Anyone get a Creative Super X-FI yet?

King of Heroes said:
This looks interesting. Does anyone know if this support mic input via the 3.5mm jack?
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Yes microphone input through inline mics work with a firmware update. Output level is fine but mic volume control doesn't seem to do anything.
 
Zefram0911 said:
This.

I love this thing. My only criticism is that for FPS games, it really messes me up with positioning. Maybe I have to unlearn everything and relearn how the Super XFi positions sounds, but playing games like Overwatch, I just couldn't tell where anything was coming from. Other non-fps games were great though. like this poster, I'm going to be keeping Super XFi on for everything, except fps games.
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I can tell where everything is coming from in Overwatch.
I even heard a junkrat ultimate start from WAY behind me so I was able to take evasive maneuvers quickly. I was already impressed with the GSX-1000 and this was even better.
 
Falkentyne said:
I can tell where everything is coming from in Overwatch.
I even heard a junkrat ultimate start from WAY behind me so I was able to take evasive maneuvers quickly. I was already impressed with the GSX-1000 and this was even better.
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I'm a top 500 NA flex support main and played at ESL Cologne for another game. For me, the sound from fps games sound so foreign and odd with Super X-Fi. Hard for me to pinpoint where anything is coming from with high enough precision to compete.
 
Finally got around to installing this thing. Did the ear scan setup and everything. Using it with Aeon Flow planar magnetic headphones, coming from a Meridian Explorer2 USB DAC.

This Creative Super X-Fi sounds...... terrible.

Like putting an empty can of tuna between my headphone cups and my ears. Like a cheap receiver "hall effect" processing. Totally ruins vocals, clarity, detail. Total snake oil.
 
Vega said:
Finally got around to installing this thing. Did the ear scan setup and everything. Using it with Aeon Flow planar magnetic headphones, coming from a Meridian Explorer2 USB DAC.

This Creative Super X-Fi sounds...... terrible.

Like putting an empty can of tuna between my headphone cups and my ears. Like a cheap receiver "hall effect" processing. Totally ruins vocals, clarity, detail. Total snake oil.
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Yup...

It’s a decent tiny amplifier, that’s the only thing it has going for it.

Creative still sucks and this was a bait and switch in my opinion.(since they showed the press the inner ear measurement system drumming up all kinds of internet buzz and promoted that the picture system would be a similar experience - which it obviously is not).
 
Vega said:
Finally got around to installing this thing. Did the ear scan setup and everything. Using it with Aeon Flow planar magnetic headphones, coming from a Meridian Explorer2 USB DAC.

This Creative Super X-Fi sounds...... terrible.

Like putting an empty can of tuna between my headphone cups and my ears. Like a cheap receiver "hall effect" processing. Totally ruins vocals, clarity, detail. Total snake oil.
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As a hobby sound engineer, I came to the same conclusion, perhaps it works better for others but for me it totally killed sound quality, poor quality bass response and in my case it was as if the 10kHz+ frequencies were "deleted" and not even with extensive EQ boost it could be brought back. With the processing turned off again it's "decent" clarity DAC but one thing stroke me that the soundstage is more closed-in than I'm used to, so yea didn't leave any good taste at all, it went onto the shelf, haven't bothered selling it but doubt it'll get much use.
 
Vega said:
Ya not sure what the heck I was thinking last year when I ordered it. Maybe game 3D spatial sound? Dunno.
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I mean, Creative is still good at that. But so is everyone else now, and if you eff up normal audio in the process you fail pretty much automatically.

I roll 300Ω cans through an old Xonar U3 USB stick that has an equalizer; otherwise, I've used Razer's surround software through my balanced DAC, or even Creative's software on my desktop, as it can process sound for the optical out.

Could just use Equalizer APO as that's most of what I want; roll back some of the Beyer's highs, add some bass to my Sennheisers, etc.
 
I have one... I think it sounds better (surround wise) when comparing it to standard 2.0 headphones
 
IdiotInCharge said:
I mean, Creative is still good at that. But so is everyone else now, and if you eff up normal audio in the process you fail pretty much automatically.

I roll 300Ω cans through an old Xonar U3 USB stick that has an equalizer; otherwise, I've used Razer's surround software through my balanced DAC, or even Creative's software on my desktop, as it can process sound for the optical out.

Could just use Equalizer APO as that's most of what I want; roll back some of the Beyer's highs, add some bass to my Sennheisers, etc.
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How has your experience been with the Razer surround software? I think it shows promise, but I didn't know anyone that actually used it.
 
OFaceSIG said:
How has your experience been with the Razer surround software? I think it shows promise, but I didn't know anyone that actually used it.
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I've used it on and off- not as much lately, but it does its job. Mostly I'd been interested in the in-line EQ capability.
 
Bumping this thread to give Super X-FI a lot of love. A couple weeks ago I got the Creative Sound Blaster X3 external DAC/amp that has the Super X-FI function in it and I won't bother repeating some praise that's been given here for it for various kinds of content, but it really is something!

I honestly cannot see myself "downgrading" to a regular dac/amp that doesn't have Super XFI or something at least on that caliber, any longer.

I've used it paired with AKG K701 and Bose QC35.

I'm not an audiophile by trade or hobby but like many people I appreciate when I hear something I like, and I know I like Super X-FI a lot. It is suitable for tons of content. It doesn't work for every song you will listen to as it does change the tonality but it will actually make certain music sound lots better. You basically want to try it on and off depending on the album/particular song you're listening to. It will either work great, or you'd rather have it off for a particular track. But for gaming and movies and especially YouTube even, it is something else. No going back for me.

Love it. Not sure what else to say!
 
The X-fi is just a fixed equalizer boosting the highs and lows. Super low tech. :)
 
B00nie said:
It is. Super X-fi adds some pseudo-3d phase tricks similar to many sound bars.
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Well, of course it is pseudo 3d, it cant physically add additonal speakers to your headphones, but to call it an equalizer is very far off from what it is doing. It actually needs a hardware solution. It isnt software equslizer. It does a lot of special processing that makes the end result *extremely* believable and life-like.

Out of curiosity, have you personally tried it? If so, fair enough if you disagree and arent impressed. But it isnt just a typical equalizer type of deal, that is doing it a great disservice
 
Furious Nerd said:
Well, of course it is pseudo 3d, it cant physically add additonal speakers to your headphones, but to call it an equalizer is very far off from what it is doing. It actually needs a hardware solution. It isnt software equslizer. It does a lot of special processing that makes the end result *extremely* believable and life-like.

Out of curiosity, have you personally tried it? If so, fair enough if you disagree and arent impressed. But it isnt just a typical equalizer type of deal, that is doing it a great disservice
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I'm going to try it out but I'm not holding my breath judging from the previous Creative stuff. They're 99% marketing hype and often just degrade the sound like Crystallizer did.
 
It's really not meant for music. There is no reason to use this for listening to music and if you do, particularly if you use headphones not on its list, yeah I am not surprised it is not going to sound like what you like. You're taking a 2 channel recording and simulating it coming out of 7 speakers in a virtual room. Of course that's going to sound weird!

It really is best used for virtual 3d headphone surround in games and movies that have a 7.1 PCM surround channel mix. So, for example any modern PC FPS game that does not have its own in game binaural engine. (E.g. I think CS:GO and Battlefield have their own, or Overwatch which uses its own Atmos mix, or I think Hunt Showdown also has its own.) In Warzone, it is amazing. Way better than Atmos in that game, which sounds terrible and has poor rear audio cues.

Virtual 3D is not "snake oil," HRTF is a real thing. For that particular purpose, it is the best virtual 3D device I have heard, ever, and I have basically tried every single available consumer 3D surround product on the market.
 
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Im actually going to backpedal from saying sxfi isnt aporoprtiate for some music. It actually makes near every music sound better to me. From classical to rock to techno. It seems to open up the soundstage without ruining the music quality or presentatio . The more I use sxfi the more I think I'm sold on it for life and can't go back to "regular" flat pancake audio .

I've now used it for 4 weeks and any time I turn sxfi off everything sounds lifeless and flat and no different than regular phone or onboard quality.

It's an instant "nope" moment when I switch if off. After a minute my ears/brain get acclimated and used to "regular" sound and it's okay again, but then I turn sxfi on and immediately it's like taking LSD for your ears once more. It's awesome.
 
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