Creative Labs SoundBlaster ZXR Review

finaxe

2013-07-20 21:58

I love my ZXR - best sound card I've ever owned. Great quality for both music and games + movies and the ACM mic is a nice addition too

Did you own an Asus Xonar Essence?

#4623374

BarryB

2013-07-20 23:17

Isn't Soundblaster and interesting name, when you consider it is silent without speakers?

Well, isn't a 'flashlight' an interesting name, when you consider it can't light jack crap without batteries?

Well isn't 'Creative' an interesting name for a company considering they've done nothing 'creative' for chuffin years!!

#4623381

---TK---

2013-07-20 23:32

Sure they have look at the line of z series sound cards.

#4623385

eclap

2013-07-20 23:34

Well isn't 'Creative' an interesting name for a company considering they've done nothing 'creative' for chuffin years!!

??? Elaborate pls?

#4623428

BarryB

2013-07-21 01:42

Just personal opinion, they don't seem to make anything reliable. Just look at some customer reviews on newegg mentioning they run hot, has bad ASIO support, going faulty after a few weeks. It's just so reminiscent of experiences I had years ago with their cards and why I don't use them any more. Granted some of those reviews were really positive, but to me not everyone was happy with the card after buying it. It seems Creative just stumble from product to product hoping to get it right eventually.

#4625034

TheDeeGee

2013-07-23 18:41

Still wondering if i should get it. Price went down even further... 169 Euros now.

#4625057

harkinsteven

2013-07-23 19:15

Still wondering if i should get it. Price went down even further... 169 Euros now.

Where do you see it for that price?

#4625114

TheDeeGee

2013-07-23 20:31

Shop here in Holland called Azerty Hardware.

#4625410

Keitosha

2013-07-24 10:13

Shop here in Holland called Azerty Hardware.

Yeah, saw that one as well. Thinking about getting the ZxR, replacing my Z (will use that in another system). For that price it is too tempting.

#4625416

TheDeeGee

2013-07-24 10:38

167 Euros now... Costs me 161 Euros now Incl. Shipping. I had 13 Euros of points to spend aswell ^^ Money well spend i hope, since it will last 5+ Years.

#4626358

krash3x

2013-07-26 03:21

I was thinking about getting one of these. The question is. Do you have to install the 2nd Card right next to the first one? Or could you have that one a few slots away?

Yes you can if you have the space. The second card isn't a Pci express card or anything its just a daughter card that plugs into the main card with the ribbon cable, and screws into the case. I think that putting the daughter card above the main card and under the GPU helps shield against the EMI from the GPU since there is no extra noise whats so ever. My Asus d2x was terrible about EMI from even the slightest movement of the mouse. This thing sounds amazing and can even push my hifiman HE500s to uncomfortable sound levels. It makes my asus sound uninteresting and boring.

#4626495

TheDeeGee

2013-07-26 12:02

Just got mine installed coming from Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro. What a difference it makes for a Headphone user, everything is MUCH MUCH more alive. The Surround generated for Headphones is of such high quality. Money well spend 🙂 I'm using AKG K601 Headphones.

#4626642

Keitosha

2013-07-26 17:48

Just got mine installed coming from Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro. What a difference it makes for a Headphone user, everything is MUCH MUCH more alive. The Surround generated for Headphones is of such high quality. Money well spend 🙂 I'm using AKG K601 Headphones.

Glad you like it. The Z series are awesome cards. I went from Titanium regular -> Z. Loved it the first moment as well.

#4626659

TheDeeGee

2013-07-26 18:24

My ZxR seems to be having some strange noise when booting, rebooting and shutting down the PC. There is a clicking noise everytime Windows passes the Welcome Screen. It's pretty much the same sound when you shut down the PC and the PSU shuts off, you also hear a click. But it doesn't come from the PSU, cuz when i take the ZxR out it's not happening. I thought about shorting so i also put plastic washers between the cover of the ZxR, but that didn't seem to help. Apart from that it's working just fine... Anyone know if this is normal?

#4626664

Ryu5uzaku

2013-07-26 18:34

Seems like my next card will be again creative. Been loving Auzentech but oh this looks really nice :P Really good review too.

#4626670

Pill Monster

2013-07-26 18:41

Just personal opinion, they don't seem to make anything reliable. Just look at some customer reviews on newegg mentioning they run hot, has bad ASIO support, going faulty after a few weeks. It's just so reminiscent of experiences I had years ago with their cards and why I don't use them any more. Granted some of those reviews were really positive, but to me not everyone was happy with the card after buying it. It seems Creative just stumble from product to product hoping to get it right eventually.

I can't complain, still using a 10 year old Audigy 2 and 7.1 speaker set from Creative.... Never been impressed with their drivers though.

#4626677

TheDeeGee

2013-07-26 18:51

[spoiler]My ZxR seems to be having some strange noise when booting, rebooting and shutting down the PC. There is a clicking noise everytime Windows passes the Welcome Screen. It's pretty much the same sound when you shut down the PC and the PSU shuts off, you also hear a click. But it doesn't come from the PSU, cuz when i take the ZxR out it's not happening. I thought about shorting so i also put plastic washers between the cover of the ZxR, but that didn't seem to help. Apart from that it's working just fine... Anyone know if this is normal?[/spoiler]

Been answered already in another post. It's the headphone amplifier.

#4626771

Neo Cyrus

2013-07-26 22:30

Has it been explained how it it's clicking? Mine of course does the same thing.

#4626775

TheDeeGee

2013-07-26 22:38

Has it been explained how it it's clicking? Mine of course does the same thing.

There is three Micro Relays, the white boxes. And they are used to switch between Headphone or Speaker settings by the Software. So if you have it set to Headphones as soon as the software starts you hear a click meaning it switched. I hear just 1 click on startup, but multiple when shutting down. I guess before it shuts down it resets everything to factory settings. I found about the relays here http://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/creative_sound_blaster_zxr_review,4.html

The three large white plastic boxes are micro relays, this is likely used switch between the headphone and speakers on the fly via the software drivers.

#4626779

ROBSCIX

2013-07-26 22:42

Almost every card that offers built in headphone amp will use similar system. The relays, re-route the signal for the buffers opamps into the headphone amp chip. Sime cards also use them for routing input signals too...