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Creative Labs shows high-end Sound BlasterX AE-9
Good soundcards are a dying breed, most motherboards these days offer an audio solution that is plenty enough for the 99% of end users. However, there are always audiophiles that would like that little bit of extra. Hey, meet the Sound BlasterX AE-9.
The new Sound BlasterX AE-9 has configurable (replaceable) opamps and uses an ESS Sabre 32 digital-analog converter which we assume is the same as the ES9016 from the AE-5 . The DAC would have a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 129 dB. The card will have AE-9 has xamp for each separate headphone-stereo channel. The AE-9 also has an external 6-pin power connection, which means the card could use up to 75 watts. We, however, assume that is needed for an external breakout box connected here.
The breakout box will get two microphone connectors and two headphone outputs at the front and two RCA connections at the back. The AE-9 should become available later this month for about $ 300.
Creative Labs shows high-end Sound BlasterX AE-9 - 12/11/2018 10:10 AM
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Mufflore
Senior Member
Posts: 11810
Joined: 2010-05-22
Senior Member
Posts: 11810
Joined: 2010-05-22
#5616398 Posted on: 12/12/2018 02:16 AM
Good soundcards are a dying breed, most motherboards these days offer an audio solution that is plenty enough for the 99% of end users. However, there are always audiophiles that would like that litt...
Creative Labs shows high-end Sound BlasterX AE-9
uses an ESS Sabre 32 digital-analog converter which we assume is the same as the ES9016 from the AE-5 . The DAC would have a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 129 dB.
Not possible with an ES9016, it has a DNR of 124dB, its S/N will be a fair bit less.
If 2 are used in tandem that would result in an absolute best case of 127dB.
It is using a better DAC chip than the 9016 no matter the use case.
I'm quite looking forward to what it will be and how good the end result.
Good soundcards are a dying breed, most motherboards these days offer an audio solution that is plenty enough for the 99% of end users. However, there are always audiophiles that would like that litt...
Creative Labs shows high-end Sound BlasterX AE-9
uses an ESS Sabre 32 digital-analog converter which we assume is the same as the ES9016 from the AE-5 . The DAC would have a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 129 dB.
Not possible with an ES9016, it has a DNR of 124dB, its S/N will be a fair bit less.
If 2 are used in tandem that would result in an absolute best case of 127dB.
It is using a better DAC chip than the 9016 no matter the use case.
I'm quite looking forward to what it will be and how good the end result.
Slammy
Member
Posts: 74
Joined: 2003-03-12
Member
Posts: 74
Joined: 2003-03-12
#5616408 Posted on: 12/12/2018 03:04 AM
Onboard audio is terrible in my opinion. I have a Asus Formula VI which supposedly had such amazing audio at the time etc. No comparison to my Sound Blaster Z, not even close! Onboard was very muffled, no bass and could not get anywhere near as loud. It was awful and i have tried several times to run the onboard so could have one less card in my PC but the audio quality was so bad that i just cant do it.
Onboard audio is terrible in my opinion. I have a Asus Formula VI which supposedly had such amazing audio at the time etc. No comparison to my Sound Blaster Z, not even close! Onboard was very muffled, no bass and could not get anywhere near as loud. It was awful and i have tried several times to run the onboard so could have one less card in my PC but the audio quality was so bad that i just cant do it.
GenClaymore
Senior Member
Posts: 6152
Joined: 2004-06-17
Senior Member
Posts: 6152
Joined: 2004-06-17
#5616412 Posted on: 12/12/2018 03:23 AM
Not possible with an ES9016, it has a DNR of 124dB, its S/N will be a fair bit less.
If 2 are used in tandem that would result in an absolute best case of 127dB.
It is using a better DAC chip than the 9016 no matter the use case.
I'm quite looking forward to what it will be and how good the end result.
It might be using the ES9038, but we will never know til more info comes out.
Not possible with an ES9016, it has a DNR of 124dB, its S/N will be a fair bit less.
If 2 are used in tandem that would result in an absolute best case of 127dB.
It is using a better DAC chip than the 9016 no matter the use case.
I'm quite looking forward to what it will be and how good the end result.
It might be using the ES9038, but we will never know til more info comes out.
sverek
Senior Member
Posts: 5868
Joined: 2011-01-02
Senior Member
Posts: 5868
Joined: 2011-01-02
#5616429 Posted on: 12/12/2018 06:15 AM
At this price, I'd rather consider standalone DAC/AMP. AE9 still goes inside of the PC case and vulnerable to Video Card, PSU and other components.
If you need features like "Bathroom surround sound", better get G5 and call a day.
I don't see a reason for this product.
At this price, I'd rather consider standalone DAC/AMP. AE9 still goes inside of the PC case and vulnerable to Video Card, PSU and other components.
If you need features like "Bathroom surround sound", better get G5 and call a day.
I don't see a reason for this product.
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Posts: 52
Joined: 2005-03-08
slyphnier
So in order to have a good sound i need to pop $300 each 5 years for mobo that can barely overclock my CPU to it's turbo clocks? :O
I see that you focus on the DAC that is good if you have a beans sized headphones , headphone AMP or speakers with AMP but if you just have a regular headphones then what ?
I can tell you what , you barely hear the really good high resolution DAC on the mobo , ok let's say I'll buy good speaker system wait it has a DAC inside with SPDIF copper or Optical connection - then why do I need the DAC on the mobo or the dedicated sound card ?
Since i changed around 7 mobos in the past 19 years i can tell you the only ones that cared enough to have proper output that i came across (not only DAC resolution) were Epox boards with NF2 chipsets , and even then some revisions had just a basic DAC without proper headphone AMP.
So right now i have right in front of me an ASUS Z97 DELUXE with all the bells & whistles and the mega powerfull CRYSTAL SOUND 2 that costed more than $350 4 years ago (took it second hand year and a half ago with some crappy i3 and 8 gigs RAM for my GF for just $150). Guess which one can pop my ear drums out through my headphones CRYSTAL SOUND 2 or Creative X-FI Titanium.It is not the ASUS.And despite the fact that the Realtek inside has the mighty SNR of 112dB compared the the very bad 109dB of the Creative I just can't hear the Realtek in first place
So all in all it is good to have a dedicated Sound Card the same way it is good to have a dedicated GPU so when you swap the mobo not look how good the audio is but how good the actual mobo is for it's money in the matter of power components , slots arrangment , PCB thicknes (oh yes I lost one GPU a decade agoe cause it bended and a friend lost his mobo for the same reason) , and then the trivial stuff how big is the BIOS panel with swtiches and how much output ports the mobo has.