot people with the chain gun and my earphones thump with each round I fire which is pretty damn cool, sound is excellent.
nuff said really http://www.wireplay.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif

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my body is a temple, so no rape, pillage, plunder, and intoxication on eastender nights :P

[Cannon_Fodda]

The EAX vs A3D debate rages on http://www.wireplay.co.uk/ubb/teeth.gif

A3D is very good, and the new Vortex chipset will deffo gove Creative a hard time, BUT.....

The Live cards are fully software upgradeable (the Liveware program), so anything Aureal are currently doing can be matched on Creatives cards with a software update, it may take them a bit of time to write it, and get it working, but it is possible. (Plus, there won't be many games companies that write a sound engine specifically for A3D, and another for EAX, so the game sound will probably be very similar on both cards).

As for the music side of things, the Aureal wavetable's are crap, so the Live wins hands down.

Gaming is the only thing Aureal will win on, but who are the games companies going to stake their money on? The long running sucessfull system by a major manufacturer, or the new kid on the block?

Same thing happens all the time, VHS vs Betamax, PowerVR vs 3DFX... it's not always the best system that wins, it's the one with the largest following, and at the moment, it seems EAX has that.

Anyway, there's a new system on it's way, with a Dolby licence, fully Yamaha XG driven midi, will support 7 speakers (home cinema style) and have fully customisable sound environments. This will be out 2nd quarter 2000, but I can't remember if it's Creative that's doing it or not. Whoever does it, it's gonna blow all current PC sound systems away!!!

[Scarab]

Now all they need to make is wireless speakers that stick to thin air http://www.wireplay.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif

[Cannon_Fodda]

LOL, they do have Fostex FST's, you can stick them to the wall, and ceiling, but you do really need a sub somewhere if you use them.

[Chas]

A friend just got the new Soundblaster Live 1024 and it rocks. You can pick em up for around the £45 mark too.

Chas

[[KK][Pee_Kay]OuTCaSt[HB]]

my trusty A3D chip hasnt failed me yet (and try a website that has a midi file on it..WOW..i had the AWE64 b4 the a3d..and the sound quality is just so much better on the A3D...creative can stick their soundcards)

only problem that ive had so far with the A3D is Aliens V Predator...what were Rebellion thinking when they added EAX support...but no A3D

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