I had one of these years ago and I recall using one of the driver packs for some reason, but I can't remember why. It was a good card, and I would still have it today if it hadn't died suddenly. I don't know what caused it to fail but I did some terrible things to it like routing multiple inputs using a stereo splitter that may have been sending more voltage than expected through the line-in. I'm sure it's my fault it's dead but who knows for sure. 😀

I've got both the PCI and PCIe X-Fi cards working just fine in XP with the standard Creative drivers, I mean they are bloated but it IS creative and custom install limits this somewhat
I thought the Auzentech drivers were supposed to better then the Creative ones.

Well I was hoping to report back with some data, but my card may be a DOA. I've tried a range of drivers and while the card installs fine, and by all appearances is behaving normally in the system, all outputs are dead silent. I've covered all the basic troubleshooting of course, like different cables and headphones, and making sure the onboard audio is uninstalled and disabled in BIOS. I've ordered a replacement op amp just in case that's the issue, but it feels like a long shot.

It's interesting that this was the failure mode of my card as well. I don't have it anymore but it just stopped working all of a sudden as you describe. Maybe there is a common fault.

I'm pretty sure that you had to use Auzentech's drivers specifically for it to work and not Creative's but it sounds like you've already tried that.

I wonder if these are a little hard to get because people hold on to them tightly, or because most of them ended up in the bin!

I remember it being a very expensive product at the time, definitely premium. I won it as a prize and remember thinking to myself that I would never have spent that much money on a sound card.

This is only anecdotal, but threads like this (including posts like this which lead here) and this start to paint a picture of potential dud aspects of the card's design - at least, certain revisions of it.

Can't be certain that's the cause however.

I got an used PCI-E Forte to workaround an onboard audio left channel problem in a Win7 build. Used Daniel K's drivers from scratch and I'm really happy wth it, didn't even uninstall any onboard audio related stuff. Surely he covers XP as well, maybe give it a try?

Pierre32 wrote on 2022-02-10, 23:47:

I wonder if these are a little hard to get because people hold on to them tightly, or because most of them ended up in the bin!

I think the more recent versions of Windows 10 dropped support so was hoping they would start flooding ebay for cheap but that didn't seem to happen, maybe it is because they are all dead?

Shreddoc wrote on 2022-02-11, 00:56:

This is only anecdotal, but threads like this (including posts like this which lead here) and this start to paint a picture of potential dud aspects of the card's design - at least, certain revisions of it.

Can't be certain that's the cause however.

Yep, read 'em all!

andre_6 wrote on 2022-02-11, 01:10:

I got an used PCI-E Forte to workaround an onboard audio left channel problem in a Win7 build. Used Daniel K's drivers from scratch and I'm really happy wth it, didn't even uninstall any onboard audio related stuff. Surely he covers XP as well, maybe give it a try?

Yep, tried 'em all!

Hoping the new op amp I've ordered is the solution, but I don't have high confidence. In the meantime I've ordered an X-Fi XtremeGamer. It's not as nice, but AFAIK it's the only other low profile card that does hardware EAX. I'd much rather be using the PCIe slot here, but another Forte is an expensive gamble.

Pierre32 wrote on 2022-02-11, 22:23:

Shreddoc wrote on 2022-02-11, 00:56:

This is only anecdotal, but threads like this (including posts like this which lead here) and this start to paint a picture of potential dud aspects of the card's design - at least, certain revisions of it.

Can't be certain that's the cause however.

Yep, read 'em all!

Course you have. I think I have too, a few years ago, when I was considering seeking an Auzentech card for funtimes and posterity, and was subsequently put off by such stories. The XtremeGamer is a good card though. I had one 2008-2012 ish. Sure, it may not have quite the same level of prosumer spec as Auzentech's incarnation, but it's already up there enough that the point is arguably moot.

I bought mine from someone who used it a lot in the past few years up until recently, nothing of note that I noticed capacitor wise, however I do believe the stories, maybe certain revisions are the problem like Shreddoc said?

In any case keep it for recapping in the future, you can even upgrade the card in the process and see what gives. Like I said, I bought it to workaround a left channel onboard audio issue in my Win7 build, and I was very impressed even after all these years

Auzentech cards were considered/marketed as premium products, so they were not sold in physical retailers, as far as I know. Online, sure, but I never saw one at Best Buy, CompUSA, or MicroCenter, all of which did carry the Creative Labs cards. Fry's probably had them.