Thread: High-end PCI sound card suggestions? (compatible with windows control panel levels)

Creative's X-Fi is pretty much the Only choice in high quality sound

X-Fi

DACs depend on the level you get. Either the Platinum or Elite Pro give you the higher of the 3 models, while the XtremeMusic is the lower, with only 106 db s/n ratio....the platinum and elite boast either 109 or 112 db...can't remember which offhand. It's what I'm running in my personal computer, and what will be running in the car pc. HTH

-Rich

Moved to General Hardware, as this discussion has nothing to do witht he Centrafuse front-end.
Please be aware of the subforum when you're posting.

Originally Posted by dispatchcompg

Creative's X-Fi is pretty much the Only choice in high quality sound

This is false.
There are a nmber of other high-end sound cards out here.

Creative's products are marketed to the mainstream user, and as such are better known. Turtle Beach, M-Audio and other companuies make sound cards that are just as good, if not better thant he Creative models. Now, the X-Fi is a newer model, and I don't know if there is a model from any other company that compares with it, but I'd be willing to bet there is.

There are several high end professional cards out there by manuf. like RME and Lynx Studio's which offer some benefits to Creative Labs and their Pro line E-MU. Of course they do cost quite a bit more. Ebay is your friend for sure!

I'm using an RME-9632, the Lynx models cost quite a bit more and I just couldn't justify it.

I know of more than half a dozen good quality sound cards... my concern is the windows control panel compatibility. I would like to use built in level adjustment in centrafuse which requires the soundcard drivers to be able to sync with the windows control panel... this is why I put this in the CF forum and NOT the general hardware forum (I note that in my original post!!). I know plenty of places to research soundcards... and I have a handful that I know would suit my needs and would compare to the audiotrak card I have now... however, I cannot confirm that ANY of them work with the windows control panel! This is really the only confirmation I need right now...

I am fairly confident that alot of the creative cards can do this, but to be honest, I still feel like the creative cards are crap... maybe things have changed, but their signal processing "enhancments" or whatever they call them are not a feature in my book... and while some of you will suggest the kx drivers, it is confirmed that those drivers will NOT sync with the windows control panel.

Any other ideas?

I still am unable to tell which cards will work within CF. I really wish this were in the CF forum, as it might get more attention from CF users!!

the emu cards; though built by creative, are very high quality cards that have been hot rodded by some people (dac upgrades) maybe you should research those a bit more