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Well,, Im happy to be the first to report on the X-Fi Sound Card - I went with the least expensive model (extreme model) which is the same as the others without the I/O panel..
To preface, I’m an extremely picky person regarding technology. I had just uninstalled my old audigy 2 board 10 minutes earlier and had tried out BF2 listening and remembering.
The installation went without a hitch whatsoever.. The installer placed in 20 (that’s right, twenty) various programs and utilities.. (can you say overwhelming?) So this is just a snap judgment first 20 minute impressions.. I haven't even begun to go through the various tweaks, and utilities and am sticking with the basics of setting up my speakers..
I have a 6.1 speaker system -3 front 3 rear, and a subwoofer= 7 discrete channels and set it through the speaker config utility.. There are 3 main ports that are reconfigured through software to accommodate anywhere from headphones to a 7.1 (8speakers) system.
The first item that comes was the splash screen showing off the power of the x-fi.. (kinda like the thx sound bit you hear at theaters).. Let me say it instantly gave me goose bumps.. the audio is just that good and better sounding. (and this is coming from a previous setup of audigy 2)
BF2--
Ok, here is where I held my breath with a ear of skepticism and set up BF2 for ultra high/x-fi and loaded up oman single player. My senses are INSTANTLY overwhelmed with an indescribable virtual holographic audible representation of the battle field. I had just done a trial run with my previous audigy and same speakers set on high 10 minutes earlier so was tuned to pick up any difference. The difference gave me goosebumps. I can best describe it as having just had wads of cotton removed from me ears and could now hear in 3d and expanded dynamic range. It far exceeded my expectations (and I had high expectation). The sounds are MUCH crisper defined with a distinct presence in a 3d space that absolutely envelopes you on a level I had never heard before.. Not even comparable to the sounds I had heard 10 minutes earlier. Also noticeable all SIX of my speakers were picking up various noises flawlessly and projecting them as true discrete channels. In the past even with 6 channels iv always had noticeable somewhat abrupt changes when rotating and panning a sound.. now the sounds come at you as a continuous stream directionally seemingly as if you had 1000's of speakers surrounding you. The difference this makes in special terms was astounding.
Ok, now on to the headphone test.. I normally rarely use headphones but know enough in what an audigy can put out.. I had heard the rumors the X-Fi's processor can somehow digital process signals to create a holographic projection using just two speakers so wanted to test it out.. I did these tests by constantly closing and opening my eyes.. having my eyes closed and try to go off just pure audible senses. The rumors and hype is true! The X-fi really does re-create a virtual audible soundscape within two speakers as in a headset. To describe it is like the first time seeing a 3d movie.. I would slowly pan a gun battle, tank or sound with my eyes closed and could literally hear the sound external to me moving around al the way to the rear.. It seemed I was hearing the impossible.. you actually hear sounds coming form areas there are no speakers.. simply put. you gota hear it to believe it.. Again the sounds through the headphones had all the crispness of the 6.1 speakers..
In summary,, the difference with BF2 and the X-fi is absolute day and night. You won't need to be an expert audiophile to realize this.
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