Отзывы о Внешняя звуковая карта Creative X-Fi HD
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Скроменый эксперт
23.03.2012
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I had for many years an external Audigy 2 NX that finally stopped working. This was a great unit for the DVD-Audio support and 192/24 support for headphones (96/24 for 5.1), and so a requirement was that any replacement could support playing all my ripped lossless archives at 96/24. Since the NX had permanently migrated to my desk at work, I didn't really care about the 5.1 support, and my main focus was on headphones (since I use it at the office). It also had to be USB, as this is replacing the crappy internal audio on my work computer and I like to be able to use it on multiple systems.First place I checked was creative.com to see what was new, and started doing research on some of the offerings. I looked at the X-Fi Go! which would have been my choice if ultra-portability was my priority but I liked the extra features of the X-Fi HD: everything I need and nothing I don't. I really loved the 1/4" jacks which make perfect sense for an audiophile targeted item, and the split line-in/phono-in and line out is just excellent. I've been using this for about 2 years now so have a pretty good idea on the pros and cons.I agree that setup can be a pain, though it seems to mostly be a driver issue and poor ability to control the mixers and mute what you need to through logical software menus. Ironically I have more trouble with Win 7 than I did on XP. A few things to note: The phono-in and the line-in is a shared connection, though it's very difficult to tell through the software which was it's configured. I wish instead of controlling this through software there was a physical toggle switch on the rear of the unit to select. If you plug something in through the line-in and it sounds awfully distorted, it's running through the phono preamp and you need to mute this input (good luck finding it in the windows mixer and the creative version, it's terrible to hunt for and not obvious at all). Once you get that sorted out, you'll be able to enjoy HD AM/FM radio from your Sony XDR-F1, at least until you undock your Win7 computer and then redock. At this point, everything will look like it's configured fine but you just won't hear anything. The solution is to go into the windows mixer and disable the line input and then re-enable, and you're back in business. I did not have this issue in WinXP.So how about quality? Well it's really quite incredible, and the dedicated headphone amp is all the more impressive considering it gets its power from the USB 500mA connection rather than an external power source (like the NX did). How powerful is this you ask? Well let me tell you I did some back to back testing using some heavily modded AKG K340s (which are said to be notoriously difficult to drive) through the X-fi HD headphone jack, and compared that to the line-out feeding through Transparent Audio interconnects into a Darkvoice 336SE (which is also said to be an excellent pairing for the K340s at a relatively bargain price) and I honestly could not tell the difference between the two, as far as ability to drive the headphones. I tested using several lossless MFSL and Hoffman DCC albums and some DVD-A recordings with a variety of music styles, and the $100 X-Fi sounded JUST AS GOOD as a system 5 times the price. Very very impressive. I've also done the same with a pair of Grado SR80i to the same effect.Originally I dismissed the THX stuff but have found myself using it lately. Since I also listen to a AM/FM radio through the line-ins, I mix a little of the "surround sound" into it to make it a bit more comfortable to listen to (and generally use a foobar plugin to do the same for my archived music). Depending on the quality of the station, the "crystalizer" and "speaker" options can give a little more punch, and the "dialog" option is nice for static-filled AM stations if you're listening to talk radio. Even Pandora streaming audio sounds really good (I was afraid the K340s would reveal all the MP3 artifacts but at the HQ setting I generally don't notice anything, though I am working usually rather than critically listening).This has been an excellent bargain purchase and in truly an excellent addition to any audiophile's desktop arsenal. I'd really rate this 4.5 stars if I could because frankly the software/driver support is clunky and could be much improved. A physical toggle switch to select between line- and phono-in would go a long way to reducing the problems people have reported with crappy audio through the line-in. And despite the excellent powering through the USB port, I do wish it had an external power option that would allow you to use the unit as a standalone receiver, for example with the XDR-F1 I could listen to the radio independent of having a computer available, but that's pretty minor. This is a really excellent unit and I feel as if I should buy a few spares so that when this one gives up the ghost down the road I'll have a fresh replacement ready to swap in. Excellent job Crea
Скроменый эксперт
15.11.2012
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
The soundblaster x-fi can be had for around $70. I find a lot of reviews complain about trivial issues regarding this device. Yes, Creative is not well respected because it's not a "boutique" DAC. If they put this in a metal box that weighed 30lbs, with gold plated resistors, then audiophiles might respect it. I only care about performance and engineering, not fluff.I find X-Fi to have excellent sound quality, surpassing the limits of the ear's ability of hearing distortion and revealing the compression of MP3's. For the best sound, use WAV or FLAC files. WAV is the uncompressed format of cd's, but has large file sizes. FLAC is small file size like MP3's, but without loss of sound quality. With good headphones, you'll be amazed at the clarity and distortionless sound of your CD's played through the X-Fi headphone amp. In fact, it is so clear that some of the "studio fx" and vst's can be heard too clearly. I love neutral sound, and one can hear stuff in the mix you never heard on your speakers, because at very low wattage, speakers and amps are very distortionless. Most distortion comes after the first half-watt, which one never reaches with headphones.The headphone amp is superb. Modern OPAMP design has rendered all the babble about them to the dustbin. Many years ago, OPAMP's were not well regarded, but modern electrical engineering has solved the problems that plauged them 40 years ago. They can put out clean distortionless power in the right application. Some people getting bad sound out of these might be amplifying a terrible mp3 signal and expecting it to sound good. It wont. This great little amp will just magnify what you put in, gold or junk.I use a pair of AKG-701 reference headphones, but I also have a set of AKG-44 headphones which sound great with this card. It's a whole magnitude better and distortionless than anything you might hear from a speaker. However, you don't have the imaging of a speaker in your room. The card has .02% distortion out to 110 dB. It could be 20dB less and you still wouldn't hear any noise difference. Dead black and clear. This card trounces onboard sound. Just be sure to hook it to a USB-2.0 port. I had no trouble installing it, the THX TruStudio software is cool. It lets you apply reverb effects to the music with EAX, and has special settings for voice. I didn't care too much for too many FX, I like to hear the original mix, so I altered the reverb between 20-35% for some pleasant effects.WAVE studio is recording software included with the package, and in itself, is probably the easiest recording software I've used. I have ProTools, AbletonLive, Cubase 6, and Presonus Studio Artist Pro. When I can't get these to work, I fall back on Creative. It's the only DAW I can get working quick in an emergency when I need to start recording. It recognized a CAD U7 USB microphone immediately, and recognized the soundcard to record a meeting I had with great fidelity. If any of you have spent hours trying to get a soundcard working you'll know how frustrating it can be. It's not for multiple tracks, but when you need one or two channels quickly, its indespensable.RIAA phono equalization - I haven't tested this yet, but I have no doubt its another triumph of great engineering over worthless boutique parts. I'm not a big fan of Creative, they've gobbled up a lot of companies I liked and discontinued products I wanted from E-MU. but this a great little soundcard, with wicked fidelity and deserves every 5-star review it gets. In summary, this soundcard is an extreme value, and with good headphones is about as good as sound gets.SPDIF- I didn't test this either, nor do I have plans to hook this to my home stereo. I strictly use it with my laptop.
Скроменый эксперт
21.08.2011
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
After describing the X-Fi HD to a couple of friends I think it's worth mentioning this is not a USB recording interface - at least not in the same class as dedicated products by PreSonus, M-Audio, Tascam, and others.The X-Fi is an external sound card with bundled software to play music, games and video, as well as to record from external audio sources and transfer cassettes and records to digital. If you're a musician looking for an interface that's optimized for instruments or vocals, I wouldn't recommend this or frankly any SoundBlaster card.(Creative's E-MU subsidiary is another story. I have an E-MU 1212 PCIe recording card that works very well for my needs).I chose the X-Fi for better audio playback on a corporate-issued Lenovo 2.2 GHz laptop running Windows 7 32-bit. The laptop's onboard sound and speakers are pretty limited and the X-Fi is clearly an improvement. I use Sennheiser HD201 headphones and a pair of Altec Lansing desk speakers with a subwoofer. Pretty basic stuff but good enough to demonstrate what the card has to offer.The EAX reverb effects emulate eight distinct listening environments (Amphitheater, Jazz Club, Opera Hall, Orchestra Pit, Recital Hall, Royal Hall, Stone Hall, Theater). I like that the effect signal can be blended with the straight signal, it really expands your options. Obviously you don't have the flexibility of a DAW but it's fun to take favorite CDs and change their vibe, sometimes radically.I also chose the X-fi to transfer cassettes and my last remaining box of records. The Smart Recorder application has a straightforward wizard interface that detects signal strength nicely. The configurable hiss and click filters work well but watch for high end roll off when applied too aggressively.I had no problem using my old Tascam MKII 4-track and (even older) Garrard turntable, both of which connect easily to the X-Fi with stereo RCA plugs (there's even a ground screw for the turntable).Speaking of the MKII, the X-Fi could be an option for cassette-based musicians looking to get their feet wet with digital recording (I know they're out there because the MKII still sells). Instead of bouncing down to a stereo deck use the X-Fi to convert your tracks to .wav and import them into the Wave Studio application. Wave Studio looks comparable to the open source Audacity program feature-wise: basic recording and .wav editing with built-in effects and the ability to host plug-ins.The Media Toolbox application is the software control center for the X-Fi. It includes its own recorder application, a launcher for the EAX and THX Studio settings panels in the Sounds applet, a "normalizer" app (kind of a simple mastering tool that balances the volume of selected music files). There are tools for organizing your music files and - one I really like -for modifying tag information.There are some caveats you'll have to weigh for yourself:While listening to an orchestral CD (Ravel) using the Royal Hall and Orchestra Pit settings I found the sound to be lush and warm. However, there were noticeable breakups while adjusting the volume on the X-Fi as well as at sudden moments of loud, low frequencies. I understand the factors that can cause this but I was still surprised by the breakups. In contrast, my less powerful desktop machine using the E-MU PCIe card has never had comparable problems while adjusting playback volume. I'm not sure where the fault lies; I'm just putting the info out there.Speaking of adjustments, there's one moving control on the X-Fi box, a volume knob that doubles as a push-button mute. The onscreen indicator appears as soon as you turn or push the knob. The indicator is easy to read, looks great, and responds tightly. But the knob itself doesn't turn smoothly like an amplifier pot; it also turns continuously without boundary stops (some people like that, I don't).The knob face and sides are completely smooth which makes fine adjustment more of an effort than it should be. If the knob sides were fluted or ridged it would be easier to grab and the motion would feel more precise.Finally the install program for the X-Fi software is clunky and feels like a collection of separate installs with too little regard for the overall user experience: The position of the next and back keys is inconsistent across dialogs. There's poor synchronization between background and foreground dialogs that one time resulted in a desktop lockup. I was prompted three separate times to input my language. I had to reboot my machine three separate times on an O/S newer than Win2k. I was notified of an available update for the Alchemy application only to have it fail because the base app was not present (granted, this could be an update website bug and not strictly related to the X-Fi).I know many people couldn't care less about install programs (so long as they work) but I've always felt they're the first impression you often have about a product and can really color your opinion of the company.Botto
Скроменый эксперт
25.12.2010
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
There are not many reviews for this product, so I am going to go ahead and write a fairly in-depth one.Like other reviewers, I only got this because it is a high quality DAC (digital to analog converter) in the $100 price range. I am not ready to shell $300+ on a DAC yet. I may use the recording feature in the future to rip video game music, taking advantage of the SPDIF in port. When I do I will update this review.The reason why I picked this DAC over other ones within the price range (like the Nuforce headphone amps) was because of the SPDIF in port. I did not want a DAC for just my computer. I wanted one that I could hook up my game consoles and TV to as well. Sound quality is huge to me; I find sound quality to be more important than picture quality. A good picture looks nice, but great sound is really what makes you feel like you are there. That is where I thought this DAC would really come in handy.Now on to the actual review, since I have made clear why I bought this item.This DAC is high quality. It sounds better than the Realtek HD Audio on my motherboard, it sounds better than my Insignia 32'' LCD, it sounds better than using analog output from my game consoles, and it sounds better than my Hanns G 21'' monitor (yes, that actually has a headphone out port that I can hook to speakers). Like all other reviewers who favor this item, I can hear all the more subtle parts of my music. If you have good speakers (I am using a pair of Alesis M1 Active 520s) and/or headphones, then you will hear the difference. After all, what is the point of having a high quality DAC if your playback equipment is not built to accurately reproduce music? In case you are not someone too familiar with sound systems, I can not stress this enough: Make sure you have good equipment before buying a DAC!For music playback, this DAC is easy to set-up - simple plug and play (I'm using Windows 7, 32 bit). Just plug your device into the USB port, wait for the generic drivers to install, and you are done! Even with the generic drivers, you can output 24 bit/96 KHz on both optical out and line out ports. The line out ports are the standard, stereo RCA out ports. In addition, it has a 1/4 out jack for devices that use TRS cables. However, by using the generic drivers, you do not have an EQ. In that case, just use the EQ of your music player. There is a neat little feature that allows you to boost a certain bass frequency by a certain amount (such as 50, 75, 200 Hz up to levels like 3dB, 6dB, 12dB) in the windows console, and I found that to be incredibly useful for making my speakers output more bass, as I do not have a subwoofer.Using the SPDIF in however, is much trickier and that is where I took off a star. As of writing this review, there is no documentation on making use of it, at all. I would know because I spent at least 3 hours searching through the manual and the creative knowledge base and I did not find anything. If you want this device to decode digital signals from some sort of entertainment device other than a computer (like a PS3), follow these steps:-First off, before we begin, know that this does NOT decode dolby and DTS surround formats. For instance, if you are watching a DVD/Blu-Ray, make sure that you are NOT outputting the Dolby/DTS surround formats. It only decodes two channel, stereo, PCM.-Replace the generic windows drivers of the soundcard with Creative's drivers by installing the drivers located in the installation CD.-From the same CD, install Creative Entertainment Console and Creative Audio Control Panel.-In Creative Entertainment Console, go to Mixer, and under playback, uncross SPDIF in. This passes anything that comes through the SPDIF in port to whatever speakers/headphones you have connected to your DAC.-Make sure that under the recording tab in the windows console (when you right click the speaker icon and click on recording devices), you do not have, "Listen to this device," checked off for SPDIF in. There will be weird delay issues if you have "listen to this device" checked off in the windows console and SPDIF in enabled under the mixer tab in the Creative Entertainment Console.-While you are under the recording tab in the windows console (when you right click the speaker icon and click on recording devices), make sure you have SPDIF in set as the default recording device. This tells WINDOWS to accept the input coming in from SPDIF in instead of the other inputs: Line in, Phono in, and Microphone.-In the windows console, make sure you have the sample rates for SPDIF in and Speaker be the same.Another reason why I took off a star is because, as of writing this review, you can not download the drivers for this device from the website. This soundcard was designed with netbooks in mind, and guess what? Netbooks do not have CD drives! If you are planning on using this device for a computer without a CD drive, make sure you have access to a computer with a CD drive so you can rip the installation files. S
Скроменый эксперт
15.08.2012
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Here's the quick and dirty verdict on this product: it is like a love-hate relationship. But currently we're dating and making beautiful music together, so to speak.Here is our personal history: the relationship worked perfectly on the first day (albeit with the "what you hear" echo described elsewhere); the second day was an absolute nightmare (the music sounded like the Chipmunks; Creative's software did not bring up its "jukebox" Mixer that allows you to ID the various inputs; my evening was spent with several uninstalls and reinstalls); on the third day there is good sound again after my "this is my final try" installation direct from Creative's online support drivers (I think it was an X-Fi HD drivers release dated early 2012). So as of TODAY, I am happy...and the echo is gone, as well. Creative's download fix appears to have done the trick.I bought this specifically because of the SPDIF IN (Toslink) option. As far as I can tell, this is the only sub-$100 (and maybe sub-$200) 24/96 external soundcard that will accept an S/PDIF (Toslink) IN from my DirecTV digital audio. [Yes, Diamond sells one for $45 at Fry's, but it is only rated to around 16/44). I wanted the SPDIF because I used to have a Mac Pro with a mini-Toslink (2010 version or so), with which I could rip hours of blues, jazz vox, singer-songwriters, and bad 80s music from my digital (HDTV) source. But the Mac goes with my former job, so I needed a way to link my Toshiba Tecra 835 (it has an HDMI out, but no IN) back to the DirecTV channels. I already had my Audacity software loaded and ready, but I needed a *from-digital-source-to-USB-cable* hardware fix. Hence the X-Fi HD after hours of online reading.Creative's software has received negative comments elsewhere, and I can add my frustrations to those. But when I downloaded my drivers, bypassing the install disk that came in the package, things were back to normal. [Fingers still crossed] Again, I'm using Audacity rather than Creative's extensive Media Toolbox 6 suite--something for another day, perhaps.The fact that this receives good reviews as a DAC for headphones and powered speakers is a nice bit of icing on the cake, but I doubt that I'll use the X-Fi for it. My reasons are simple: (1) I hate desk clutter like extra cables, much less speakers, and (2) I already have an Airplay-ready mini system in my office, courtesy of an older Motorola BT receiver (BT 800--a cheap but effective find on eBay)Thus far I've listened to only one ripped program, the product of my first attempt on the first day. But it sounds fine on the Tecra. Once I've recorded more and then transferred it all to my iPod, I'll listen to it via my Denon with Bowers & Wilkins speakers. The Denon's USB plug is supposed to have DAC support, as well, so I'm hoping to have some richer sounding jazz at the end of all this.Here's hoping that I won't be back with a negative update.
Скроменый эксперт
31.01.2013
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
I was told it was compatible w/ windows 8. It isn't. Creative has since come out w/ a new driver for windows 8. Returned for refund. I did reorder when I found they had updated their drivers. Read my review on my reorder.UPDATE: After several emails from creative along w/ a list of updated software/drivers for windows 8. If you buy this product and have win.8 do not install the disks that come with the unit. Neither the installation disk or tool box disk will install. In fact I got an error message that I had lost ctcabex.dll, error 1-001. I have tried to find a way to remove this error with no luck. Both Dell and Creative have tried to help. Reinstalled the SB1240 with the new soft wear download that creative sent and WOW !!! I installed it on the new Dell XPS 5800 (which has no place for a upgraded internal card) using klipsch THX 2.1 speakers w/ powered subwoofer. The sound card was up and running pronto. Creative has included a great equalizer and all the other features Creative is noted for. Great bass, crystallizer, rt.-lt. speaker adjustments and many other refinements. I have used other internal middle of the road sound cards from Creative and there is not much difference with this exterior card. The dial serves as a mute button and volume control. Blue light flashes when mute. Head phones have great sound. I have not used the mic. plug in as of yet. The internal sound card that comes with Dell is poor, lacks tone and substance. Again, do not try to install the discs that come with the unit unless it says windows 8 on the disk.. I have a subscription to Rhapsody and now I can really enjoy my music. Thanks Creative for the help, good support. Thank you Amazon for the service. If you need an external sound card, this is the one BUY IT.
Скроменый эксперт
23.11.2012
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Strange card with cheap core on CA0189 (CA0189 is a highly-integrated, high-performance system-on-chip designed specifically for a range of lower end, cost-sensitive audio products.) with relatively good DAC (AK4396 sigma-delta Asahi-Kasei, 120dB 192kHz 24-Bit Advanced Multi-Bit DAC with PCM/DSD input)and ADC(Cirrus logic CS5361 114 dB, 192 kHz Stereo A/D Converter ) plus low noise amplifiers (ST microelectronics 33078 OpAmp). Capacitors WIMA red, Elna + ST M29W400DT flash memory 4mbit(512Kx8).Why strange? ALL components can support 192kHz but card able to works only at 96kHz. Marketing? I don't know.Personally I don't like sound from AK4396 (and any of that series for harsh sound) and it was replaced with FiiOD3 DAC (Cirrus DAC CS4344 + Wolfson WM8805 ~$25 on amazon), so card was used only as USB->Toslink interface and headphone amplifier.Sound ok at 24bit/96kHz. Headphone amp also works well (JRC4556 OpAmp) for my Shure earbuds and volume more than enough.What I don't like:- Audio out and spdif does not work simultaneously. For me its mean that impossible easily switch from headphones to spdif.When you listen music and want to switch from speakers to headphones you should do a lot of manipulations with ugly software.- Provided software completely useless and UI design does not make sense at all. What was the reason to imitate large volume knob in UI? to "feel" that deal with "Hi-End" equipment? Hmm...Install something else provided on CD and it was immediately deleted. If you don't need features like Crystallizer, EAX, etc. and use it for music only, card can works without any extra soft.Tips: hit volume knob on box and it turn off sound. Win8 drivers available on Creative site.Resume: for me, as external sound card/SPDIF out for laptop, music only listening on my Swans M200 sound monitors and extra DAC, it works.PPS Only IMHO it kinda overpriced, especially with Creative support note on the site:- The product you have selected has been classified as 'End of Service Life'.
Скроменый эксперт
15.11.2012
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
This card is really bad, and it may be that the most of the reviewers have just ignored the issues with latencies and cracks here and there in the sound that this card produces. This cracks are produced by the bad planning of the card. It probably doesn't have an internal buffer for the sound but relies to the computer to produce a constant bit flow which it usually cannot guarantee. The snaps and cracks in the sound is inevitable by unprofessionally designed cards like this and here is the proof:[Link to SoundBlaster own pages seasch for x-fi hd]It's an statement right off the manufacturers shelf, read it and see what problems you are going to face and don't buy this product until they fix it! I can't believe that someone have been able to produce and sell crap like this! Really low!UPDATE: Nov 20th 2012I installed Windows 8 and the new Win8 drivers, and guess what... The problems were gone! I raised the stars to 2, just because it works, and I'm still angry at Creative and their crappy winxp and vista support for this card. If I would had win 8 in the first place I would probably had given 4 stars.UPDATE: Nov 22nd 2012It seems that my netcard or something has the same IRQ that the device, when I load stuff from Internet the music stops totally for the time of the download. Lowered the rating back to one star. It really seems that I was just lucky to have the player on the same IRQ than the netcard so I could then listen for music at least for the time I dont have something coming down the line... Well, take your chances with this piece of crap.. Hope you're lucky..UPDATE: Jan 13th 2013I've received few updates for Win8 and it seems all my problems are history the card now performs as supposed. 2 years after purchasing it finally works well!
Скроменый эксперт
07.11.2011
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I grew up with vinyl and then cassettes and 8-tracks, but compared to vinyl, cassettes and 8-tracks were the MP3 equivalent for the '70's & 80's, suffering from the same lack of decent bass, top end and a compressed soundstage as MP3s do today.When CDs came out I was overjoyed, at least at first. Then came the tragic day in 1994 when a friend of mine called from his recording studio and asked me to bring over my turntable (ancient Pioneer direct drive with a bit more rumble than I'd like) with the Sumiko Blue Point cartridge along with my CD and Vinyl Deutsche Grammophon recording of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (for the unenlightened that's the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey). We would listen to the vinyl version compared to the CD version, with the CD version played back on a Kenwood CD player with it's built-in D/A converters and then routed through a California Labs outboard D/A. So two different ways to hear the CD. Could the vinyl keep up?We got comfortable in the control room seated in the sweet spot between the monitors: first up, the bare nekkid Kenwood.The organ note started and it sounded perfect, like a good solid 32' pipe should sound- you feel it and hear it...but clean, not like the garbage can rattling and shaking heard on the street from the cars of assorted misanthropes drifting about the neighborhood.Next up the California Labs and...maybe a little better, slightly more top end and perhaps the bass had a bit more oomph but nothing to say OMG! SPEND THAT $1500 right now! On the other hand it was nice to hear my buddy say that he was a little surprised since bits is bits. Then we blamed it on the better D/A converters and moved on.Finally, the vinyl, the needle drops and the heavens opened up. At the point on the record where the music starts there's a split second of just the room before the organ note and in that split second the walls of the recording studio went away...and when the horns started they were in a concert hall, not packed between two monitor speakers as they were coming from the CDs.We were astounded. Since that day I've listened to my CDs since they're more convenient, but I've always wanted to be able to record my vinyl into a high bit/sample rate format.Now I can. The RIAA equalization is splendid. I did find that the software included with the X-FI DOES NOT RECORD at the highest bit rate...it says it does but when the file is opened (or right click and properties), it's only 16 bit, not 24.Get (for windows at least) Audacity and use that freeware program to record at 96KHz and 24 bit depth.Awesome! Yeah, 24 bit is wasted on vinyl with it's paltry 60-75dB headroom, but for sure the 96KHz isn't, there's stuff out there beyond the 20KHz brickwall of CDs..and who's to say that's not where the "room" lives?At any rate, this little box rox.
Скроменый эксперт
02.04.2013
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
I'm not on a quest for ever more perfect sound, in other words, I'm not the audiophile type. I do, however, require better sound quality than most people I know. What I desire is that the equipment not distract me from the music. Distortion of the base, for example, blows it for me. I have some old albums I wanted to transfer to digital format, so I read all the confusing reviews and decided this external sound card looked like a good value.So, the thing was well packaged, and arrived sooner than expected. To be honest, it took me a few hours to get it all figured out, but it works great now, and I'm extremely pleased with the results of the vinyl to digital copying. As a headphone amp the sound quality is great, but it has a hum at quiet moments that blows it for me.In summary, it's capable of outstanding vinyl to digital transfers if you don't mind some tinkering. I like it.
Скроменый эксперт
22.02.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I'm using this with my UE9000 headphones on an Alienware M17x and the sound is just great. Lossless music sounds very good, even with the noise cancelling off on the headphones as long as you adjust the equalizer a little for more highs. The Crystalizer sounds nice but gives a little too much bass with these headphones so I prefer to keep the base flat.3D SURROUND SOUND is very impressive for gaming. I hear people say the THX surround is just reverb. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. You need to set the slider down to about 15%, but if you do so the sound is VERY directional and very clear for Crysis 3, Modern Warfare 3, Assassin's Creed 3, etc. Above 20% the reverb becomes pretty obvious. Just make sure you have headphones selected in the Creative console. Movies sound good too but maybe not as impressive as games.I have this velcroed to the back of my laptop screen where the volume knob is easy to reach, which gives finer volume control than the buttons above my keyboard.
Скроменый эксперт
28.02.2013
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
I needed an outboard DAC for my laptop that I could plug into my stereo in my bedroom. The laptop DAC was probably fine but the switching power supply for the laptop produced a high-pitched whine that would intrude onto the analog audio out. I already have an HTPC/DAW and didn't want to shell out the dough to build another one, when I just need something to take audio from my laptop (which has a Vista MCE remote for play/pause functionality) and play over the bedroom amp/speakers. Unfortunately, this unit is powered via the USB cable from the laptop, and ... you guessed it, the high pitched whine carries over into the analog side of the outboard DAC too. So for my purposes, not useful. However, I've liked Creative products and this one appears well-designed and built. I'm sure this fits the bill for other apps -- just not mine.
Скроменый эксперт
17.02.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I have a special liking for it when it comes to the design of this product, looking so sleek and professional. The primary use of this sound card is mainly for music and nothing else. Paired with Klipsch Promedia 2.1, audio was rich and full especially with some of the EAX, THX and graphic equalizer effects. Without any settings or effects, I find that it might be comparable to my Realtek HD Audio. If you wasn't so concern about quality, it might not be what you need. However if audio quality wasn't what you pursue, you wouldn't be at this page in the first place.I am using Windows 7 64 bit OS. I do not face any driver issues like what others have experienced probably because i installed the latest drivers downloaded from official creative website. This is highly recommended if you have a good pair of speakers. It will bring out the best of it.
Скроменый эксперт
13.05.2012
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Business oriented laptops like the Lenovo Thinkpad W series seem to be cutting corners on audio. Inadequate hardware, low volume, bad drivers... clearly, audio is no longer a priority. Lenovo no longer even puts a sound output port on their docking station, so I was constantly switching speakers and headphones in the single available headphone jack.Since I use my W520 in-house for video production and music listening, I finally got frustrated enough to look at fixing the quality and logistical problems. This external USB box has been a more than adequate solution. It delivers clarity and volume, and has audio drivers far superior to the ones that came with the system. Setup was very easy.Others complained about EQ, but the included software has all the EQ adjustment I need.Be aware of a couple of things, though. If you expect to use headphones and speakers, then you'll have to use the RCA output on the back of the box for the speakers. No separate mini-jack port is available for speakers, and there is no included conversion cable. I got a Mediabridge - 3.5mm Female To (2) RCA Male Adapter - (8 Inches) adapter cable to hook up my speakers which are M-Audio BX5a 5-inch BiAmplified Studio Monitor Speakers. They were previously plugged into a standard headphone port.There is an included male mini-plug to RCA outputs cable, though I'm not quite sure why they thought it was necessary. I suppose it could be used to put an RCA jack sound source into the microphone jack. Of course, the needed USB cable is included, though it's a standard mini-USB, so it's easily replacable.I have not tried the phone input jacks, though I'm glad to finally have something that will let me hook up an old turntable and record a few ancient albums that never made it to CD.
Скроменый эксперт
17.01.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
As off putting as $85 sounds for a sound card, this is worth it. The basic drivers that are installed when you first plug it in are all you really need for a noticeable improvement in you sound.I bought this product to replace my laptop's sound card since I fried it and this does the job and them some. There are no popping sounds that have been reported with other lesser USB sound devices and it has a solid feeling construction.The complaint of the headphone jack being right channel heavy is true but only if you're using cheap earbuds. This problem can also be fixed by adjusting the balance in your computers sound options.Added bonus: The USB cord that is supplied is not by any means a cheap cord, and It's long so if you're pressed for space you can really place it anywhere you want. This unit also includes an 1/8" male to RCA male audio chord.
Скроменый эксперт
01.01.2013
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Just so you know - this product is considered an "End Of Service Life" product by Creative. What this means is that if you have a problem your only help is their "knowledge base" and online forums. They offer no support whatsoever for this product. How do I know this? My unit is less than a month only and continues to randomly stop working, I have to reboot my computer for it to work again. I looked at their website for possible driver updates or anything - Nothing. When researching online I found that the CS for this company is crap, I had to download the ISO for the install disk off a 3rd-party filehosting site because some guy had to go into the store where he bought it, ask the person who sold it to him to make an ISO of the install disc from an opened product, then give him the disc. THIS was the only way to get a copy. So if you're stupid enough to buy this, DONT lose the install disc.
Скроменый эксперт
07.12.2012
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I was looking for something to power my Sennheiser HD 518 Headphones in addition to outputting sound to my 2.1 setup and this was the perfect product! The X-Fi HD sounds much better than any on board sound card I have used especially since it has a built in amp for my 518s. My headphones now sound cleaner with a more full bodied sound without having to turn the volume all the way up. I also used the RCA outs to hook up to my 2.1 receiver and the sound from my bookshelves and sub sound great.Some people commented about Creative having terrible driver support but the install went smooth for me and it is running on a Windows 8 machine. The EAX or THX TrueStudio settings try to emulate surround sound so I would stay away from activating any of those features because they sound fake to me. The X-Fi HD is used primarily as a Stereo sound card so if you are looking for 5.1 or 7.1 I would look elsewhere. Otherwise, if you wan't excellent 2 channel sound then this is your device.
Скроменый эксперт
20.01.2012
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I have always had a taste in high quality audio and I must say this unit meets my expectations in every single way. When you first open the box you are greeted with a simple black interior with the main attraction front and center for you to see. Below the main unit are the mini usb cable, RCA to 3.5mm cable, 2 installations discs(which aren't required), plus a super simple set up guide. The setup is about as easy as it gets. If you know how to plug in a portable hard drive then you have already mastered the process of plugging this unit it.The sound blaster is a plug and play usb device and the volume knob controls the computer volume level. The whole thing is usb powered so it's nice to not have to have one more stupid little transformer plugged in. When you install the software and driver it allows you to control the mixer, on screen volume controls and the Media toolbox software allows you to use this device to converts old medias to digital.On the back feature a pair of in and out digital optical audio ports as well as a set of in and out rca jacks.My experience:My computers sound card has an optical audio output so naturally I went with that in terms of hooking this unit up. A small blue led light on top lets you know its up and running. The overall music experience was wonderful. The highs are crisper and more natural sounding with all the other little pieces of the main song come alive. You are able to hear little details of instruments that you couldn't before, and the bass definitely steps it up a notch.Bottom line:at a $100 this unit seems pricey, which is why I waited for it to go on sale. If having high quality audio from the computer or even other devices is your thing then you really cannot go wrong. The sound quality is dramatically better and it really brings the music to life!The unit was tested with Beats by Dre Headphones (the studio ones) then with a pair of bose headphones, followed by a cheap pair of skullcandy. In all 3 cases the audio dramatically improved but was more noticeable on the Beats and Bose.
Скроменый эксперт
20.12.2012
4/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
I got the product all excited because the box says that you don't need a computer to use the product. So i plugged in my record player plugged it into my stereo and powered it up with a usb wall adapter. No amplification of the record no sound heard. Next i plugged the sound card into the usb on my computer it installed drivers without disk yay. It worked as a sound card yay. Would it play phono NO! fail! The only way i could get the phono to play through the sound card was install the crappy proprietary soundblaster software that slows down even the fastest computers. fail. Its control and stupidity and a half an hour of useless installations just to get to the record listening. The last thing i want to see when i open a product package is another package that says contents known to the state of california to cause cancer. Can't we make anything in the USA to our own quality standards.
Скроменый эксперт
15.03.2013
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
i was so daiappointed i decided to leave my first feedback. the noise from my speakers after this was hooked up - thru the usb - reminded me of a bad onboard soundcard from 10 years ago. the high piched electrical buzz that sounds like a motherboard working. i also heard it when i switched to the phone input. i also heard it when i removed my old soundblaster audigy pci soundcard. i still heard it when i came out of the headphone 1/4 inch out. the noise is now gone and so is the promise that usb audio is better than pci or onboard.
Скроменый эксперт
05.01.2013
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Works great and sounds great. Installed with no fuss using the latest drivers found on Creative's site. I got it primarily as a headphone amp- replacing my old EMU 0404-USB because I didn't need most of the features of that and I wanted to clean up my workstation (and the 0404-usb was never fully compatible with Windows 7- got to be really annoying at times).The flat top surface of the X-Fi HD is also perfect for Velcro-ing it to the underside of my desk. I like the volume knob for a nice tactile volume adjusting experience, and the easily accessible mute button is also a plus.I wish there was a switch or separate volume controls for external speakers and headphones so that I could leave my 'phones plugged in all the time. Only reason I dinged it a star.
Скроменый эксперт
30.12.2011
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
The 5 star rating is based off of the product itself; Amazon really upset me on this one. I paid full price for a NEW Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD USB sound card, and when I receive my package, it is a refurb! Didn't even come in Creative packaging, just a generic white refurb box. Also said I only have a 30 day warranty as opposed to Creative's 1 year warranty. This was stated NO WHERE on the product details on Amazon, and there is no excuse for shipping a refurb when advertising a new product, at a new product price. Losing 11 months of warranty is a big deal, and either way, if I pay for NEW, I expect NEW. Keep in mind that this was through Amazon itself, not a 3rd party company. So, I am not happy with them and although I have generally been happy with Amazon in the past, they will be hearing from me.As far as the sound card goes, it works very well. I'm running Windows 7 64 bit, and am using the RCA outs to send FLAC files to my NAD C320BEE integrated amp connected to Polk Lsi7 bookshelf speakers. What a difference this card made. No hiss whatsoever, even at full volume, and a much cleaner sound. Even on my mid-fi setup, vocals are 10 times clearer, imaging and spacing are excellent, soundstage is wide and deep, and the overall sound is more impactful. Everything from John Coltrane to Diana Krall to Supertramp to Sting to Dave Matthews and AC/DC are a pleasure to listen to. This blows away the Realtek HD onboard audio by leaps and bounds. If you use your computer as a music server, do yourself a favor and get a good sound card/DAC; it makes your music experience so much more involving. The only real knock I could make on this great little DAC is the headphone amp; it is just ok and definitely inferior to the great headphone amp in the NAD C320BEE. Given its price point however, it does a good enough job; the DAC is where this little guy really shines. Now all I need to do is hope it lasts, since apparently I only have a 30 day warranty! :(
Скроменый эксперт
26.03.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
Definitely a must-buy if you own a hi-end headphone. I have the Senheiser HD 598 and I can see a CLEAR different between before and after.PS: For anyone is getting angry because this device doesn't work, open Control Panel --> Manage Audio Device --> choose USB Sound Blaster HD --> click set as default. I almost return this wonderful device until I know this tip.
Скроменый эксперт
19.03.2013
4/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
Honestly, I was hesitant to post this review. Why? The product never really worked for me. I thought maybe i was just doing something wrong, but I'm starting to think the problem actually lies with the product itself. As of right now, the fact that it is now 'out of date' technology makes me think that there has to be another outlet for those in the market.
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