The X-Fi Audio isn't actually listed at the Creative site if you search for driver downloads.
You can do an auto update, and it's detected as an X-Fi Audio, but the drivers aren't listed for seperate download.
However, Everest Home Edition lists the card as 'Audigy LS' and there on the Creative site are drivers that can be downloaded for the Audigy LS.
I wonder.
Still, I have two Audigy 2's on two other machines and they're not a great improvement on the onboard sound at all. They're a slight improvement and worth having but not as startling an improvement as this X-Fi Audio Extreme is.
My conclusion would be this then, that The X-Fi Audio card is not a true member of the X-Fi family but still a significant improvement over, say, an Audigy 2. Kind of a 'go-between' I guess which once again proves true that old maxim 'You only get what you pay for'
I will say though that this is a bad show on Creative's part, to my mind it's bordering on deception. Another nail in the Creative coffin as far as I'm concerned, my next sound card will NOT be a Creative one, but more likely an Asus, Auzentech or maybe even that Razer Barracuda gamer's card.
Creative's support for Vista has been dismal, other sound card manufacturers have managed to get their act together so tis ironic then that Creative, with the lion's share of the market, drag their heels with support.
And one last thing, was noticing Pot Guy's comments above about lots of toggles and sliders being good with a sound card whereas I've always had it drummed into me when talking audiophile that less is more and the less eq a sound signal travels through, the cleaner and purer the sound.
Which is true but whether it applies to computers or not, I dunno - but it should do though shouldn't it?
And on that note I think I'll shut up
