X-Fi and the Elite Pro: SoundBlaster's Return to Greatness
by Derek Wilson on August 30, 2005 11:59 AM EST- Posted in
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Final Words
The final verdict is that the SoundBlaster X-Fi Elite Pro is an excellent audio solution. With plenty of analog and digital I/O, the potential for improving game performance, lots of features, and better sound quality than any other consumer sound solution on the market, the SB X-Fi Elite Pro is simply impressive. Topping the performance of the Audigy 4 Pro and the Echo Gina 3G at every bit depth and sample rate, we can't help but acknowledge the superiority of the newest top-of-the-line card from Creative.The X-Fi's SRC combined with its new Audio Ring architecture alleviate Creative's past problems with sample rate conversion and intermodulation distortion. All audio sources are played with the highest clarity and quality. Playback of 24-bit / 96kHz audio is pristine even from the back of the computer. When working with lower bitrate audio, X-Fi can apply certain filters (such as the 24-bit Crystallizer) that attempt to clean up and enhance the signal. More than twice the number of hardware voices are supported in games alongside the latest in EAX Advanced HD for 3D sound. Multi-channel works perfectly, and CMSS-3D adds some advanced algorithms for HRTF, spacialization, and multiple in, multiple out up and down mixing to support any source on any speaker configuration.
At the end of the day, we were very happy with the performance of the X-Fi Elite Pro as a sound card for gaming, as part of a pro audio chain, and as the center of an entertainment system. However, we did have some complaints. Our experience with this (and all other) hardware is that audio is best played on a speaker configuration that fits the source. Creative argues that their hardware is capable of dynamically "remastering" and "remixing" audio to best fit the system at hand. We would flat out deny this claim and are shocked that Creative would even pretend that they could provide quality on par with remastered audio. Having hardware approximated the job of an audio technician in training is something that we might be able to believe, but no amount of processing will make up for a lack of data from the source. Access to all the original tracks as they were recorded at full bitrate (or analog as the case may be) gives an audio engineer infinitely more control over the final product than Creative can have with any finalized audio. That's not to say that some assistance in fitting the source to a particular setup isn't helpful in some cases. Upmixing 5.1 audio to 7.1 comes to mind as an example of an application that makes sense.
Likewise, the 24-bit Crystallizer is not something that we would leave on (or even on one setting) all the time. It is possible for the Crystallizer to clean up, brighten up, and generally make some audio files sound "better". This is especially true in the case of over-compressed or understated audio: the Crystallizer adds a punchiness and depth to these. Of course, in cases where the transients are already fully in the foreground, enabling the Crystallizer can make already punchy audio overpowering. We understand that some dynamic range is lost on 16-bit audio, but it's not always the case that hardware can determine exactly what should fill the missing bits if the final target was 24-bit rather than 16.
We are interested in the performance advantages of the 64MB of onboard RAM. Unfortunately, we don't have many games that make use of this feature, so we aren't able to talk about the real advantages here. Creative has given us some indication that they expect some very significant quality gains in games that have very little impact on the CPU and enable developers to have more freedom in how they design audio.
The only thing that we would really like to see that we don't is Dolby Digital Live (realtime Dolby 5.1 encoding for output over SPDIF to a receiver). With all the processing power available, there is no excuse for not supporting this feature, yet we have seen no mention of it from Creative. Dolby Digital Live may not be as hot a topic as it was back when NVIDIA supported the feature in their onboard SoundStorm audio solution, but we would still like to see it added for completeness (especially when even Intel's onboard solution can handle it).
The last question that we have to address is the most important. Is the SoundBlaster X-Fi Elite Pro worth the $400 price tag? If the card is destined for a machine that will be multitasked as the centerpiece of an entertainment center, part of a gaming rig, and part of a small home studio for budding musicians, then the answer is "yes" (but only if high quality speakers and possibly a very high quality receiver and amp are to be used in conjunction with the product). The SoundBlaster X-Fi Elite Pro is not a sound card to be taken lightly, and it really deserves to be pushed to its limits.
We really can't recommend this part to the average user. Not only are the quality and feature set far beyond what a normal computer user will need, but the extremely high quality audio components used in the construction of the card are beyond what any, but audiophiles or musicians, will care about. This really is a semi-pro card packed with consumer level features and should be treated as such.
That being said, audiophiles and musicians (who don't use a balanced audio setup) will be very pleased with this card, especially if they enjoy gaming as well as just listening. We also can't wait to get our hands on other X-Fi cards. Ranging in price from $130 to $280, the rest of the new SoundBlaster line-up look to be very compelling offers. The differences between the Elite Pro and the rest of the pack include onboard RAM, the quality of the audio components used, and the I/O options included. Our guess is that most users will be quite satisfied with the SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeMusic (the $130 card).
Creative informed us that cards should be shipping as of last week, but we still can't find them online or in stores. Even Creative's own site lists the X-Fi line up as pre-order. We will have to check into the availability of these parts as we certainly don't want the recently ATI disease ("paperlaunchitis") to spread to the rest of the computer industry.
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mindless1 - Wednesday, September 21, 2005 - link
Unless you can provide the technical means used, I will tend to disbelieve this as the card itself is evidence to the contrary. You can't do in software what the hardware doesn't "really" support and have same result. To get 44.1 out without resampling, you have to START with a 44.1 clock rate, have that specific frequency generator. You can't do "math tricks" to derive a 44.1 rate, it's just an end-run to same end- resampled.Resampling IS clearly a negative. "clean signal" is foolish talk in the context of audio, because typical distortion figures are not enough to discriminate what the human ear can. Proof-positive is that people can, reproducibly, conduct blind abx tests and discriminate between two different sources that have insignificant "measurable" signal differences.
Resampling is always considering one of the most significant factors, it destroys the music's detail to do it. If the rest of your gear is crap and you can't hear the difference, it matters less- but if you are buying this card I would HOPE it's not to be paired with low-end links in the rest of the system.
When you "set a clock", you are causing it to resample. Doing without resampling requires multiple clock crystals, at least the base frequencies if upsampled further for better DAC resolution on an analog output. You don't "set" a clock rate in such a superior scheme, only selecting (which) clock input.
Byzantine - Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - link
In Audio Creation mode you can set "Bit-Matched Playback" which will disable the SRC and any EQ. The X-Fi has a flexible signal routing architecture so that you change the sampling rate. The Digit-Life review confirms that you can play back at 44.1kHz without SRC.I guess you haven't auditioned the X-Fi yet, otherwise you would not notice how improved the SRC is on the X-Fi compared to the previous generation. Even if you did not like the SRC, there is now the option to avoid the SRC altogether. Music listening is very subjective, so there's no way people will agree on the quality of the sound. If the X-Fi is not up to your standards, then don't get it. I'm personally more than satisfied with my Elite Pro.
Sea Shadow - Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - link
How do you know this, I have yet to see any data proving or disproving your rantings.yacoub - Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - link
I'll consider it a return when they offer it for $100-200. This is nothing more than Creative moving to a price model similar to other computer hardware components such as videocards. The only thing returning is the bullsh*t.Araemo - Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - link
Hello? Anyone out there? Creative, 2004 is calling, and it would like a PCI-express audio card.More seriously, I'd be hesitant to spend $100+ on a new sound card for my new system(about 5 months away) that may not work on my next system after that(About 2 years away). Sound cards are not a huge performance bottleneck w/ only two speakers. I don't NEED a new card, so I'll probably just use the Realtek 850 audio on my next motherboard.
Why would Creative release their only innovative product from the past 5 years, without support for the most current interface? I'm sure they can add it down the line, but it doesn't make sense to me not to have it now.
xeizo - Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - link
There is no PCI-E soundcard out there yet, strange it may seem, but that must be because the industry had an easier time introducing PCI-E on motherboards than they expected, and so no need to push it further by rushing "killer hardware". Or mabe more right, the killer hardware was SLI.There are other much more interesting audiowork being done than X-Fi, like the team which are writing an audiodriver for Geforce-cards. There we can talk about a capable DSP, and with lots of "X-RAM" already in place.
As been pointed out, the most annoying thing about X-Fi are the driver issues:
no Linux-driver, or even support for external development of one
no Windows Vista-support
the general low quality of ALL Creative drivers, the slow updates or correction of bugs, the bloat, and not being able to download full drivers but must buy a CD.
And what about usability ? If I build a new computer, do I really need more audio-performance than what I have ? Yes, if I'm a musician I need "as much" audio performance as I can get, but I don't usually get it from a soundcard(or audiointerface) but instead I get it from software or dedicated hardware. What I need is a fast, faster, fastest cpu and lots of matching RAM. No need to even bother to use any part of Creatives software bundle, as there already are endless amounts of much better dedicated music-creating software out there. All i need is a fast PC and a clean sounding audio-interface. Even an Audiophile 2496 for under a 100$ sounds clean enough for professional use and has as low latency as the 400$ X-Fi, and the drivers aren't buggy. It just works, clean and simple. If I wan't to make music I would be much more interested in Creatives E-MU cards, especially since X-Fi are so insanely highly priced. The cheaper cards in the X-Fi line will NOT do to take make music on because they use inferior AD-converters, which renders the good enough DACs on them useless for recording live instruments.
For other use, ie games, gamers aren't audiophiles. They just want cool effects in their game, any Audigy-card will do for that. Analogue sound, that is, if you use SPDIF to good quality external hardware i guess there aren't many that can't do with an ALC850.
And pure audiophiles who don't make any music, just listens to it ? Well, if the musician who made the music thinks an M-Audio-card is good enough to create the music on I see no reason why an Audiophile can't think that the same soundquality as in the studio is good enough for him.
And movies ? SPDIF and ALC850 once again ... but i prefer my standalone DVD-player.
In fact, noone NEEDS X-Fi, it's just bloatware and marketing. Most people annoyed with their soundquality need better speakers, not better soundcards. Or prove me wrong.
Araemo - Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - link
Some agreements and counter-points:In my current system, I have an audigy(First gen) "mp3". And the nForce 2 soundstorm w/ dolby digital(I think? NF7-S v.2.0, I don't use dolby if I do have it thoguh). I have no room for a 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, etc.. sound system, and it would just annoy my roommates and neighbors. So I wanted to find a good, high quality 2.1 system w/ optical audio in.. I couldn't find one from any computer speaker company. In retrospect, I should have looked at home theatre type stuff? But that probably woulda been at least twice the price(Good speakers + good amp?, vs. my logitech 2200s for about $70). My audigy, due to drivers, or whatever.. crackles after the system has been on a while, and multiple sounds are playing(Winamp + any game?). The Soundstorm has SHITTY sounding midi playback. I have both cards installed and configured.. midis play through the audigy's hardware midi playback, are 'recorded' on the audigy without leaving the card, and played back through speakers hooked up to the soundstorm. If I get an ALC850 sound card, I'll probably have to do the same thing to get decent midi playback. Plus, as scary as it sounds.. Creative's drivers are the BEST among all the consumer 'gaming' sound cards. And they SUCK ASS. I know from experience that the intel chipset built-in audio isn't always as stable as my audigy was.. (At least on my first gen centrino chipset). So, no, not everyone can put up with just an ALC850.. 99% of people can, but anyone who has a collection of MIDIs and likes decent sound banks.. has to buy creative, or get dedicated MIDI hardware.
Doesn't PCI-E have a transport mode designed to give predictable latencies? I would think the ability to have multiple sound cards interacting with the controller 100% independantly, getting all 1Gbps(Per lane) of bandwidth, would be desirable for high quality multi-channel sounds. It IS refreshing to finally see another creative product that isn't based on the Emu10kX chips. And who knows, if ATI can make their drivers good enough that some people are saying they're better than nVidia(In certain areas), maybe even Creative can pull their drivers out of the gutter too.
DerekWilson - Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - link
That needs to be said quite a few more times ...
mindless1 - Thursday, September 1, 2005 - link
True, the speakers are usually the weakest link but that doesn't begin to make the sound card any stronger. Unfortunately as any audiophile will tell you, the better the /rest/ of your gear is, the more you'll notice the weakest link. Can't tell for sure from the pics but it doen't even look like Creative is using decent output coupling caps, which is sad on a $400 card.ceefka - Thursday, September 1, 2005 - link
Plus: would an audiophile be listening to his best CDs from a PC or a standalone high end CD player? I guess I could do without the background noise of a PC and I do not consider myself an audiophile.