Creative's Quantum Wave technology

KainXS · 11-07-2009, 01:35 PM

I'm sure you have heard all about all this but did you know this

basically the quantum wave card itself is nothing but a codec(the ALC889 on the MSI Big Bang motherboards) on a pci-e slot, its very similar to Asus's Supreme FX cards, to make for more room for more IO connections, it seems to work very similar to creatives Audigy MB and X-Fi Xtreme MB but its optimized by THX moreso than the other i guess

I don't know what to make of it, X-Fi MB doesen't make much of an improvement over stock drivers, maybe THX did something special this time if this is really the case.

Polarman · 11-07-2009, 08:03 PM

The ALC889 is made by Realtek so why does it to do with Creative?

KainXS · 11-08-2009, 12:20 AM

yes it is realteks chipset but creative has designed another software like x-fi mb to be used on them, its Trustudio, it might just be x-fi mb renamed and reskinned, i don know, the only difference is that it enables Eax 5 where as X-Fi MB only allowed up to Eax 4 I think.

dir_d · 11-08-2009, 01:08 AM

You got a link to the software..i have ALC889 on my board but im using my Audigy2 ZS..id like to read more about it

ToTTenTranz · 11-08-2009, 04:11 AM

EAX 5 through software could become a big burden to lower end CPUs. That's probably why it's only present in a high-end motherboard.

Wile E · 11-08-2009, 04:16 AM

Meh, it still wont sound anywhere near as good as a proper audio card. I'm not impressed at all.

LittleLizard · 11-08-2009, 04:33 AM

Learn this: if a sound card comes with a mobo, is a codec, not a real audio chip. That was in the golden era, (msi p4n diamond plus for instance)

xBruce88x · 11-08-2009, 05:44 AM

yea... i miss my nforce2 audio

ToTTenTranz · 11-08-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wile E

Meh, it still wont sound anywhere near as good as a proper audio card. I'm not impressed at all.

Why not?

You don't know the DAC's quality of that riser card.

All the Asus cards and many from Auzentech only use simple codecs like the ALC889.

Zubasa · 11-08-2009, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTTenTranz

Why not?

You don't know the DAC's quality of that riser card.

All the Asus cards and many from Auzentech only use simple codecs like the ALC889.

Asus Xonar and quite a few Auzentech uses C-Media chips, Oxygen HD in particular.
The Realtek stuff is simply not up for the job.

ToTTenTranz · 11-08-2009, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zubasa

Asus Xonar and quite a few Auzentech uses C-Media chips, Oxygen HD in particular.
The Realtek stuff is simply not up for the job.

It's just a codec.. analog quality doesn't depend on it.

Zubasa · 11-08-2009, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTTenTranz

It's just a codec.. analog quality doesn't depend on it.

I am not refering to analog quality, I am pointing out that none of the Asus sound cards uses an ALC of any kind.
The riser cards that comes with Asus boards is another story.

From the Realtek site it looks like the ALC889 do have intergrated DACs.
http://www.realtek.com.tw/products/p...n=4&ProdID=173

ToTTenTranz · 11-08-2009, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zubasa

I am not refering to analog quality, I am pointing out that none of the Asus sound cards uses an ALC of any kind.
The riser cards that comes with Asus boards is another story.

From the Realtek site it looks like the ALC889 do have intergrated DACs.
http://www.realtek.com.tw/products/p...n=4&ProdID=173

It doesn't mean it can't use external DACs of higher quality.

LittleLizard · 11-08-2009, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTTenTranz

It doesn't mean it can't use external DACs of higher quality.

but it wont use just to save money.

Wile E · 11-08-2009, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTTenTranz

Why not?

You don't know the DAC's quality of that riser card.

All the Asus cards and many from Auzentech only use simple codecs like the ALC889.

I understand how codecs work, but if they used better DACs and Opamps, don't you think they would somehow mention that in the press release? As far as I can tell, this is no different than the Supreme FXII or X-Fi cards in terms of hardware quality. All the features are purely software.

Considering even my 5 year old Audigy 2ZS shames all of the other current factory solutions, I see this as likely being no different.

Zubasa · 11-09-2009, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTTenTranz

It doesn't mean it can't use external DACs of higher quality.

The whole point for using the ALCs is simply becauses these are cheap.

ToTTenTranz · 11-09-2009, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zubasa

The whole point for using the ALCs is simply becauses these are cheap.

I'm pretty sure that licensing Creative's exclusive EAX 5.0 software wasn't exactly cheap, so the riser card could have better DACs than the ones found inside the ALC.

Wile E · 11-10-2009, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTTenTranz

I'm pretty sure that licensing Creative's exclusive EAX 5.0 software wasn't exactly cheap, so the riser card could have better DACs than the ones found inside the ALC.

Still doesn't account for opamps either. If they upgraded the DACs, I'm sure they would've mentioned it. I'm pretty sure this is your run of the mill ALC riser card.

department76 · 11-10-2009, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wile E

Still doesn't account for opamps either. If they upgraded the DACs, I'm sure they would've mentioned it. I'm pretty sure this is your run of the mill ALC riser card.

i agree.

it's no big deal and no point in arguing about DACs, opamps, etc. on a entry-level card such as this...

11-07-2009, 01:35 PM	#1
KainXS Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,641 (3.35/day) Thanks: 61 Thanked 208 Times in 184 Posts System Specs	Creative's Quantum Wave technology I'm sure you have heard all about all this but did you know this basically the quantum wave card itself is nothing but a codec(the ALC889 on the MSI Big Bang motherboards) on a pci-e slot, its very similar to Asus's Supreme FX cards, to make for more room for more IO connections, it seems to work very similar to creatives Audigy MB and X-Fi Xtreme MB but its optimized by THX moreso than the other i guess I don't know what to make of it, X-Fi MB doesen't make much of an improvement over stock drivers, maybe THX did something special this time if this is really the case.

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11-07-2009, 08:03 PM	#2
Polarman Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Laval, Qc Posts: 1,296 (2.52/day) Thanks: 39 Thanked 231 Times in 162 Posts System Specs	The ALC889 is made by Realtek so why does it to do with Creative? __________________

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11-08-2009, 12:20 AM	#3
KainXS Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,641 (3.35/day) Thanks: 61 Thanked 208 Times in 184 Posts System Specs	yes it is realteks chipset but creative has designed another software like x-fi mb to be used on them, its Trustudio, it might just be x-fi mb renamed and reskinned, i don know, the only difference is that it enables Eax 5 where as X-Fi MB only allowed up to Eax 4 I think.

11-08-2009, 01:08 AM	#4
dir_d Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Manteca, Ca Posts: 187 (2.33/day) Thanks: 11 Thanked 27 Times in 23 Posts System Specs	You got a link to the software..i have ALC889 on my board but im using my Audigy2 ZS..id like to read more about it

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11-08-2009, 04:11 AM	#5
ToTTenTranz Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Porto Posts: 155 (2.11/day) Thanks: 11 Thanked 33 Times in 25 Posts System Specs	EAX 5 through software could become a big burden to lower end CPUs. That's probably why it's only present in a high-end motherboard.

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11-08-2009, 04:16 AM	#6
Wile E Power User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Western PA (Pittsburgh suburbs) Posts: 13,735 (11.98/day) Thanks: 257 Thanked 2,263 Times in 1,963 Posts System Specs	Meh, it still wont sound anywhere near as good as a proper audio card. I'm not impressed at all. __________________ Visit Ashentech Visit TechFuzion “What the hell did you expect? Leave Vista under the pillow and the OS fairy would make it Win7?” -El Fiendo “And Bring Mailman back god damnit, he is the Eric Cartman of TPU” -MRCL

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11-08-2009, 04:33 AM	#7
LittleLizard Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Latin America Posts: 3,083 (8.49/day) Thanks: 278 Thanked 526 Times in 472 Posts System Specs	Learn this: if a sound card comes with a mobo, is a codec, not a real audio chip. That was in the golden era, (msi p4n diamond plus for instance) __________________ "oh no, i make a very good person. I eat poop and sleep just like everyone else. My sense of humour just happens to fall under the DnD category of Chaotic Evil." - Mussels "I was expecting a line of EVGA FTW condoms or something like that." - DrPepper "I like my sex like my basketball, one on one, and with as little dribbling as possible" - Robert-The-Rambler

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11-08-2009, 05:44 AM	#8
xBruce88x Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 109 (4.90/day) Thanks: 12 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts System Specs	yea... i miss my nforce2 audio

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