Creative Labs X-Fi

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1850360,00.asp?kc=ETRSS02129TX1K0000532' target='_blank'>http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1850360,00.asp?kc=ETRSS02129TX1K0000532</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The engineers at Creative and their E-MU subsidiary decided to architect an audio processor that could be the core of a high end PCI sound card—but be also usable in more general audio applications. The end result is one of the most sophisticated single-chip audio architectures created to date. We first heard about the X-Fi—code-named "Zenith"—two years ago, even before first silicon. It's been a long road for Creative, as they've had to respin the chip several times in order to fully bake it. After all, the X-Fi processor serves up 51.1 million transistors, versus the Audigy 2's 4.6M, over a 10-fold increase. Now the chip is done and the cards are about to ship. The chip is clocked at 400MHz, versus the 10K-2's 200MHz, and is built on a 130nm process."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/sb.jpg" /><br /><br />These cards range from $130 to $400, and according to the review these are outstanding cards. Just curious though, I have not had a dedicated sound card in years and am wondering about the rest of you, so let's take a quick poll.

[PR.]

I have a dedicated card in my Games PC an Audigy 2 Platinum Pro. I have seen several games which will make use of features that this card offers so I may upgrade.

My desktop PC used the built in nForce2 system which I have had no problems with although I never play games on this machine.

I have a 5.1 stereo connected to both my sound cards so I like to have good quality

[bluemax]

I didn't know architect was a verb.

Bill B

[OSUKid7]

Integrated on my laptop at college, and I really don't have the room to have a 5.1 setup anyway. At home on my PC I have an Audigy2 with 5.1 analog speakers.

[Jason Dunn]

Bought the X-Fi ExtremeMusic edition today at Best Buy.The 24-bit Crystalizer makes the music a little louder, but I can't say it sounds of a higher quality.

Interesting - that's about what I expected to be honest. Audio testing is SO difficult because unless you rig up a system whereby you have two computers playing back the same MP3 file at the same time and you can flip from A to B and back again to hear the difference on the same speakers...it's all subjective. "Gee, I think that sounds better than the other one." I dread reviewing speakers or talking about audio quality because what I think sounds great another person might thing sounds horrible.