What to get, the Asus Strix Soar, or the Soundblaster Z?

[EirikVSGames]

I recently sent my old soundcard back to the seller becouse of lack of support for Windows 10. (The old ones was the Asus DX2/PM) So now i'm wondering, what to get, Asus strix Soar or Soundblaster Z? These were the only 2 soundcards that i could find for a reasonable price where i live which I live in Norway.

 

[Dynomite54]

What features are you looking for when gaming? For me, the reason to get a creative card is the down-mixing. I like having the ability to take a 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 source and have it downmixed into stereo that provides VERY good surround while using headphones. Some games already provide a very good stereo option so there is a bit of trial and error per game but it is a very nice option to have. Another option you might consider is an X-Fi Titanium, or even an older X-Fi if you have a traditional PCI slot handy. The X-Fi cards give up nothing compared to the Z series despite being older. The Creative Z series (which do their processing in software) uses a technology called SBX Pro Studio to handle down-mixing / up-mixing. The X-Fi cards (which do their processing in hardware) uses a technology called CMSS-3D to handle down-mixing / up-mixing. They are similar but not the same, and some prefer one or the other. Personally I prefer CMSS-3D.

 

[EirikVSGames]

Im using the soundcard for listening to music, gaming, watching movies etc. On my pair of Phillips Fidelio X2's.

 

[EirikVSGames]

Oh, I guess I didn't actually answer your question Dynomite54, I usually don't use 5.1 or 7.1. I like it Stereo as it should be . As long as It sounds good when gaming and listening to music and won't have any issues with Windows 10 and the sound cards software, I'm happy.

 

[Dynomite54]

Well go with the Asus in that case.

 

[Corwin65]

Have you tested your onboard sound? They've really gotten better over the years. I use an external audio interface as my soundcard and also only do stereo, but I've used my kid's pc's with the onboard audio and surprisingly better than I remember.

 

[EirikVSGames]

Corwin65, I've tested my onboard and can inform you that it sounds avarage. I have also tested my old soundcard ( Asus DX2/PM) side by my onboard and heard a clear difference between the two.

Another point I might have forgotten to mention is that I've had problems with my mic and my motherboard. I use the modmic 4.0 and when plugged into my motherboard all my friends that I talk to keeps on telling me about a white noise from my mic they can clearly hear. When I plugged my mic into my old soundcard, the white noise was gone. This is also one of the reasons I'm getting a soundcard.

 

[Corwin65]

Corwin65, I've tested my onboard and can inform you that it sounds avarage. I have also tested my old soundcard ( Asus DX2/PM) side by my onboard and heard a clear difference between the two.

Another point I might have forgotten to mention is that I've had problems with my mic and my motherboard. I use the modmic 4.0 and when plugged into my motherboard all my friends that I talk to keeps on telling me about a white noise from my mic they can clearly hear. When I plugged my mic into my old soundcard, the white noise was gone. This is also one of the reasons I'm getting a soundcard.

Great reasons