Gaming sound card and headset?

[jordo_99]

hey, I'll be getting a soundcard and headset (w/ mic) for gaming soon. I just wanted some input as to what you guys have liked and what you'd suggest. I'm an avid movie/music person, but I'm really getting this stuff for gaming so if it sounds awesome for music/movies that's great too.

here's my current sound card:
Newegg.com - CHAINTECH AV-710 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Card - Sound Cards


here's the sound cards I'm looking at:
Newegg.com - Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card - Sound Cards
Newegg.com - AuzenTech XPlosion 7.1 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card - Sound Cards

and headsets I'm looking at (just something like these...5.1 surround):
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!

(combo I'm looking at as well):
Newegg.com - Creative 53SB000003000 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Elite Pro Sound Card and HS-900 Headphone Bundle - Sound Cards

BTW, my budget is ~$150 for headset AND sound card...I may push it up to $175-200 if it's worth the extra danero.

 

[stalin90]

id get the xfi card, w/ either those 5.1 head phones or the zalman 5.1 headphones, i have the zalman ones and love them there great for gaming

Zalman Headphones

 

[jordo_99]

id get the xfi card, w/ either those 5.1 head phones or the zalman 5.1 headphones, i have the zalman ones and love them there great for gaming

Zalman Headphones

those seem like pretty nice headphones...but do they have a mic? One thing I'm looking for w/ the headset is a (detachable preferably) mic.

 

[StealthTools]

I would recommend getting the Fatal1ty edition Creative sound card along with the CyberSnipa Sonar 5.1 Headset.

I believe that the Snipa headset has a "detachable" microphone and unbeatable performance.

The Fatal1ty sound card has AMAZING sound quality which is amazingly better than the regular X-Treme gamer sound card... You have to hear it with your own ears. It also includes X-RAM which does after all help with performance in games that is actually measurable.

I must say that Creative has had problems converting to Vista but I believe that their drivers should be good enough now until further updates are produced.

You can also download better drivers IF the newer ones aren't released yet by Creative by just Googeling them... A guy got fed up with the first drivers because they sucked so bad and created working ones and Creative shut him down for it AND didn't change their drivers to his standards....

Once again.. the Fatal1ty sound card is AMAZING and the Software... you won't believe your ears and will go deaf because you are listening to too much music or "Fire in the hole!"

 

[jordo_99]

I would recommend getting the Fatal1ty edition Creative sound card along with the CyberSnipa Sonar 5.1 Headset.

yeah, that's getting a little pricey for me but if it's that much better then I'd get it...also there's a $50 MIR for the FaTaL1Ty card...anyone know how/if Creative is reputable enough to redeem their Mail-In Rebates? That'd definitely help me out if they did.

 

[StealthTools]

I believe Creative is a company that makes incredible products and their customer service department is good. Although their company in and of itself had a hole blew through it because they couldn't admit they made a mistake and couldn't handle the pressure.

I do believe that they will give you a rebate without problems, as they gave me one.

And yea, you just can't beat the Fatal1ty performance.. I don't care what anyone says...granted I agree the brains of it all is the software, but when you have an awesome card to back it up.. it is pure heaven.

And I am a Melancholy Choleric... it had better be worthy of God himself for me to say it's worthy of being called good.

 

[jordo_99]

k, just another quick question...I looked at the specs and a couple reviews and the only real difference between the FaTaL1Ty edition and the regular extremegamer sound card (that I'm finding) is that the FaTaL1Ty card has 64mb of "X-RAM".

My only worry is this: Is it worth paying $50 more for 64mb of X-RAM when I already have 3gb of gaming ram. I'll totally grab the FaTaL1Ty card if it really does help that much, but otherwise if that MIR is gone before I can get it I'll be saving my money and going with the extremegamer version.

ALSO...here's the headset's i'm looking at

Tritton: Newegg.com - TRITTON TRI-AI712 4 x 3.5mm Connector Circumaural AX 51 - Gaming Headset
Turtle Beach: Newegg.com - Turtle Beach TBS-2112 Circumaural Earforce HPA2 5.1 Surround Sound Headset
Icemat: Newegg.com - steelseries 61001 3.5mm/ USB Connector Circumaural 5H v2 Professional Gaming Headset

 

[StealthTools]

The links you provided aren't in service.


And the X-Ram is one of the only advantages on paper.. but if you actually own this card you would understand that the "software" is amazingly better than the "X-Treme gamer" card. The Fata1ity card interacts better with the "newer" more advanced software to produce amazing quality sound. This card also has alot more potential stored within it for future updates as it is the top Creative project at the moment, aswell as the X-Ram helping to speed up performance in high-performance situations such as gaming. This card does produce a difference, no doubt about it. The software aspect of this card and how it interacts with it is just amazing..

I believe that sound is 30% card and 70% software, and the Fatal1ty card, though it has the name Fatal1ty on the box making you think it's just a way for Creative to make money, is truley a masterpiece in audio engineering.

Besides that... if you just like to listen to some music and do a little gaming and such.. like a regular home computer user.. then get the X-Treme gamer card... IF you are a real gamer and really look towards the details in sound and performance then say hello to your new Fatal1ty sound card.

- I personally couldn't live without it... aswell as my Merc Stealth keyboard, lol

 

[jordo_99]

The links you provided aren't in service.

links are fixed now

 

[jfenwick]

I'm no sound expert but i picked up this package for $150 last time it was on sale and it works great:

NCIX.com - Buy Razer Barracuda 7.1 Ias AC-1 Sound Card & HP-1 Headset Retail Bundle Pack - RZ82-00130100-B2M1 In Canada.

US link looks to be a bit more:
NCIXUS.com - Buy Razer Barracuda 7.1 Ias AC-1 Sound Card & HP-1 Headset Retail Bundle Pack - RZ82-00130100-B2M1.

Don't know what other people have to say about razer but i've had excellent customer service and the product was as good as promised. What i've heard from some others is that the card isn't as good with MUSIC as with games if used with a different headset, but works well with the intended razer headset. anyways, my 2 cents.