Creative X-Fi Titanium - Audio modes, what exactly does each mode do?

[TheShoura]

So I have a Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series (http://support.creative.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?catID=1&CatName=Sound+Blaster&subCatID=231&subCatName=MIDI+Keyboards&prodID=17813&prodName=Sound+Blaster+X-Fi+Titanium+Fatal1ty+Champion+Series&bTopTwenty=1&VARSET=prodfaq:PRODFAQ_17813,VARSET=CategoryID:1)

I have Entertainment mode and Game mode, as well as Audio creation mode (AFAIK this is something I don't have use for)

Other than reading the descriptions in the software (which are all just buzzwords this and that becomes awesome and stuff).. What exactly is changing in the driver/software/hardware or maybe what is actually being done different in each of the modes that can help me pick what's best for what activity?

In general I guess what I'm trying to figure out is a technical explanation of what switching modes adds/removes to my experience. I've tried some googling around but can't seem to find the answer I want... :shrug:

[zalbard]

Entertainment mode: master sampling rate of 24 bit/96 kHz, EAX 3.
Game mode: master sample rate of 24 bit/48 kHz, EAX 5.
Audio creation mode: master sample rate can be set manually, BitPerfect playback option. Not sure about EAX.

So use game mode for games, entertainment mode for movies, audio creation mode for music.

[EniGmA1987]

Thats kinda dumb. Why cant there just be a normal area where you select the options you want turned on, sample rate/bit depth and then leave it alone? To have to change between "modes" is just a hassle.

[TheShoura]

Entertainment mode: master sampling rate of 24 bit/96 kHz, EAX 3.
Game mode: master sample rate of 24 bit/48 kHz, EAX 5.
Audio creation mode: master sample rate can be set manually, BitPerfect playback option. Not sure about EAX.

So use game mode for games, entertainment mode for movies, audio creation mode for music.
Damn dude, awesome explanation and exactly the stats I wanted to find out
EAX isn't implemented in any games I play so I was hard pressed to stay on Game mode, and entertainment mode didn't seem to be really "better" per-se...
Thank you very much!

Thats kinda dumb. Why cant there just be a normal area where you select the options you want turned on sample rate/bit deptch and then leave it alone? To ahve to change between "modes" is just a hassle.

Not sure if you've noticed but a lot of people hate Creative's products because of silly things like this... I've used other high end sound cards and this was the only one that made me switch modes to access certain settings within the software/driver. I'm just now learning what else it delivers though

[zalbard]

Thats kinda dumb. Why cant there just be a normal area where you select the options you want turned on sample rate/bit deptch and then leave it alone? To ahve to change between "modes" is just a hassle.
That's the only thing I don't like about X-Fi.
I guess they made it that way because sampling rates and other special terms are too complicated for ordinary consumers, and modes make more sense.

Sort of tempting to check out ZxR, no modes there. But three times the price, plus I don't need the daughter card, and hardware acceleration is gone... Seems like money burned on what is actually a downgrade.

[TheShoura]

So after playing around with the card more... ASIO drivers seem unstable as setting a master sample rate of 44100HZ to match the audio I was using causes the system to crash... And I can't manually set the sample rate anywhere else..

While we're at it, anyone got a sound card to recommend based on good software?

[MattiasNYC]

So after playing around with the card more... ASIO drivers seem unstable as setting a master sample rate of 44100HZ to match the audio I was using causes the system to crash... And I can't manually set the sample rate anywhere else..

While we're at it, anyone got a sound card to recommend based on good software?

software to do what?