Creative Sound Blaster AE-9 review: Incredible PC audio with a hefty price tag

Soundcards used to be a requirement to bask games and media on your PC, but as motherboard manufacturers began to include better onboard audio, soundcards became less viable for the average PC owner. Today, soundcards are notwithstanding more than of a niche, merely existence picked up past serious audiophiles or those who crave avant-garde features not offered by the motherboard.

The new Sound Blaster AE-9 follows suit, packing some serious hardware, but commands quite the price. The PCI-e soundcard is capable of 32-bit audio, and the companion audio command module (ACM) comes with a built-in microphone amplifier. Should you consider installing Artistic's latest PCI soundcard within your PC? TL;DR: yes, you should.

Audiophile Quality

Creative Sound Equalizer AE-ix

$350

Bottom line: If you're serious about sound, you'll want to consider the AE-ix for your PC.

Pros

• Amazing audio
• Quality components
• ACM with mic pre-amp
• Good-looking design
• Swappable op-amps

Cons

• Pricey
• Requires half dozen-pin PCI power
• Mic input

Audiophiles volition love the Creative Sound Blaster AE-ix

So what makes the Sound Blaster AE-ix then special that Creative charges so much for a soundcard? If you're unfamiliar with the AE series, this package comes rocking a 129dB dynamic range using a how-do-you-do-res ESS SABRE 9038 DAC, supporting 32-bit 384KHz playback, alongside Xamp headphone distension. What all this means is the soundcard and accompanying ACM has all the necessary tech to create crystal clear audio.

The Sound Blaster AE-nine looks good and houses some serious audio tech.

But that's non all. Merely looking at the specs canvas is mind-extraordinary. Creative arranged numerous processing tech onto the card, including an Acoustic Engine, Dolby Digital Live, and fifty-fifty DTS Connect Encoding for analog outputs. The soundcard and ACM are well-designed, sporting a premium silver finish. The soundcard is connected to the external ACM via a link, but houses the following ports:

• Front Left
• Front Right
• Rear
• Center / Subwoofer
• Optical-out
• Optical-in
• Op-amp Pair 1 (Single DIP)
• Op-amp Pair 2 (Dual DIP)

Betwixt the ACM and soundcard, you'll exist able to hook up all your favorite audio hardware. To make all this work, Creative uses an ESS SABRE-class 9038 DAC, likewise as loftier-grade Nichicon "Fine Gold" capacitors and swappable op-amps. Utilizing premium equipment, from headphones and microphones all the way downwardly to transistors makes for a premium audio feel, and information technology works with the Sound Blaster AE-9.

Creative even works to eliminate outside interference, namely, your power supply. When pushing your GPU and other components to their limits, you may meet what's known as ripple dissonance, which is amplified along with microphone signals. To shield confronting this, the company's ClearLine technology to emulate the benefits of a desktop mixer past eliminating voltage rails interference along the microphone path. It's clever stuff and works to make you sound even better.

Aslope the +48V phantom ability push button, volume and condition display, SBX push, and control knob, the ACM has the following ports:

• XLR / half dozen.iii mm Microphone-in
• Headphone Impedance Selector Switch
• 3.5 mm Microphone-in (Mono)
• 3.five mm Headset / Headphone-in
• half-dozen.3 mm Headphone Jack
• AUX-in (Left / Right)

Lastly, nosotros have discrete 5.1 channels and 7.1 virtual surround audio to play with. The Sound Blaster AE-9 is fully kitted out. The sheer number of available ports allows you to connect a bunch of equipment.

Creative's Sound Blaster AE-9 is simply wonderful.

Creative gives you lot all the tools yous need to manage your audio besides. The ACM houses buttons and knobs to adjust volume, switch between outputs, and fifty-fifty configure headphone impedance. Should you need to configure something a petty more avant-garde, the Sound Blaster Control software is the destination where you'll exist able to change literally everything on the Audio Blaster AE-9. From profiles to EQ manipulation, the Command suite does it all.

Supporting up to 600-ohm headphones, you'll be able to use more budget-orientated headsets upwardly to audiophile rated cans. Every bit well equally nailing the more critical principal features, Creative fifty-fifty went a step further and included extras like Scout Mode, which allows the software to enhance specific audio tracks within games, namely footsteps. It worked more often than not, and when it did, it was incredibly useful.

I tested the sound output of the Sound Blaster AE-ix with the Sound Blaster Katana soundbar, SteelSeries Arctis Pro headset, Sennheiser Hard disk drive 650 headphones, and Plugable Functioning Onyx HS53 headset. For microphones, I used the trusty Behringer C-1 hooked up to the DAC direct to make apply of the built-in ghost amp. The resulting sound quality of the Audio Blaster AE-ix is simply incredible.

Whether you're playing the latest games like PUBG and need to hear absolutely everything, peculiarly when there are other sound effects currently existence played, or desire to savor your favorite collection of synthwave (Dance With The Dead'southward Neo Tokyo remix sounds superb), the bass, lows, mids, and even highs were non distorted at all when paired up with the Katana, Arctis Pro, and HD 650. The more affordable Onyx HS53 didn't sound as expert as our other exam cups, but that'southward to be expected.

You're only going to want to buy the Sound Equalizer AE-9 if you own premium headphones. Unfortunately, using a condenser microphone with the ACM wasn't equally impressive, though it was more difficult to hear whatsoever noise coming through, it'due south not perfect. Compared to a rather budget-friendly mixer and pre-amp module, it was hard to tell the departure, which is non what you desire to see in a $350 premium sound setup.

It feels as though Creative could take spent a lilliputian more time on the input side of things with the AE-9, though for all things output it's phenomenal. The accompanying ACM with diverse controls makes it easy to switch between headphone impedance, manage volume levels, and output. Artistic's software suite — when you actually demand to utilise it — is also very proficient.

The Creative Audio Equalizer AE-nine has only a few minor drawbacks

While information technology's not really a drawback of the soundcard since information technology requires additional ability non supplied through the PCI slot, you will need to have a spare 6-pin PCI cablevision from your PSU to claw upward the Creative Audio Blaster AE-9. If you already have a high-end GPU, you may not have a spare connector, which will require you to pick up an additional cable for your power supply — something to bear in heed.

At that place'southward likewise the cost, which is way across the budget of many consumers and PC owners. That said, if yous're using loftier-quality, premium headphones and other audio equipment, you'll not see money as an issue when looking for a soundcard or DAC for Windows. It truly is worth the asking cost, withal.

Should you buy the Creative Sound Blaster AE-9?

If you want to take your PC sound experience to the next level, the Creative Sound Blaster AE-9 is worth because, especially if you can overlook the rather high price. The advanced features like a built-in microphone AMP into the DAC, as well every bit ClearLine engineering and the ability to customize how the sound is pumped to your favorite cans, makes information technology great for streamers, gamers, and audiophiles.

The congenital-in audio on your PC motherboard is usually only skillful enough, only sometimes you want to really become immersed in games and enjoy movies how the production teams intended. That's where something like the Sound Equalizer AE-nine really makes a deviation. What'southward more than is if you already own an older Creative soundcard, the company is offering 15 percent off the Sound Equalizer AE-nine if you wish to upgrade.

Audiophile Quality

Creative Sound Blaster AE-9

For those who are serious about audio

PC Motherboard onboard audio quality has improved immensely, just having a defended sound card like the Sound Blaster AE-9 unlocks a whole new dimension of sound.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/creative-sound-blaster-ae-9-review

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