Long story short, I just broke a pair of very nice (for gaming) SteelSeries Siberia V2s thanks to the Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium sound card.

To be more specific: after installing Creative Labs' "drivers" (46 MB is more than just drivers... Creative server gave me 40 kBps to dl all that with ) and extras, I ran the standard Windows 7 test to see if the card actually worked with Dolby DTS and Dolby Digital as claimed. All I got was dubstep-- I mean, error noises. Very LOUD error noises. The headphones were on at the time and while the whole experience was rather painful for me personally, it was apparently too painful for the headphones to bear, as their membrane(s) ruptured.

I've had the card for some time, but only now tested it because it's been behaving badly. It's been nothing but a pain in the bum this entire time; refuses to identify correctly, which means I couldn't install it with anything except Windows Update (a first), and Creative's audio console etc. did not work until a beta version came out about a year after purchase. The beta drivers from last December are the first Creative drivers that almost work with the card (the Autoupdate feature still failing to recognise the card). I'm sure the card is an okay piece of kit, but the Creative Labs software, in all its bloated .2 GB glory, is a nightmare.

So, I'm out some 90 euros for the card (which I will replace after this disaster) and 70 euros for the headset. 160 euros would have bought me an Asus Xonar Essence STX (which is a much nicer product AFAIK), so take heed.

Edit1: Got the replacement headset, sounds as good as new (obviously). Old set definitely busted.

You should try PAX drivers for X-FI with Vista/7/8.

Thanks for the tip.

I looked for alternative drivers when I first got the card and Creative's refused to work (and their support confirmed it was an issue on their end and they were working on it - cue the "identification patch" some months later that didn't quite work for me). I remember trying some that would enable DTS (I think) by faking the card to be an Auzentech model. I stopped using those when I realised Windows Update could identify and install the card.

As soon as my new Asus card gets here, I'm not touching the Titanium again nor giving my money to Creative Labs unless they overhaul their sham of a business. My experience since the Live! 1024 days has been nothing but incompetence and neglect. And that was... well over a decade ago.

I walked away from Creative a long time ago for the same reason - poor drivers. I've heard good things about the Xonar series. If I went with an aftermarket audio card, I'd use theirs.

I think I remember you saying that in some other thread too, CA_Steve, and I remember considering the Creative card at the time. Shame I didn't listen.

Out of boredom, I tried the PAX drivers and they're no help either. In fact they're worse than Creative, because the way the installer is implemented, they hoist a ton of useless crap onto your drive that you have to remove by hand, one by one. I expected something more elegant from a "tweaked" version. I guess the payoff is in something other than software quality.

Should have known when the documentation had Creative's "persimmon" and highlights in large, pink letters...

Apparently - I've downrated Creative in 3 other threads (plus whatever got lost in the server transfer). I'm glad I'm consistant.

I've had zero problems with my card and other creative cards. It's only with Vista x64 that the drivers didn't work well.

Good for you if you've had no issues. My card's been tested as working, and Creative's support told me the driver issues were on their side - and I'm still out some 150 euros due to a busted headset and replacing the card.

I had the XtremeMusic for a good while after the Live! 1024 and that was an okay card. Horrible software once again (EAX refusing to ID in games is what I can remember), but an okay card that did what it was supposed to and didn't break anything.

Edit1: I see you're using the XtremeGamer. I looked it up and it's apparently the replacement for the XtremeMusic. That's last-gen, for what that's worth (different chip, possible architecture changes). Looking at my own signature made me realise I also use a Logitech USB soundcard. That's because the Creative software refuses to ID the card, and thus I can't change the "flexijack" to accept microphone input. Another notch in the belt and 10 euros in the pot that I had forgotten about.

Actually no, I have the titanium now, I just haven't updated my signature. I replaced the xtremegamer because a PCI-E card left more room for the graphiccard and its cooler.