Creative Labs is the Google of sound cards, top of the game and paving the way for the future. While other companies have their niche, no one tops Creative when it comes to gaming sound quality. This latest offering from Creative is no exception. Known for their Sound Blaster and Audigy line, X-Fi is the their next evolution in sound cards. It has been 5 years since the debut of the Audigy cards. The X-Fi series consists of 4 cards, the Elite pro, the Fatal1ty FPS, the Platinum, and the XtremeMusic. I recently got my techie hands on a Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic, the lower of the 4 models and now the question to ask is was it worth the wait?

The question my fellow gamers are probably asking themselves is, "Is this card worth $100+ of my hard earned money?" By the time this review is wrapped up we should be able to answer that question and give our readers a recommendation.



The overall packaging is is top notch. While the box is a bit big for such a small product, the card is secured well inside. The box contains the card, a quick start guide, and the cd featuring the drivers, applications and the Doom 3 EAX fix.

Here are the technical specifications provided by Creative’s website:

Technical specifications

• 24-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion of analog inputs at 96kHz sample rate
• 24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion of digital sources at 96kHz to analog 7.1 speaker output
• 24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion of stereo digital sources at 192kHz to stereo output
• 16-bit to 24-bit recording sampling rates: 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz
• ASIO 2.0 support at 16-bit/44.1kHz, 16-bit/48kHz, 24-bit/44.1kHz 24-bit/48kHz and 24-bit/96kHz with direct monitoring
• Enhanced SoundFont support at up to 24-bit resolution

Audio Performance (Rated Output @ 2Vrms)

• Signal-to-Noise Ratio (20kHz Low-pass filter, A-Weighted)

• Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise at 1kHz (20kHz Low-pass filter) = 0.004%
• Frequency Response (-3dB, 24-bit/96kHz input ) = <10Hz to 46kHz
• Frequency Response (-3dB, 24-bit/192kHz input) = <10Hz to 88kHz (Stereo only)

Connectivity

• FlexiJack (Performing a 3-in-1 function, Digital I/O1 / Line In / Microphone) via 3.50mm mini jack
• Line level out (Front / Rear / Side / Center / Subwoofer) via 3.50mm mini jacks
• AUX_IN line-level analog input via 4-pin Molex connector on card
• One AD_Link (26 pin) connector for linking to the X-FI I/O Console (upgrade option)