Creative Formally Launches the Sound Blaster AE-7 and AE-9 Audiophile Sound Cards

[Tsukiyomi91]

all depends on the use case actually. Yes gaming boards typically used high end solutions (e.g: ALC1220 or ASUS own modified S1220A) with similar enhancements found on high end sound cards. But for folks who have a mid tier board with not-so-great audio solutions + minor enhancements, a good sound card regardless of tier does way better.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Looks interesting, the AE-7 have discrete outputs (no opamps but use discrete transistor) like the AE-5, while the AE-9 uses opamps with similar layout like X-Fi Titanium HD (uses two dual-channel opamps for I/V stage and two single-channel opamps for buffer) but they downgraded the opamp quality (swapping the good LME49710 with generic NE5534 judging from the website page). The board looks busy with multiple DSP on board, hopefully one of them at least have hardware accelerated EAX as I still playing old EAX titles. Would love TPU to review it and see all the chip details.

So much wrong here. EAX is dead. There is no HW to do it. They do have HW accelereted effects CPU, yes.

Please prove that NE5534 is really worse choice for the specific task vs the LME49710, they are very very very similar, the common noise rejection may be better on the LME counterpart, but by a fraction. I can point you to a book containing proof of this claim. The whole circuit is the one that decides what opamp behaves better, swapping them on blind is utter madness in my books.

The ESS 9038 implementation is really the most interesting part of this whole product. Only that actually. Creative rarely drifts away from the manufacturer EVAL sample implementation though, it is usually 1:1 to it.

 

[TheDeeGee]

I been using Creative Soundcards since the early SoundBlaster days really.

Still using a SoundBlaster ZxR myself which i got for €160 at the time (was a steal really, considering they went for 250). Before that i had the X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro.

I personally never really had any major issues with Creative Soundcards and it's Drivers.

 

[Apocalypsee]

So much wrong here. EAX is dead. There is no HW to do it. They do have HW accelereted effects CPU, yes.

Please prove that NE5534 is really worse choice for the specific task vs the LME49710, they are very very very similar, the common noise rejection may be better on the LME counterpart, but by a fraction. I can point you to a book containing proof of this claim. The whole circuit is the one that decides what opamp behaves better, swapping them on blind is utter madness in my books.

The ESS 9038 implementation is really the most interesting part of this whole product. Only that actually. Creative rarely drifts away from the manufacturer EVAL sample implementation though, it is usually 1:1 to it.

EAX is dead yes, no denying that. But I can hear difference between software EAX and hardware EAX (the soundblaster MB software that common to some motherboards sounds different from native EAX soundcard)

You already said the CMRR is better so there's that. I do agree circuit surrounding the opamp is what makes or break the opamp compatibility and by following the recommended opamp from the OEM datasheet is usually the best.

Creative usually follows the sample but they do use boosted capacitor value on the audio path like in X-Fi series and specifically in Titanium HD they put 220uF caps where in the datasheet it didn't call for any caps to be put there. I 'restore' the card to what specified in the datasheet including the recommended opamps.

 

[Dristun]

Can't see anyone using a DAW buying it for the purposes of using a DAW, what with all the latency and dropout troubles Creative's asio drivers had in the past and non-existent I/O. Audiophiles will continue to look for external DAC's and separate amps too, even if for that demographic 350$ is cheap.
This is aimed at PC-enthusiast crowd who want much better sound than onboard and some gaming-specific sound features. Like all the Sound Blasters before. I have a Titanium and AudigySE too! For these purposes it will probably be excellent, if a bit too expensive.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Creative usually follows the sample but they do use boosted capacitor value on the audio path like in X-Fi series and specifically in Titanium HD they put 220uF caps where in the datasheet it didn't call for any caps to be put there. I 'restore' the card to what specified in the datasheet including the recommended opamps.

That's just common sense there. It is a coupling cap, so the minimum transfer frequency in sub region is already met, they just simplified it to stack them there as in other parts they were used too. The assembly cost is reduced as they use the same roll of caps. Different value means different roll at the conveyor. No harm also done otherwise. They didn't change the I/V + Buffer section from the PCM1794A datasheet nor in the X-FI HD nor ZxR witch I have both also. The ground plane construction, changed tho, that's the best they now how to do.

LME49710 is a fine opamp, I use it as a default choice too. But... I guess the catch is that the NE5534 is lower bandwidth(10 vs 55MHz) and thus more stable in such polluted and noisy environment like PC and slower op amps are preferred, there is some sort of reason for sure, as Creative design team ain't stupid for sure. Costs are not an argument this time, the truth can be found out only when I will get my hands on the card.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

They are bringing back Dolby Digital Live. I guess people really shit on them for the AE-5 which lacked that feature.

 

[INSTG8R]

They are bringing back Dolby Digital Live. I guess people really shit on them for the AE-5 which lacked that feature.

Such love for such a terrible DSP. I suppose it’s all that saves TOSLink users from Stereo but then if I was using TOSLink it would be to an AMP that would have its own DSP suite I’d be using so I’d just be after pass through. I mean I’ve been strictly 5.1 gaming for at least a decade and never used any DSP/effects just straight up analog 5.1 which is really the ideal no? Pure multichannel, no DSPs “making things up” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Rafi_J]

Would it be too much to ask for this thing to have better MIDI playback? I'm sick of that pathetic Microsoft Synthesizer thingy. But I guess General Midi is dead so....

 

[Postmodum]

I have a ZxR just standing on the shelf... I decided to get everything sound related from the computer, went with Burson Playmate and Bang amp ... not that cheap but best decision I did. Now I can downsize my case without any issues of loosing sound quality.

 

[stimpy88]

Oh god, not these has-beens again...

 

[Mistral]

Sticking to my Auzen Forte till it dies. Then it'll be sound over DP/HDMI for me...

 

[Hotobu]

If you think about it, it's really not all that bad. I remember paying $189 for my AWE64 Gold BITD, and it was on sale. That was 1997. Fast forward 22 years and adjust for inflation the price is actually a better value given that you get more for the money. Even the SB Live5.1 was $220 in 1999(when I bought one, it came out in late 1998).

Except back in those days a sound card was a necessity. Now on board sound is so good the extra cost doesn't go as far as it used to.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Except back in those days a sound card was a necessity.

True

Now on board sound is so good the extra cost doesn't go as far as it used to.

Myth Edit; While onboard sound has improved, sound technology has improved all around and dedicated sound cards are still completely superior to onboard all day long.

 

[Hotobu]

What myth? Did anyone say or imply that a soundcard wasn't superior?

Your inflation argument isn't structured properly considering that a couple decades ago without a sound card you'd get no audio whatsoever. You can't calculate the value of no sound before vs what's essentially "luxury sound" now.

 

[lexluthermiester]

You said;

Now on board sound is so good the extra cost doesn't go as far as it used to.

Then I said;

Myth Edit; While onboard sound has improved, sound technology has improved all around and dedicated sound cards are still completely superior to onboard all day long.

How is that difficult to understand?

You can't calculate the value of no sound before vs what's essentially "luxury sound" now.

Sure you can. The problem that exists here is perspective. We disagree on what is acceptable for advanced use. Onboard sound can get someone by and while it is much better than it once was, it's still sub-par for anything other than casual use. Gaming, Audio/Video and content creation almost requires a high end sound card. Here's a simple rule to follow; If you can't tell or don't understand the difference, don't get one. However coming into a thread like this and complaining like you did makes you sound like a special-snowflake telling people what to think and how to live. Some people find that irritating.

 

[Mamya3084]

I just sold my ZxR. My new MB pretty much matches the capabilities it had.

 

[Hotobu]

What's difficult to understand is why you aren't understanding proportionality. Decades ago soundcards were quite literally infinitely more important. Without them there was no effectively sound. 100% of the people who wanted to hear sounds that weren't coming from inside their case needed to buy a sound card, that number is now 0%. Soundcards are now a choice for some, not a necessity for all. I will reiterate what I said earlier about calculating value because you are doing it incorrectly. In order to do it correctly you would do the following: (199X cost of a high end sound card) - (199X cost of a "standard") vs (current high end). That would but the actual way to do it.

My final remarks: I'm not sure what non existent "complaint(s)" you're referring to, I told no one how to live, only how to properly assess the value proposition of a soundcard, and the real snowflake would be someone that gets agitated over such a discussion.

Now I'm sure you're champing at the bit to have the last word on this, so I will give you the permission to have it.

 

[Sir Alex Ice]

These prices are insane, anything more than 100$ for a sound card is crazy and should be reserved for professional sound studios.

And no, the driver support has not improved, they still do not have driver support for older Audigy models to be used in Windows 7 or 10 systems.

I have an external USB X-Fi something, it's fine I guess, got it because I could not make my perfectly fine Audigy work with Windows 7 and 10.

 

[lexluthermiester]

These prices are insane, anything more than 100$ for a sound card is crazy and should be reserved for professional sound studios.

Opinion.

And no, the driver support has not improved, they still do not have driver support for older Audigy models to be used in Windows 7 or 10 systems.

Patently false on both points.
First point, you clearly didn't go looking;

Creative Worldwide Support > Sound Blaster Audigy

Welcome to Creative Worldwide Support. Get technical help for your Creative products through Knowledgebase Solutions, firmware updates, driver downloads and more.

support.creative.com

Second point, the Windows 7 drivers work in Windows 10.

I have an external USB X-Fi something, it's fine I guess, got it because I could not make my perfectly fine Audigy work with Windows 7 and 10.

See above... And if you don't like Creatives drivers for some reason, try DanielK's very excellent custom drivers here;

SB Audigy Series Support Pack 6.2

This software/driver pack is unofficial, not supported by Creative Labs. Use it at your own risk. Supports any model of the following...

danielkawakami.blogspot.com

However, it should be noted that most of the Audigy series of cards are more than 15 years old. Complaining about driver support for such an old series of cards is silly and you should feel lucky they still do.

My final remarks: I'm not sure what non existent "complaint(s)" you're referring to

See above. How we doing on that point?

 

[Apocalypsee]

What's difficult to understand is why you aren't understanding proportionality. Decades ago soundcards were quite literally infinitely more important. Without them there was no effectively sound. 100% of the people who wanted to hear sounds that weren't coming from inside their case needed to buy a sound card, that number is now 0%. Soundcards are now a choice for some, not a necessity for all. I will reiterate what I said earlier about calculating value because you are doing it incorrectly. In order to do it correctly you would do the following: (199X cost of a high end sound card) - (199X cost of a "standard") vs (current high end). That would but the actual way to do it.

My final remarks: I'm not sure what non existent "complaint(s)" you're referring to, I told no one how to live, only how to properly assess the value proposition of a soundcard, and the real snowflake would be someone that gets agitated over such a discussion.

Now I'm sure you're champing at the bit to have the last word on this, so I will give you the permission to have it.

 

[Prima.Vera]

Does any of those card support 5.1 analogs? like 1x 2 Front; 1x 2 Back; 1x 1 Center/LFE ?

 

[Apocalypsee]

Does any of those card support 5.1 analogs? like 1x 2 Front; 1x 2 Back; 1x 1 Center/LFE ?

The AE-7 supports surround 5.1 analogs. Here's the connectivity of the card

Sound Blaster AE-7

Enjoy hi-res audio with AE-7 PCI-e Sound Card and Audio Processor with discreet 5.1 speaker output and up to 7.1 virtual surround for speakers and headphones. Hear supreme audio fidelity with ESS 9018 SABRE-class DAC @ 127dB DNR 32-bit / 384 kHz and enjoy theatrical-grade surround with Dolby...

us.creative.com

 

[aQi]

$329 for a sound card, or a CPU, hmmm..?

I understand these use some higher end components, but Creative must be mad if they think they'll sell a bunch of these.

They have gone crazy and asking me for my SB Tatinamium Fatal1ty with Front Panel and just giving me a 15% discount on these while i sit back and record music on Interface and ignore the fact that its just a creative way to blast sound. And eventually most gamers have gaming motherboards with upto mark audio solutions in gaming. Why would anyone want this ? Even for being a fan i hardly see a come back at this point for creative.

 

[InVasMani]

Try again Creative come back with a E-MU audio interface with a modern twist on the 1212M or don't bother. I want them 1/4 jacks the output gotta be THICC like the rack gear.