Auzentech to Develop Sound Card Based on Creative X-Fi Chipset

[malware]

Auzentech Inc., developer of the world's first Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect PCI sound card, announced two days ago a new sound card series based on the Creative X-FI chipset. The Auzen X-FI Prelude 7.1 is scheduled for release near the end of May 2007. It will fully support EAX 5.0 and have the same expandability as the Auzen X-Meridian 7.1. Support for Dolby Digital Live real time encoding for Vista is scheduled for Q4 of this year. The Auzen X-Fi Prelude marks the first time Creative has permitted a third-party soundcard vendor to use the Creative X-FI chipset in its own soundcard design. "We’re excited to provide Auzentech with our award-winning X-Fi audio chipset and technology to provide an outstanding audio experience for Auzentech’s customers,” said Steve Erickson, VP of audio for Creative. I'd like to thank our forum members for this story.

Source: Auzentech

[killatia]

Thank You For Givimg Me The Credit For The Find!!!

[Wile E]

Man, that thing is gonna cost, but I just can't wait to see what they can do with the X-Fi DSP. Auzentech makes wonderful sound cards, but the lack of an on-board DSP always kept me away. I'm really anticipating this one.

[WarEagleAU]

Me too Wile E. Ive been wanting an Auzentech, but they arent for gamers...until now. This is an exciting day. Creative is gonna make a ton of money on this. IF its not too over priced, when this comes out, Ill be buying it and replacing my Audigy 2 ZS.

[Saurian]

Honestly, who cares. All I see is blah blah blah PCI connection blah blah blah.

Honestly, I'm happy with my Audigy. I WANT an X-Fi card for my computer, and will have one. But I refuse to buy another PCI device. Give me PCIe x1 interface!

[schriss]

Originally Posted by WarEagleAU

Ive been wanting an Auzentech, but they arent for gamers...until now.

Why not for games?
I own both: Audigy 4 and Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 and I only use Meridian right now because I need Dolby Live feed to my amplifier. Vista doesn't like/use EAX, they wan't to give other sound cards a chance by forcing use of OpenAL, so with Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 I get full surround, hardware accelerated and DD Live. If new card supports EAX 5 that's cool, but then Creative will come up with new card and EAX 7 and your card will be useless. I think OpenAL is the way to go.

[SpoonMuffin]

Originally Posted by schriss

Why not for games?
I own both: Audigy 4 and Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 and I only use Meridian right now because I need Dolby Live feed to my amplifier. Vista doesn't like/use EAX, they wan't to give other sound cards a chance by forcing use of OpenAL, so with Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 I get full surround, hardware accelerated and DD Live. If new card supports EAX 5 that's cool, but then Creative will come up with new card and EAX 7 and your card will be useless. I think OpenAL is the way to go.

exectly, and i have gamed with cards based on all the top/common chipsets, i would take a CMI 8768 or 8788 card over an x-fi anyday, sure no eax3-4-5 but who cares, your ears cant heat as many "voices" as those can produce anyway, they only excist as selling points for creative as a way to get gamers to use their cards.

and CMI cards are the only ones i know of currently with fully functional vista drivers.....creative=fail, VIA=fail(but they are working on it), this card soulds like a neet idea, but personaly, i will use my onboard adi chipset or buy a CMI based card, i had enought of creatives crappy hardware and crappy software.

[Wile E]

Well, the crappy hardware issue goes out the Window when Auzentech builds the card. I think we will see and end to many of the major flaws plaguing the X-Fis. The X-Fi's DSP in and of itself is a solid piece of engineering, they just so happen to throw them on crappy hardware, and support them with crappy drivers.

And the only reason I won't buy a CMI card, is because is doesn't have a DSP. They still rely on the cpu to do their processing . If I didn't want my sound card to do the actual processing, I would just use my on board optical out, and spend the money on an outboard DSP.