Audigy 2 ZS - Audible improvement with kX?

GBNeil · Jan 27, 2011, 10:24 PM

Hi Folks,

Noob here. Standard question I guess. I'm running XP Pro, SP3 with an Audigy 2 ZS & the latest Creative driver (I think), dated 18/03/2010, 6.0.1.1377. This driver was a big improvement over the previous one. I use analogue stereo and of course want to know if the kX is going to give me a discernible audible improvement, honestly?

Cheers & thanks for any thoughts!

mkk · Jan 28, 2011, 12:13 AM

Ty my experience with my own Audigy 2 ZS, not really. What I'm using kX for is for the extra control it provides. For instance over the course of my ownership of this card, Creative never provided me even with any good equalizer controls. Except for a short learning period I must say that using kX has been more hassle free as well. However I also haven't had Windows XP installed on this system for a couple of years now.

RPGWiZaRD · Jan 29, 2011, 07:19 PM

I noticed a huge sound quality upgrade on my headphones vs Creative drivers at least and as said I like the configurability. 10 band EQ works wonderful and I like to use CLEAX2Reverb "auditorium" and then controlling the intensity with "reverb volume" slider to get it just right and then I've found surrounder+ to work a lot better than CMSS for surround sound.

xor_2 · Feb 5, 2011, 09:39 PM

on my Audigy4PRO quality-wise Creative drivers are much better. It seems KX are not fine-tuned for my sound card model and there is to low power on sound card output to feed my headphones. Don't know how this is possible but Creative drivers plays much louder and sound is much more "powerfull"

and ofcourse if U seek quality switch to ASIO but remember that U need to resample to 48KHz. I use out_asio 0.70 plugin for winamp and use Ultra Quality resampling. In XP there is clearly audible difference even between SSRCed to 24/96 direct sound plugin. On Vista/7 there is no need for ASIO nor for external resampling. Set card to 24/96 (or 192) and U're good to go

But ofcourse A2ZS is much more popular model and may be than KX is better for that particular model. It's best to try KX out

Jan 27, 2011, 10:24 PM	#1
GBNeil HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	Audigy 2 ZS - Audible improvement with kX? Hi Folks, Noob here. Standard question I guess. I'm running XP Pro, SP3 with an Audigy 2 ZS & the latest Creative driver (I think), dated 18/03/2010, 6.0.1.1377. This driver was a big improvement over the previous one. I use analogue stereo and of course want to know if the kX is going to give me a discernible audible improvement, honestly? Cheers & thanks for any thoughts!

Jan 28, 2011, 12:13 AM	#2
mkk Cthulhu/Dagon 2012 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gefle, Sweden Posts: 4,490 Rep Power: 132 System Specs	Re: Audigy 2 ZS - Audible improvement with kX? Ty my experience with my own Audigy 2 ZS, not really. What I'm using kX for is for the extra control it provides. For instance over the course of my ownership of this card, Creative never provided me even with any good equalizer controls. Except for a short learning period I must say that using kX has been more hassle free as well. However I also haven't had Windows XP installed on this system for a couple of years now.

Jan 29, 2011, 07:19 PM	#3
RPGWiZaRD HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 132 Rep Power: 0	Re: Audigy 2 ZS - Audible improvement with kX? I noticed a huge sound quality upgrade on my headphones vs Creative drivers at least and as said I like the configurability. 10 band EQ works wonderful and I like to use CLEAX2Reverb "auditorium" and then controlling the intensity with "reverb volume" slider to get it just right and then I've found surrounder+ to work a lot better than CMSS for surround sound.

Feb 5, 2011, 09:39 PM	#4
xor_2 HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 16 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: Audigy 2 ZS - Audible improvement with kX? on my Audigy4PRO quality-wise Creative drivers are much better. It seems KX are not fine-tuned for my sound card model and there is to low power on sound card output to feed my headphones. Don't know how this is possible but Creative drivers plays much louder and sound is much more "powerfull" and ofcourse if U seek quality switch to ASIO but remember that U need to resample to 48KHz. I use out_asio 0.70 plugin for winamp and use Ultra Quality resampling. In XP there is clearly audible difference even between SSRCed to 24/96 direct sound plugin. On Vista/7 there is no need for ASIO nor for external resampling. Set card to 24/96 (or 192) and U're good to go But ofcourse A2ZS is much more popular model and may be than KX is better for that particular model. It's best to try KX out