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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 09:10 AM
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varkkon
Senior Member
Posts: 114
Joined: 2010-01-26
Senior Member
Posts: 114
Joined: 2010-01-26
#5616073 Posted on: 12/11/2018 09:45 AM
100% this ^^^ , I am in the same boat with my ZxR. I am sick and tired of the DTS Live or the Dolby software that keeps on cutting out after an hour or when ever it chooses to die. Same with recording it just no longer works anymore. I have planned to nuke my comp this month and re install Windows but I should not have to do this all the time because the drivers and software are broken and they never update or work on them.
The ZxR hardware owns but the drivers and software are not good or rather does not work / is stable. If this card is 100% stable and I get at least 5.1 digital to my amp like the ZxR with all my games and it has all the dope recording and music creating features(as the ZxR) I will get it instantly.
Been waiting for this new card, I think I am going to have to get the Sound BlasterX AE-9 since I listen to music + my amp all day while I work on game dev(plus my gaming of course). Please be good and stable!
Is that an HDMI input/output or is that just for the external box? I wonder if this will finally have 7.1 DTS HD Master or Dolby TrueHD, probably too much to ask for since it still has those optical inputs and not HDMIs(must be just like the ZxR).
Anyways I am pumped for this since I think our ZxR is abandoned.
That's sweet. However, as a ZxR user, I wish they would release driver updates more often.
100% this ^^^ , I am in the same boat with my ZxR. I am sick and tired of the DTS Live or the Dolby software that keeps on cutting out after an hour or when ever it chooses to die. Same with recording it just no longer works anymore. I have planned to nuke my comp this month and re install Windows but I should not have to do this all the time because the drivers and software are broken and they never update or work on them.
The ZxR hardware owns but the drivers and software are not good or rather does not work / is stable. If this card is 100% stable and I get at least 5.1 digital to my amp like the ZxR with all my games and it has all the dope recording and music creating features(as the ZxR) I will get it instantly.
Been waiting for this new card, I think I am going to have to get the Sound BlasterX AE-9 since I listen to music + my amp all day while I work on game dev(plus my gaming of course). Please be good and stable!
Is that an HDMI input/output or is that just for the external box? I wonder if this will finally have 7.1 DTS HD Master or Dolby TrueHD, probably too much to ask for since it still has those optical inputs and not HDMIs(must be just like the ZxR).
Anyways I am pumped for this since I think our ZxR is abandoned.
Chechar51
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Posts: 24
Joined: 2013-04-26
#5616076 Posted on: 12/11/2018 09:58 AM
They still try to sell a product they wont give support for.
Better stick to a DAC
They still try to sell a product they wont give support for.
Better stick to a DAC
SetsunaFZero
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Posts: 82
Joined: 2010-04-10
Member
Posts: 82
Joined: 2010-04-10
#5616081 Posted on: 12/11/2018 10:21 AM
They still try to sell a product they wont give support for.
Better stick to a DAC
My Xfi-Titanium is 10 years old and the last Driver update was in Q1.2017 so whats the prob man?
I recently replaced all caps on my Xfi-Ti because of aging failure.
They still try to sell a product they wont give support for.
Better stick to a DAC
My Xfi-Titanium is 10 years old and the last Driver update was in Q1.2017 so whats the prob man?
I recently replaced all caps on my Xfi-Ti because of aging failure.
MK80
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Posts: 80
Joined: 2017-09-11
Member
Posts: 80
Joined: 2017-09-11
#5616086 Posted on: 12/11/2018 10:34 AM
They still try to sell a product they wont give support for.
Better stick to a DAC
Asus sound cards are not received since upgrades since 2017 ... Creative already seems to have received with regularity. I do not understand your negative comment.
They still try to sell a product they wont give support for.
Better stick to a DAC
Asus sound cards are not received since upgrades since 2017 ... Creative already seems to have received with regularity. I do not understand your negative comment.
RavenMaster
Senior Member
Posts: 987
Joined: 2009-08-19
Senior Member
Posts: 987
Joined: 2009-08-19
#5616099 Posted on: 12/11/2018 11:18 AM
This will be my next sound card if it supports DTS connect / DTS-HD
This will be my next sound card if it supports DTS connect / DTS-HD
mgilbert
Junior Member
Posts: 15
Joined: 2016-07-27
Junior Member
Posts: 15
Joined: 2016-07-27
#5616102 Posted on: 12/11/2018 11:40 AM
A dedicated, external amp/DAC - something like the JDS Element - is a much better option.
A dedicated, external amp/DAC - something like the JDS Element - is a much better option.
0blivious
Senior Member
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Joined: 2006-04-25
Senior Member
Posts: 2390
Joined: 2006-04-25
#5616104 Posted on: 12/11/2018 12:01 PM
I had 2 X-Fi cards (Platinum and Fatal1ty). The absolute worst experiences I've ever had with PC drivers. Creative went years between drivers, and then some of them just plain would not work. Both cards died anyways. My current SoundBlaster Z isn't a whole lot better experience (I got this one for $30 used).
They sound great when they work and are a complete nightmare when they don't. And they are not cheap.
Creative can bite me. I will never buy one of their cards again. Not even cheap on the used market. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice....
I had 2 X-Fi cards (Platinum and Fatal1ty). The absolute worst experiences I've ever had with PC drivers. Creative went years between drivers, and then some of them just plain would not work. Both cards died anyways. My current SoundBlaster Z isn't a whole lot better experience (I got this one for $30 used).
They sound great when they work and are a complete nightmare when they don't. And they are not cheap.
Creative can bite me. I will never buy one of their cards again. Not even cheap on the used market. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice....
DARKSF
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Posts: 47
Joined: 2005-03-08
Member
Posts: 47
Joined: 2005-03-08
#5616120 Posted on: 12/11/2018 12:59 PM
So you bought a 3-rd one after the first 2 an yet you scream that you ain't going to take a new one
Yeah Ok.
Anyway the only real problem of Creative hardware has always been it's software which after 2-3 days of playing around is always starting to run in some usable condition.This never stopped me from migrating my X-Fi Titanium card on my 3 PC-s i have changed in the past 9 years there is no mobo integrated solution that sounds even remotely close to the X-Fi. And in order for your CAPs not to die just keep the audio card at the bottom slot not on the one above the GPU where it will be baked by the GPU , CPU and PVMs it is not hard to guess that tip given the fact where the mobo manufacturers are placing their audio components.
So you bought a 3-rd one after the first 2 an yet you scream that you ain't going to take a new one
Yeah Ok.Anyway the only real problem of Creative hardware has always been it's software which after 2-3 days of playing around is always starting to run in some usable condition.This never stopped me from migrating my X-Fi Titanium card on my 3 PC-s i have changed in the past 9 years there is no mobo integrated solution that sounds even remotely close to the X-Fi. And in order for your CAPs not to die just keep the audio card at the bottom slot not on the one above the GPU where it will be baked by the GPU , CPU and PVMs it is not hard to guess that tip given the fact where the mobo manufacturers are placing their audio components.
KBDE
Senior Member
Posts: 191
Joined: 2003-04-02
Senior Member
Posts: 191
Joined: 2003-04-02
#5616133 Posted on: 12/11/2018 01:28 PM
I'm still hoping AMD, Nvidia and Intel get's their sh*t together and make the HDMI outputs actually usuable as a multi-channel audio output (by adding a dummy video signal). Right now you're either looping it through the amplifier or having windows clone or extend the desktop with all it's issues that come with it. Is there a technical reason this hasn' t been implemented yet?
I'm still hoping AMD, Nvidia and Intel get's their sh*t together and make the HDMI outputs actually usuable as a multi-channel audio output (by adding a dummy video signal). Right now you're either looping it through the amplifier or having windows clone or extend the desktop with all it's issues that come with it. Is there a technical reason this hasn' t been implemented yet?
rl66
Senior Member
Posts: 1886
Joined: 2007-05-31
Senior Member
Posts: 1886
Joined: 2007-05-31
#5616135 Posted on: 12/11/2018 01:34 PM
The problem with Creative is not too "how often" but "will it work as it is intended for"...
Asus don't care the same way about their audio driver but it work fine with any program used in most case, while with creative labs and their proprietary you get an expensive Soundcard that sound the same as your motherboard (sometime even worse) despite all the technology.
Since the AE there is no more quality fail on the board like in the 3D series. This is a good point and they have RGB led (i won't comment if it is good or bad point ).
For a home use definitively yes.
For home cinema use most amp take the sound from the PC (optical, analog line out, HDMI etc...) and clean it up, tune it up... For my HTPC i get a pretty good result too.
And for really Audio purist there is over expensive solution that reach what they expect, like double mono lamp amp, with expensive DAC gold soldered everywhere for helmet only as an exemple...
That's sweet. However, as a ZxR user, I wish they would release driver updates more often.
The problem with Creative is not too "how often" but "will it work as it is intended for"...
Asus don't care the same way about their audio driver but it work fine with any program used in most case, while with creative labs and their proprietary you get an expensive Soundcard that sound the same as your motherboard (sometime even worse) despite all the technology.
Since the AE there is no more quality fail on the board like in the 3D series. This is a good point and they have RGB led (i won't comment if it is good or bad point
).A dedicated, external amp/DAC - something like the JDS Element - is a much better option.
For a home use definitively yes.
For home cinema use most amp take the sound from the PC (optical, analog line out, HDMI etc...) and clean it up, tune it up... For my HTPC i get a pretty good result too.
And for really Audio purist there is over expensive solution that reach what they expect, like double mono lamp amp, with expensive DAC gold soldered everywhere for helmet only
as an exemple...
rl66
Senior Member
Posts: 1886
Joined: 2007-05-31
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Posts: 1886
Joined: 2007-05-31
#5616138 Posted on: 12/11/2018 01:36 PM
No problem at all here with 7.1 ???
Have you checked the Amp too?
I'm still hoping AMD, Nvidia and Intel get's their sh*t together and make the HDMI outputs actually usuable as a multi-channel audio output (by adding a dummy video signal). Right now you're either looping it through the amplifier or having windows clone or extend the desktop with all it's issues that come with it. Is there a technical reason this hasn' t been implemented yet?
No problem at all here with 7.1 ???
Have you checked the Amp too?
LIGuitar77
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Senior Member
Posts: 576
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#5616191 Posted on: 12/11/2018 03:42 PM
My MOTU Traveler firewire unit sick af and the drivers are perfection because I helped make it so and it has been this way ever since (about 2008 or so, across all firewire units which use same driver.) Before my help, 5 days' uptime on a machine would then result in stop error. Once, I was drunk out of my head and wanted to play guitar, and the unit was in a rare state of being disconnected. Know what I did? Believe it or not: Crossed power/data lines by inserting plug wrong orientation lol and blew out the IEEE 1394 chip. Know what they did? Gave me a brand new unit for $100 USD and my broken unit.
Get one of these used if you can. Believe me.
My MOTU Traveler firewire unit sick af and the drivers are perfection because I helped make it so and it has been this way ever since (about 2008 or so, across all firewire units which use same driver.) Before my help, 5 days' uptime on a machine would then result in stop error. Once, I was drunk out of my head and wanted to play guitar, and the unit was in a rare state of being disconnected. Know what I did? Believe it or not: Crossed power/data lines by inserting plug wrong orientation lol and blew out the IEEE 1394 chip. Know what they did? Gave me a brand new unit for $100 USD and my broken unit.
Get one of these used if you can. Believe me.
Fergutor
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Posts: 46
Joined: 2007-03-13
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Posts: 46
Joined: 2007-03-13
#5616193 Posted on: 12/11/2018 03:46 PM
They still try to sell a product they wont give support for.
Better stick to a DAC
A dedicated, external amp/DAC - something like the JDS Element - is a much better option.
Always...inevitable...the exact same, always….
Given that resons and facts of why that's not the case (at least for certain people) have been explained many times, those comments deserve a somewhat proportional answer:
no.
They still try to sell a product they wont give support for.
Better stick to a DAC
A dedicated, external amp/DAC - something like the JDS Element - is a much better option.
Always...inevitable...the exact same, always….
Given that resons and facts of why that's not the case (at least for certain people) have been explained many times, those comments deserve a somewhat proportional answer:
no.
spectatorx
Senior Member
Posts: 661
Joined: 2012-05-24
Senior Member
Posts: 661
Joined: 2012-05-24
#5616195 Posted on: 12/11/2018 03:50 PM
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.
Since i purchased creative titanium years ago i've never heard integrated audio card coming any close to quality of that fairly cheap sound card and i am not audiophile at all but this card made me to know what good sound is. This what integrated sound cards offer is horrible and i could not use them at all, i would prefer to stay without sound for some time until i purchase new decent sound card.
About creative's drivers... i've never had any problem with them so i'm confused what people are talking about. The only real sound problem i've ever had was on windows 1803 and it was caused by 1803, not drivers as it was present only with this build of windows 10 and not any build before or after this one. Of course i'm not counting creative drivers not working on beta releases of windows as, you know, beta releases but even in these cases they were working fine most of the time.
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.
Since i purchased creative titanium years ago i've never heard integrated audio card coming any close to quality of that fairly cheap sound card and i am not audiophile at all but this card made me to know what good sound is. This what integrated sound cards offer is horrible and i could not use them at all, i would prefer to stay without sound for some time until i purchase new decent sound card.
About creative's drivers... i've never had any problem with them so i'm confused what people are talking about. The only real sound problem i've ever had was on windows 1803 and it was caused by 1803, not drivers as it was present only with this build of windows 10 and not any build before or after this one. Of course i'm not counting creative drivers not working on beta releases of windows as, you know, beta releases but even in these cases they were working fine most of the time.
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That's sweet. However, as a ZxR user, I wish they would release driver updates more often.