White limited edition model of the Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus

by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 05/28/2020 08:35 AM | source: | 12 comment(s)

And really, nothing else has changed other than that white jacket. For those that actually still purchase a soundcard, kit might be a nice match in a white-colored PC.

A limited number of white models have appeared for the gaming sound card "Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus", the one with Dolby Digital Live / DTS Connect surround sound encoding function.

Although the basic functions have not changed, the number of LED strips included has been increased from the conventional one to four. For audio output, stereo speaker output is up to 32bit / 96kHz (up to 32bit / 384kHz in direct output mode), 5.1ch speaker output is up to 32bit / 96kHz, headphone output is up to 32bit / 96kHz (up to 32bit / 96kHz in direct output mode) 384kHz), optical digital output up to 24bit / 96kHz.

Bus interface is PCI-Express (x1), connection interface is equipped with 3.5mm headphone terminal x 1, 3.5mm line output terminal x 3, optical digital output terminal x 1, 3.5mm line input / microphone input. The card size is 145mm long, 20mm thick, 128mm wide, and weighs 215g.

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fry178
Senior Member

Posts: 1729
Joined: 2012-04-30

#5793581 Posted on: 05/29/2020 02:41 AM

@Slammy
right.
onboard sound from this years/last years nicer boards are better than most +5y old sub 100$ dedicated cards,
and usb HAS NOTHING do with the sound quality, its the chips and converters (digital/analog).
there are ppl running +100$ usb stuff with quality headphones (sound quality as well as cost) without problems.

dont assume that every usb audio solution is crap, just because you used some 10$ usb-to-analog solution.

sverek
Senior Member

Posts: 6073
Joined: 2011-01-02

#5793583 Posted on: 05/29/2020 02:44 AM

Basically milking the overhyped product.

bobblunderton
Senior Member

Posts: 408
Joined: 2017-02-15

#5793903 Posted on: 05/29/2020 06:21 PM

Yup onboard sound is trash in comparison and so is USB audio. Ive tried to ditch my SoundBlaster Z several times and i just cant go back to muffled audio. I have spent time tuning my EQ, its either clear with no bass or it has bass but then distorts or muffles the highs. Alot of people are missing out i have to say

Yes, we are still some people that prefer good graphic as well as good sound quality. No matter if it is music or a good game, my good old Logitech Z5400 5.1 speakersetup just love a real soundcard like this (my AE-5 is not white though!!). I have - 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec) on my Asrock Z390 Phantom Gaming X, and it is way lower in quality than my AE-5, white or not.

A while back Linus Tech Tips did a 'Tech Quickie' or something like that saying sound cards were over-hyped. I wonder if these people are deaf sometimes - dumb kids!
Even with a decent sub-100$ sound card from one of the major brands, hooked to a top-dollar amp or speakers, it's amazing how much you hear the backing tracks and various harmonies in the songs - even old songs like motown 60's, rock 70's or pop/synth stuff from the 80's - that you've never heard stand out before. Of course, spending around 200$ gets you an even better card sometimes with replaceable op-amps.
Maybe for some folks motherboard audio is good enough - I gave my Z97 Maximus Hero board's 'Supreme FX Audio' a try... BLECH, that lasted <1 day until I went out and got a sound card. So for folks who think motherboard audio is plenty good - I salute you - enjoy the money you save, the rest of us will enjoy my high quality audio. Of-course it pays to mention I've been delving into audio production as a hobby since the early days of the first Pentiums, so there's that too.
I am sure these folks would have a complete meltdown if they knew I ran Warcraft 2 midi OST over an opl3 fm synth emulator driver on a 700$ amp/speaker system, or that in the early 2000's I made a distortion guitar out of growling unhappy cat samples (plot twist: a cat's vocals are uniquely hard to tune manually).

Maddness
Senior Member

Posts: 1642
Joined: 2014-10-24

#5794040 Posted on: 05/29/2020 11:41 PM

I still use my Xonar STX. It is still better than any on board sound that I have personally heard and the Xonar is pretty old by PC standards.

Morax
Senior Member

Posts: 214
Joined: 2016-02-22

#5794062 Posted on: 05/30/2020 12:55 AM

I love my Soundblaster ZX, it's WAY better than the standard Realtek HD audio on my mainboard... Even the SBX positional audio (on headphones) is better than "Dolby Atmos for Headphones".

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