Creative did not yet release PCIe versions of their EMU-based X-Fi cards as adapting the CA20K1 chip for PCIe proved to be troublesome, with the company itself reporting design difficulties, latency problems and delays. In 2007 Creative Technology unveiled PCI Express x1 and ExpressCard/34 versions of Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio during Consumer Electronics Show. The other new product introduced was the X-Fi 'XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro', identical in function to the Fatal1ty FPS, but made more affordable by the unbundling of the I/O panel and remote control. The market segment occupied by the XtremeMusic was moved downwards, with the introduction of the (cheaper) 'Xtreme Audio' and 'Xtreme Audio Notebook' products, which, despite the "X-Fi" label, are the only products in the X-Fi line not using the EMU20K1 chip ( CA20K1) but an older chip similar to the Audigy SE and SB Live! cards ( CA0106-WBTLF) and thus lacking the hardware acceleration of 3D sound and EAX sound effects, gaming and content creation features and the I/O extensibility of all the other X-Fi models. The revised model featured half-width PCB, non-gold-plated connectors, optical out instead of the digital out and digital I/O module jack, and lacked the connector for users wishing to purchase a separate X-Fi I/O box. October 2006 saw a minor rebranding: the X-Fi XtremeMusic edition, which was in fact a highly capable gaming card, as it offers hardware decoding and EAX support, was replaced with the XtremeGamer model. Launch reviews did not support Creative's claims of higher performance, however, with even the top-end 64 MB equipped model falling slightly behind the older Audigy cards. The bottom two models feature 2 MB onboard X-RAM, while the top models offer 64 MB of X-RAM, designed for use in games to store sound samples for improved gaming performance.
#Sound blaster x fi 5 pro#
The Platinum and Fatal1ty FPS models both offer a front-panel drive-bay control unit and remote control, while the base model was supplied without any such accessories.Īll but the top model claimed 109 dB signal-to-noise ratio, while the Elite Pro model uses a higher-end DAC, with 116 dB claimed.
#Sound blaster x fi 5 full size#
The top-end Elite Pro model was aimed at musicians, bundled with the X-Fi external I/O box (offering phono with preamp inputs for turntables, high-impedance input for guitars, 1⁄ 4 inch mic input, headphone output, line-in, and full size MIDI I/O, as well as optical and RCA Coaxial digital inputs and outputs), and remote control. The Sound BlasterX AE-5 is a revelation and nothing short of phenomenal.64 MB of dedicated memory found on the Fatal1ty Pro sound card via two Micron Technology 48LC32M8A2-75 D (PC133) SDRAM chips In my T40 review, i mentioned that the T40 could not quite deliver the warmth and power of a 2.1 system insofar as bass is concerned but with the AE-5, that shortcoming evaporated and i was simply blown away.
Gaming audio, which the AE-5 was marketed at, proved to excellent as well.
The X-Fi Prelude never delivered quite the same hauntingly beautiful details which the AE-5 did. Testing the AE-5 with just a few songs from Sarah Brightman, Tsai Chin and Metallica, the sound from the T40s which i had also used with the X-Fi Prelude were richer, definitely clearer and just a little "warmer".Īttaching my aged Grado SR-80s and playing more tracks, i was in audio aural bliss.
#Sound blaster x fi 5 series#
Immediately, after installing it and hooking it up to the GigaWorks T40 Series II speakers, with my layman ears, i could immediately tell the difference between the AE-5 and the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude which i was still using with the T40s just a few days prior. The AE-5 is Creative's latest card and since i was building a new rig this year, I decided to go for broke and get it. Moreover, having owed an Auzentech X-Fi Prelude, i am a firm convert of discrete sound card audio being superior to onboard audio even if the onboard audio is a good one (my old rig was a Gigabyte Sniper 3 Intel Z77 motherboard which had a Creative Sound Core3D™ quad-core audio processor).
Discrete sound card or a DAC? I personally chose a sound card because desk space is a premium for me due to a 34" monitor and a set of GigaWorks T40 Series II speakers.
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