Creative Announces Sound BlasterX AE-5 Audiophile-grade Gaming Sound Card

[RejZoR]

Tangential, but here's where iTunes and especially Tidal comes in. We're talking games I know, but I sort of hope it will spread to games. IIRC for a while it looked lile people started to care about quality more (or maybe it was my perceptiol that changed), but then they didn't.

We used to have WAV already for game sounds. But unfortunately not 16bit 44.1kHz. It was usually 22.05 kHz. Would be nice if they used FLAC and went full quality with audio. If we tolerate games consiting 85% of texture files which can go up to almost 100GB in size, I see no reason why audio shouldn't be allowed to expand for few GB. It has always been neglected since Microsoft thrashed Direct3D and essentially killed EAX entirely. Back when EAX and A3D existed, companies at least cared about audio a bit. After that, it's basically there just because it has to be, but no one really cares much about it. Which is a shame because for me, audio aspect of game experience is as large as visual one. But since it's not in your face, not even people care. Which is again a shame. They don't even realize how much audio helps with immersion and whole experience.

 

[Readlight]

X-Fi was the last one to support analogs for 7.1. Now you can only buy an expensive Home Theater system and digitally connect it to it via HDMI. Oh wait! This card doesn't have HDMI....
So you are stuck with the crappy TOSLINK who cannot even do Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, or more than two channels of PCM audio.
Told you, those cards are a terrible downgrade from previous generations.

Or Pieneer home cinema is dead becouse off damaged usb flash drive, and you cannot use it for other projects or repair becouse service is not awailable or to expensive.

 

[Red_Machine]

It has always been neglected since Microsoft thrashed Direct3D and essentially killed EAX entirely.

That would be DirectSound. It was deprecated in favour of Universal Audio Architecture.

 

[RejZoR]

I meant DirectSound3D and typed Direct3D because we talk about that a lot more... Also, UAA is garbage.

 

[Prima.Vera]

We used to have WAV already for game sounds. But unfortunately not 16bit 44.1kHz. It was usually 22.05 kHz. Would be nice if they used FLAC and went full quality with audio. If we tolerate games consiting 85% of texture files which can go up to almost 100GB in size, I see no reason why audio shouldn't be allowed to expand for few GB. It has always been neglected since Microsoft thrashed Direct3D and essentially killed EAX entirely. Back when EAX and A3D existed, companies at least cared about audio a bit. After that, it's basically there just because it has to be, but no one really cares much about it. Which is a shame because for me, audio aspect of game experience is as large as visual one. But since it's not in your face, not even people care. Which is again a shame. They don't even realize how much audio helps with immersion and whole experience.

I seriously pity all the kids nowadays that didn't have a chance of playing the first Unreal, Thief or FEAR games using EAX or A3D. Is amazing that even with crappy speakers you had such an amazing 3D sound, full of volume and life, where you can clearly discern ups/downs/ fronts and backs even with stereo speakers or headset, where all the sounds had a different pitch and freq based of the environment, etc.
I really miss those times.

 

[RejZoR]

They Hunger with A3D. Oh man...

 

[Aenra]

This thread is like 80% of the reason why it had to be decades later that i first bothered with internet discussions..
All this knowledge, but still *%&$ for brains/used wrongly (in terms of conclusions).

If you think having a DAC entails quality and/or your knowing your #*% and/or audiophile, i can only laugh.
If generally speaking, you think listening to music should be done through your PC when quality is a factor, i can only say 'you poor millennial'.
If you have ever even thought about the USB way.. go back to your Playstation.
If you fail to grasp how a sound card is still an actual benefit for a vast majority of PC users (games, work)... stick to solitaire and facebook.

Don't come here saying this is useless, bad or excess when you clearly fail to grasp its benefits and purpose.

Now to the person linking a 2016 random PCB as that of this card in specific, shame dude, really
Lastly, since someone else mentioned it, no. You don't know your mobo's integrated sounds just as good. You think it does. Usually, we compare first, conclude afterwards. Have you bought one to compare? No? Then why come back here and post your opinion as fact?

Never understood this.. why gather all this knowledge when.. whatever. Back to browsing

 

[Apocalypsee]

I seriously pity all the kids nowadays that didn't have a chance of playing the first Unreal, Thief or FEAR games using EAX or A3D. Is amazing that even with crappy speakers you had such an amazing 3D sound, full of volume and life, where you can clearly discern ups/downs/ fronts and backs even with stereo speakers or headset, where all the sounds had a different pitch and freq based of the environment, etc.
I really miss those times.

Yep, once you experience EAX and play those game back without EAX, it felt empty. Still remember how good Doom3 with EAX4, each room sounds different and how I turn my head around when I hear door slamming behind me in F.E.A.R. Since EAX death there isn't a single sound engine that is interesting.

I could say a million things bout this new card but going to comment on some things:
Same crap SoundCore3D DSP (software stuff not hardware like CA20K2)
ESS SabreDAC don't mean whack, some proper Cirrus or BurrBrown DAC like CS4398 or PCM1798 would be better
Discrete output is interesting
G-Luxon crappy capacitor all over the board, they gone backwards
LM4562 opamp on other channel (good)

TLDR: nothing interesting. Stick with my X-Fi Titanium HD. The last good soundcard Creative made

 

[Readlight]

I just need something to replace dead home cinema speakers whit dac whit hdmi or 5.1

 

[RejZoR]

Yep, once you experience EAX and play those game back without EAX, it felt empty. Still remember how good Doom3 with EAX4, each room sounds different and how I turn my head around when I hear door slamming behind me in F.E.A.R. Since EAX death there isn't a single sound engine that is interesting.

I could say a million things bout this new card but going to comment on some things:
Same crap SoundCore3D DSP (software stuff not hardware like CA20K2)
ESS SabreDAC don't mean whack, some proper Cirrus or BurrBrown DAC like CS4398 or PCM1798 would be better
Discrete output is interesting
G-Luxon crappy capacitor all over the board, they gone backwards
LM4562 opamp on other channel (good)

TLDR: nothing interesting. Stick with my X-Fi Titanium HD. The last good soundcard Creative made

The decision for going with such capacitors is really bizarre. Though, this could be a pre-production photo, because it's hard to even find any other anywhere (even when googling). For example there are a lot of Sound Blaster Z PCB photos with crappy generic looking capacitors where my actual SB Z has Nichicon Gold capacitors all over the card. Granted, mine is Bulk model without any red shield or LED, so they can't hide them underneath...
I really hope final will come with proper high end capacitors.

 

[Apocalypsee]

The decision for going with such capacitors is really bizarre. Though, this could be a pre-production photo, because it's hard to even find any other anywhere (even when googling). For example there are a lot of Sound Blaster Z PCB photos with crappy generic looking capacitors where my actual SB Z has Nichicon Gold capacitors all over the card. Granted, mine is Bulk model without any red shield or LED, so they can't hide them underneath...
I really hope final will come with proper high end capacitors.

I hope you're right, they shouldn't use any crappy caps on this sort of cards

 

[Frick]

If generally speaking, you think listening to music should be done through your PC when quality is a factor, i can only say 'you poor millennial'.

I use my PC for everything else, why not music? And you can have quality PC audio, that is established, unless your definition of "quality" is skewed.

 

[Prima.Vera]

I use my PC for everything else, why not music? And you can have quality PC audio, that is established, unless your definition of "quality" is skewed.

Besides, you can use the PC just as a pass-through via Optical OUT/Line Out to a quality HIFI Receiver...

 

[lexluthermiester]

If generally speaking, you think listening to music should be done through your PC when quality is a factor, i can only say 'you poor millennial'.

I'm not a millennial and my primary form-factor for music is my PC. Granted, I have a Sound Blaster Z card in it with properly configured drivers. But still, that statement makes very wild assumptions.

I use my PC for everything else, why not music? And you can have quality PC audio, that is established, unless your definition of "quality" is skewed.

I think he was referring to frequency response and other factors of sound reproduction quality that a great many "onboard" sound chips fail at. To be fair many of the higher end mobos are now coming with quality sound solutions. Still, I will not give up my SB cards until I see proof that onboards deliver better quality.

And for the record, I'm one of those people that have been using dedicated sound cards since the days when that was the only way to have real sound on a PC. SB16 changed things forever.

 

[Aenra]

that statement makes very wild assumptions

and @Frick

No.. see, first, we have the context.
The context here was a certain user calling all sound cards trash, useless, rip offs, etc and a couple of people responding to him, as if his opinion had any merit at all; which it did not.

Then you have the people to whom this (the context) is relevant, which is important because sadly, it's their mentality denoting the relevancy.. rather than the actual facts.

And then you have me, occasionally feeling like i'm 1745625 years old and so out of patience with people today. This third and last bit you're welcome to criticize of course

As to my statement however, i can assure you, all of its points stand.

- Sound cars -do- have a use, still
- The PCB linked is -not- of this card, aka at best a poor troling attempt; coupled with the rest of his remarks and overall tone, you do the math
- USB """cards""" are garbage, sorry to break it to you
- Audiophile and listening from the PC do not go hand in hand, hence my DAC comment

(now if for some reason, money, space, both.. you need listen from your PC, surely the better your gear the better off you will be. You make the best of things as we all. That however does not, not, make you an "audiophile". That is a term used for people with dedicated systems costing tens of thousands [and with the ear to perceive their worth]. Last but not least and i will say this again, you can take my word for it, most DACs passed around in non-sound exclusive site "reviews" are of a quality level equalling that of a good sound card. If this appears as hyperbole to you, thank you for proving my point. Be it because you take such "reviews" seriously, or because your idea of a sound card is strictly something like a gaming-related Sound Blaster).

 

[The Terrible Puddle]

I am back a little late, but if electrical noise from USB concerns you then just use external power for your DAC.

 

[Red_Machine]

I ended up buying a Sound Blaster Z this week, because it bugs me having to use something that no longer has driver support. Functionality will continue to get worse over time. Creative still seem to be providing new drivers for the Z (the last one was a few months ago), so that should be alright. I do miss the hardware MIDI synth, though.

 

[rtwjunkie]

I ended up buying a Sound Blaster Z this week, because it bugs me having to use something that no longer has driver support. Functionality will continue to get worse over time. Creative still seem to be providing new drivers for the Z (the last one was a few months ago), so that should be alright. I do miss the hardware MIDI synth, though.

Creative is providing updated support for cards before the z still too. No problems here at all with W10.

 

[Red_Machine]

The last driver for the Audigy Rx was from 2015, and Daniel_K says that it's highly unlikely Creative will provide any more. Even the Recon3D cards haven't seen a driver update since early 2016.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Soundblaster X-fi Extreme Gamer still has updated W10 drivers though. 2016 is pretty up to date for W10 for X-fi.

 

[Red_Machine]

I guess they tend to focus on their enthusiast cards more, but that still doesn't explain why they haven't updated the Recon3D drivers since last year. The Audigy Rx was released a year after the Sound Blaster Z, but it was EOL'd by Creative not long after I bought it.

 

[Apocalypsee]

Soundblaster X-fi Extreme Gamer still has updated W10 drivers though. 2016 is pretty up to date for W10 for X-fi.

That is very good in my book, at least you can use latest OS with the card that was released back in 2005, that's over 12 years ago which pretty much ancient history in computer terms.

 

[Doomfrost]

The 32bit/384khz is tempting, but I own an X-fi titanium hd that supposedly supports 32bit/192khz just from the drivers that came on the installation disc. Music sounds great as it is. Would there be any reason to switch from my X-fi to AE-5, or do I have the best of the best already?

 

[The Terrible Puddle]

I'll never get why someone would buy a sound device that requires special drivers.

 

[Prima.Vera]

The 32bit/384khz is tempting, but I own an X-fi titanium hd that supposedly supports 32bit/192khz just from the drivers that came on the installation disc. Music sounds great as it is. Would there be any reason to switch from my X-fi to AE-5, or do I have the best of the best already?

Anything more than 24bit/92Khz is just marketing gimmick.