Creative releases Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Gaming Sound Card

Discussion in 'Frontpage news' started by Hilbert Hagedoorn, Apr 16, 2020.

  1. Sylencer

    Sylencer Master Guru

    Messages:
    294
    Likes Received:
    136
    GPU:
    ASUS 3090 Strix OC
    I got the normal AE-5 and im yet unsure if the card was worth it. My previous PC had one from Asus and i should've sticked with an Asus one tbh.
     
  2. SamuelL421

    SamuelL421 Master Guru

    Messages:
    271
    Likes Received:
    198
    GPU:
    RTX 4090 / RTX 5000
    My stance as well, USB is not an ideal solution for adding hardware beyond keyboard, mice, peripherals. Id sooner have it in my case and off my desk if at all possible.
     
  3. RavenMaster

    RavenMaster Maha Guru

    Messages:
    1,356
    Likes Received:
    250
    GPU:
    1x RTX 3080 FE
    Windows would still see it as a second monitor if it has to go through any GPU of sorts
     
  4. Mufflore

    Mufflore Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    14,691
    Likes Received:
    2,671
    GPU:
    Aorus 3090 Xtreme
    Put the rogue display in the top left corner, its the least troublesome configuration.
    Occasionally you wont know where your mouse is but dragging down/right will get it back.
     

  5. NCC1701D

    NCC1701D Master Guru

    Messages:
    269
    Likes Received:
    172
    GPU:
    RTX 4090 FE
    I think they still have their place, even though it's a bit niche. I have their X7 external model and I like it. Makes it really easy to have fun sound for games and then switch to a balanced EQ for music with profiles. I like their virtual surround sound for shooter games too which is a selling point for me. I don't want to have to use other software or buy a cheap USB headset with bulit in surround surround when I can just plug in a higher quality set of cans through 3.5mm.
     
    Keitosha likes this.
  6. Freitlein

    Freitlein Member

    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    5
    GPU:
    VII
    I switch between a RME Hammerfall and Creative DTS-Live via TOSLINK almost every day multiple times. So it's essential for me. HDMI or DP sucks! But they also could sell a piece of cardboard instead of wasting a PCIe-slot with another egg warmer. The point for me is, as long mainboards have an oddish air-cooler and no DD-L + DTS-l support (except Asrock) I will stay with my good not that old DDR3-Intel-System. Creative should finally come away from it's "Windows 95 drivers" or juts go to hell. :Do_O
     
  7. Fergutor

    Fergutor Member Guru

    Messages:
    113
    Likes Received:
    19
    GPU:
    MSI 1660 Super GX
    And other posts.

    1-Creative does make USB "DACs" or external "DACs". Way more useful for modern PC use than your beautiful Topping D50s, that by the way, for lossless stereo music must be absolutely great, and frankly, makes the audiophile in me higly desire it, and I congratulate you for having it. But it's actually a horrible buy.
    2-Outperforms in what? If in stereo sound quality, doubtful, at least in perception, probably only a bit as you say but more theory than anything. If you talk about noise, SNR, they are rated the same. If by the interface, USB has it's problems too, see for example some Gigabyte motherboards use special USB ports for "DACs" because of the noise normal USB ports they have. And that's only one of the issues. The "inside PC there's a lot of EM noise" it's only true in theory, or rather true but doesn't actually affects the sound card.
    3-Usually those purist USB "DACs" are as useful as a...I was going to say "a sound card from the 90's: only stereo sound", but even those have way more features!! ...Talk about "evolve"!! Did you people know movies and games are multichannel surround sound? And did you know that the in game stereo audio with it's own necessary 3d processing (yes, they have, oh my!! "The gimmick"...!!) is either for headphones or speakers, but not for both? Did you know that putting multichannel surround (5.1/7.1 or other) over stereo speakers or headphones without any processing is as smart and appropriate as using a 144hz 32bits 21/9 ultrawide video output to a monochrome 4/3 monitor, surround display to a single small front monitor, or outputting VR to a normal display and being sure of doing so it's correct, enough, etc...No, if you don't have a proper multichannel system that match the stream, then you need a way to convert the stream to the system, and usual "DACs" without any processing capabilities can not do that. (the processed game's stereo output is another problem, a thing to ask to the developer if it's for heaphones or speakers...). But there are "DACs"...or rather USB external soundcards that have these capabilities.
    4-PCI-E is as dead as the graphic cards that use them, and wifi cards, SSDs, etc, etc, etc...not at all.
    5-This is all a great example of misinformation. And given how you people know a lot about other parts of the PC, is amazing how this part, sound, is treated as a weird artifact in the forest...But it's quite a normal thing. It's quite bothering that given the colossal ignorance on this topic by most people, PC sound related companies don't make much effort to educate the potential buyers...but one big problem with they doing it is that as each company have their own solutions they will probably end up misinforming as well...So a guide by some power user would be great. If I knew enough, I would totally do it, but it's not the case.
    6-So as I said before an only stereo sound device, that only output stereo, "pristine" stereo, for a crowd that doesn't even care if the audio is 128kbps MP3, that doesn't have any useful feature, by soft or hard, to cope with modern PC use, and that isn't even inside the PC...that's "evolving". No. That's as retrogade as it can get!!!
    7-Now about "How are these still viable?" Let's say you don't have a use for a proper modern PC ready sound device, because either you only properly use stereo sources not including games, or because you just don't care what you output to that stereo sound: does that mean that because of that, the people like me, that does use and does care should not have access to such products? Yes, they are still viable, in fact, for what I can see, they are the only proper option for modern PC use there is!

    Similar (so, not the same) goes for onboard sound or "external receiver". Each with it's own weaknesses (depending the model).

    Now, please, don't come with any fallacious argument, for example saying that I "think existing sound cards are perfect" or "we only have 2 ears" or any other thing I didn't explicitly said (while I hope I didn't missprepresented anything others said, remember it's a general response anyway not only to Cidious user).
     
    lordzerg likes this.
  8. JamesSneed

    JamesSneed Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    1,690
    Likes Received:
    960
    GPU:
    GTX 1070
    This post kind of went sideways however I do see both sides. Most people get good enough sound from onboard audio and people who need true higher fidelity would externalize the sound processing and amp. However I can still see a niche for a dedicated sound card but it is certainly not going to be super popular like they were a decade ago. Me personally for home use just give me a decent set of speakers with there own DAC like audio engine and i'm happy.
     
  9. Noisiv

    Noisiv Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    8,230
    Likes Received:
    1,494
    GPU:
    2070 Super
    FIXED in bold :)


    https://abload.de/img/adbwki0.png

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2020
  10. Noisiv

    Noisiv Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    8,230
    Likes Received:
    1,494
    GPU:
    2070 Super
    I remember few years ago reading about particular RMAA test of some dedicated audio card (kill me cant remember which).

    Thing is... they first measured it on desktop/idle and it measured fine.
    But measurements turned out very different once you start crunching CPU/GPU and the system heats up.

    PS
    I'm no purist. If it can't ABX-ed, it's transparent. If it can''t be measured - it doesn't exist.
     

  11. lordzerg

    lordzerg Member

    Messages:
    25
    Likes Received:
    10
    GPU:
    AMD Radeon R9 290
    I can't believe, that I see so many negative comments here...
    THANK YOU CREATIVE! keep making more soundcards they are the best!
    And to others who don't like the PCI-E soundcards, use your on-board crap Realtek soundcards and USB stereo sound cards and don't comment when you are incompetent.
     
  12. lordzerg

    lordzerg Member

    Messages:
    25
    Likes Received:
    10
    GPU:
    AMD Radeon R9 290
    Why the f*ck you need HDMI port on sound card? just buy external 5.1 / 7.1 system and connect to Creative sound card with 3 cables or optical cable. Why you want to use the crappy sound of your TV speakers :D
     
    Fergutor likes this.
  13. kakiharaFRS

    kakiharaFRS Master Guru

    Messages:
    987
    Likes Received:
    370
    GPU:
    KFA2 RTX 3090
    I have yet to hear an acceptable headphones output from anything else than the Zxr in my experience they all distort sound when you raise volume, the usual low frequ disappearing and are replaced by screaming mid-highs they are all awful, I want what I miss from being older, my car audio subwoofer and the techno party bass experience, the Zxr gives me that so I'm keeping it
    I hate having a pcie card hate it it ruins my gpu cooling (i have 3 bottom fans) but it's that or a banshee screaming in my ears no thx
    the soundblaster G6 headphone output is barely better than my on-board audio, usb-only DAC they don't have enough power to properly drive (real) heaphones, it has a lot of sound tweaks but for heaphones use really not recommended

    - videocards leak interferences like crazy, if you connect analog audio to it you need a "hum destroyer" google it
    - another tip if your onboard soundcard has a really crappy control panel (like on my MSI..they removed the equalizer those idiots) you can use this to fix it and tweak sound how you like
    https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/ if it doesnt work for you there's a fix https://appuals.com/how-to-fix-equalizer-apo-not-working-on-windows-10/ with that you can equalize how you want with how many channels you want (you can make text configs with Hz/dB numbers and have 256 bands if you wish to) you can also use VST plugins etc.. with that
     
  14. JiveTurkey

    JiveTurkey Member Guru

    Messages:
    137
    Likes Received:
    66
    GPU:
    Asus 3090
    I am old enough to remember this solution for real time Dolby digital encoding in games.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoundStorm

    I would happily still purchase a pci-e gaming sound card but all my audio goes through the 50ft hdmi run from my computer closet to my TV. TV passes through to an x7. Which powers two kef minis. (used to have seperate dac and amplifier but x7 sounds good enough and is much cleaner setup on mantle.

    Sounds great and I am able to add the creative digital sound alterations at that point but I certainly the magic of plugging in my xfi platinum and playing Starship troopers and hearing all the sound effects really come alive.
     
  15. JiveTurkey

    JiveTurkey Member Guru

    Messages:
    137
    Likes Received:
    66
    GPU:
    Asus 3090
    I have swapped between surround speakers for quality and sound bar for clean and simple. Ultimately I found high quality stereo speakers were the goldilocks in between option that I much preferred.


    I would gladly tuck some wireless surround speakers in the corner to compliment my stereo speakers but last I looked into having both wired and wireless was non feasible due to different lag.
     

  16. Fergutor

    Fergutor Member Guru

    Messages:
    113
    Likes Received:
    19
    GPU:
    MSI 1660 Super GX
    I have to clarify EVERYTHING, huh? That obviously applies only for games in which the output can't be choosen or the specific stereo output can't be differentiated...
    Currently I only play one game (CoH2) in which you can choose and it's useless becasue the virtuall surround there it's that bad (or maybe they did it for ears absolutely different from mine?). And then CS:GO, can't remember if you can chosse stereo speakers apart from headphones, but the virtual surround there, when you tick the corresponding box, it's very good.

    Didn't I said, don't...? Forget it....

    BTW is it good that one?
     
  17. Fergutor

    Fergutor Member Guru

    Messages:
    113
    Likes Received:
    19
    GPU:
    MSI 1660 Super GX
    That's fine. It is to be expected. Depends on the sound card. But the thing is: can your ears "measure it" in the sense of "can you hear it"? (Also noise can distort the sound so noise you don't hear for example of very high or very low freq that you can't hear, can actually mess up the audio, but it's something somewhat easy to realize) In my case I never could, when my hearing was near perfect (not the case now that I suffered an accident and have tinnitus). I had a X-Fi Xtreme Music and no. BUT! There is a big but :D. Certain games do interfere. This is true, and this sounds like I'm contradicting, but not exactly because it depends on the games. Comapny of Heroes 2 is terrible (but can't remember in what conditions interferes), Dying Light I think it interferes with my Audigy SE but not the X-Fi, while other games, Metro 2033, Halo MCC for example, not. Movies, nothing. Music, nothing. Youtube videos, nothing.
     
  18. Noisiv

    Noisiv Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    8,230
    Likes Received:
    1,494
    GPU:
    2070 Super
    It;s DOOM ETERNAL. Of course its good.
    That's what transparent means - you raise the quality of the audio chain and once you can't distinguish it from referent system, it's audio transparent; for you anyway.
    Add one zero or run it by a bunch of Phillips golden ear specialists and when it passes it's audio transparent for every human being. Despite being less than perfect and costing 3 orders of magnitude less than referent system.
     
  19. Fergutor

    Fergutor Member Guru

    Messages:
    113
    Likes Received:
    19
    GPU:
    MSI 1660 Super GX
    I always used low impedance headphones...simply becasue I couldn't buy the others...and that problem is not present. Also for headphones why raising the volume that much? Wanna go deaf? On the other hand with an amp and speakers, there I always had the problem, with my X-Fi and audigy you can go 100%, no distortion and with the X-Fi not only that, but you could also raise the bass and treble controls and even the eq and still no distortion!!! Not with the Audigy SE though, touch the eq and goodbye sound.

    That's interesting. It's is supposed to drive 600Ohms headphones and have "Xamp" and good hard... And I heard other problems with the external sound cards from Creative, probably the other dude had a point, but without intention, that Creative should invest more in eternal, well, soundcards (not "DACs").

    For the eq in the MSI panel, probably you have to install Nahimic?
     
  20. Fergutor

    Fergutor Member Guru

    Messages:
    113
    Likes Received:
    19
    GPU:
    MSI 1660 Super GX
    Haha, I meant the virtuall surround of the headphones and the speakers options.
    Yeah..I still haven't played it...nor Doom 2016 :oops:


    I thought you were talking about measuring with instruments...
    But it's actually more complicated than that.
    Yes, you say "for you anyway", fair enough...in a way...but cases in which people are totally convinced that their system/sources sounds good, and then you show them something different and better and they realize how they were totally wrong are common. Or people hearing low bitrate lossy music through old worn amps with disatrous speakers with piezo tweeters (ok, exaggerating but at least 2 of those things) and think it's as good as something actually good (good as "impossible to ignore the difference") are, I think, the most common.

    That's a bit...religious...haha I mean guys hearing it and saying "this is good, you trust us this is good!" haha, but I get what you're saying.
     

Share This Page