OT - Sound card - Aureal MX300 vs Sound Blaster Live!?

Hi everyone, I am currently trying to decide between two sound cards. One is a Sound Blaster Live! Pretty new card, but not a Platnium, or any of their much more expensive range, I believe i it just a basic Sound Blaster Live. I am currently using my Diamond Monster MX300 which uses the Aureal style drivers etc.. I'm pretty happy with it as it has twin output front and rear (so does the SBLive) and has a fantastic gameport (best I have ever seen). I'm running a Windows 98 / XP Pro dual boot system, with a set of Digital 5.1 surround speakers. As far as I know, the MX300 is an analogue output, but I was told that it can take a 5.1 digital signal, something that I think the SBLive can do? Which one do peope think will give superior sound quality (games, music, racing sims)???? Thanks in advance, James

I've since found out it is a SB Live! Value (CT4830). So which one would be better? Thanks again in advance, James "news.unimelb.edu.au" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ae73em$aj2$[email hidden]...

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> Hi everyone, > > I am currently trying to decide between two sound cards. One is a Sound > Blaster Live! Pretty new card, but not a Platnium, or any of their much > more expensive range, I believe i it just a basic Sound Blaster Live. > > I am currently using my Diamond Monster MX300 which uses the Aureal style > drivers etc.. I'm pretty happy with it as it has twin output front and

rear > (so does the SBLive) and has a fantastic gameport (best I have ever seen). > > I'm running a Windows 98 / XP Pro dual boot system, with a set of Digital > 5.1 surround speakers. As far as I know, the MX300 is an analogue output, > but I was told that it can take a 5.1 digital signal, something that Ithink

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> the SBLive can do? > > Which one do peope think will give superior sound quality (games, music, > racing sims)???? > > > Thanks in advance, > > > James > >

> Aureal is out of business. > > I would buy the SB if I were you. > After the Live cards Creative should be too. MadDAWG

Keep using the MX300, you won't notice any different other than the MX300 does not seem to crackle like the SBLive, I think the MX300 has a better gameport also. SBLive is a good board but why spend money when you have one that is just as good. "news.unimelb.edu.au" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ae73em$aj2$[email hidden]...

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> Hi everyone, > > I am currently trying to decide between two sound cards. One is a Sound > Blaster Live! Pretty new card, but not a Platnium, or any of their much > more expensive range, I believe i it just a basic Sound Blaster Live. > > I am currently using my Diamond Monster MX300 which uses the Aureal style > drivers etc.. I'm pretty happy with it as it has twin output front and

rear > (so does the SBLive) and has a fantastic gameport (best I have ever seen). > > I'm running a Windows 98 / XP Pro dual boot system, with a set of Digital > 5.1 surround speakers. As far as I know, the MX300 is an analogue output, > but I was told that it can take a 5.1 digital signal, something that Ithink

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> the SBLive can do? > > Which one do peope think will give superior sound quality (games, music, > racing sims)???? > > > Thanks in advance, > > > James > >

I'll second the vote to keep the Diamond Monster MX300 card, never really liked the SB-Live cards that I own (2). Just my 2�. -- Daytona Beach - Winter Speed Carnival 1903 - 1935 1919 - Ralph DePalma Driving Champion and winner of hundreds of races, sets new 1 mile record driving 905 cubic inch V-12 Packard on beach at 149.875 mph. DePalma also sets World Records for distances of 2 to 20 miles and standing mile. His standing mile record of 92.713 mph is unbroken for 36 years.

On Wed, 12 Jun 2002 21:15:00 +1200, news.unimelb.edu.au wrote:

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> Hi everyone, > > I am currently trying to decide between two sound cards. One is a Sound > Blaster Live! Pretty new card, but not a Platnium, or any of their much > more expensive range, I believe i it just a basic Sound Blaster Live. > > I am currently using my Diamond Monster MX300 which uses the Aureal style > drivers etc.. I'm pretty happy with it as it has twin output front and rear > (so does the SBLive) and has a fantastic gameport (best I have ever

seen). Personally I really the the hercules game theater xp. They keep their drivers up to date and I really like the breakout box. And it is very inexpensive for what you get. And it sounds great. (I wish gamespot would review it again with the latest drivers). I had a SBlive but gave up on it because soundblaster were terrible at releasing fixed drivers for old cards. You had to keep buying a new card to get updated drivers. I have had the MX cards before but gave up on them when they went out of business.

Let me throw another contender, better than the SBLive: Turtle Beach Santa Cruz. Do some research and you'll find it's less cpu intensive, more stable, compatible, and better performing. Switched to this from an SBLive when I built a new system and never looked back. Should run only $65 US. -- Joe Marques "news.unimelb.edu.au" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ae73em$aj2$[email hidden]... > Hi everyone, > > I am currently trying to decide between two sound cards. One is a Sound > Blaster Live! Pretty new card, but not a Platnium, or any of their much > more expensive range, I believe i it just a basic Sound Blaster Live. > > I am currently using my Diamond Monster MX300 which uses the Aureal style > drivers etc.. I'm pretty happy with it as it has twin output front and rear > (so does the SBLive) and has a fantastic gameport (best I have ever seen). > > I'm running a Windows 98 / XP Pro dual boot system, with a set of Digital > 5.1 surround speakers. As far as I know, the MX300 is an analogue output, > but I was told that it can take a 5.1 digital signal, something that I think > the SBLive can do? > > Which one do peope think will give superior sound quality (games, music, > racing sims)???? > > > Thanks in advance, > > > James > >

"news.unimelb.edu.au" <[email hidden]> wrote: > I've since found out it is a SB Live! Value (CT4830). > > So which one would be better? Keep the MX300. Are you using the 2048 Reference drivers for it?

"454365" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> "news.unimelb.edu.au" <[email hidden]> wrote: > > > I've since found out it is a SB Live! Value (CT4830). > > > > So which one would be better? > > Keep the MX300. > > Are you using the 2048 Reference drivers for it?

I like my MX300 as well. I could care less that the company's out of business - the card works fine.

I run a Philips AE 5.1 sound card. I picked up 15 fps in N4 with it over a SB Live. MadDAWG

"news.unimelb.edu.au" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ae73em$aj2$[email hidden]... > I am currently trying to decide between two sound cards. One is a Sound > Blaster Live! Pretty new card, but not a Platnium, or any of their much > more expensive range, I believe i it just a basic Sound Blaster Live. > > I am currently using my Diamond Monster MX300 which uses the Aureal style<snip> SBLive will give you headaches - drivers, system instability and audio crackle with some games are just a few of the issues I have both read about and experienced. I don't know about the Aureal cards except support will be pretty limited given Aureal don't exist any more. I can highly recommand a Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo ii which not only has great sound and does nice surround but it also has optical in and out which is great if you have a minidisc or similar audio equipment. iksteh

I got the Fortissimo II with my new system and had problems with it. It would lock up GPL after about 2 laps. I would get an high pitch tone out of the speakers until I rebooted. Also, N2002 didn't sound to good either. In car engine sound wasn't there and the sound would break up when in the "arcade view." I had the game patch with the latest version, lowered the sounds in the game and down loaded the lasts patch from Hercules. I emailed them and didn't hear anything for about a week and a half. I RMA'd the card back to Newegg. Finally Hercules responded and said "There will be new drivers released shortly for the GFII which will resolve these issues, stay tuned to our website for more details." I would wait until the new drivers are out before buying one. Chris G. PS. It sounded great on F12001 and the F12002 demo. Music also sounded great. "iksteh" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3d1ebcfa$0$28003$[email hidden]...

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> "news.unimelb.edu.au" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:ae73em$aj2$[email hidden]... > > I am currently trying to decide between two sound cards. One is a Sound > > Blaster Live! Pretty new card, but not a Platnium, or any of their much > > more expensive range, I believe i it just a basic Sound Blaster Live. > > > > I am currently using my Diamond Monster MX300 which uses the Aureal

style

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> <snip> > > SBLive will give you headaches - drivers, system instability and > audio crackle with some games are just a few of the issues I have > both read about and experienced. > > I don't know about the Aureal cards except support will be pretty > limited given Aureal don't exist any more. I can highly recommand > a Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo ii which not only has great > sound and does nice surround but it also has optical in and out > which is great if you have a minidisc or similar audio equipment. > > iksteh > >

>> I am currently using my Diamond Monster MX300 < You've got a card that works (so do I), so keep it. No driver problems at this time or for foreseeable future. There is even a recent EAX 3.0 Unified driver for the card. Don't spend money on a new one until you absolutely have to.

There is a new driver for the Monstersound MX300? I am still getting some popping and such, will this fix it? Thanks, Kerry "454365" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> >> I am currently using my Diamond Monster MX300 < > > You've got a card that works (so do I), so keep it. No driver problems > at this time or for foreseeable future. There is even a recent EAX 3.0 > Unified driver for the card. Don't spend money on a new one until you > absolutely have to. >