Turtle Beach or Sound Blaster?

[Guest]

I need a recommendation for a sound card. I'm hesitant to buy the Turtle Beach Santa Cruze because of it's price($70), but I'm also hesitant to buy a SB card cuz I hear they sound crappy. I strictly play a lot of games and listen to a lot of MP3s. So which card of Sound Blaster's or any other manufacturer will give me exceptional sound at a low price?

 

[Guest]

Hey Fuzz, I'm somewhat in the same boat as you. I'm trying to decide between the Santa Cruz and SB Live! MP3+. I think $70 is a fine price for a good sound card; if it's too much there's always the SB Live! Value which runs what, $50 or so. Can't imagine where you heard the Creative Labs products sound crappy, however. Good luck hunting; maybe somebody else will post here for our benefit?!

 

[Guest]

the sb live cards are crappy. there are crackling noises (not just mine, check the posts). i love creative, but they've gotta do something about the crackling!!!

 

[upec]

You guy might consider the Philips Acoustic Edge 5.1. There are many review sites recommend this card. Most user also stated that it sounds good and had no problem with it. It is only $67 + $5 shipping at Openlinx.net.

 

[Secretninja]

this is great fun. ive just got a gamer xp. its "the" card. look for $130? £117 you get the best card money can buy at the moment. as its name suggests its great for games (eax and a3d) also it has hard ware mp3 (sounds great) and the quality of it in cloding sound is awesome. save up some more and get that. look before that my card a yamaha? and was crap. it was about 12 - 13 years old a sb 16 would have been better but i got a gamer xp and it has been the best thing ive got for my computer so far save for a bit longer and get it.

SecretNinja


(gamer xp preacher (look at some other posts if you dont know what i mean))

 

[Sihs]

Can you please tell me where I can find these reviews? I was hoping I can find a review of these three cards: sbl, tbsc, and the philips one.
Thanks.

Sh!t Happens.

 

[Sihs]

I thought all the Live cards are basically the same. They only differ in the bundle that comes with them.

Sh!t Happens.

 

[Sihs]

Never mind, I found these reviews, but...
Consider me new to this sound business. I had decided to go with a SB Live long time ago, when I heard one guy say that Turtle Beach Santa Cruz is very much better (more stable and less annoying). I read reviews of the two cards (TBSC, Philips acoustic edge) and I think the Philips is the best one. While TBSC is NOT the most stable but also a very good card.
Can someone please tell me if they got the Philips? after what I read about it, it seems to be better than the other two.
Since QIII uses A3D 2.0 while the Philips card doesn't truely support it, which card does??
Do Creative SB cards support A3D?
Thanks.

Sh!t Happens.

 

[Sihs]

Since you have the SBL x-gamer, I want to ask how you see Q3 and UT using the card? Does your card support a3d 2.0?

Sh!t Happens.

 

[Guest]

The TBSC sounds excellent, especially compared to the SBLive cards.

Not sure where you got info that they don't sound good. I've never seen that in print before.

TL

 

[Crashman]

I have had few problems with my piece of crap SB Live Platinum. So why do I call it crap? The sound is, well, not up to par. I also own a Vortex2 card which sounds excellent but is not compatable with some chipsets. I recommend the Phillips Accoustic Edge, although I don't own one, I have heard no complaints, and many reviewers refer to it's sound quality as being on par with the Vortex2 (but without the compatablity problems of the Vortex2).

Video killed my Radio Card!

 

[Guest]

Count me in as a very happy Philips Acoustic Edge owner. It sounds great, I've had no compatibility problems at all. Got rid of problems I had with the SBLive 5.1 Platinum (DMA issues).

The funny part was I sold my SB Live! Platinum 5.1 to a friend, but when he heard my Acoustic Edge in Unreal Tournament he was totally jealous. Heheh.

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. - Mark Twain

 

[aster]

Try this link for win2k. <A HREF="http://www.americas.creative.com/support/kbase/article.asp?ID=404&Centric=&SearchSite=yes" target="_new">http://www.americas.creative.com/support/kbase/article.asp?ID=404&Centric=&SearchSite=yes</A>

 

[arsend]

I have the Soundblaster live and it never cracks, or distorts at all. Right know I am listening to synophny music and it sounds very good on my 130 W Dolby Digital souround sound system. Of course I just broke down and bought a Hoontech SB DB III so I can have optical and Coax digital outputs and inputs.

If it works for you then don't fix it.

 

[AEboy128]

My sb live sounds great also. No complaints from me. I know that when i had my pci128 it made weird noises when i moved that. No cracks or anything from my sb live value.

My system: <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=8946" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=8946</A>