Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Pro released!

[Jammrock]

I was at the audio shop today (Classe was demoing a product that hasn't even gone into production yet, so I couldn't miss it) and plugged my HD-595's into a Music Fidelity X-Can V3. That is one awesome headphone amp! It's like my already awesome HD-595s came to life! Of course ... $400 is too steep for my budget

As for the Audigy 4 and what's new. From the initial specs (and with Creative you never know if they are the actual specs) the A4 introduces 32-bit digital processing (whatever that's suppose to do) and supposedly true 24/96 chips (no internal 48 Khz resampling). If this is true, and we won't know until the experts get their hands on one, this would put playback on par with the Terratec's and M-Audio's. Though the 32-bit processing mentioned is NOT Intel High Def Audio.

And no PCIe ... yet.

Specs page:

http://www.soundblaster.com/products/Audigy4pro/specs.asp

Jammrock

[Jammrock]

Looks like Creative rumors are rampade with the A4 announcement:

http://www.vr-zone.com.sg/?i=1430&s=

According to this rumormill post the A4 is an enhanced A2 ZS (how enhanced nobody really know yet). The A4 will be a stepping stone to Creative's next gen the Sound Blaster Zenith, which is a complete redesign (ground up) and will be a PCIe 1X card. ETA March 2005. IHDA support ... one would hope.

Jammrock

[Dr Mordrid]

A new Creative card?

YAWN......

Dr. Mordrid

[GT98]

whats the advanage of having a PCIe sound card?

[The PIT]

Theres a huge bus it can hog????

[az]

An advantage I could see is another chance for VIA and Crative to get it right this time

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, the soundcard can now hog the bus as much as it wants to, because there's one bus for every slot. I think.

AZ

[Dr Mordrid]

And I'm sure a PCIe SoundBlaster will take every opportunity to do exactly that

Dr. Mordrid

[Jammrock]

Originally posted by Dr Mordrid
A new Creative card?

YAWN......

Dr. Mordrid

Figures an Echo man would say that I hope they release a consumer card or two next year. Maybe even a good Firewire one. That would make me the happiest.

As for the advantage of a PCIe sound card. The bandwidth thing is the biggest. With increased bandwidth it could, in theory, support more audio streams at higher bitrates. The A2/A4 can do 64 streams of 16-bit/44.1 kHz audio (if I remember correctly). With the increased bandwidth of PCIe, and of course a new beefier DAC/ADC/processor, the Zenith might be able to do something like 64 streams at 24/96, or 128 streams at 16/44, or 32 streams at 32/192 ... or some odd combo like that ... and without causing problems with other PCIe cards.

mmmmmmm.... video games in high-def surround sound audio can't wait!