Creative Audigy 2 NX OLD and undercapable drivers are way below industry standa

Question

Hello All,
I have tried not to push this, for the past year, but I have really reached the end of my patience. The driver support for the Audigy 2 NX (USB-External) sound card is nearly 'non-exsistant'and it is have a major adverse effect on my gaming.
It has been more than a year since Creative has taken the time to provide the many owners of the Audigy 2 NX -USB sound card with a driver that is anywhere near the capabilities of the sound chip in our device. We do NOT have support for Open AL, we do not have 'REAL' support for EAX 3 or 4 (I mean a driver that REALLY works on most; Lucasarts, EA, and Valve games), and NO HD 'Dependable' support in games or DVD play back.
This is a crime, seeing as this card costs JUST as MUCH as the Audigy 2 ZX (that I also own, and bought FIRST for my HP zd8230us... and used until HP Tech support told me to NOT use the PCMCIA card) and yet has Half the features and lass than /4 the driver support... for the same money!! That is right, I said 'Crime', because I have been buying and using ONLY Creative cards for the past years and have never EVER seen Creative turn their backs on a product the way they have done with the Audigy 2 NX.
Let me be 'Brutally Honest' about the lack of support and 'Expanding Use' of a FINE audio chipset. While Creative has regularlly expanded the features and use of the chipset in the ZS notebook card (added EAX 4.0 support, refined the HD support, and made regular driver updates), they have left the owners of the NX sound card BACK in the 20th Century. There is NO support for; EAX 4.0, Open AL, OR THX for my NX the very same people have gone out of their way to provide ALL of those features and regular updates and expansion of these SAME features in the ZX Notebook card. I have both of these cards, and have used both in my HP Pavilion zd8230us Notebook computer. I have to be clear and precise, the difference in; sound, use, and capabilities of the ZX to the NX is like putting a SB 'Li've' card against and Audigy 4 card. I paid the exact same amount of money for BOTH cards, yet (because my mobo does not support the PCMCIA card) I am left with this 'Black Sheep' of the Creative family, and this has me at the point I am seriously thinking of never buying another Creative product for ANY of my four desktops and one notebook in my entire life.
I am experiancing problems with the NX card on; Half Life 2 and HL2 - Episode , ANY Lucasarts game (they work sometimes and mostly do NOT), MOST EA Games titles, and Activision games are not much better. In my current notebook hardware, my Audigy 2 NX is the 'Weak Link' in the chain. I have a Pentium 4 HT 650 (3.4Ghz-800 Mhz FSB), ATI X-600 PCIe 28MB video card, 024 MB 533 MHz DDR2 RAM, and XP Professional with Media Center 2005. My Audigy 2 NX is what is keeping this system from reaching it's FULL and AWESOME capabilities in; Gaming, DVD playback, TV HD audio, Media Center On Line services, CD & DVD Audio playback, and every other Audio aspect of my near cutting edge system.
This is completely unacceptable, and to add insult to injury. When ever I contact Creative support regarding updated drivers, or problems with the current *MORE than year old drivers, I am told "Creative has no plans to update or upgrade the drivers for your sound card". WOW, that is the lowest point in years of purchasing and using Creatives (usually) fine products and services. Why has Creative turned it's back on the awesome sound card/chipset and is there ANYTHING that a lifetime user of Creative products can do to get more and better support for the ONLY product you make that is compatible (as per HP) with my new notebook computer? I am dead tired of this product being the 'Bottleneck' in my system. I am frustrated, to the extreme, at the completely apathetic technical support for a 'same priced' item as the ZX.
What can a consumer do?
Terribly Desperate,
Enzo Matrix

Answer 1

<SPAN>OK, first; thanks for the link. It is very much appreciated. Next, this is the only card <EM>compatible</EM> with my Pavilion zd8230us (as per HP Senior Support Technicains). I was told that the Audigy 2 zx PCMICA was compatible (BY Creative), only to be told by HP that that card can and will do damage to my notebook. I find it very disturbing that Creative would suggest a product that would damage my computer! Last, the box (for the NX) says that it is 24 bit HD audio 96KHz/02db Signal to noise ratio. As well, it clearly states ON THE FRONT OF THE BOX:
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<SPAN><EM>"...EAX ADVANCED HD game effects"</EM> <SPAN>
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<SPAN>Sorry, but in English (at least <EM>American</EM> English) that means it supports EAX in games, yes? lol So, THEY Are the ones that decided to put that on the FRONT of the box, if it doesn't support it then they should have a class action lawsuit filed against them by EVERY SINGLE person that ever purchased an NX and we should be paid for; purchase price, pain and suffering, and puniti've damages. THEN Creative might learn a lesson. roflol<SPAN>
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<SPAN>Now on to the <EM>'driver'</EM> isssue. Simple, Alexs3d2, the American consumer expects 'Driver Updates'. Why? Simple, what version of Direct X was standard when the NX came out, and what version are we using now? Microsoft sees fit to improve the API that Creative is making money off of, but Creative does NOT see the responsibility to the consumer to keep UP with the technology that we end users update on a regular basis. Next, I am tired of people dogging ATI <EM>BECAUSE</EM> they have taken on the responsibility to issue monthly driver updates! Granted, Alex, you may well understand 'what' the driver updates ARE better than the average user. However, that does NOT dismiss the BETTER PERFORMANCE that WE experience every single we update or display adapter drivers! Just because slough (on the part of SOME companies) is accepted by a small cross section of the population does not mean that the rest of us should LOWER our expectations? of the company that WE keep in business. Least THEY forget that WE are the reason they ARE in business!!! Driver updates are <EM>GOOD</EM>. Driver updates are what end users EXPECT. Any company that does not want to support a product that is still on store shelves should just pack up and leave. Period. <SPAN>
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<SPAN>Last, here is a little quote from the back of the NX box. <SPAN>
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<EM><SPAN>"USB 2.0 is only supported in Windows XP and REQUIRES ONLINE SOFTWARE update(s) from Microsoft and SOUNDBLASTER.COM..." <SPAN></EM>
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<SPAN>How the hell am I supposed to accomplish THAT when Creative <EM>screws</EM> me out of what they tell me I require? <SPAN>
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<SPAN>In closing; this venue is not the only place that I have been sounding off a bout this problem. I have written Creative (SB) Tech support, and they are giving me 'double speak'. I have kept every single email that they have sent back, and cc'd to another email addy for verification. I li've in California, and you can not swing a dead cat without hitting an attorney. I WAS hoping that Creative would be GOOD and RESPONSIBLE partners, but they have forced my hand. I have filed a complaint with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, and am in the process of gathering users for the afore mentioned 'Class Action Lawsuit'. This way, the PEOPLE get to decide WHAT is responsible corporate stewardship, and <EM>IF</EM> Creative is acting in a deliberate way to misrepresent their products, and their capabilities and <EM>IF</EM> they should have to release Drivers just the way they tell us they are going to on the packaging!! <SPAN>
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<SPAN>EnzoMatrix<SPAN>
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<SPAN>P.S. Umm, the whole Nazi thing... that is a bit over the top. I am Jewish, and Creative may have killed my love of their products, but I do not know of anyone that they have actually killed. If you know otherwise, let me know... that info could come in very handy in my class action lawsuit!! roflol
<SPAN><SPAN>P.P.S. Looking at this forum, I get the impression that I am not the only person that feels screwed by SB and Creative. THAT should make for a VERY favorable jury pool for the lawsuit.
Message Edited by EnzoMatrix on <SPAN class=date_text>07-2-2006 <SPAN class=time_text>2:3 AM
Message Edited by EnzoMatrix on 07-2-2006 0:2 AM