Creative X-Fi announced!

[Jammrock]

Firingsquad has posted a news article/press release saying that Creatives next gen audio processor and sound card is called....

X-Fi!

...because it's EXTREME fidelity!!!

http://www.firingsquad.com/news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=8073

Haven't seen posts anywhere else, and SoundBlaster.com doesn't have anything about it yet so ... no idea if FS just jumped the gun on the release, or if Creative is slow to update their site.

No specs have been released, though the press release mentions 24-bit processor. Pity they didn't bump it up to 32-bit like Intel's HDA. I'm sure we'll get an earful about it soon enough.

EDIT:Looks like ExtremeTech has a preview up already: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...1813719,00.asp ...

Jammrock

[Nowhere]

I've read preview somewhere else (I think linked from recent osnews news story) which stated that 70% of power of new chip goes to good quality resampling that is performed at all times (instead of crappy resampling that is performed now). Way to go. Instead of creating solution that doesn't have to resample (like for example my ancient soundcard), create powerfull audio processor and waste its power for resampling...
And ...what do you need 32bit for? (also, as I urderstand, HDA is new standard - and this Creative soundard it's still in the world of old AC97)

edit: oh, and isn't this all what Audigy was supposed to do?

[The PIT]

Sounds interesting you're just left with the driver problem.

[Jammrock]

And ...what do you need 32bit for? (also, as I urderstand, HDA is new standard - and this Creative soundard it's still in the world of old AC97)

Future-proofing. I still use my original Audigy 1 (bought it the first week it came out).

Too bad there is no immient PCIe plans

[Nowhere]

Future-proofing.
...

You're going to have Vulcan ears transplanted?

[Jon P. Inghram]

Do you want some LN2 cooled DAC's and ADC's to get a snr good enough to use some of those extra bits?

[Jammrock]

You're going to have Vulcan ears transplanted?

How did you know?

[Admiral]

Preview on Extreme Tech.

[UtwigMU]

Problem is: There's still no good 3D sound implementation, game maker or hardware maker that tries to innovate gets bought or Creative threatens them with lawsuit.

Soundcard innovation boils down to new external racks and catchprase acronyms.

[Nowhere]

Problem is: There's still no good 3D sound implementation...

You make it sound like it never was.

I have one...it was quite an experience when I first had heard the "dishes" in UT zapping right next to my head. And, some games still support it - HL2 for example.

edit: I wonder how much of Aureal's tech went into Creative product this time...

[Kurt]

edit: I wonder how much of Aureal's tech went into Creative product this time...

So do I. A3D was the best 3D sound positioning I ever heard. It was very heavy for the PC but you can't beat the quality.

EAX is a crude positional audio system, but it's better than none. A3D is still vastly superior.

With the added power, I hope they'll introduce some form of A3D. IMO they HAVE to, otherwise the soundcard business will be dead for Creative and we'll all end-up with AC'97 and some crappy Realtek DAC (like on sooo many motheboards already).

Even if their drivers are crappy, they're the only ones left that develop real soundcards and not AC'97 for the masses...

[lecter]

Future-proofing. I still use my original Audigy 1 (bought it the first week it came out).

Too bad there is no immient PCIe plans

Same here, got a nearly 3-year-old Audigy1...everything they've pumped out since then (and arguably since the SBLive) has been incremental, but I guess there's only so much stuff you can do with a soundcard. Their new sound/capture external rack is kinda cute, though.

[Gurm]

X-Treme Fidelity?!!?

Kinda like the 24-bit/96Khz on the Audigy that is neither 24-bit NOR 96khz?

[Elie]

LOL and in a few months after it's released, Creative Labs will get hit with a class action law suite from people complaining it wasn't X-FI enough.


Cheers,
Elie

[Dr Mordrid]

Give it a few weeks after release and watch the horror stories start appearing.

I wouldn't use a Creative card on a bet.

Dr. Mordrid