Creative's new audio chip: The X-Fi

I'm not too enthusiastic about the X-Fi (for reasons I already ranted about many times). However, one thing that I just thought about was the price. After all, this processor doesn't sound like it'll come cheap. If X-Fi chip does cost a significant amount more than the current ones, then I'm wondering what Creative will do to keep costs down.

Will they take a "Muscle over Beauty" approch, skimping on sound quality in an attempt to keep their cards reasonably priced? Or maybe they'll just make the cards more expensive, maybe charging several hundred dollars just on the card itself (and charging even more for a drive bay or breakout box)? Who knows? One thing is for sure though: I'm not paying several hundred dollars for a sound card unless it sounds damn good. And I sure as hell aren't going to pay for a card that costs several times more than other better sounding cards.

Of course, all my ranting is based on pure speculation. Who knows, maybe Creative has found a way to incorporate the X-Fi into good sounding cards at a reasonable price? I doubt it though.
 
The X-fi sounds like a sound processing beast, but still seems like it took one too many compromises for SQ. Sound quality is definitely one of the more ephemeral aspects of computing, as there is no basis for what is 'good', no benchmark to rank it, and it is highly subjective as prices increase. Based on that knowledge, it seems to me that Creative is mostly interested in impressing gamers with FLOPS specs and flashy terminology, rather than create a balls-out awesome audio card, which I'm sure that they have the tech to do, they just have different priorities.

They have the majority of the market, and they have no reason to differentiate their products from anyone but their own.
 
BO(V)BZ said:
They have the majority of the market, and they have no reason to differentiate their products from anyone but their own.
True enough. I suppose that as long as the sound quality is good enough for the majority, then the X-Fi soundcards will sell like hotcakes. Even if it doesn't sound too good, Creative Labs won't lose out since they're essentially competing with themselves.
 
I am interested to see this chip used the updated versions of the EMU cards likely later this year.
 
they put in more and more "features" except the important ones like "good DACS" "good opamps" "good power supply decoupling caps" well i should talk i am listeng to one of their #$%# mcsoundcards now and actually enjoying the music so :)
 
I will probably get one. I mean its gotta be better than the On board audio. And I dont want to sacrifice any performance if I dont have to. Sounds good to me.
 
you just had to revive a dead thread :eek:

I'm just going to keep my audigy 2zs, I don't game often and I'll probally ?upgrade? to a chaintech av710, or run dual chaintech for music and audigy for gaming and dvd's when I want my dvd's in surround sound
 
Just so I understand this correctly.




So for music, the $25 Chaintec AV-710 will be better than the Creative X-Fi?
 
Just so I understand this correctly.




So for music, the $25 Chaintec AV-710 will be better than the Creative X-Fi?

no, I'm not saying that, I just think that its better than the audigy 2 zs for music and that under no circumstance will i consider purchasing another creative card
 
theroam1nggnome said:
no, I'm not saying that, I just think that its better than the audigy 2 zs for music and that under no circumstance will i consider purchasing another creative card

Actually I didn't even see your post and notice that you mentioned the Chaintech AV-710. I was more responding to the OP which states that this card is not true 24/96.


But anyway if you know the answer by all means, which is better for music?
 
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