Creative Labs SoundBlaster ZXR gets tested and reviewed

Discussion in 'Frontpage news' started by Hilbert Hagedoorn, Jul 18, 2013.

  1. Hilbert Hagedoorn

    Hilbert Hagedoorn Don Vito Corleone Staff Member

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  2. Warboy

    Warboy Master Guru

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    You guys didn't test it for true hardware acceleration?
     
  3. thatguy91

    thatguy91 Guest

    Isn't Soundblaster and interesting name, when you consider it is silent without speakers?
     
  4. Arbold

    Arbold Guest

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    I was thinking about getting one of these. The question is. Do you have to install the 2nd Card right next to the first one? Or could you have that one a few slots away?
     

  5. TheDeeGee

    TheDeeGee Ancient Guru

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    I wonder if it's worth upgrading my current Soundcard to this one.

    I'm using Headphones only, the AKG K601.
     
  6. Neo Cyrus

    Neo Cyrus Ancient Guru

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    黃仁勳 stole my 4090
    I'm terrified its flimsy ribbon cable will crust up and die just like every ribbon cable in history has, and it only has 1 year warranty so Creative will just laugh at me. I tried contacting Creative to see if I can order a spare ribbon cable but I couldn't get a hold of them.

    One thing that really annoys me is that as the dial is turned to change the volume it causes static and sometimes for whatever reason it can disable the right channel so I have to move it, yes as in turn the dial. I don't know if mine is defective or if they're all like this, knowing Creative they'll take 2 weeks to respond to an RMA request then do nothing but waste my time. Also it's made of mud and sticks, I looked in its general direction and the SB logo on it started to peel.

    If there was a simple alternative I would have taken it just to avoid Creative but there wasn't. The only other option for me would have been the Essence ST + Xonar H6. That would have required a PCI slot and ordering them separately as I couldn't get them in one location. The STX cannot connect to the H6. Having the daughterboard on the ZxR is also a nice hand up over the ST + H6.
    My last card was an X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Fatal1ty Pro, same card as yours I think? It's definitely an upgrade in all sound ranges, but nothing to write home about. I wanted it so I can have swappable op amps (which I still haven't gotten around to, life, you know) and I needed a dedicated headphone amp as my headphones are the 250 Ohm version.

    I should note that it will not be loud enough for 600 Ohm headphones, I use the 600 Ohm setting with my 250 Ohm headphones.
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2013
  7. ROBSCIX

    ROBSCIX Ancient Guru

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    You can put the DB-Pro card wherever the ribbon cable will allow.
     
  8. k1net1cs

    k1net1cs Ancient Guru

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    Well, isn't a 'flashlight' an interesting name, when you consider it can't light jack crap without batteries?
     
  9. schmidtbag

    schmidtbag Ancient Guru

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    Crust up and die? What do YOU do to cause that and make this seem like a typical thing? Do leave them out in the sun? I've seen 10 year old computers that were on 24/7 in places without A/C that never had deteriorating cables (and they used IDE).

    And yes, everything deteriorates eventually, but computers from 20 years ago still have perfectly usable ribbon cables. It's a matter of environment that really causes damage to the cables - typically extreme cold, extreme heat, or UV rays. So what I want to know is how you manage to have seen crusty cables, presumably more than once.
     
  10. Neo Cyrus

    Neo Cyrus Ancient Guru

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    They were in typically well ventilated/cooled cases. My current one has excellent air flow. It's not too dry or humid either, but it is slightly on the humid side.
     

  11. Taint3dBulge

    Taint3dBulge Maha Guru

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    I have the downgrade to this just the Z. Its very very good.. I use ****ty desk speakers and some good razar headphones.. Funny thing the desktop speaks now sound rather good lmao..
     
  12. k1net1cs

    k1net1cs Ancient Guru

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    That's odd.
    Even the ribbon cable from my SB Live! Platinum still bends just fine, or the 80-pin IDE cables I still have around, and it's pretty humid here most of the time.

    I honestly have never seen an IDE cable 'crust up'.
    Cut up, yes, from the stray swings of my minus screwdriver, but never crust up or anything like that...at least not the 80-pin ones.
     
  13. LesserHellspawn

    LesserHellspawn Master Guru

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    I'll cling to my Auzen X-Fi, just because of 7.1 speaker support, since I have that setup. If there's no new Creative card with 7.1 support agian by the time I build my next rig, they'll lose me as customer.
     
  14. BLEH!

    BLEH! Ancient Guru

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    If I didn't have a 16-channel recording soundcard I'd probably be using something like this. High end audio really does make a difference.
     
  15. RavenMaster

    RavenMaster Maha Guru

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    I love my ZXR - best sound card I've ever owned. Great quality for both music and games + movies and the ACM mic is a nice addition too
     

  16. TheDeeGee

    TheDeeGee Ancient Guru

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    Is that extra card needed or optional to install?
     
  17. maikai

    maikai Maha Guru

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    Optional
     
  18. Neo Cyrus

    Neo Cyrus Ancient Guru

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    As mentioned it's optional, but most of us have consoles so just output their optical SPDIF to the ZxR for some non-crap console sound. That's what I use it for. :wanker: The analog 2.0 cable gets interference and sounds terrible.
     
  19. warezme

    warezme Master Guru

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    Is it worth the price point?

    I'm still rocking X58SLI, mobo and OC'ed i7 920 with the PCI slots. I just upgrade the video card(s) from time to time. I have been dragging an old XFI Fatal1ty with break out box from mobo to mobo and there will come a day when PCI is not included. Is this card that much better then the old XFI cards? or is it time to leave built in well enough alone?
     
  20. TheDeeGee

    TheDeeGee Ancient Guru

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    Right now it costs around 175 Euros here in Holland.

    I wonder if it's worth the money as Gamer only to replace my X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro.

    It's quite some money, but then again the components are top of the line and a soundcard will last for long time.
     

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