Someone reviewed v on Jul 5, 2022

Pros: 555

Cons: 555

Bottom Line: 555

Domingo reviewed v2.18.0004 on Jul 31, 2008

This fixes the SPIDF issue from the beta drivers, so now Vista users have full surround-sound capabilities and usage of an SPDIF out for bitstream audio if they wish.
I still wish they'd include the subwoofer control from the Console Launcher program (you'll still want to DL that program use a subwoofer for non-Dolby/DTS items) but as a driver, this is about as good as you could want.
It's amusing that it's been a year and a half and we only now have the same performance and features that the XP X-Fi drivers have had for years. Yes, Vista is different...but like every other driver mishap, it's not like Vista snuck up on anyone.

vithos reviewed v2.18.0004 on Jul 30, 2008

2.18.0004 on Windows XP SP3 just blasted my headphones with static and other horrifying sounds at an extremely unsafe volume. If you're going to try this version, be ready to unplug your equipment to avoid damage.

Domingo reviewed v2.18.000 Beta on Jun 26, 2008

The nice thing about these is that they bring back 5.1 positional sound for everyday apps like WinAmp and WMP11. However they completely break the SPDIF-out as a result. I've got mine hooked up via a multi-out, so VLP can still play DVD's in surround, but if you were using any other method...this is no good.
I still think the normal 5.1 support outweighs that for my everyday use, but if your PC is your main movie player and you use a toslink or coax...skip these.

tokyo654321 reviewed v2.18.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2008

They work I guess, but it's all kind of redundant. I will hopefully be removing my X-Fi card soon, ebaying it, and getting an Asus or M-Audio to replace it. Creative taught a great lesson in how to piss off your consumer base.

Fafner76 reviewed v2.18.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2008

Guess one has to be happy to just see the Decoder options up again in Vista, but...at least with PowerDVD, DD/DTS decoding doesn't work at all. When setting up PowerDVD to SPDIF out to use the soundcard's decoder, video becomes choppy and there is no audio at all!
It's beta, but what's the deal if the main feature doesn't work? Maybe something will change on next release, due 2010...

brusco reviewed v2.18.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2008

Typical low quality garbage from the king of crapware. My patience has finally snapped and I'm removing all Creative hardware from my PC setups.

19 Months late and this is the best they can do? Avoid these clowns.

ToeKneeC reviewed v2.18.000 Beta on Jun 3, 2008

Giving them a 4 - they work but I can't tell any improvements over the official realease ones. Also I'm still bitter that Creative took six months to get any stable drivers when Vista came out (like they didn't know Vista was shipping).

yountmj reviewed v2.18.000 Beta on Jun 3, 2008

Taken from the release notes:

Added Features:

* Dolby® Digital and DTS® driver decode re-established for sound cards that included decoding in their Windows XP drivers (Not applicable for products that included a 3rd party software DVD player license in the package).
* DVD-Audio playback re-established for sound cards that included the application in their Windows XP software suite (For Windows Vista 32-bit only).
Requires the latest Creative MediaSource DVD-Audio Player Beta software. Click here to download.

Fixes:

* Resolves issues of intermittent and random application/system crash when playing games or running applications that use EAX®, DirectSound®, OpenAL and/or ASIO features.
* Resolves issue of volume mapping leading to very soft volume level in systems using Windows Vista with Service Pack 1.
* Resolves issue with distortion and noise occuring in systems with 4 GB of RAM or greater.

Known Issues:

* X-Fi CMSS®-3D feature is not available in Windows Vista 64-bit.

These drivers enable the same features of the modified drivers another user recommended from Goat Soup. Also, Creative's own ALchemy software adds EAX support in Vista, and I've found that 3D positional audio works as it did in XP with DirectSound3D games. I'll trust that over hacked drivers any day.

Adrian79 reviewed v2.18.000 Beta on Jun 3, 2008

just because the last 5 people didnt even attempt to install these new drivers... they scored based on previous releases..

ok, well I'll be the one to try it out on my vista box

i'll update my comment to reflect what happens.. brb

netean reviewed v2.18.000 Beta on Jun 3, 2008

has anyone else noticed that the *drivers* are 40MB in size...

Hardware drivers that are 40MB in size!! yes really..

I laughed out loud when I saw... what cráp must they include in their packages to justify 40MB

ninjeratu reviewed v2.18.000 Beta on Jun 3, 2008

Terrible, terrible mess.

But, there is hope!
The X-Fi and Audigy2 drivers for Vista from Goat Soup: http://nomoregoatsoup.wordpress.com/x-fi-drivers/
They actually work (Audigy2 users even get EAX in Vista...).

maxstep reviewed v2.18.000 Beta on Jun 3, 2008

Beyond bad.
Over a year I had bsod's, screeching. crackling. popping. modes wouldn't switch. spdif passthrough issues. and much, much more. creative? in terms of end-user issues, certainly creative.

roj reviewed v2.18.000 Beta on Jun 3, 2008

I won't buy CL products with YOUR money. They replace key system files with their own poorly coded garbage and then have the chutzpah to point you at Microsoft when their crap breaks. We won't even get into a discussion on their poorly designed hardware (no thought put into any kind of electronic insulation, transistors everywhere, a dog's breakfast of a PCB).

The best thing M$ did with Vista is to remove hardware accelleration for audio from Vista and replace vendor resampling algorithms with their own thus levelling the playing field for all audio hardware vendors and forcing CL to own up to their own mess.

That being said, and given the track record that CL has proudly held for at last check the last 12 or so years, I'm sure these drivers will be just like the last ones and all their other drivers:

A Bloody Mess

As I said, I won't buy CL products with YOUR money - the X-Fi in my work machine (bought as a test) has been replaced with an Asus Xonar DS (a REAL audio card with REAL audio drivers).

ONE star.