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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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GenClaymore
Senior Member
Posts: 6070
Joined: 2004-06-17
Senior Member
Posts: 6070
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: 6073
Joined: 2011-01-02
Senior Member
Posts: 6073
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.
Neo Cyrus
Senior Member
Posts: 9945
Joined: 2006-02-14
Senior Member
Posts: 9945
Joined: 2006-02-14
#5616430 Posted on: 12/12/2018 06:18 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.
Take it from me, half the time regardless of your OS settings, Win 10 will try to force install the wrong drivers bricking your card until you uninstall those and reinstall, then it'll try again. And due to boot shortcuts some boards take (like ASRock) it'll be detect as the wrong card half the time leading to that problem some more or at the least simply not working until you sleep/wake/restart repeatedly. It was AIDS taking 5 minutes every time I wake or boot my computer because ASRock are morons. I'm on an MSI board now so at least that problem is gone. They used to have that issue with Creative cards but fixed it, their boards now take the literal extra 2 seconds necessary to post properly.
Let's not forget when Microsoft took a dump on how sound cards function since Vista, I don't remember what it was, removed the sound hardware abstraction layer or something? Drivers for your sound are bad, mmmkay.
TL;DR - Relying on drivers for sound sucks especially if it's something expensive that you should be keeping for a decade. Buy a DAC/Amp. Also Creative are garbage. - Dude who's been using creative cards for two decades.
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.
Take it from me, half the time regardless of your OS settings, Win 10 will try to force install the wrong drivers bricking your card until you uninstall those and reinstall, then it'll try again. And due to boot shortcuts some boards take (like ASRock) it'll be detect as the wrong card half the time leading to that problem some more or at the least simply not working until you sleep/wake/restart repeatedly. It was AIDS taking 5 minutes every time I wake or boot my computer because ASRock are morons. I'm on an MSI board now so at least that problem is gone. They used to have that issue with Creative cards but fixed it, their boards now take the literal extra 2 seconds necessary to post properly.
Let's not forget when Microsoft took a dump on how sound cards function since Vista, I don't remember what it was, removed the sound hardware abstraction layer or something? Drivers for your sound are bad, mmmkay.
TL;DR - Relying on drivers for sound sucks especially if it's something expensive that you should be keeping for a decade. Buy a DAC/Amp. Also Creative are garbage. - Dude who's been using creative cards for two decades.
EspHack
Senior Member
Posts: 2702
Joined: 2010-01-03
Senior Member
Posts: 2702
Joined: 2010-01-03
#5616437 Posted on: 12/12/2018 07:48 AM
its sad to see soundcards dying like this, because they keep beating the same "audiophile" audio drum, if gpus tried to sell you on better colors they would be on the same boat, soundcard makers should make something actually useful like EAX was back then, raytraced audio maybe? for games like R6S audio is such a huge part of gameplay, specially the verticality of sound(or lack thereof) you encounter all the time, 5.1 barely helps with enemies at your six, i doubt atmos would be enough to fix this either
its sad to see soundcards dying like this, because they keep beating the same "audiophile" audio drum, if gpus tried to sell you on better colors they would be on the same boat, soundcard makers should make something actually useful like EAX was back then, raytraced audio maybe? for games like R6S audio is such a huge part of gameplay, specially the verticality of sound(or lack thereof) you encounter all the time, 5.1 barely helps with enemies at your six, i doubt atmos would be enough to fix this either
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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.