my x-fi elite pro has been growing weak over the past few months.
i used to be able to have the master volume at 79% without any distortion.
now, whenever some loud bass plays.. the bass causes the entire frequency spectrum to distort.
if i turn the master volume down to 40% .. the distortion isnt heard anymore.
i can lower any volume to reduce the distortion though.. could be the preamp in the soundcard equalizer, or the volume in the audio player.
so, i am thinking a capacitor has gone bad and causing the other capacitors to work hard to fill the void (known as amplifier collapse i believe)
i took the soundcard out to look for a leaking capacitor or a broken solder joint.. i didnt see either one.
i dont know how to test a capacitor, so i am not going to be removing each one to test it.
with that said, i am wondering if anybody has come across the same problem and know what capacitor is known to fail.
maybe it is the capacitor suggested to be replaced with a bigger one as the 'x-fi hot rod modification'
or if it is one of those capacitors in the large group of caps.
i've emailed creative about it and asked how much it would cost to have it repaired.. but i am also wondering if i can save some money and solder in a new piece.
i am actually really confused, because the analog output distorts AND the s/pdif output distorts.
apparently that means the dac is getting enough power to do its job then.
and if the spdif signal is distorting.. i wonder if my soundcard has a data virus or if there is an actual voltage level problem.
i dont know if s/pdif uses voltage increase and decrease as a way to increase/decrease the volume.
i suppose it could work if/when the data signal is the same pattern regardless of voltage level used to transport the data.
i switched to the realtek HD onboard soundcard of the motherboard and it worked fine.
i've noticed the bass growing increasingly weaker.
now i have to use the equalizer to boost 31hz AND the THX setup console to boost 28hz
both of those are at maximum so i can hear some bass that even becomes to match the vocals.
before, i was able to pour out 25hz from my two twelves without much problem at all.
30hz area was louder than 25hz .. but 30hz area is low and stubborn too.
i dont want to purchase a replacement and perform the 'x-fi hot rod modification' if/when the capacitor is not the problem.
so i know its best to not fool around with it.
the reason i became curious is because the 'x-fi hot rod modification' said the new capacitor would make the bass stronger and more defined.
it is the bass that the soundcard is struggling with.. i put two and two together and i'm wondering if it is that exact capacitor that has become problematic.
i know there are quite a few people on this forum that build their own amplifiers, and i am hoping someone like that could help.
what do you think?
is it a software virus on/inside the card.. a bad capacitor.. and if so, which one?
would a cheap radio shack capacitor work as a temporary solution to test the jamicon 'power supply' capacitor?
i dont need the frustration of the capacitor being the wrong resistance, despite the voltage and farad rating.
i used to be able to have the master volume at 79% without any distortion.
now, whenever some loud bass plays.. the bass causes the entire frequency spectrum to distort.
if i turn the master volume down to 40% .. the distortion isnt heard anymore.
i can lower any volume to reduce the distortion though.. could be the preamp in the soundcard equalizer, or the volume in the audio player.
so, i am thinking a capacitor has gone bad and causing the other capacitors to work hard to fill the void (known as amplifier collapse i believe)
i took the soundcard out to look for a leaking capacitor or a broken solder joint.. i didnt see either one.
i dont know how to test a capacitor, so i am not going to be removing each one to test it.
with that said, i am wondering if anybody has come across the same problem and know what capacitor is known to fail.
maybe it is the capacitor suggested to be replaced with a bigger one as the 'x-fi hot rod modification'
or if it is one of those capacitors in the large group of caps.
i've emailed creative about it and asked how much it would cost to have it repaired.. but i am also wondering if i can save some money and solder in a new piece.
i am actually really confused, because the analog output distorts AND the s/pdif output distorts.
apparently that means the dac is getting enough power to do its job then.
and if the spdif signal is distorting.. i wonder if my soundcard has a data virus or if there is an actual voltage level problem.
i dont know if s/pdif uses voltage increase and decrease as a way to increase/decrease the volume.
i suppose it could work if/when the data signal is the same pattern regardless of voltage level used to transport the data.
i switched to the realtek HD onboard soundcard of the motherboard and it worked fine.
i've noticed the bass growing increasingly weaker.
now i have to use the equalizer to boost 31hz AND the THX setup console to boost 28hz
both of those are at maximum so i can hear some bass that even becomes to match the vocals.
before, i was able to pour out 25hz from my two twelves without much problem at all.
30hz area was louder than 25hz .. but 30hz area is low and stubborn too.
i dont want to purchase a replacement and perform the 'x-fi hot rod modification' if/when the capacitor is not the problem.
so i know its best to not fool around with it.
the reason i became curious is because the 'x-fi hot rod modification' said the new capacitor would make the bass stronger and more defined.
it is the bass that the soundcard is struggling with.. i put two and two together and i'm wondering if it is that exact capacitor that has become problematic.
i know there are quite a few people on this forum that build their own amplifiers, and i am hoping someone like that could help.
what do you think?
is it a software virus on/inside the card.. a bad capacitor.. and if so, which one?
would a cheap radio shack capacitor work as a temporary solution to test the jamicon 'power supply' capacitor?
i dont need the frustration of the capacitor being the wrong resistance, despite the voltage and farad rating.
hi..
the s/pdif doesnt distort exactly the same.
i hear lots of tin and shreaking when the spdif distorts.
its not the same, its like an over amplification distortion with some parts clear and other parts garbled.
the analog output is absolutely normal until the bass hits.
i can listen to classic rock and turn the volume back up because there isnt any bass like the hiphop tracks.
but i can still here some flaky response in the midrange if i push the volume up too much while listening to rock.
same can be said with hiphop when there isnt any bass at the moment.
its like an old analog audio effect of distortion, but very mild.
(i'm thinking of a guitar pedal or some midi analog distortion)
when the s/pdif distorts, i can almost hear it shuffling.. thanks to some parts being clear and other pieces of the frequency response being garbled.
the speaker's and amp are okay.. i've used the other soundcard to triple check.
but, something i took notice to after posting.. i have turned the volume down so hiphop tracks dont distort, but i am still experiencing some crackling in the midrange of the right speaker mostly (but sometimes the left does it too).
it's weird.. because i've heard it earlier today before my original post, but i thought it was the song.
alas, i've heard it on more than one track.. and that is unusual.
i've actually been watching a few movies last month, and the s/pdif didnt show any signs of distortion.
today i switched from analog to digital output and the audio from spdif was distorting.
and i am absolutely certain i havent had any issues with the s/pdif prior to today.. because in the back of my mind, i had it set that i would simply use the soundcard with s/pdif output until i get it fixed.
i went into the bios and turned on the onboard soundcard, then installed the drivers after the operating system booted up.
because the second soundcard is installed and powered on.. i wonder if it caused the s/pdif to distort.
it really makes me think there is a data problem rather than a circuit problem.
i havent tried to replicate the s/pdif distortion again just yet, because it hurt to hear the soundcard underperforming using a second method of use.
i'll uninstall the onboard soundcard and disable it in the bios, then try to replicate the s/pdif distortion again.
i havent been able to change the volume output when using s/pdif.. so i dont know how or if the volume was increased.
i seem to be hearing some details i havent heard before.. and that makes me think the capacitor bank has the capacitors in parallel (maybe series) and the weak cap is causing a tighter grab (faster slew rate) while also sucking up power from other capacitors, causing the distortion.
funny, i dont have any experience with hands on building circuits.
i do it all in my head, and what i am leaning towards seems perfectly logical.
i would love to hear someone elaborate.
see, i know series and parallel because of speakers.
wiring a speaker in series can slow the slew rate output if/when the speaker isnt designed to pass along in series connection.
(like having lots of carpet and upholstery in a room to absorb some of the room echoes)
i dont know what a dac sounds like when it is starved of electricity.. but i know the dac is like a speaker, so i suppose it is possible that the electricity on the circuit board is crippled, and when i turn it up the capacitors simply dont have enough power to provide for everything.
so, maybe it is the dac being starved.. or maybe it is the processor being starved and injecting something into the workflow as you said.
i know i am having a tough time over here..
- my car's valve seals are leaking so bad that the engine is getting hydrolocked because there is too much oil in the piston cylinder.
- my clothes have been washed so many times they are starting to rip and lose buttons
- i flipped a circuit breaker so the apartment maintenance guy could install a new electrical outlet for the air conditioner (old one was 2 prong, upgraded to 3 prong)
well i forgot to turn the television off, and when i flipped the circuit breaker back on it gave me a blink code indicating the power supply was shot.
- a few months ago my kitchen sink was overflowing with water because the drain was clogged somewhere.. the sink overflowed and there was water everywhere in the kitchen.
- we have had rain for the past two months straight, and the basement i live in started to have water come up from the ground.
spent three or four days with standing water all over my living room.
i sleep on the floor with a pile of blankets, and one of the places water was coming up was directly under the blankets.
i would suck up the water with a vacuum, and the water came back in less than 2 minutes.
i had to dump the water resevoir probably two dozen times.
- because of the rain, i havent been able to install the new headgasket and valve seals i bought two months ago.
- i found out today that my prescription drug insurance stopped accepting my medication.
- i've been trying to get a job and the agency has been procrastinating for about 2 months now already.
(could always use the money to fix some of these things that are breaking before me)
- about 4 or 5 months ago, my CRT computer monitor starting flickering at me and showed signs of failure in the very near future.
- my cat died about 3 months ago.
- i lost everything i own because my mother didnt pay the storage unit fee.
(i managed to grab some clothes and my computer and my radio, thats it)
- my usb 'gaming-grade' mouse died last month.
- my usb ports started going out one by one about 6 months ago.
- my dvd player/burner has been refusing to read discs.
- i'm paying for internet and digital cable, and there is nothing on either one of 'em.. but i continue to pay for it each month because i dont want to stare at a wall all alone.
- my car was in THREE accidents in one month (all of them while my car was parked)
- i've realized i have been visiting a doctor since age 6 (22 years now) and i am unhappy with the results.
- my calibration microphone fell off my lap and broke.
- i also lost all my toys from my childhood in a 2nd storage unit, they were lost at the same time i lost my most recent belongings.
- i was homeless for the entire winter of 2009 up until the middle of spring 2010.
- my mother and my dog are living with my uncle, and i hate his existance.. so i cant visit.
- my mother has been really mean to me for the last 10 years.
- i've had my trust and good name rejected in court when i was attacked and issued a restraining order in favor for the attacker.
- i've been harassed and arrested by hostile police, and my trust and good name was again rejected in court.
- i tried to make some friends with a few people that let me sleep in their business parking lot, and those attempts where ignored and neglected.
- been thrown out of bars because of confusion and lack of communication.
- tried to tell the cops about my neighbor who has been coughing and gagging and puking on the floor for the past 5 months, they told me to get out and dont come back.. again getting my trust and good name abused.
- spent 57 days in jail waiting to be found innocent or guilty. tried to plead and wasnt heard, again my trust and good name was abused.
- been trying to play multiplayer video games on the computer only to find out each and every single one has cheaters that ruin the fun every time i sign on to play.
- the xxx and chat websites have ignored me and gone down in quality over the past year.
- been trying to talk to some tattoo artists i went to school with to have some serious discussion about my going to college and using them to draw concept art, but they dont even read the emails.
its kinda stupid for me to list all of this here.. but i didnt intend on trying to fill the list full.
i'm gonna put it on my blog though.. sounds like i am doomed and cursed.
i need this stupid soundcard to work a chance at saving my life
the s/pdif doesnt distort exactly the same.
i hear lots of tin and shreaking when the spdif distorts.
its not the same, its like an over amplification distortion with some parts clear and other parts garbled.
the analog output is absolutely normal until the bass hits.
i can listen to classic rock and turn the volume back up because there isnt any bass like the hiphop tracks.
but i can still here some flaky response in the midrange if i push the volume up too much while listening to rock.
same can be said with hiphop when there isnt any bass at the moment.
its like an old analog audio effect of distortion, but very mild.
(i'm thinking of a guitar pedal or some midi analog distortion)
when the s/pdif distorts, i can almost hear it shuffling.. thanks to some parts being clear and other pieces of the frequency response being garbled.
the speaker's and amp are okay.. i've used the other soundcard to triple check.
but, something i took notice to after posting.. i have turned the volume down so hiphop tracks dont distort, but i am still experiencing some crackling in the midrange of the right speaker mostly (but sometimes the left does it too).
it's weird.. because i've heard it earlier today before my original post, but i thought it was the song.
alas, i've heard it on more than one track.. and that is unusual.
i've actually been watching a few movies last month, and the s/pdif didnt show any signs of distortion.
today i switched from analog to digital output and the audio from spdif was distorting.
and i am absolutely certain i havent had any issues with the s/pdif prior to today.. because in the back of my mind, i had it set that i would simply use the soundcard with s/pdif output until i get it fixed.
i went into the bios and turned on the onboard soundcard, then installed the drivers after the operating system booted up.
because the second soundcard is installed and powered on.. i wonder if it caused the s/pdif to distort.
it really makes me think there is a data problem rather than a circuit problem.
i havent tried to replicate the s/pdif distortion again just yet, because it hurt to hear the soundcard underperforming using a second method of use.
i'll uninstall the onboard soundcard and disable it in the bios, then try to replicate the s/pdif distortion again.
i havent been able to change the volume output when using s/pdif.. so i dont know how or if the volume was increased.
i seem to be hearing some details i havent heard before.. and that makes me think the capacitor bank has the capacitors in parallel (maybe series) and the weak cap is causing a tighter grab (faster slew rate) while also sucking up power from other capacitors, causing the distortion.
funny, i dont have any experience with hands on building circuits.
i do it all in my head, and what i am leaning towards seems perfectly logical.
i would love to hear someone elaborate.
see, i know series and parallel because of speakers.
wiring a speaker in series can slow the slew rate output if/when the speaker isnt designed to pass along in series connection.
(like having lots of carpet and upholstery in a room to absorb some of the room echoes)
i dont know what a dac sounds like when it is starved of electricity.. but i know the dac is like a speaker, so i suppose it is possible that the electricity on the circuit board is crippled, and when i turn it up the capacitors simply dont have enough power to provide for everything.
so, maybe it is the dac being starved.. or maybe it is the processor being starved and injecting something into the workflow as you said.
i know i am having a tough time over here..
- my car's valve seals are leaking so bad that the engine is getting hydrolocked because there is too much oil in the piston cylinder.
- my clothes have been washed so many times they are starting to rip and lose buttons
- i flipped a circuit breaker so the apartment maintenance guy could install a new electrical outlet for the air conditioner (old one was 2 prong, upgraded to 3 prong)
well i forgot to turn the television off, and when i flipped the circuit breaker back on it gave me a blink code indicating the power supply was shot.
- a few months ago my kitchen sink was overflowing with water because the drain was clogged somewhere.. the sink overflowed and there was water everywhere in the kitchen.
- we have had rain for the past two months straight, and the basement i live in started to have water come up from the ground.
spent three or four days with standing water all over my living room.
i sleep on the floor with a pile of blankets, and one of the places water was coming up was directly under the blankets.
i would suck up the water with a vacuum, and the water came back in less than 2 minutes.
i had to dump the water resevoir probably two dozen times.
- because of the rain, i havent been able to install the new headgasket and valve seals i bought two months ago.
- i found out today that my prescription drug insurance stopped accepting my medication.
- i've been trying to get a job and the agency has been procrastinating for about 2 months now already.
(could always use the money to fix some of these things that are breaking before me)
- about 4 or 5 months ago, my CRT computer monitor starting flickering at me and showed signs of failure in the very near future.
- my cat died about 3 months ago.
- i lost everything i own because my mother didnt pay the storage unit fee.
(i managed to grab some clothes and my computer and my radio, thats it)
- my usb 'gaming-grade' mouse died last month.
- my usb ports started going out one by one about 6 months ago.
- my dvd player/burner has been refusing to read discs.
- i'm paying for internet and digital cable, and there is nothing on either one of 'em.. but i continue to pay for it each month because i dont want to stare at a wall all alone.
- my car was in THREE accidents in one month (all of them while my car was parked)
- i've realized i have been visiting a doctor since age 6 (22 years now) and i am unhappy with the results.
- my calibration microphone fell off my lap and broke.
- i also lost all my toys from my childhood in a 2nd storage unit, they were lost at the same time i lost my most recent belongings.
- i was homeless for the entire winter of 2009 up until the middle of spring 2010.
- my mother and my dog are living with my uncle, and i hate his existance.. so i cant visit.
- my mother has been really mean to me for the last 10 years.
- i've had my trust and good name rejected in court when i was attacked and issued a restraining order in favor for the attacker.
- i've been harassed and arrested by hostile police, and my trust and good name was again rejected in court.
- i tried to make some friends with a few people that let me sleep in their business parking lot, and those attempts where ignored and neglected.
- been thrown out of bars because of confusion and lack of communication.
- tried to tell the cops about my neighbor who has been coughing and gagging and puking on the floor for the past 5 months, they told me to get out and dont come back.. again getting my trust and good name abused.
- spent 57 days in jail waiting to be found innocent or guilty. tried to plead and wasnt heard, again my trust and good name was abused.
- been trying to play multiplayer video games on the computer only to find out each and every single one has cheaters that ruin the fun every time i sign on to play.
- the xxx and chat websites have ignored me and gone down in quality over the past year.
- been trying to talk to some tattoo artists i went to school with to have some serious discussion about my going to college and using them to draw concept art, but they dont even read the emails.
its kinda stupid for me to list all of this here.. but i didnt intend on trying to fill the list full.
i'm gonna put it on my blog though.. sounds like i am doomed and cursed.
i need this stupid soundcard to work a chance at saving my life
i uninstalled the other soundcard like i said i was going to do.
i found out how to replicate the s/pdif output distortion by switching to audio creation mode.
there are much more volume controls in that audio mode, and i found out the s/pdif output volume is controlled by the multi-channel wave section, with the 'wave' volume slider being the one to control the output volume.
that volume slider wasnt on +12dB causing the problem.. nope, it was at 0.0
if i raise that volume, the s/pdif output distorts.
i can clearly tell the soundcard has a faster reaction time (or hold?) on the audio.
things like acid bass sound much more clearer and detailed.
i used timbalands 'give it to me' to hear the acid bass.
the bass isnt the only thing that causes distortion, because i heard some bass that didnt distort at all.
vocals distort even when there isnt any bass.
it's all about how long the soundwave is.
like, i heard some short bursts of bass in the upper frequencies that didnt cause distortion.
i heard the longer soundwaves of the lower bass that did distort.
the female would 'sing' and stretch the duration of her vocal chords, and there was distortion.
but when she was 'talking' there wasnt any distortion.
i guess that means the 'harmonics' are causing distortion AND the existance of the bass also falls into the category of being victimized by depleated current.
i wonder two things:
1. am i really hearing distortion in the midrange when i lower the volume to try and eliminate the distortion.
2. if the problem began, is it going to get worse?
i am a little bit afraid to try and replace any of the capacitors, because i dont know if my solder is the same resistance (needed) for the circuit to be safe/healthy.
it would be great to repair this soundcard and increase its slew rate at the same time.
but..
i've noticed the midrange is louder because of the faster slew rate.
(really ruined my calibrated frequency response, and i dont have a microphone to calibrate it again)
i'm still thinking it is a virus though, because if i use kernel streaming.. the distortion isnt all that bad if i turn it down, but if i switch to directsound.. the distortion is constant, regardless of what the volume is set at.
but..
i think i just heard the distortion get worse, because i played a song by neo 'because of you'
the normal volume that usually doesnt distort with hip hop music is now distorting.
i'm thinking maybe i need to reinstall the operating system.
i found out how to replicate the s/pdif output distortion by switching to audio creation mode.
there are much more volume controls in that audio mode, and i found out the s/pdif output volume is controlled by the multi-channel wave section, with the 'wave' volume slider being the one to control the output volume.
that volume slider wasnt on +12dB causing the problem.. nope, it was at 0.0
if i raise that volume, the s/pdif output distorts.
i can clearly tell the soundcard has a faster reaction time (or hold?) on the audio.
things like acid bass sound much more clearer and detailed.
i used timbalands 'give it to me' to hear the acid bass.
the bass isnt the only thing that causes distortion, because i heard some bass that didnt distort at all.
vocals distort even when there isnt any bass.
it's all about how long the soundwave is.
like, i heard some short bursts of bass in the upper frequencies that didnt cause distortion.
i heard the longer soundwaves of the lower bass that did distort.
the female would 'sing' and stretch the duration of her vocal chords, and there was distortion.
but when she was 'talking' there wasnt any distortion.
i guess that means the 'harmonics' are causing distortion AND the existance of the bass also falls into the category of being victimized by depleated current.
i wonder two things:
1. am i really hearing distortion in the midrange when i lower the volume to try and eliminate the distortion.
2. if the problem began, is it going to get worse?
i am a little bit afraid to try and replace any of the capacitors, because i dont know if my solder is the same resistance (needed) for the circuit to be safe/healthy.
it would be great to repair this soundcard and increase its slew rate at the same time.
but..
i've noticed the midrange is louder because of the faster slew rate.
(really ruined my calibrated frequency response, and i dont have a microphone to calibrate it again)
i'm still thinking it is a virus though, because if i use kernel streaming.. the distortion isnt all that bad if i turn it down, but if i switch to directsound.. the distortion is constant, regardless of what the volume is set at.
but..
i think i just heard the distortion get worse, because i played a song by neo 'because of you'
the normal volume that usually doesnt distort with hip hop music is now distorting.
i'm thinking maybe i need to reinstall the operating system.
apparently it was that song only.. i switched to asio output and it was still distorting like kernel streaming was.
then i switched to 'bit-exact' playback and i could turn the master volume knob up all the way (maybe because the equalizer was turned off?)
but
if i slide the volume knob up to +12 .. it distorts again.
um....
if it was a hardware issue, wouldnt all of the songs distort roughly the same?
i'm wondering if reinstalling the operating system is going to fix anything at all.
then i switched to 'bit-exact' playback and i could turn the master volume knob up all the way (maybe because the equalizer was turned off?)
but
if i slide the volume knob up to +12 .. it distorts again.
um....
if it was a hardware issue, wouldnt all of the songs distort roughly the same?
i'm wondering if reinstalling the operating system is going to fix anything at all.
this is getting stupid faster than i can put a handle on it.
i tried to 'repair' the operating system with the installation disc.
upon booting into the freshly repaired operating system, an nvidia driver consistently caused a computer crash.
so i was forced to erase the hard drive and reinstall the operating system.
now, here i am on the freshly installed operating system and the drivers wont install.
i tried the latest version on the creative website.
the screen said 'installing new windows drivers.. this may take a minute'
and after about 3 minutes the screen asked me if i wanted to reboot.
i rebooted and nothing was installed.
no creative applications
no drivers
...i tried again and got the same results.
next i tried to install the drivers from the installation CD that came with the soundcard.
the applications where installed, but the drivers didnt install.
i seen drivers in a folder location, so i tried to force windows to install the drivers by searching for the drivers manually.
this made a bunch of 'microsoft' this and that come up in the notification tray area.
the device manager said 'this device cannot start (code 10)'
so i downloaded an alternative x-fi driver from here: Get the latest X-fi Pax Drivers here
these installed the driver (got the 'this driver isnt digitally signed' popup finally.. indicating the driver installation was working.
but, again, i got the error in device manager saying 'this device cannot start (code 10)'
next, i used 'driver sweeper' from phyxion.net to remove all instances of the creative drivers.
reinstalled the 'pax alternative' drivers.
i am still seeing 'this device cannot start (code 10)' in the device manager.
to make matters worse, i finally got an email reply from creative.
there was NOTHING inside except 'please remember, the more information you provide.. the better we can assist you'
i scroll down and all of the information fields i filled out were blank.
i asked who or how did my description get erased.
there was a detailed description of what was going on when i clicked the 'submit' button.
i went on to speak of the problem again (as if it is good for my health) .
now, i have lost pictures and files i had no intention of deleting.. all because the 'repair' of the operating system didnt work.
the soundcard was working before i reinstalled the operating system (with the volume extra low), and now it doesnt work at all.
i read on microsoft.com 'code 10 is a generic message for when the driver reports an error that is not listed in the list of errors.'
it goes on to say 'the driver could be corrupted.. or it could be a hardware problem'
i've done all of the steps listed suggested by microsoft except the last one 'replace the hardware'
so here i am again asking about a capacitor.
if i can test the capacitor myself and replace the thing for like $10 .. i would jump on the chance.
i tried to 'repair' the operating system with the installation disc.
upon booting into the freshly repaired operating system, an nvidia driver consistently caused a computer crash.
so i was forced to erase the hard drive and reinstall the operating system.
now, here i am on the freshly installed operating system and the drivers wont install.
i tried the latest version on the creative website.
the screen said 'installing new windows drivers.. this may take a minute'
and after about 3 minutes the screen asked me if i wanted to reboot.
i rebooted and nothing was installed.
no creative applications
no drivers
...i tried again and got the same results.
next i tried to install the drivers from the installation CD that came with the soundcard.
the applications where installed, but the drivers didnt install.
i seen drivers in a folder location, so i tried to force windows to install the drivers by searching for the drivers manually.
this made a bunch of 'microsoft' this and that come up in the notification tray area.
the device manager said 'this device cannot start (code 10)'
so i downloaded an alternative x-fi driver from here: Get the latest X-fi Pax Drivers here
these installed the driver (got the 'this driver isnt digitally signed' popup finally.. indicating the driver installation was working.
but, again, i got the error in device manager saying 'this device cannot start (code 10)'
next, i used 'driver sweeper' from phyxion.net to remove all instances of the creative drivers.
reinstalled the 'pax alternative' drivers.
i am still seeing 'this device cannot start (code 10)' in the device manager.
to make matters worse, i finally got an email reply from creative.
there was NOTHING inside except 'please remember, the more information you provide.. the better we can assist you'
i scroll down and all of the information fields i filled out were blank.
i asked who or how did my description get erased.
there was a detailed description of what was going on when i clicked the 'submit' button.
i went on to speak of the problem again (as if it is good for my health) .
now, i have lost pictures and files i had no intention of deleting.. all because the 'repair' of the operating system didnt work.
the soundcard was working before i reinstalled the operating system (with the volume extra low), and now it doesnt work at all.
i read on microsoft.com 'code 10 is a generic message for when the driver reports an error that is not listed in the list of errors.'
it goes on to say 'the driver could be corrupted.. or it could be a hardware problem'
i've done all of the steps listed suggested by microsoft except the last one 'replace the hardware'
so here i am again asking about a capacitor.
if i can test the capacitor myself and replace the thing for like $10 .. i would jump on the chance.
i switched PCI slots and had nothing connected
- no audio outputs
- no external console
the driver finally installed, as i was happy to hear the click of the relay on the soundcard.
i'm still getting some distortion though.
i'm using the PAX modified drivers for the soundcard.
the distortion isnt the same this time, i hear clicks/pops in the audio.
the driver defaults at 79% and it was fine when the equalizer wasnt set.
i did the equalizer and all seemed well.
i went into the THX setup console to add the 12dB boost at 28hz that i used for EQ calibration and some distortion came back.
it wasnt as much, but i turned the knob to 50% to make it go away.
well.. at 50% i am still hearing some clicks/pops
and it doesnt distort always when the bass hits.. it only clicks/pops when the bass punches.
something isnt getting power.
i'm willing to swap out a capacitor to fill in the power, if somebody could tell me what value i need.
i'm thinking about replacing the power supply filter.. unless somebody can tell me otherwise.
the x-fi mod suggests using a blackgate 2200uF 16v capacitor.
but last i read, those caps arent in production anymore.
i know i dont know how much boost i need, and i also know i have no idea if the power filter is close enough to lift the cripple.
i dont want to run lots of extra power across the circuit board and put stress on something along the way.
i'm hoping somebody can tell me if it would even begin to be safe to raise a crippled cap from the power filter location.
and if i assume one cap went bad, how many volts do i need to lift it (or how many volts is safe for an improvement even?)
- no audio outputs
- no external console
the driver finally installed, as i was happy to hear the click of the relay on the soundcard.
i'm still getting some distortion though.
i'm using the PAX modified drivers for the soundcard.
the distortion isnt the same this time, i hear clicks/pops in the audio.
the driver defaults at 79% and it was fine when the equalizer wasnt set.
i did the equalizer and all seemed well.
i went into the THX setup console to add the 12dB boost at 28hz that i used for EQ calibration and some distortion came back.
it wasnt as much, but i turned the knob to 50% to make it go away.
well.. at 50% i am still hearing some clicks/pops
and it doesnt distort always when the bass hits.. it only clicks/pops when the bass punches.
something isnt getting power.
i'm willing to swap out a capacitor to fill in the power, if somebody could tell me what value i need.
i'm thinking about replacing the power supply filter.. unless somebody can tell me otherwise.
the x-fi mod suggests using a blackgate 2200uF 16v capacitor.
but last i read, those caps arent in production anymore.
i know i dont know how much boost i need, and i also know i have no idea if the power filter is close enough to lift the cripple.
i dont want to run lots of extra power across the circuit board and put stress on something along the way.
i'm hoping somebody can tell me if it would even begin to be safe to raise a crippled cap from the power filter location.
and if i assume one cap went bad, how many volts do i need to lift it (or how many volts is safe for an improvement even?)
umm...
i started to try and read about how to test a capacitor and i read something called 'adaptive esr'
i can only think of two ways the capacitor would fail:
1. the capacitor dried up and is open
2. the capacitor dried up and is shorted
(i know, capacitors can leak too.. but i dont see any leaks)
can a capacitor decay to a point where the voltage is witheld and the output is actually extra?
because i dont want to add more power to a circuit that is already producing more power than it should.
i got the 'hunch' here:
A Simple Way To Test Capacitors.
it says..
'One more failure mode of capacitors is to develop a series resistance. This is abbreviated ESR which stands for effective series resistance. This failure mode is difficult to test for using simple equipment such as is being discussed in this article. It happens much more often to electrolytic than to plastic film capacitors. In a power supply it will manifest itself as increased ripple in the power supply but the capacitor will test good using the technique described on this page.'
a ripple is when the current exits the cap right?
i'm thinking the cap might work in an oscillation, and if the cap says 'i will wait and go next time'
then the output could be more right?
would extra output cause the distortion.. or would it cause increased heat?
i read on the x-fi mod discussion, changing the power filter cap can also help improve the s/pdif output.
if that is true, i am having s/pdif output distortion as well as analog output distortion.
so by putting two and two together.. the power filter cap being replaced could help?
i dont want to murder the DAC by using it with a problem.. if it is the DAC that i hear cracking/popping.
the modification discussion said a soundcard is simply a digital sound processor, a digital to analog convertor, and an amplifier stage.
i have tried to read some of the posts on here before, about how an amplifier needs power (whether it be the voltage rail for transistors or a step-up transformer or power conditioners to filter the power feeding the amp)
maybe it is my ignorance and hope that i am zooming in on the situation as somewhat simple, when it might be more complicated.
wikipedia said black gates havent been in production since 2006
and i am seeing black gates on ebay for as much as $70 for one capacitor.
i read the mod discussion and people where saying to couple the caps.
now if i am not stupid, that means the caps are in series and are being placed in parallel to include the capacitive charge, but do it tighter by shorting the caps.
somebody told me it is the slew rate of an amplifier that says how close of a hold the electricity has on the audio signal (meaning the esr will be better seen).
so if the bad capacitor is shorted, why cant i use what ever little power is left.. or even the fact that there is a short in the capacitor group.. to help tighten the hold of the audio signal?
doesnt it mean to 'touch the audio signal quickly and apply your boost immediately'
compared to..
'touch the audio signal when you receive it and apply your boost as soon as possible'
i know how speakers work.. and if you wire up a bunch of speakers in series, the output is gonna droop like a long rope bridge.
but if you wire them all in parallel.. the bridge is going to be tight like a steel and concrete bridge with no droop.
i'm not saying raising the bridge wont cause some distortion when using capacitors ment to be drooping like a rope bridge.
but if one spot in the middle is supported and raised, doesnt that make the bridge less flimsy??
i really cant afford to go to college to fix this soundcard.
and i cant afford to drive 30 miles to pay $50 for somebody to look at it.
i'm also nervous about asking them about an upgrade to improve the audio quality.
i dont know if they are in a license and forbidden to tell me any information.. which might mean they are forbidden to upgrade something when the customer is knowingly seeking such an upgrade.
i just dont know enough.. and i'm a little hurt to think people are not allowed to learn and share amongst eachother as a hobby.
i've seen posts where people are pointing out where something was done wrong.
or
people are suggesting which component to use.
but
i havent read much about upgrades and modifying.
(maybe i havent lurked the forums often enough?)
i'm hoping somebody can help.. i can teach you how to calibrate some reverb !
i've posted it on my blog and on tomshardware forum.
i think it sucks everything is in secret because people want to make money doing it.
i would post it out in public and say it until i am tired of saying it.. then i would charge people who are too lazy to do it themselves.
i realize some people pay because the person willing to do it already has the test equipment, therefore its easier and cheaper to allow another person to do the task.
i just cant afford to pay for a repair, and i am uncertain of what will come when i ask for an upgrade.
does the upgrade get very minor treatment to keep them from replacing something that also needs upgraded to go higher?
or
is the person willing to go up to what the majority of the circuit can take, and really astonish the person who was looking for an upgrade?
sure, if i keep staring at electronics for the next 30-50 years.. i might be able to build a circuit myself.
but.. i stopped after i grew extremely bored with wiring light bulbs to batteries in science class.
i wanted more details then, and i have always looked deeper into anything i can.
i started to try and read about how to test a capacitor and i read something called 'adaptive esr'
i can only think of two ways the capacitor would fail:
1. the capacitor dried up and is open
2. the capacitor dried up and is shorted
(i know, capacitors can leak too.. but i dont see any leaks)
can a capacitor decay to a point where the voltage is witheld and the output is actually extra?
because i dont want to add more power to a circuit that is already producing more power than it should.
i got the 'hunch' here:
A Simple Way To Test Capacitors.
it says..
'One more failure mode of capacitors is to develop a series resistance. This is abbreviated ESR which stands for effective series resistance. This failure mode is difficult to test for using simple equipment such as is being discussed in this article. It happens much more often to electrolytic than to plastic film capacitors. In a power supply it will manifest itself as increased ripple in the power supply but the capacitor will test good using the technique described on this page.'
a ripple is when the current exits the cap right?
i'm thinking the cap might work in an oscillation, and if the cap says 'i will wait and go next time'
then the output could be more right?
would extra output cause the distortion.. or would it cause increased heat?
i read on the x-fi mod discussion, changing the power filter cap can also help improve the s/pdif output.
if that is true, i am having s/pdif output distortion as well as analog output distortion.
so by putting two and two together.. the power filter cap being replaced could help?
i dont want to murder the DAC by using it with a problem.. if it is the DAC that i hear cracking/popping.
the modification discussion said a soundcard is simply a digital sound processor, a digital to analog convertor, and an amplifier stage.
i have tried to read some of the posts on here before, about how an amplifier needs power (whether it be the voltage rail for transistors or a step-up transformer or power conditioners to filter the power feeding the amp)
maybe it is my ignorance and hope that i am zooming in on the situation as somewhat simple, when it might be more complicated.
wikipedia said black gates havent been in production since 2006
and i am seeing black gates on ebay for as much as $70 for one capacitor.
i read the mod discussion and people where saying to couple the caps.
now if i am not stupid, that means the caps are in series and are being placed in parallel to include the capacitive charge, but do it tighter by shorting the caps.
somebody told me it is the slew rate of an amplifier that says how close of a hold the electricity has on the audio signal (meaning the esr will be better seen).
so if the bad capacitor is shorted, why cant i use what ever little power is left.. or even the fact that there is a short in the capacitor group.. to help tighten the hold of the audio signal?
doesnt it mean to 'touch the audio signal quickly and apply your boost immediately'
compared to..
'touch the audio signal when you receive it and apply your boost as soon as possible'
i know how speakers work.. and if you wire up a bunch of speakers in series, the output is gonna droop like a long rope bridge.
but if you wire them all in parallel.. the bridge is going to be tight like a steel and concrete bridge with no droop.
i'm not saying raising the bridge wont cause some distortion when using capacitors ment to be drooping like a rope bridge.
but if one spot in the middle is supported and raised, doesnt that make the bridge less flimsy??
i really cant afford to go to college to fix this soundcard.
and i cant afford to drive 30 miles to pay $50 for somebody to look at it.
i'm also nervous about asking them about an upgrade to improve the audio quality.
i dont know if they are in a license and forbidden to tell me any information.. which might mean they are forbidden to upgrade something when the customer is knowingly seeking such an upgrade.
i just dont know enough.. and i'm a little hurt to think people are not allowed to learn and share amongst eachother as a hobby.
i've seen posts where people are pointing out where something was done wrong.
or
people are suggesting which component to use.
but
i havent read much about upgrades and modifying.
(maybe i havent lurked the forums often enough?)
i'm hoping somebody can help.. i can teach you how to calibrate some reverb !
i've posted it on my blog and on tomshardware forum.
i think it sucks everything is in secret because people want to make money doing it.
i would post it out in public and say it until i am tired of saying it.. then i would charge people who are too lazy to do it themselves.
i realize some people pay because the person willing to do it already has the test equipment, therefore its easier and cheaper to allow another person to do the task.
i just cant afford to pay for a repair, and i am uncertain of what will come when i ask for an upgrade.
does the upgrade get very minor treatment to keep them from replacing something that also needs upgraded to go higher?
or
is the person willing to go up to what the majority of the circuit can take, and really astonish the person who was looking for an upgrade?
sure, if i keep staring at electronics for the next 30-50 years.. i might be able to build a circuit myself.
but.. i stopped after i grew extremely bored with wiring light bulbs to batteries in science class.
i wanted more details then, and i have always looked deeper into anything i can.
i forgot to do a very important test that could/should probably help us both.
i switched the output to the rear speakers to see if the distortion was still there.
the distortion IS still there, but i can turn the volume up significantly more.
i also forgot to mention, these clicks/pops from the front speakers are heard with the volume all the way down to 30% or lower.
when i switch to the rear speakers, i can turn the volume up to 70% and hear no distortion or clicks.
i expect somebody to know where to look now.
algebra does it, and i have provided some variables.
**edit**
crap.. i just found out i was listening with cmss 3D set to stereo xpand.
when i switched it to stereo surround and put the slider to 50% .. it is the same exact distortion.
i switched the output to the rear speakers to see if the distortion was still there.
the distortion IS still there, but i can turn the volume up significantly more.
i also forgot to mention, these clicks/pops from the front speakers are heard with the volume all the way down to 30% or lower.
when i switch to the rear speakers, i can turn the volume up to 70% and hear no distortion or clicks.
i expect somebody to know where to look now.
algebra does it, and i have provided some variables.
**edit**
crap.. i just found out i was listening with cmss 3D set to stereo xpand.
when i switched it to stereo surround and put the slider to 50% .. it is the same exact distortion.
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Just a tip. After you have installed your os, you can make an image of the drive. I use dos and driveimage2002 to do that. That way you never need driverwipecrap and it saves you lots of time. Another tip. Get rid of any creative software and only install drivers. Third one. If you really need an equalizer use a real one so your output levels source wise can stay true to the signal. That would rule out some suspect settings. You could also be suffering from a shared interrupt, check your bios prior to making one final install.
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Also, in your mixer set source to max and output level to max and pull all the other sliders to minimum. This gives you full bit depth and the least amount of distortion. Do not forget to get rid of the Micboost and slide input levels to nil. Probably not the cause of your troubles but I think it´s mandatory for clean sound. And wtf is stereo surround, get rid of it.
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that isn't the first time i've read about creating an image of the drive.
anyways..
i've tried the 'only the drivers' option.
i didnt manually create registry enteries and tell the operating system to look at the driver.
most driver packages wont unpack without continuing the automation of trying to install.
levels 'source wise' are from the file of the audio.
the creative equalizer did a good job boosting without causing any perceptable distortion.
as far as the amplifier is concerned.. whatever is directly connected to it is the source.
i see your reply as a tease or taunt.
the soundcard and graphics card share the same IRQ number, says device manager.. but if my memory serves me correctly, that is nothing new.
my motherboard bios doesnt give me the option to change the IRQ numbers of anything.
it's always a hardware or software issue, and i've reinstalled the operating system.
that should remove any software problems unless the problem has somehow embedded itself into the motherboard.
i am suprised i havent heard any replies relating to what a DAC sounds like when it isnt getting enough electricity.
or
what are common problems of a dac or opamp failure.
or
where are the people reassuring me that dacs and opamps refuse to fail unless tortured.
it's a time like this when a person like me has to destroy the piece of electronics when they cant do anything with it.. preventing anybody else from repairing it.
i always kept the mixer settings on low or mute for the things i didnt use.
it makes sense to not waste electricity on a microphone boost when the mic isnt plugged in. (or to have the soundcard 'monitoring' something when i have no intention of using the input)
the 'stereo surround' is a feature within 'channel mixer' (a foobar plugin)
it allows me to hear hundreds of matrix effects from everyday music.
i have my front speakers pointed at the listening position, and the time delays are set for distance between speaker and listening position.
as i've already said, it has much sound coming from behind me.
i have checked my receiver to see if i had the prologic turned on or if the receiver was in 2 channel mode.
creative finally emailed me back and literally said 'the price to repair the soundcard is about the price of a new one'
i'm not a stranger of dealer price compared to profit sale.
(my headgasket and valve seal replacement would cost about $1,000 to have somebody else do it.. and it has cost me about $200 in parts to do it myself)
i think it's kinda quirky to say respect is earned and not given.
because with that said, why would i take my electronics to a repair shop?
they dont list any equipment or training to diagnose the problem.
and i find that to be extra stupid because if you can diagnose accurately (and deeply) you can also provide the option for upgrades.
i'm not talking about higher priced components that simply last forever.
things like upgrading voltages or re-building an entire circuit for better performance.
i guess there are people who are trained to diagnose a circuit failure, and there are people who have deeper knowledge to know what/how/when the piece failed.. and can do more than a patch.
but
if nobody advertises their ability, people cant tell one repair center from another.
as a customer, all i can do is simple:
- walk in, pay the fee to have my hardware looked at and hope they use that money towards paying for the repair if/when the repair is done.
- hope the repair person was intelligent enough to, at the very least, repair the problem with a patch that will last.
lets say it is a bad capacitor, and if i knew how to find the appropriate capacitor.. it could be fixed for $10 ?
so if the price is that low and you are gonna grab the soldering iron anyways, why not spend $15 or $20 on parts for an upgrade?
do electronics repair shops still use soldering irons?
i wonder if they simply diagnose the problem and buy the whole circuit and hook it up with the wiring harness.
it's bad enough that there isnt any electronics repair place within 45 minutes driving time.. it's also bad that there arent any options.
i remember in the 1980's .. electronics repair people were like gang bangers getting together and talking to people about previous hardware that broke, and what they might have done to fix it.
i've seen a lot of televisions open, and it blows my mind to think people are buying an entire circuit board instead of replacing $15 in parts.
obviously if you cant test the circuit, it means the test equipment isnt the right resistance.
and that means every electronics repair person needs to get a bank loan to build a test machine with obnoxiously low (and variable) resistance.
but
maybe the industry is being really hard on people who try to build some test equipment.. as they start to add up the resistance, it adds up quickly and is too much.
should probably be some simple addition on a calculator every 9-12 months.
they are hiding their grades.
nobody walking around saying 'hey i got an A'
and that makes people think their grades are C+ or B- .. or B+ at best.
not enough reviews, and '50 years in business' isnt gonna save any confusion.
maybe i am also upset to see CRT televisions being phased out.
all of the CRT televisions are breaking.. and these things have been around long enough to be mastered, meaning the visual quality is fantastic.
but
they are heavy and take up too much room in the majority of houses built from the 1990's and earlier.
(yep.. blame small houses and closterphobia for no more CRT televisions)
hard to find people sharing quality info anymore.
i dont think i could live with myself if i was ever that selfish with knowledge.
there is always a trump, even when you have gone all the way and you have to look up and take a breath to relax.. there is always a trump.
i for one will not be part of the group that gets nothing in return for all of the technology bought and paid for, then failing.. then the process repeating.
it's been like this since i was born.
i remember fantasies of the 1950's when things that actually did work and last a long time, they were dangerous and life threatening.
the video game 'bioshock' does a decent job of reminding me of such a day dream.
maybe i will do a full board re-cap and choose some stupid quality capacitors.
i havent found capacitors for sale that are supposed to be high quality and low price (not without altered values and knowing exactly what/why you are doing it)
baffling needs to taste revenge.
Well you certainly have a lot to say.
`a tease or taunt`
No not at all, I do think you need to think about the basics of what it is you are dealing with. You need a clean path to get clean sound. Clean OS with the least amount of crap you can get away with while still having a functioning box. Asio, Kernel streaming name your poison, there are more, but forget about direct sound and the other windows output settings. No auto update. Proper mixer settings, proper driver and all the other stuff that does not come to mind right now.
`most driver packages wont unpack without continuing the automation of trying to install.`
most creative exes I dealt with can be unpacked using winrar. Just treat them like you would an archive. Then you can point the os to the inf you need. Also creative installs I did let me choose to only install drivers.
`my motherboard bios doesn't give me the option to change the IRQ numbers of anything.`
Look again. It probably does.
`i am surprised i haven't heard any replies relating to what a DAC sounds like when it isn't getting enough electricity.`
I´ll bite. Come on man. It´s on or off.
`levels 'source wise' are from the file of the audio.`
They would be without the eq and the time delay and whatnot.
`on low or mute`
I meant mute. Low is not good enough, creative stuff very often yields an increase in interference levels when used that way.
`time delays`, `sound coming from behind`
For real if a file you play is stereo, at the very least treat it as such.
Again if you add eq and/or anything else to a file before it gets put out it changes the dynamics of the source file. That will make troubleshooting the nasties hard to do. First try to get it to play nice when fed with a clean signal, your card will probably prove to be fine and later apply all your suspect settings if you so desire. Good luck.
`a tease or taunt`
No not at all, I do think you need to think about the basics of what it is you are dealing with. You need a clean path to get clean sound. Clean OS with the least amount of crap you can get away with while still having a functioning box. Asio, Kernel streaming name your poison, there are more, but forget about direct sound and the other windows output settings. No auto update. Proper mixer settings, proper driver and all the other stuff that does not come to mind right now.
`most driver packages wont unpack without continuing the automation of trying to install.`
most creative exes I dealt with can be unpacked using winrar. Just treat them like you would an archive. Then you can point the os to the inf you need. Also creative installs I did let me choose to only install drivers.
`my motherboard bios doesn't give me the option to change the IRQ numbers of anything.`
Look again. It probably does.
`i am surprised i haven't heard any replies relating to what a DAC sounds like when it isn't getting enough electricity.`
I´ll bite. Come on man. It´s on or off.
`levels 'source wise' are from the file of the audio.`
They would be without the eq and the time delay and whatnot.
`on low or mute`
I meant mute. Low is not good enough, creative stuff very often yields an increase in interference levels when used that way.
`time delays`, `sound coming from behind`
For real if a file you play is stereo, at the very least treat it as such.
Again if you add eq and/or anything else to a file before it gets put out it changes the dynamics of the source file. That will make troubleshooting the nasties hard to do. First try to get it to play nice when fed with a clean signal, your card will probably prove to be fine and later apply all your suspect settings if you so desire. Good luck.
thanks for that.
you made a strong point towards something i believe was already answered.
it is true, if somehow the equalizer was 'hacked' to provide really nasty results, using the equalizer could trick one into thinking the hardware was bad.
a software equalizer uses math to boost or decrease a signal.
therefore, an equalizer is only as good as the math used to create the effect.
that is why some VST plugins cost more than the soundcard itself.
the reason i said i believe the question was already answered is because i switched to audio creation mode and selected bit-perfect output.
in this mode, sound effects like equalizer or crystalizer are disabled and prevented from functioning.
this doesnt mean you cant use an equalizer in the audio player software, but i wasnt using any such plugin.
i have to say, i was using foobar for playback of music.. and when i first discovered the distortion, i switched to a different music player and the distortion was gone.
the other music player wasnt setup how i wanted it, so i went back to foobar and settled on lowering the volume output within foobar itself.
as time went on, the distortion got worse.
it is upsetting to come face to face with a piece of hardware that allows for a virus to be uploaded into the registers of the hardware and remain 'active' despite re-installing the operating system.
one would think there is a password or secret combination to lock people out of it.
because i believe there is a major difference between locking someone out to prevent the hardware from being overloaded to a point of failure, and locking someone out to prevent any uploading of an annoyance.
there are dozens of VST plugins that are modeled to re-create the sound of older analog hardware.. meaning, it wouldnt suprise me to stumble upon a software virus that replicates some sort of hardware failure.
technology has evolved, along with our minds.. and it shouldnt seem far-fetched to see a piece of hardware hacked because the person got themselves into trouble.
instead of seeing a ticket or an order to appear in court, they can/will make a judgement based on actions already taken place in the past (no need for explanation to give a chance for the person to lie or otherwise try to talk their way out of it).
i think the method is fantastic, as judges can review cases at their leisure instead of being stuck in a court room all day with possible fatigue or queer thought.
however, i havent done anything in 20 years to deserve this.
$370 for a soundcard that lasted 5 years.. the soundquality and the audio effects are not worth such a steep price tag.
i have switched to the onboard realtek HD audio, and the soundcard has more distortion.. but the details make their way out of the soundcard better than the x-fi elite pro.
its like with the elite pro, if the capacitors did output the details.. they were lost in the circuit board traces.
or
the capacitors were simply too slow to output everything.
creative said they are charging too much to repair the product for me.
that means i would have to go to an electric repair person and say 'does this soundcard have a failing component.. or has it been hacked?'
i dont want to be stared at as if i am some paranoid lunatic, because the person i am talking to has a loose grip on reality.
but with all of this said, i certainly believe creative needs to lose their license that they have had with the gaming industry.
it was the 'gaming acceleration' of EAX that helped persuade me into buying one of their soundcards in the first place.
the specs looked good on paper, and i believed their soundcards to be long lasting - based on the longevivity and flawless performance of the soundblaster live! card i had.
that company has lost all respect i have had for them.
and i should have stuck to my gut feeling when i was watching all of these people complain about their audigy soundcards dieing.
it is totally unfair nowadays to see video games using exclusive creative sound effects that require one of the creative soundcards to playback the 'advanced/upgraded sound'
because the soundcard has its own dedicated processor, that should take the load off of the main CPU and provide a performance boost of the video game.
video game developers need to stick to their own reverbs and audio engines.
that way all soundcards will unlock whatever potential they posess by simply sending the audio to the soundcard.
as it is really lower class to devote the avanced audio quality to one soundcard manufacturer.
feels like i paid $200 more for the card than i should have.
and that is without ever using all of the connections simultaneously as was advertised.
if i replace every single capacitor with much higher quality ones to try and leverage the soundquality from the DAC and fail ... i dont see how creative could hold themselves in high regards.
i shouldnt have to listen to a company say 'desolder the DACs and use them somewhere else to get your money's worth'
because it really narrows down the number of people who could benefit from such a sentence.
quite a few people can grab a soldering iron and solder in higher quality capacitors.
not everybody has a lit-up magnifying glass to solder the small connections of a DAC onto some home-made project.
$370 for five years of functionality is disgusting.
add to that, the company had exclusive rights to video games advanced audio appeal.. and i am further disgusted.
but
add to that, the run of EAX being used wasnt long-lasting as an organized and respected company would have done.. that is mediocre.
electronics hardware fail.. i do accept this fact to be true and well known.
but for the price, i think 8 years would be closer to fair market value.
i spent all that extra money for an improvement in audio quality.
i never used the audio processor, to have them say it is the processing power i paid for.
i didnt get my money's investment returned to me.
sure, the THX setup console was there.. but that is a trademark of THX.
the card itself was THX certified, advertising the audio quality was high.
i found this to be untrue.
and i now hold question to THX and their certifications as being anything of value.
asio
thx
eax
these things are selling points, and apparently they are distasteful to cause problems in the future.
i already know it isnt totally fair to bring up asio in all of this.. but,
was the card simply fast enough to deserve the right to have the feature?
i see how eax is infringing on the freedom of other soundcard manufacturers.
but i am not seeing how THX is also making life difficult for manufacturers.
if the card meets the requirements, the license shouldnt be high fee.
and with that said, products that meet only 98% of the requirements shouldnt be viewed as unworthy.
if we cant put our trust into THX .. why are they soaking up all of the movie industry audio performance propoganda?
does this mean there are bigger and better things that simply have no license?
because if yes, then THX needs to be taken to ethical court along with creative.
i've seen countless other creative products that have much lower results, but in the same price category as other products.
i believe it is true any company can output whatever results they want, but being close in price is apparently asking too much.
i cant let it go that the company isn't there for their customers like the customers are there for the products.
with a broken card sitting in my computer case, it feels like i have had $300 taken away from me.
considering my financial situation.. that $300 feels like $2,000
i see how fast money goes down the drain on food.. and i dont believe it was something to eat and forget about like food.
that certainly doesnt give the right to charge $2,000 for the performance i expected.
i am not a fool or a general source of fuel.
food companies buy things wholesale, and they should pass those savings along to consumers.. that way we have the extra money to fund an adventure outside of or 'normal'
if only they would wise up on how tightly regulated some of us are that presents the 'normal' we are enclosed in.
does this mean i should have gone into the $1 store every time i had an urge to have a peek inside?
i suppose yes.. but i have been inside the store before and, the quality of the products on the shelves were not high enough to lift the spirits of the economy.
that brings me to stores like dollar general or big lots.
i have been inside these stores too.
dollar general doesnt have a selection big enough to lift the spirits of the economy.. and big lots doesnt have enough quality to lift the spirits.
lots of money being transfered.. but i am seeing my vehicle's suspension taxed on an everyday basis, as well as obnoxiously excessive waste of our brakes (stopping at every single light is bringing me to tears and requesting that i run some red lights by a fraction of a second to try and save myself from financial bury.. then processing me to come face to face with the embarassment of our local government, as well as my inability to provide for myself)
they are simply stupid to tax an area that focuses on friendship and partnership to overcome the obstacles thrown their way.
meanwhile, people like me who choose not to get into the circle for the simple sake of padding.. we get the pain to a degree that could shorten our lifespan.
the good ones get burnt and the taxes continue as the queer are 90% immune to the pain.
some people can 'hang out' with a buddy while they save up the money for their next purchase.. so when these people look at the bloated/inflated economy, it doesnt hurt them.
they already dont care much about time, because they are entangled with friends who might not be treating them with the appreciation they deserve.
us lonely people see that and it taxes us more.
the local government is queer by associating with such a civilization exposed to the current economy.
and it saddens me to see the good ones drowning while the less important ones are the main focus.. because time has continuously been wasted to extract results from people that are hardly relevent.
saying that the vast majority arent capable of running the town's government because the principle decisions dont come often enough.
it appears from within my residence, people have simply decided to spend every cent they have and find a person they can get along with (or sometimes worse) to help ease the pain of having nothing saved.
the time they spend on this planet is enriched because they are fixing and upgrading things, or they are being social while they save up to buy the next fix or upgrade.
what strikes me is this..
how can the local government get so caught up in time that the good lonely few are continously drowning?
seems to me, that is where the real suing and ethical law needs to take action to begin cleaning up the economy.
it's like the local government has attention deficit disorder.
for one person to raise an issue in court, they would be taxed simply trying to gather enough evidence to say some of what i have said here.
real proof, like damn near being forced into some sick & twisted submission appears to be not enough.
i have given my list of 'things'
and if i were to go back further, that list would grow.
summarizing, do these people think there is plenty of toys to be simply sought after to put one's mind at ease?
they are painfully mistaken here.
if that isnt the case, maybe it is because those people bought some of the toys available.. and it is those toys causing the attention deficit.
or
maybe everybody is so bloody thirsty for money to save themselves and be able to play.. that the attention deficit is there.
i've carved an ugly road for myself, and i dont see any spark of hope coming from my past.
that should mean the consensus isnt hopeful and bright.
and that means we are suicidal and the nation was worried about terrorism from another country.. but, we are building up a hot melting point ourselves.
then the military steps in and brags about how they are prepared, but that doesnt ease the emotions of those who are hurt enough to bring attention to themselves.
nope, that simply says 'no need to worry.. we wont let them hurt you'
it should be known as a vicious circle.. because the military brags about stopping terrorism, but the local governments arent preventing these people from growing lonely and sad (or whatever other reason that might grow a small act of terrorism).
a terrorist doesnt have to be a person with a bomb or chemical.
it happens all the time, a person will put themselves into a group of people they dont like and try to remain standing tall.
the goal is to keep a smile on their face throughout all of the reasons why they dont like the people.
if that means pointing out a correction and making yourself look better, fine.. that is exploding your ego and you are winning the game.
but..
sometimes those groups of people turn violent when they realize what is happening to them.
then the person goes to the local police for help and they are confused about what is going on because the situation is too far complex.
the person who thought it would be fun to mingle with people they didnt personally like is now being bitten by the hand that feeds.
if the person was a good judge, and those people were really nasty or stupid, then the whole group is getting more than they deserve by taunting the individual.
two wrongs dont make a right.. but if the local government had something that was actually appealing to the person, maybe that person would have dealt with the local government instead of out there looking for trouble.
it is a lack of effort and responsibility on the local governments behalf.
if you have a husband or wife, it is your job and your job only to make the person remain in love with you.
somebody might offer a reason that you have previously not seen before, but that is your own blinded stupidity as well as the other persons opinion.
the government has a responsibility to keep helplines attractive and look like they are valuable.
i've dealt with some helplines before, and they did more turning away and making me upset than they did anything else for me.
from a rational sense of view, it is a solid suggestion that i move away from this place.
the fact that they have sculpted such a suggestion really doesnt impress me, and it could be downright enough to seek revenge.
i would let the law of humanity eat them alive, as some might know what they are doing and others dont.
i've seen inhumane treatment for the majority of my life.. and they are probably sitting somewhere with relief knowing that all of the drugs they pumped me up with has somehow prevented me from seeking retaliation.
to that i say, rationale is extremely strong.. and the problems of this area are not guaranteed to be solved in another area, making life on earth more difficult than it needs to be.
instead of embracing that passion, they let it expire.
if there was ever a place to put the highest regard class in place to involve themselves with society (elite judges and attorneys and all that 'political power' ) it should be saving the lives of passionate people who are hurt.
funny, because that point of entry is artistic and 'creative'
kinda like the company who manufactures the broken soundcard.
they might find a person who is pretending to be passionate and hurt, which is a real act of terrorism that can lead to people paying out loans to other people that have no intention of paying it back.
because people get used and the users do it without remorse, its a solid form of terrorism.
the weak and pathetic become enriched, while the hard working and honest have their trust in the wrong hands until their earnings are vanished.
then they feel like the have nothing and are worth nothing.. leading them to do poor work on the job (or at least they work with a poor attitude) and it can ruin other peoples day.
we have an emotional virus on this planet, and i wonder how many terrorists are attacking because of that emotional virus (maybe it attacks them directly.. maybe they see other people suffering from the virus ., either one could provoke enough anger to launch some form of terrorism)
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