KX drivers better than creative?

vome · Apr 7, 2005, 04:41 AM

Hi, I just accidently stumbled onto this webiste and I read some things and I just like to ask if I install the KX drivers instead of the creative ones, what would improve? I have an audigy 2 zs with logitech z-5500 speakers.

TravelRec. · Apr 7, 2005, 07:15 AM

kX drivers offers fully control over your soundcard plus low latency ASIO recording. If you mainly want to listen to or making music, this driver is the right one for you. If you´re gamer and DVD watcher, better stick with the original drivers. kX is very flexible and low on ressources, but you have to learn a lot to see how the things are working. If you want to give kX a try, uninstall creative driver completely, install kX 3537 last stable version and check it out. Refer to the shipped help files and the hints in the forum, specially in the DSP forum, to make your own setup work. If you don´t like kX, then uninstall it again and re-install creative driver. You have nothing to loose, only a bit of time maybe...

Rogacz · Apr 7, 2005, 01:37 PM

They are good for gaming too, but there is no EAX support. If You don't mind about some reverb effects which EAX provides, then give kX a try.

RDaneel · Apr 7, 2005, 09:12 PM

Music reproduction is much better than the Creative drivers (I do not do recording).

As for gaming, of the last three "big" shooters, only HL2 (and presumably CS:Source) works well with the kX drivers - and it sounds great!

In Doom3, I have *no* rear channels - so a lot of the directional cues are absent.

In UT 2004, you can either use the software renderer, in which case everything sounds great - but is just stereo, or you can use the H/W 3D modes, which are all over the map - some sounds are missing entirely (e.g., the announcer's voice), others are coming from the wrong direction, and still others have the wrong relative volume.

So no, I do not think these are just EAX problems... I am fairly sure that they represent some fundamental incompatibility or incompleteness in the audio driver interface that DirectSound "sees".

For all I know, the games that have problems with kX are dependent on undocumented features of the Creative drivers... the point is I don't know, and since the kX implementor-types do not care about "the kX gaming experience", probably the best we can hope for is that all games adopt HL2's audio model.

For the record, I use 3538 on an Audigy with older "Cambridge SoundWorks" digital speakers.

JohnMcClane · Apr 7, 2005, 09:40 PM

If you use your PC mainly for gaming, try Youp Pax Drivers which are hosted on this forum too. kX are good for music, but have problems with games (missing sounds, wrong direction, no eax,.. )

vome · Apr 8, 2005, 12:41 AM

I think I'll give it a try. Another question, is this driver good with movie files like avi, mpg, etc? Too bad it's not good with dvd because I like to watch dvd, especially now that I got the z-5500, but I listen to music more.

I just installed it. Sounds pretty good but it doesn't support any of the effect from the z-5500 decoder like stereo, stereo x2, PL Movie II, PL Music .

TravelRec. · Apr 8, 2005, 07:09 AM

What you you think about a DualBootSystem? One partition for gaming/DVD with original drivers and one for music with kX?

vome · Apr 8, 2005, 07:40 AM

Dual system is too much of a hassle. I don't watch to restart everytime I want to change what I'm doing. In fact, I listen to music while playing game, well, only brood war anyway.

JohnMcClane · Apr 8, 2005, 10:26 AM

Actually kX does support upmix effects, just go into dsp and double-click on surrounder

Rogacz · Apr 8, 2005, 01:55 PM

I always had problems with Youp Pax drivers. I never get them to install properly on my PC with Audigy 2, and I bet, that quality is better on kX.

Apr 7, 2005, 04:41 AM	#1
vome DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 5 Rep Power: 0	KX drivers better than creative? Hi, I just accidently stumbled onto this webiste and I read some things and I just like to ask if I install the KX drivers instead of the creative ones, what would improve? I have an audigy 2 zs with logitech z-5500 speakers.

Apr 7, 2005, 07:15 AM	#2
TravelRec. Alternative Audioproductions Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Germany / Sachsen-Anhalt Posts: 1,710 Rep Power: 56	kX drivers offers fully control over your soundcard plus low latency ASIO recording. If you mainly want to listen to or making music, this driver is the right one for you. If you´re gamer and DVD watcher, better stick with the original drivers. kX is very flexible and low on ressources, but you have to learn a lot to see how the things are working. If you want to give kX a try, uninstall creative driver completely, install kX 3537 last stable version and check it out. Refer to the shipped help files and the hints in the forum, specially in the DSP forum, to make your own setup work. If you don´t like kX, then uninstall it again and re-install creative driver. You have nothing to loose, only a bit of time maybe... __________________ Always take a look behind.

Apr 7, 2005, 01:37 PM	#3
Rogacz Porcupine Floyd Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Poland Posts: 422 Rep Power: 0	They are good for gaming too, but there is no EAX support. If You don't mind about some reverb effects which EAX provides, then give kX a try. __________________

Apr 8, 2005, 12:41 AM	Thread Starter #6
vome DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 5 Rep Power: 0	I think I'll give it a try. Another question, is this driver good with movie files like avi, mpg, etc? Too bad it's not good with dvd because I like to watch dvd, especially now that I got the z-5500, but I listen to music more. I just installed it. Sounds pretty good but it doesn't support any of the effect from the z-5500 decoder like stereo, stereo x2, PL Movie II, PL Music . Last edited by vome; Apr 8, 2005 at 01:13 AM.

Apr 8, 2005, 07:09 AM	#7
TravelRec. Alternative Audioproductions Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Germany / Sachsen-Anhalt Posts: 1,710 Rep Power: 56	What you you think about a DualBootSystem? One partition for gaming/DVD with original drivers and one for music with kX? __________________ Always take a look behind.

Apr 7, 2005, 09:12 PM	#4
RDaneel DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 17 Rep Power: 0	Music reproduction is much better than the Creative drivers (I do not do recording). As for gaming, of the last three "big" shooters, only HL2 (and presumably CS:Source) works well with the kX drivers - and it sounds great! In Doom3, I have no rear channels - so a lot of the directional cues are absent. In UT 2004, you can either use the software renderer, in which case everything sounds great - but is just stereo, or you can use the H/W 3D modes, which are all over the map - some sounds are missing entirely (e.g., the announcer's voice), others are coming from the wrong direction, and still others have the wrong relative volume. So no, I do not think these are just EAX problems... I am fairly sure that they represent some fundamental incompatibility or incompleteness in the audio driver interface that DirectSound "sees". For all I know, the games that have problems with kX are dependent on undocumented features of the Creative drivers... the point is I don't know, and since the kX implementor-types do not care about "the kX gaming experience", probably the best we can hope for is that all games adopt HL2's audio model. For the record, I use 3538 on an Audigy with older "Cambridge SoundWorks" digital speakers.

Apr 7, 2005, 09:40 PM	#5
JohnMcClane DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: May 2003 Location: Vienna, Austria Posts: 146 Rep Power: 0	If you use your PC mainly for gaming, try Youp Pax Drivers which are hosted on this forum too. kX are good for music, but have problems with games (missing sounds, wrong direction, no eax,.. )

Apr 8, 2005, 07:40 AM	Thread Starter #8
vome DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 5 Rep Power: 0	Dual system is too much of a hassle. I don't watch to restart everytime I want to change what I'm doing. In fact, I listen to music while playing game, well, only brood war anyway.

Apr 8, 2005, 10:26 AM	#9
JohnMcClane DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: May 2003 Location: Vienna, Austria Posts: 146 Rep Power: 0	Actually kX does support upmix effects, just go into dsp and double-click on surrounder

Apr 8, 2005, 01:55 PM	#10
Rogacz Porcupine Floyd Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Poland Posts: 422 Rep Power: 0	I always had problems with Youp Pax drivers. I never get them to install properly on my PC with Audigy 2, and I bet, that quality is better on kX. __________________