Creative To Launch BlasterX AE-5
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cryohellinc
Question to audio specialists -
I have Sound Blaster ZxR, will this be an improvement over ZxR?
AlmondMan
I still have my old Asus Xonar D2x .. I don't really feel a need to upgrade :| anyone able to give any reasons?
slice313
Definitely, yes!
It has RBG leds, so it is a big improvement over the last Creative sound card :stewpid:
fry178
what he said. haha
for gaming most likely not, with higher res music there should be a difference.
then again, i would prefer going with a different brand.
my xonar dsx (running Uni drivers) has been more joy than i ever had with all 5 creatives i owned.
this is basically what asus released with the strix soar more than 2 years ago.
and they aren't even "just" doing audio like creative.
if you want good audio/music, see if you can find a cheap (open box/used etc) Essence STX II
https://www.asus.com/us/Sound-Cards/Essence_STX_II/
little cheaper/more towards gaming Strx DLX
mrrulez911
I only saw this card and i thought, will this be produce better quality sounds than my Essence STX II but I guess this question is already answered in the comment before mine hehe.
Neo Cyrus
Not really considering there isn't really anything on the ZxR that can be noticeably improved. You can change the op amps on it if you want a different sound signature. They're not soldered on.
The fact that the ESS Sabre is a 32 bit DAC vs the 24 bit one on the ZxR makes no difference. First off, there are no 32 bit files (aside from master files not available to the public), even if there were and you output 32 bit sound that's beyond human hearing. IIRC the most we need is 21 bit, so the next step up from 16 being 24 is enough.
David Lake
All this audiowank makes no freakin difference, its all in your head!
robintson
According to the specs, there is a difference: 32-bit/384kHz on AE-5/ 24-bit/192kHz on ZxR 🙂
go4brendon
A Windows 10 update last month killed the sound on my Soundblaster Z drivers. No warnings just did it in the background, thought I blew a channel. Took me 4 hours of research to find out you can roll back Windows driver versions before I fixed it. You would think the Soundblaster drivers would be better but they make is sound so tinny. Great hardware but my word software is a nightmare.
SevrX
Most (if not all) PC sound cards are a waste of time. It's all marketing BS in my experience, function is pretty limited compared to products that aren't aimed at PC enthusiasts. Get a decent USB DAC + amp or a receiver and don't look back.
drac
I would say the amp section of this card on paper looks better than the STX II's. Only reason I'm considering it, waiting for comparisons though.
AlmondMan
I have an external amp and I don't use headphones... the quality of the sound that comes out of the card is what's important.
alanm
People need to consider how they're using the soundcard. Regular 2 ch via headphones? Then you may need to argue about DAC specs/quality, OP amps, etc. If 5.1 or 7.1 surround with AV receiver, you will probably not see much difference between a regular sound card vs a high end one.
Ryu5uzaku
Ofc it all in our heads. But if it's better in our heads then it wins.
cryohellinc
No, and No.
Difference is there, and its significant. DAC lacks the flexibility of PC audio card, unless only thing you plan to do is listen to the music.
TheDeeGee
Yea?
My ZxR sounds miles better than my crappy onboard Realtek with my Headphones (AKG K601)
I ran into the same issue with my ZxR, but only in the Creators Update (1703)
The July 11th Update caused this and recently one from August. It caused audio to sound really shallow, and after a reboot or cold start the first program needed audio caused one of the micro relays to activate.
No clue what the problem is, but i ended up swapping PCI-E Slots which has helped so far.
And i doubt it's hardware related, cuz it worked fine the Anniversary Update using the same July 11th and August updated. Most likely a Windows 10 thing.
JamesSneed
With this card you can not only see the RGB but car hear the detailed nuances of red, green and blue.
GREGIX
It is always worth upgrade from default mb sound.
Not to mention that if you have some coil whine issues, they dissapear with addon card.
And if u play a lot games where sound(3d positioning) is crucial, like csgo or dying light, then such a card is a must.
OFC if u play those games while listen to mp3/youtobe then do not bother...your crappy mobo sound or asus stx will be enough 😀
chrislondon
It also comes in white...
GenClaymore
If some of you are curious on how it sound, I have put up an review here in the sound section of the forum. The RGB is optional it can be disabled or simply not plugged in but not connecting the Molex, the card actually does sound really good, and its headphone amp does work really well.
http://forums.guru3d.com/showpost.php?p=5460408&postcount=1
