Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)If you are looking for superior sound from your computer this is the card to get. I expect a lot from my soundcards since I do composing, music production, listen to iTunes and even a little gaming too. Previously I had been using the very excellent M-Audio Audiophile 2496. The M-Audio had a few drawbacks to it but nothing that I couldn't work around. However, I decided to upgrade. I looked at the stats of several cards from Turtle Beach and M-Audio but on paper they didn't compare with this card. After installation I gave it a test drive. On playing music from iTunes I noticed a much cleaner sound than my previous card. I didn't bother to use the silly "Crystallizer." If you read about what it actually does, it essentially distorts the sound. This card doesn't need any tricks like that and I can't recommend using it. I think it was just marketing hype. Also, I've listened to music for the last few days I didn't notice any fatigue on my part - the sound was truly better. Next I opened up Cubase (a music sequencing program) and did an audio mixdown of one of my pieces, the quality was equal to a bit better than the original. Ripping from CD to iTunes, I didn't notice any difference in quality. The secret is likely the 5 million transitors. I also will once again enjoy the compatibility with nearly all software programs. If I need it I have access to 24 bit sound fonts, a microphone port and some other do-dads. There were a few downsides. The largest of which was the software installation which took way too long - 40 minutes on my Pentium 4 with 2 GB of RAM. I also objected to having to remove shortcuts from AOL placed in my start menu and Favorites by the installation program. You have to use the install disc and you are not given the option of just installing drivers. I took a small chance (because I had 14 days to return it) on the card because I have read countless negative reviews about Creative products over the last few years. Its nice to see them putting out a quality product once more. I didn't purchase the more expensive big brothers because I didn't need their features. I cannot comment on technical support because fortunately I didn't need to contact them. I highly recommend this card because of its quality and price.
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Take your music, movies and games to the next level with the X-Fi XtremeMusic Sound Card / 24-bit X-Fi Crystalizer / EAX Advanced HD 5.0 / X-Fi CMSS-3D 109dB SNRPackage contents - Sound Blaster X-Fi PCI Card, Quick Start Leaflet, and Installation and Applications CD containing - Drivers for Windows XP, Creative Software Suite, Doom 3 Sound Blaster EAX patch, and User's Guide
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