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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SoundBlaster X-Fi Elite Pro
The major aspect of the SoundBlaster X-Fi Elite Pro that separates it in price from the cheaper cards in the X-Fi series is sound quality. The utmost care was taken in selecting components and building a very clean and clear sounding product. To that end, 4 Cirrus Logic CS4398 stereo 24bit / 192kHz DACs are used on the board.The CS4398 DAC is capable of 120dB dynamic range, -107dB THD+N, and even direct decode of SACD data. An NJM2114 and 3 NJM2068 dual LNAs provide good gain characteristics with very little distortion and noise. High quality components are also used in the breakout box with more Cirrus Logic components and a few Burr Brown parts. It all comes together to bring excellent sound to the listener. When we get our hands on one of the more mainstream SoundBlaster X-Fi parts, we will be able to talk better about the differences in components used and what we can expect on the quality front.
Supporting 127 hardware accelerated voices and the latest in Creative's EAX Advanced HD spec, all the features mentioned that are part of X-Fi, including one heck of a hefty price tag, make the SoundBlaster X- Fi Elite Pro. But is the latest (and greatest) from Creative worth the $400 premium? The best way to find out is to listen. And listen, we did.
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DerekWilson - Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - link
That's not a game port, its a digital connector to the break out box. The breakout box has optical in and out, spdif out, RCA out, quarter inch out, and problabaly a few things I'm forgetting right now.There is no daughter card connection. The thing that looks like it is a dell case front panel connector. For whatever reason.
Saist - Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - link
I'm trying hard not to be the wet blanket, but why in the world is everyone so gung-ho about creative products? I know I'm not the only one whose suffered from scratchy sound, static generation, swapped speaker channels, and dropped speaker channels with Creative cards. I've lost count of the number of games I've played where a sound issue has been specifically traced to a Creative driver set or Creative hardware problem. I don't want to even think about leaving the "well supported" windows world and looking towards systems that use ALSA, ARTS, or OSS sound systems. The lack of documentation makes setting up and running creative cards a pain in the rear.Quite frankly, given what I've seen of Creative's products and experienced, I'll stick with my Via Envy and wait for Via Envy2 if I'm going to upgrade. Just doesn't seem to be any sense to stick to Creative's path which invariably either winds up with less than desirable products and higher than desirable prices.
flexy - Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - link
i take 10 ! :)
a) any REAL pro will probably NOT get a creative soundcard
b) a gamer/casual PC enthusiast will probably NOT spend $400 on a soundcard.
c) i had to stop reading the article and laughed when i read "$400"...and i laughed even more when i read that " Unfortunately, there are not a great many games out there that support X-Fi yet. On our list are Doom 3 and Battlefield 2. We tested both of these games and attained good results. We weren't able to create accurate and repeatable sound tests, but from our subjective analysis of gameplay, we couldn't really discern a quality difference between older hardware and the X-Fi."
in other words: You did NOT see (hear) any difference between a Audigy 2 and this card - besides the sad fact that there's barely a game out which supports X-FI.
What (please ?) is the point of this card/review ? Makeing us PC enhusiasts want to spend $400 on a soundcard which has no real-life use at all - or convince the *real* audio-professionals that now Creative is a contender in the "pro-market" ?
DerekWilson - Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - link
Creative is a contender and active member in the pro market with their EMU line.I wouldn't use a consumer product for professional applications. I also woulnd't use a pro card for gaming.
I don't recommend the Elite Pro at the $400 price point. But to people who want a gaming card with excellent sound quality and lots of recording features (and have money to burn), the Elite Pro fits their needs.
to be clear, games that support EAX do support the X-Fi ... just not X-RAM -- the defining performance feature. It would be more accurate to say that no game exploits all the features of X-Fi.
JNo - Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - link
Unfortunately Derek, you failed to make it VERY clear that the bottom of the range x-fi card (which most gamers would probably be happy with) is $130, which is very much more in people's spending range for an everyday soundcard. Obviously you didn't get to test it, having the elite pro instead, but because the basic model is very similar with only very slightly worse DACs (only audiophiles can tell), no extra RAM (no/v little impact today), no remote or break out box, some intelligent guesses could have been made as to its value.AnnihilatorX - Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - link
"The SoundBlaster X-Fi Elite Pro is the best non-pro sound solution for audio listening, features and recording"Ironic isn't it lol
PenGun - Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - link
What's the deal with the 1 K spikes in Dynamic Range and THD? The Gina at least is smooth. The creative stuff is all over. You should be aware graphs are useful but are not a good indicator of how a card sounds.PenGun
SDA - Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - link
"The SoundBlaster X-Fi Elite Pro is the best non-pro sound solution for audio listening, features and recording. "That's like saying that a Prescott is the best non-low-wattage, non-AMD solution for games. Yes, whoopee, but what if you don't have stupid limitations?
To make myself clearer: a pro sound solution at the same price point or below would offer better sound quality, more features, and better recording capability.
Googer - Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - link
I Love the irony of this statement.
Eskimooo - Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - link
Wherever I search web before spending any larger sum there are always people complaining about the stuff they have never seen an/or have no clue about.Why do you post opinion like that and give no example? What is the point?
I mean I am reading reviews and I am trying to make a well informed decision about how to spend my money. If you draw a comparison, do it really, so that it is a valid point.
So what is the soundcard that would give me better quality of sound at recording, playback and more features at the same time at the same price?
I did not have opportunity to listen to music played back with system using X-Fi so I am looking for opinions from those who did before I eventually decide to order it online, too. Thanks to Derek this review. I have read about X-Fi enough to believe it is worth the price and that it will serve me well for a good few years like the Live card did.
Enlighten me, cus I am looking better feature set