Bluegears b-Enspirer (CMI8788) sound card review!!!

You don't need to put back you SB Live, just use a lower sound setting. Going back to SB Live is the same like using a lower sound setting because it can't actually support a higher setting like more number of voices.

 

EAX adds sound quality, so you could say it is the other way round.

 

No, I wouldn't say EAX adds sound quality. Reverb and delay added to a sound is NOT quality.

 

Of course it adds quality, have you ever listened to quake 4 with maximum EAX effects, most likely not. So yes it is quality, and can help with positional audio. For example you can hear someone shouting down a corridor, giving an echo type effect. Depending on the strength it allows you to figure out how far away that person is.

You are totally wrong in this particular instance.

 

Depnds on your point of view. It adds immersion, adds depth, perspective. But it does nothing to improve the quality of the signal or sound.
It is not quality. Not in any sense of the word.
I like EAX just fine. I even use EAX from time to time. It is game effects nothing more.
BTW, the only thing you have in EAX that I don't is EAX 5.0. So there is no need to tell me what EAX is. I own a CL card aswell.

@daedalus351, There has been a suggestion amoung 8788 users that OpenAL will/does work on 8788 based cards. In software mode only. See OpenAL looks for compatible hardware if it doesn't find any it defaults to software rendering. So I have been told.
THis is not a good way of doing things but doesn give effects for the time being.

 

If you play and BF Game You need EAX. I Cant Play It without it.....You just cant tell how far a sniper is away, or how far that Mech is.....But for now im putting up with no EAX becuase im using Vista

 

it is adding effects, thus improving the original sound quality, just like using the crystalizer on mp3's. looking at your system you are obviously not a gamer and therefore do not understand the importance of EAX.

 

EAX adds effects, not quality, the game will sound more realistic but not considered sound quality. Changing from a cheap cable to a better cable adds quality, using a better speaker also adds quality. Crystalizer also didn't add quality, it is some kind of an EQ.

 

Actually it's a multi band comressor. While it changes the frequency response it doesn't add quality either.
What did Creative say when that came out that it can make music sound better then it did on the original CD? -Yeah that would be impossible.
You know what's sad is alot of people probably believed them.
BTW, The act like the discovered the holy grail of audio with that Crystalizer. People have been using Multi band Compressors on audio for years. I think I own about 6 of them.

 

Strange you never used the onboard sound, its 5.1 and is actually better then the sb-live.

 

@Gamergod. Because I have a older system means I don't play games? That's funny. I have been playing COD2 all day. I play games all the time. You right about the rig though it's gotta go. I will be building a new C2D rig here soon. Speaking of rigs your not running anything cutting edge either. Does this mean your not into games? If you actually read my post it says I like EAX just fine and have been using it alot latley. Doesn't improve the sound any just changes it. As I said it depends on how you look at it. If I add some reverb to my music it makes it sound better to the ears maybe DOESN'T make it better the quality is still the same or possibly worse from adding the effects in the first place. Gaming audio is not what you would call high wuality anyway.

 

No, what I meant was EAX reduces FPS, especially in software. With your current rig, I would be turning off every effect going to increase the fps and therefore would not appreciate it or even use it. As ot my rig, it is perfectly capable one, that is being upgraded next month. The only thing not "cutting edge" is the fact I dont have a Dual Core processor or an 8800GTX ( waiting on the R600 before deciding )

BTW there is a huge difference in sound quality between the A2 and X-FI, something you will not be able to appreciate. Also there is an FPS boost to boot, which did quite surprise me considering all the bad info going around that it was no better than the A2 in gaming performance.

 

If it makes it sound better, it improves the quality. Is that so hard to understand? When enabling the crystalizer, it makes a huge difference with badly encoded MP3, are you then saying the audio quality has not improved by this "effect" lol.

 

Big difference is sound quality on compressed gaming audio saturated in reverb and delay? -anyway. I use EAX in games latley. I will just leave this alone. It's all in perspective. I like EAX just fine but I don't sacrifice anything for it. I have listened to X-fi's. I know exactly what they sound like.
As for game performanc in you last paragraph you lost me on that one. I don't know what your referring to. Some people like EAX some don't.
I think you need to understand though a X-fi doesn't BOOST your FPS. It prevents the FPS from dropping when using EAX effects. That is a big difference. All this talk about gaming, I am gonna go play some.
Doesn't matter what you say NO the Crystalizer doesn't improve the quality of the audio. It may sound better but it doesn't make the signal better. If I take a badly encoded MP3 and put a multi band compressor on it, then it adds effects and possbly make it sound better to the ears but it is still just that badly encoded MP3. I think your missing what we are saying.
I guess we just see the subject differently.

 

Sorry but crystalizer sound like crap to me. Some winamp plugin that I use can make badly encoded MP3s sound much better than what Crytalizer does. EAX doesn't necessarily sound better, some people said that EAX in FEAR sounds like crap. EAX is just added effects and the sound depends on how the game developers implement it, so for me it doesn't improve sound quality. A better speaker however will always give a better sound than a cheap speaker, even with badly encoded MP3, this is what I call improving sound quality.

 

Hey ALG, little bit off topic but how are you enjoying your new HT gear?

 

Eventhough it is not complete yet it already rocks :rock: especially after the speakers are burnt in. At first I thought that I need to get a woofer asap but after the speakers are burnt in the bass is much better.

 

FEAR is always brought up, when its a WELL KNOWN FACT that is has poor sound quality. Listen to Quake 4, Doom 3, Colin Mcrae 2005 for an example of how EAX is properly done. If you are going to use examples, at least use valid one's.

You have an opinion that crystalizer sounds crap, but that as you said is your opinion. There are a vast majority of X-FI and even non owners and reviewers who have said this is one of the best features of creatives lastest product.

ROBSIX, of course it does not boost FPS lol. But in a poor system, even an XF-I is not going to make a difference to baseline FPS, and enabling EAX will make it worse. Once you get your new system, you will wonder how the hell you ever put up with 10-15fps at 640X480

Anyway the be all and end all is that the X-FI is leaps and bounds above any other card in gaming, especially with EAX. However for music, there are plenty of other soundcards that do a better job. that is not to say however that it does a poor job in music.

I just dont understand why people diss EAX, when they dont even understand the benefits or willing to accept it has any.

 

That is what I'm trying to say, EAX doesn't improve sound quality but it adds effects and if the effects is done properly, you can get a better sound than without EAX but if the effects are not done properly, it wouldn't give a better sound. However an improved sound quality will always give a better sound, even playing a badly encoded MP3 on a better speaker will sound better than playing on a cheap speaker, this is what I understand with sound quality. FEAR doesn't have good or bad sound quality but it has a bad EAX implementation. A good or a bad sound quality is a subjective comparison of two sounds from a same source on two difference output.

 

You just admitted that sound is better with EAX if done properly, thanks for finally accepting that Better equipment will make your audio sound better if the source is pure like vinyl ( not so much for cd for obvious reasons... ). However, you need digital help for MP3 as it is such a lossy format.

I was sceptical about the ability of the X-FI to be better than my A2 after reading user opinions and reviews. However I have to say it has been one of my best ever purchases. It is all a matter of setting it up right, and I am certain their are not many people who have spent the time I have in getting everything just right.