Ultrasound. Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty Edition and ASUS Xonar DX Sound Cards

The Creative Sound Blaster X-FI HD external sound card is designed to significantly improve the sound quality thanks to a whole set of advantages. The device can be easily connected to a laptop or PC, while it is equipped with a conveniently located connectors for microphone and playback devices. It costs immediately and mention the functions of amplifying sound and the possibility of without difficulty to adjust the volume of the outgoing audio volume. The rear panel of the sound card is equipped with an optical port, a gold-plated RCA stereo inspection, as well as an integrated phonological director that allows you to directly recording the sound played with your vinyl record.

The device fully supports special Media Toolbox 6, which has a convenient intuitive interface and allows you to easily record digital sound, as well as convert it to various audio formats. Thanks to SBX Pro Studio technology, you can play video or audio files with the "live sound" effect, for example when watching movies or listening to music.

Excellent sound quality
One of the main advantages of this model of the sound card of the USB Sound Blaster line is the ability to reproduce sound in excellent quality. At the same time, the indicator of the signal and noise ratio is 114 dB.

SBX Pro Studio Technology
The Sound Blaster X-FI HD model is equipped with SBX Pro Studio technology, which significantly improves sound quality both during the game and when watching movies or listening to music.

Excellent choice for fans of vinyl records!
In addition to all other benefits, the sound card is equipped with a phonocorrector with a RIAA equalizer, which allows you to easily connect the vinyl record player to it and thus directly convert the sound into CD or MP3 formats.

Sound amplifier in your headset
In the Creative Sound Blaster X-FI HD Arsenal, you will also find an integrated sound amplifier of excellent quality, which works fine even in a pair with premium headphones, where the resistance indicator can reach 330 ohms.

Fast and easy connection
Among other advantages of the device, it is worth highlighting the presence of a conveniently located sound connectors for headphones and a microphone with a gold-plated frame. In addition, the device is equipped with a separate volume control in the form of a special toggle located on the front panel of the sound card.

Full compatibility with Windows 8
The developers of the audio photographers on the fame were worked out not only above the hardware, but also over the software component of their kids. Because of this, sound drivers for Sound Blaster X-FI HD allow the device to work fine even in a pair with the Windows 8 operating system.

Technical indicators

Main:
- Sound technology: X-Fi.
- indicator of the signal ratio and noise: 114 dB.
- Channel output: stereo.
- Used audio technology: SBX Pro Studio.
- sound quality: 24 bits / 96 kHz.
- Main port for connecting: USB 2.0.
- Warranty period: 1 year.

Connection:
- Toslink optical output.
- Optical input TOSLINK.
- One microphone input 1/4 ", which fully complies with RIAA standards.
- Two linear RCA inputs.
- Exit for headphones 1/4 ".
- Two linear RCA outputs.

List of compatible OS:
Windows8, WindowsXP SP2 or more, Windows Vista SP1 or more, Windows7 and Windows10.

Requirements for the system:
- Compatible OS: Microsoft Windows10, Windows8, Windows7, Windows Vista, Windows XP (Professional X64 Edition, Service Pack 2 or more).
- Intel Core2 Duo processor or an AMD equivalent to it with a recommended clock frequency of 2.2 GHz or more.
- availability of a free USB port.
- The minimum amount of RAM: 1 GB.
- the amount of free memory on the hard disk: 600 MB.
- Headphones or speakers with an amplifier.
- CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive for software installation.
- availability of Internet connection.

Equipment:
- Sound Blaster X-FI HD sound card.
- Guide to quickly connect and install software.
- Instructions for the user.
- Adapter adapter with RCA connector and input audio connector.
- USB cable 1.5 m long.
- Installation CD.
- CD disk with Media Toolbox 6.

Two sound USB cards with high-quality DAC

In today's material, we compare two more interesting sound cards among themselves: Creative Sound Blaster X-FI HD VS. ASUS Xonar U7. These are two loved ones and opportunities for the product, in which the focus was made on high-quality converters. At the same time, both maps at the time of writing the article were on sale at a very low price, a little more than 3 thousand rubles.

In the ASUS Xonar U7 forum, the "optimal choice" is based on the "optimal choice", based on the viewing of photos and specifications. Many are completely in vain forget about the need for a direct comparison of sounding devices. Most are also not able to correctly interpret the measurement results.

Name

• Creative Sound Blaster X-FI HD
• ASUS Xonar U7.

The Creative card has a sense of a sense, as it is not a relative X-Fi card and is not related to the Titanium HD card. As a result, the output of the card remained unnoticed. This product is not known for anyone, except for some sound enthusiasts on the computer.

ASUS Xonar U7 also has an incomprehensible name. Pretty old cards U1 and U3 are budgetary products with the quality of integrated sound. U7 has nothing to do with the past products of this series.

Price

• Creative: 3700 rub.
• Asus: 3100 rub.

Cards stand almost the same, the difference in absolute values \u200b\u200bin the price is non-serious. It is more important that such an affordable price makes them an interesting big circle of buyers. There are practically no competitors among USB cards!

At the same time, the Asus card appeared quite recently. The manufacturer also reports that the ASUS Xonar U7 ECHELON EDITION model from the army camouflage case and more functional drives will soon appear.

The target audience

• Creative: Mass, audiophiles
• Asus:mass, home cinema

The Creative model is a map with full-size TRS connectors for headphones and microphone. What is interesting is the phono input for vinyl digitization, with grounding. It also works in the usual linear entrance mode. ThX and other branded processing only software. For films there is an optical digital output for connecting the receiver 5.1 with a decoder.

To the ASUS card, you can connect columns 7.1 by analogue, minijack connectors. The stop is made on the Dolby software bundled. Digital output is combined, optical / coaxial. Both maps have a linear entrance, but in the case of ASUS, a linear entrance is combined with microphone, what to guess quite not easy.

It remains a mystery, why was it in addition to high-quality output to load both cards with so many functions and software. It inevitably blurs the audience and distracts from the main dignity of the cards, namely high-quality DAC. The rest of the flour in excess is available in almost any sound card. In the description of the sound cards and in the design of the boxes, which is called, "not see the forest trees." It is not clear who will organize a cinema 7.1 around a computer or a laptop - it is inconvenient and in practice is unaware. Fortunately, the user does not strongly overpay for all these additional functions, since the card price is very low.

Pen Volume

• Creative: Miniature metal volume knob with original location. There is a MUTE function when you click on the handle. It is not very convenient to use the handle, as it is located very close to the surface of the table: the fingers are located in a very unusual position and slip on the coating.
• Asus: Smooth handle recessed into the housing. Pressing the handle disables the columns in favor of headphones and vice versa. It is inconvenient to use: there is a significant effort, otherwise the finger is slipping. The recess under the finger is made for beauty - it turns out much easier to adjust, pressing the finger there, where the recesses are not.

In both cases, a flawless digital regulator is used. Ergonomics of regulators are very conditional. Due to the combination of the regulator functions and the buttons, the ASUS regulator is quite noticeable. Many users would prefer to remove the button, but so that there is no backlash. Also recessed ASUS knob is convenient when carrying a sound interface. In all other cases, this solution looks controversial.

Illuminations

• Creative: Blue LED on the top panel
• Asus: 3 Signal LEDs on the top panel

The work indicator on the Creative card is lit brighter. In principle, for the majority it will not be a problem. But we had a sharp desire to take it with a tape, so that he does not call his eyes and was not constantly visible.

Headphone Location

• Creative: in front
• Asus:in front

Both card connectors are conveniently located.

Filling

• Creative: DSP Creative CA0189-2AG, 2-channel DAC AKM AK4396 (123 dB), 2-channel ADC CS5361 (114 dB).
• Asus: DSP CM6632A, 2-channel DAC CIRRUS Logic CS4398 (120 dB), 6-channel DAC CIRRUS Logic CS4362A (114 dB), 2-channel ADC CS5361 (114 dB).

The filling of both cards is very interesting. And this is the main feature of cards, against the background of which everything else is no longer interested. The Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC is considered to be higher than AKM AK4396.

In all sound USB cards, Creative is a RISC processor of its own production CA0189-2AG with a frequency of 100 MHz. Unlike the familiar DSP Creative, this chip has no sound hardware processing. Its purpose is a quick USB 2.0 controller and a multichannel interface to the full I²S / I²C-I²C converter chips, such as applied Cirrus Logic and AKM. Two quartz generators are planted on the board.

In ASUS, an interesting CM6632A chip is applied, which supports both HDA codecs and I²S / I²c transducers. The number of channels is 8 + 2 (analog + digital) output and 2 + 2 input. There are 192 kHz frequency support. The chip can be tacting immediately from three generators, 12, 24.5 and 22.5 MHz, which used the creators of the card. It remains not very clear a solution to throw pasta from one edge of the board with a DAC to another with connectors.

All processing in both maps is made exclusively at the program level. The maximum data frequency of 96 kHz is not a big problem, since the content with a frequency of 192 kHz practically does not exist. Hi-RES did not give anything to normal users and did not go to the masses, and the aesthetes and lovers of Hi-End sound cards for $ 100 are unlikely to be interested.

Autocheaking on headphones

• Creative: there is
• Asus:there is

When you turn on the headphone connector, the columns are disconnected. This feature was first implemented in integrated sound, as part of the AC'97 and HDA standard. First, the definition of the connected headphones was carried out on impedance, and then a mechanical sensor. External cards with good converters are not inferior to integrated sound in this matter. However, in practice it can cause problems.

Complete PO

• Creative: On disk Set software, on the manufacturer's website Update driver
• Asus: Same installation kit on CD and on the manufacturer's website

Disk with software is similar to all other Creative products.

The appearance and contents of Entertainment Console X-Fi cards have already been described in our materials. Audio Control Panel comes in the kit immediately and allows you to control absolutely all settings without the scan of the graphic menu, with the exception of the equalizer. Creative Volume Panel - it is not clear why the desired program is supplied for the range. An important difference between the drivers for XP: they provide the choice of frequency and discharge directly from Entertainment Console. The frequency is limited to the choice: 48 or 96 kHz, regardless of the OS. This selection is typical for all Creative USB cards.

The ASUS card panel is very strange. Parameters can only be selected through the context menu on the right mouse button!

There is an interesting parameter to install a headphone output volume limit.

In the wilds of the ASUS settings, has a separate option - Dolby Home Theater V4, which seems to surpassed by the amount of "Improvers" Creative cards.

Support 44 kHz

• Creative: not
• Asus:there is

Creative Map contains two quartz generators, and also has the support of 44 kHz at the DSP level. However, the drivers for Windows XP, nor for Windows 7/8 do not support operation in 44 kHz mode: only 48 kHz or 96 kHz can be set in the device settings. The map for audiophiles is evidenced either about inadequateness or the complete incompetence of developers. For listening to music in 99.9% of cases, the frequency is used 44 kHz. Very waiting for comments by the map developers themselves.

The ASUS card has support for all frequencies: 44, 48, 88, 96, 192 kHz.

ASIO Driver Availability

• Creative: not
• Asus:there is

The absence of an ASIO driver for Creative cards is outside our understanding. The best version of listening to the Creative - Wasapi-interface card and software residation in the player. Recalculation of 44 kHz in 48 or 96 will always be forced to perform Windows sound engine, or it is necessary to choose conversion on the fly in the media player. For example, in the FOOBAR 2000 player:

Sound in columns

Listening was conducted on ADAM S2.5A and Adam Artist 1 active monitors. For comparison, very well-known E-MU 1616M sound cards were attracted (CS4398) and E-MU 0204 USB (AK4396).

First Surprise: All cards play completely differently! In the first place in terms of sound quality costs the E-MU 1616M card, on the second - E-MU 0204 USB, on the third - Creative Sound Blaster X-FI HD, on the fourth - ASUS Xonar U7.

The sound of the ASUS card is less likely to E-MU 1616M (contrary to the identical DAC). For all the problems with distortion from ASUS, since we reliably know about the unsurpassed implementation of analog output from the 1616M card. This is the measured 120 dB signal / noise, and the measured 0.0003% distortion, and the wonderful pure sound of sensations. 1616m is not much inferior by sound the best implementations of rack studio devices, comparable to Pro Tools HD and Lynx Aurora, so we boldly choose the sound of 1616m reference for category devices up to $ 150. E-MU 0204 USB is visible quite a bit. The X-FI HD sounds more bright and accentuated on the RF, so with all the spectacle it is a little further from the original sound. Xonar U7 We really disappointed scarce HF and enough sluggish sound. Perhaps this problem is solved by flashing or drivers; We will definitely clarify this issue from the manufacturer. In any case, the distortions of 0.01% should not be. And digital, and the analog part of the card is capable of greater.

We assign both Creative for the lack of 44 kHz regime. It's just inexplicable, nonsense! How can I make an audio movie card, put two quartz generators and prohibit it to work in 44 kHz? Do not provide an ASIO driver working on Windows? This is just the wildest incompetence of developers. In the E-MU 0204 USB - the device for the same money - there are no such problems in risen! The feeling that one division of Creative is mercilessly competes with another: stubbornly develops a bike with square wheels when a racing sports car has been developed in the next room.

Headphone sound

We used high-resistant Sennheiser HD600 headphones (300 Ohms) and Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro (250 ohms).

Volume is enough in both cases, but the ASUS card has practically no. Creative was able to surprise us again. The quality of the sound of the site was distributed as follows: in the first place E-MU 1616M, on the second - Sound Blaster X-FI HD, on the third - E-MU 0204 USB, on the fourth - ASUS Xonar U7. The professional E-MU 0204 USB interface, in principle, performed well, but the X-Fi HD on his background looked a clear favorite and had a substantially greater volume of volume. The Asus Xonar U7 map is the quiet, but its volume increases sharply when the processes are turned on. Perhaps this was done intentionally to be the so-called Headroom for Dolby technologies and other autoexvalizers. Thus, the Asus card is the least suitable for simple listening of music, it is stopped on the effect of treatments. Squeezing and ullyukanya card fans remain completely incomprehensible.

Measurements in RMAA

Tests in RMAA gave an evaluation "excellent". This means that there are no frank shoals from devices. More this does not mean anything. (But as soon as an artificial intelligence makes an unnecessary analysis of measurements by a person, we will be the first to tell you about it!)

Both maps were tested through their own path, as they have the same high-quality ADC CS5361.

For noise, a little better asus, in distortion - Creative. We were disturbed by the type of ASUS graphics in the intermodulation test by floating tone: usually anomalies in this test indicate the recalculation of frequency or on some other digital processing. We replaced all the settings several times. Results do not change. We have completed additional tests in the Windows XP and Windows 7 installed. The latest drivers and the last firmware were used. The result is one: the ASUS card is about 10 times more distortion at high frequencies.

Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook is the only sound card with an ExpressCard interface. Let's see how good it is compared to integrated sound.

It's no secret that integrated sound cards are usually not distinguished by outstanding quality. Unfortunately, this is fair not only for desktop computers, but also for laptops. In particular, in my personal laptop Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo M9400, the access to the headphones is very noisy. In low-level and sensitive headphones (for example, such as the Creative EP630 and Philips SHE9500 already considered by us), interference caused by the work of the hard disk and the graphics adapter.

At the same time, I am quite often using a laptop for listening to music through headphones, and this situation is naturally not satisfied. Unlike desktops where you can install any audio card from dozen existing models, laptops have limited expansion capabilities. Therefore, when you select a sound card to use with a laptop computer, you have to navigate first of the external solutions with the USB interface. However, they usually differ in considerable sizes, and many also require external nutrition, which does not allow you to constantly wear them with you.

Some professional audio manufacturers - for example, Echo or EMU - make PCMCIA sound cards, but my laptop (like most of the modern laptops) is equipped with an ExpressCard slot. This is the reason for acquiring the Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook sound card, which is the only sound card in the world intended for installation in the ExpressCard connector. So, meet - Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook.

Delivery set, appearance, interfaces

Card comes in a small box of traditional for creative design.

In addition to the sound card itself, the box contains a traditional set of waste paper in five languages, a terrible quality wired headset, driver and a very pleasant cover for transportation.

Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook is almost completely hiding in the ExpeSCard slot, only the "head" remains outside, on which three connectors are located: output, input and connector to connect the so-called Speaker Docking Module. This module is required for analog sound card connection to 7.1 or 5.1 acoustics. It is not included in the package and the possibility of acquiring it in the CIS countries.

The stereo mode of the card is combined with a digital optical output, and the input (to which you can connect both the microphone and linear sources) with a digital optical input. Thus, the owner of laptop X-Fi gets a complete set of digital audio interfaces. In my opinion, when watching movies with a multichannel audio track in Dolby Digital and DTS formats, it makes sense to output the sound to the external receiver through an optical output. With this task, Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook copes brilliantly.

Functions

Despite the name, X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook does not include Creative X-Fi chip (EMU20K1). First of all, this means that the card is bad for recreation of a three-dimensional sound environment in computer games, but it doesn't matter for a laptop, since mobile computers are not intended for games (even the most powerful) for games. It is much more important that digital-analog converters (distributors) are installed in X-Fi Xtreme Audio than in the built-in sound card. Creative does not speak anywhere in the components used, but, as far as I managed to understand during the transmission of the Internet, the XFXA uses the CS4382A DAC produced by the highly respected company Crystal Semiconductor and the WM8775 ADC, released Wolfson Microelectronics. If the DAC on the level is completely consistent with household Hi-Fi equipment, the ADC is greatly inferior to him in quality (this theory will be subsequently confirmed by measurements). The sound card supports two Creative - CMSS-3D and X-Fi Crystalizer. The first of them makes the sound in the headphones pseudotrum and absolutely useless in real life. The second technology in the idea is designed to significantly improve the quality of compressed sound (such as MP3), we will discuss it a little later.

Drivers and Po

Testing a sound card was performed on the Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo M9400 laptop (Core 2 Duo T5250 processor, 3 GB of RAM, Intel GM965 chipset) running the Windows Vista Ultimate operating system. Immediately I want to note that the drivers supplied on the complete disk are simply terrible. First, they are strongly outdated, secondly, the procedure for their installation occupies any little for 1 hour 15 minutes. I recommend not even unpacking this disk, and immediately download the new version of the drivers from the Creative website. The only remark is the PowerDVD version recorded on the complete drive separately is not installed. If you need it, you will have to first install the entire complete software, and then update the driver to the fresh version. In general, Creative does not feel too hard writes drivers for their devices, new versions usually come out every six months or less.

Update by 01/16/2009: after installing Windows Vista SP1, problems started in the sound card operation - for example, a periodic "sticking" sound. As of January 2009, Creative has not released the version of the drivers, fully compatible with Vista SP1.In addition to the drivers themselves, you will need the Creative Console Launcher utility, since some sound card settings (for example, an analog input operation mode) can only be changed with it. Unlike other sound maps of the X-Fi family, the Xtreme Audio Notebook model is limited only by the entertainment mode (Entertainment Mode). Game Mode and "Creative" (Audio Creation Mode) modes are absent. The card does not support the ASIO interface and therefore cannot be used for professional work.

It is worth noting that X-Fi Xtreme Audio perfectly gets along with a sound card integrated into a laptop, which allows you to carry out different interesting tricks, for example, to listen to different music on one laptop.

Measurements

It so happened that just during the writing of this material in my hands briefly hit the professional external audio interface EMU 0202. I took advantage of this opportunity to spend some measurements of the analog path of the Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook sound card with the famous Rightmark Audio Analyzer package.

Mode of operation: 16 bits 44 kHz

As you can see, X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook shows excellent playback quality even in 16 bits 44 kHz mode, traditionally most complex for non-professional Creative sound cards. Check whether the sound card suffers for compulsory oversampling of 48 kHz:

Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook Line-Out

Mode of operation: 16 bits 48 kHz

Judging by the fact that the values \u200b\u200bof intermodulation distortion decreased almost twice as well, the forced sampling takes place. It is quite high quality, but in any case, when listening to music from a computer, it is better to use SSRC-plugin to your favorite player. Now check the quality in the outer loop mode, connecting the line output X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook to its linear input (16 bits of 48 kHz):

As I assumed, the entrance from X-Fi Xtreme Audio is significantly inferior in quality. And now the deadly number is to measure the quality of the Realtek HD Audio, integrated in the laptop. Since EMU 0202 was at my disposal literally 20 minutes, I had to test the integrated sound using the linear input X-Fi. Despite this, Realtek fully acquitted hopes assigned to him. :)

Realtek HD Audio Line-Out

Mode of operation: 16 bits 48 kHz

The advantage of X-FI in front of the integrated sound is obvious. At the same time, I would like to note the undoubted progress of the built-in audio card: Realtek HD Audio in quality at least not inferior to sound cards Creative SB Live! ten-year old.

Sound quality (SUPBLICAL LIVING)

By connecting the headphones to the audio output of the Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook sound card, I was pleasantly amazed ... silence. No hiss, no buzz, no "sounds of space" and other annoying interference - excellent! Compared to an integrated sound card, X-Fi gives a much cleaner and detailed sound. Tool timbres are transmitted or rather. For example, when listening to Five Tango Sensations Astor Piazzol performed by Kronos Quartet (Nonesuch Records, 1991 entry) String tools have become more like themselves. Increased resolution well affected the sound of complex multi-layer rock compositions: on the album Yes - Close to the edge tools stopped falling into porridge.

In general, Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook sounds more bright and in detail than the PHILIPS CD604 stationary CD player (in which two TDA1543A TDA1543A are turned on in parallel). However, while Philips CD604 is less dry, more fascinating and emotional. It is worth noting the fact that when using Creative X-Fi headphones provides a higher level of volume than an integrated sound card.

The X-Fi Crystalizer function was unexpectedly useful. When it is turned on, the level of high and low frequencies is incorporated, plus a substantial compression of the dynamic range occurs (the audio card is inappropriately increases the volume of quiet sounds). When listening to music, this only spoils the impression, but watching movies with a quiet soundtrack becomes much less tedious: it does not have to stay straight all the time to disassemble the words of the characters. The effect is especially well manifested when using computer plastic speakers - "Cheburashki".

In the dry residue

Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook sound card has a lot of objective disadvantages, including - the absence of a cable for connecting to multichannel acoustics, weak drive support from the manufacturer, unsuitable for professional work with sound, low quality linear entry and sufficiently high cost (450 hryvnia or 90 dollars). In my opinion, almost all of these shortcomings are crosslinked by the fact that the X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook is the only sound card in the world with an ExpressCard interface. In this case, its analog output really provides very good sound quality. If you want to achieve high-quality sound from your laptop, but you can not carry an external USB audio interface with you everywhere, you simply have no other choice. Although for my part I have to say that if there is a less noisy to enter my laptop, I would not even consider Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook as a purchase.

Any more or less large-budget game makes certain requirements for the player's technique - so that the processor is more powerful, the monitor is more, acoustics is expensive. A decent sound card is also vital. The sound codecs embedded in motherboards their task, of course, are executed, but you should not wait much from them.

With sound cards in the form of separate boards, everything is deaf. FROM EAX 5.0. only work series cards X-Fi from Creative., the rest is available only to the outdated specification EAX 2.0. As you can see, there are no alternatives from Creative or almost no.

For some time, the sound card market has been released ASUS. Not so long ago, she presented a sound card Xonar DX. - with a new PCIE X1 interface, better components and support for all EAX effects. With all this costs the novelty is not more expensive X-Fi Xtreme Gamer.

We carefully tested Xonar DX and compared it with. It is much more expensive than X-Fi Xtreme Gamer, but only due to the presence of supplying an external unit with connectors and remote control, so that everything is fair.

Round 1: View from the inside

By 2005, Creative lost the budget system of sound cards to embedded codecs. It was necessary to accept this, as a result, the company switched to more expensive solutions. As a result of such a change of the course, the light saw X-Fi chip (Xtreme Fidelity), in power it surpassed Audigy. 24 times.

In X-Fi, there are huge opportunities: four cores work with the sound, they calculate the flows in parallel; The number of effects and methods of processing the audio flow is more than enough; In this case, the power of the processor allows you to do all this in real time. Especially in Creative, the X-Fi architecture is proud - earlier the sound was skipped along a rigidly given effect chain, with the advent of technology Audio Ring. It is sent to the tire to which only the necessary modules are connected. This approach not only unloads the processor, but also allows you to get rid of unnecessary effects.

Alas, without a spoon, it was not worthwhile: in the sound cards of the X-Fi series use outdated chips to output and capture sound, since Audigy has nothing changed. DAC (digital-analog converter) is responsible for outputing the sound Cirrus Logic CS4382.which can work with class 5.1 acoustics, but is limited to a low sampling rate (96 kHz) when using multichannel sound, and the signal / noise ratio is too low. The same applies to the ADC (analog-to-digital converter). To ensure high-quality recording from Wolfson WM8775Seds. Too low indicators. No matter how cool, and today the X-FI line looks not so attractive.

Another thing asus Xonar DX. In this board there is no revolutionary processor, a good chip from C-Media., and chip OXYGEN HD CMI8788. There can be no special bracking - the sound of him passes along a classic hard chain of effects, delays in real-time treatment is relatively high. But for all this, high-quality ADCs and DAC trailed. For the output of the sound, two chips are responsible: two-channel Cirrus Logic CS4398. and six-native Cirrus Logic CS4362A.. Together they can work with eight-channel acoustics and in quality turn on the head above solutions from Creative. It is worth writing Cirrus Logic CS5361.whose compared to Wolfson is much wider than the range and significantly less noise.

X-Fi Fatal1ty Edition looks solid: black textolit and glowing red logo will look good in a transparent case. Collected Conscience Card, the main processor is closed with a radiator. The connectors on the map are enough: there is an AUX IN input for a TV tuner and an additional 4-pin power (the card works without it), the center is located in the center of the computer power management, for inclusion from the remote control, in addition, in stock two outputs for connecting external panels from X-Fi Fatal1ty Edition and Elite Pro.But standard audio connections on the body are missing. The I / O panel includes a gaming port, three speakers and one Flexi Jack, which combines a digital output, as well as an input for a microphone. The map is connected via the PCI interface.

Xonar DX is very different from the X-Fi Fatal1ty Edition. The board is half below the competitor, connects via the PCIE interface X1 and compatible with low-profile cases (a special plank is included in the delivery). Minus - microcircuits are located on both sides of the board, which is quite expected, given the limited space. The number of connectors at Xonar DX slightly larger: there is AUX IN, S / PDIF IN and access to the front panel, on the I / O panel - four outputs for acoustics and Flexi Jack.

Minus both maps - connectors for cables are too close, connect the expensive wires with thick insulation will be difficult. In addition, the configuration of X-Fi Fatal1ty Edition and Xonar DX is the same poor: only drives with drivers and instructions. Asus is unless the low-profile bar added, about which we mentioned, and an adapter on S / PDIF.

Round 2: limitless features

Connection X-Fi Fatal1ty Edition starts with the installation of drivers and an impressive set of software. The settings are easier nowhere, programs are all understandable and moderately comfortable. It is enough to choose the mode of operation of the card (games, recording, entertainment), then the necessary functional modules are connected.

In the installation process, so many different programs are prescribed to the computer that they could be devoted to a separate article. Tell about the most important. Driving a map to be through Creative Console.. In stock The usual mixer and equalizer, but there are much more interesting tabs - for example, 24-bit Crystallizer and CMSS-3D.

Let's start with the first. The X-FI processor is designed to work with a 24-bit sound. It's all good, but in practice it is not necessary for anyone, because the music is written using a 16-bit thread. To justify yourself, Creative just invented 24-bit Crystallizer technology, which artificially expands and enhances the frequency range, the level is set as a percentage. The idea is not new, such a sound editors can do. One way or another, after such treatment, the bass is enhanced, the tops become sharper, and the middle is denser. When listening to music, at first it seems that the sound really improves and becomes more asserted, but a little later notice that the sound is lubricated. Basin turn into a scaring porridge, only the loud tones are allocated from the tops, the voice on the background of music is moving into the background.

The second technology was more viable. CMSS-3D is an algorithm that allows you to get a surround sound from a conventional stereo sound. When it is turned on, familiar songs are transformed, there is a complete feeling that you are in the very center of what is happening: then somewhere behind the guitar will sound, the drummer will play on the side. Another plus CMSS-3D is the ability to turn headphones into acoustics 7.1.

Couple words about movies: technology Dolby. and DTS. Supported in full only under Windows XP. Everything works at the iron level and does not load the processor. But the driver for Windows Vista will appear only at the end of summer (the developers are somehow not particularly rushing). Creative also offers its own music player, a media file catalog and even karaoke feature.

ASUS has such a variety of technologies and software no, but maybe it is for the better. All settings are collected in one window, there is to choose the mode of operation of the card - music, movies, games. ASUS did not invent the bike and took advantage of the development Dolby Laboratories.recognized by the leader in the field of sound. Especially I want to highlight the surround sound algorithm: if CMSS-3D from Creative is impressive, then the operation of Xonar DX is associated with Dolby Prologic Literally demolides the tower. With the first acquaintance with this technology, there is a persistent desire to override the entire musical collection. Equally well showed itself technology Dolby HeadphoneShe easily shut up for the Creative X-Fi belt. And this is why: if CMSS-3D overloads headphones with low frequencies, then the ASUS sound turns out to be lightweight, air.

Another trump card Xonar DX - the board knows how to position the sound and exercise to remove it. In terms of sound quality, the map from ASUS turned out to be cleaner X-Fi Fatal1ty Edition, especially this is noticeable when connecting multichannel acoustics - honest 192 kHz make themselves known, and noise is much less. The newcomer is inferior only by output power, the headphones with a resistance of 64 ohms can hardly be able to hardly, the amplifier needs.

Round 3: How does it work?

When translating both cards in the game mode, EAX settings appear, voice control, Creative is disabled 24-bit Crystallizer and equalizer, and the Xonar DX activates the function DirectSound 3D GX 2.0 (about her a little later).

In front of the tests, explain why Creative for a long time was considered the only manufacturer of sound cards oriented on players. The sound in the Games for a long time remained in the second plan: the steps of the characters sounded the same and on the grass, and on the asphalt, they did not feel changes when moving from one room to another, the distance to the character could be judged only by picture on the monitor. Technologies like Microsoft DirectSound and Aureal 3D Maintain only the effect of reverberation and a very small number of sound sources.

To raise interest in your cards, Creative has developed EAX technology. She allowed not only to change the sound depending on the conditions in the game, but also to calculate the distance to the sources. For the first time support for EAX appeared in 1999 in the cards of the series SOUND BLASTER LIVE! - Then the technology allowed to process up to 32 sources, it was able to independently process the effects, thereby significantly unloading the central processor. To the exit X-Fi technology has grown to version 5.0. The powerful processor was taught to work with 128 sources of sound, take into account the floor surface, walls, ceiling, smoothly change the sound when moving from one location to another, process obstacles, and for complete happiness added an impressive number of new effects.

On the way to the popularization of EAX there was one problem - to support technology there is not enough one card, the games must be sharpened by EAX, and these are additional costs. Over the past three years, a little more than twenty games compatible with EAX 5.0 appeared - very non-neat. But Creative did not upset, there are still sure that it is impossible to play without EAX. There is some truth in it, but EAX is not a panacea, in the same Call of Duty 4 We cost without this technology, while the sound still turned out to be magnificent. And then the Windows Vista was released, in which they got rid of hardware support completely, it can be implemented only through the program interface Openal. This MICROSOFT step significantly shakes the Creative position in the market.

In general, the policy of creative in relation to EAX is rather tough, the company in principle does not licenses the senior versions of the standard to third-party iron developers. No And the court is not, and in ASUS went to another: it is clear that the C-Media processor is not powerful to handle the EAX 5.0 instructions, but with this task, the central computer processor is perfectly coping with this task. And here they are absolutely right - modern CPUs are quite powerful, there are two, three and even four nuclei, which are just waiting for them to load them. EAX support scheme is: as soon as we run the game, DirectSound 3D GX2.0 intercepts the EAX commands, sending them to processing in the CPU, after which the calculated sound enters the card and acoustics. No one says about full support for EAX 5.0, but work with 128 sound sources and basic effects are guaranteed. The solution is not the most transparent, but it works.

Round 4: Final Battle

To test sound in games, we collected a computer based on Core 2 Duo E6300 With a frequency of 1.8 GHz, installed two 512 MB memory strips and limited to the video card GeForce 7800 GTX 512 MB. The impact line of the game was Unreal Tournament 3., Call of Duty 4 and Bioshock.. The main thing is that we were interested - how good the Xonar DX will work with EAX and whether the difference will be noticeable compared to X-Fi. In order not to miss anything important, the sound of each passage of the level was recorded and compared.

The first in the queue was Bioshock. The game supports EAX 5.0 and is distinguished by a variety of rooms with a complex setting. The first launch was held on the X-Fi Fatal1ty Edition map. For a consideration of the effect, we first passed the level without the support of EAX, after which we turned it on. The difference struck us. The sound changes radically. If without EAX everything comes with a shared stream, then when the processing is turned on, the transitions from one surface to another are excellent, the volume of rooms is felt - for example, in large rooms, the steps are more Gulko in large rooms than in small. In rooms with carpets, sounds as if drunk, while in empty rooms, on the contrary, enhanced. Clearly audible, is the opponent in one room with you or not, the distance to the sound source is easily determined. But the technology of CMSS-3D clearly leaves - in the headphones it is impossible to understand where the source is located.

Go to Xonar DX. First of all, we checked the settings, EAX remained available. The sound from the ASUS card turned out to be completely different. While a competitor from the mill Creative gives bass, Xonar DX clearly distinguishes each szv. Especially pleased with the technology Dolby Headphone - it clearly exceeds CMSS-3D. Now about EAX-effects: there is a difference on the rumor. Xonar DX is triggered with some lag, the passage of sound across the wall is not heard so obviously, the transitions from one room to another sharper, slightly distinguishes the miscalculation of the water. The overall impression: it is impossible to say that the sound of Xonar DX is worse, it's just another.

Unreal Tournament 3 interacts with EAX much more intense than Bioshock. The results of both cards in it turned out to be approximately the same. On large spaces when playing headphones, Xonar DX was published in the leaders - thanks to more competent positioning.

Call of Duty 4 We left for dessert: there is no support for EAX, so both opponents fought on an equal footing. The sound in the game often loses the dynamics and replete with high frequencies. By gaining bass and 24-bit Crystallizer on the X-Fi Fatal1ty Edition, it was possible to get a dense living sound, which is much like more like that you can hear in the cinema. Xonar DX simply did not have the necessary filters to pull the sound, and the Dolby Headphone, the main trump card of this card, refused to work in the game.

Let's link

ASUS has a great card, it is not only not inferior to Creative products by sound, but often exceeds it. When working with music or films, high-quality Dolby technologies are used, which are easily plug by the belt of all Creative. But the most important thing is that Xonar DX really knows how to work with EAX 5.0. Not so immaculately, as the Creative cards, but in the heat of the battle you are unlikely to notice the difference.

Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty has a processor to which Xonar DX still grow and grow. But everything else for three years hopelessly outdated. What recently looked impressive, today is already in history. Old ADC / DAC losing Xonar DX for all items.

Creative has a lot of software, but it is often useless and unstable. For all the time tests, we received one full Windows tolets and several blue screens. In addition, the X-Fi boards have no access to the standard sound panel on the housing, there is only support for expensive extension panels.

It is much more difficult about the case with the record. Creative has advanced software and full ASIO support. The X-FI processor provides small delays in real-time sound processing, external panels with a large number of connectors simplify the connection of microphones and musical instruments. You can work immediately with several channels - to record a voice and tool simultaneously. But interferes with a limit in the form of 96 kHz. Xonar DX allows you to make better records, but you can forget about working with sound in real time.

Each sound card has its pros and cons. If you have already installed a map of the X-FI series, then you can change it on Xonar DX only if you decide to buy high-quality acoustics. But if you still have done the built-in sound and you do not need to write music, then Xonar DX will become an excellent choice.