MIG-31

Creative has been at the cradle of computer audio ever since the late 80’s and early 90’s. They had created a new soundcard dubbed SoundBlaster, which brought sound to the Personal Computer.

Surely but steadily the sound cards grew technologically bigger and better; they even created a standard within sound card compatibility.

Each new card has been adding more and better features than the one before it, the cards adapting to new technologies to meet demands driven primarily by the gaming market.Just recently Creative has released a new SoundBlaster, named the Audigy 4.

They seem to have skipped the Audigy 3 and gone straight for the Audigy 4., though when I asked why they skipped the Audigy 3 Creative answered that they consider the SB Audigy 2 ZS Platinum the real Audigy 3.

In essence this card is the same as the Audigy 2 ZS, except that the software bundle. The software itself and the drivers are refreshed. Oh yeah and it has 2 new Digital Audio Converters (or DAC’s).So what does this Audigy card have to offer over then previous version?.
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Review: 3dvelocity

Thanks to ulukai_nl for the submit.

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Distroyed

That's one of the most ignorant things I've ever heard. The DAC is one of the most important components of a soundcard... Im unable to trust anything such a reviewer has to say after making such a blatant statement that discloses his lack of intellection in the subject.

dj_stick

DAC's are important for audio quality, but with that comparison to the original Audigy 2 there is not much difference
for gamers just go with the standard Audigy 2 ZS (don't bother with the more expensive "Gamer" version, unless you want the extra games it comes with)

For those with an Audigy 2 Platinum EX or Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro don't bother thinking about the upgrade, especially A2ZZPP owners - you don't gain much at all, A2PEX owners may want to upgrade if you really need 7.1 sound

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Distroyed

dj stick, I dont even know how your post makes sense to you.

dj_stick

just explaining that its almost useless to buy this card now unless you are upgrading from a much older card

if you have any audigy 2 card, especially the audigy 2 zs series, don't bother

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Callandor

It makes alot of sense to me.

I really don't understand how your post makes any sense to you Distroyed.

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Distroyed

Then neither of you followed my post.

I criticized the writer of the review for denying the importance of the dac. The dac changes everything about a soundcard. The Audigy4 usues the EMU dacs, and the EMU's are well-regarded as having excellent sound. The whole audigy2 line is well known for its crap sound. Thus, there may very well be a huge reason to upgrade because of the new DAC's.

Is the light turning on yet?

dj_stick

don't know if that site blocks direct image linking, otherwise look at the RMAA results table on this page.
these results are quite close

with the current generation of multimedia speakers you won't notice much of a difference at all. Btw i don't know if you got the fact that there are e-mu converters from that review, but the big sticker with the e-mu logo is just the 10k2 chip, which has been on almost every audigy card since the first audigy 1

edit: my intention was not to directly follow your post, but to also notify others out there that this is not a really neccessary upgrade

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Distroyed

First, RMAA statistics are only that. There are plenty of products that sound much better than a product with higher RMAA specs.

Second, the 10k2 is the soundcard's processor. It uses AKM dac's. Processer does not equal dac.

Im done with this thread.

dj_stick

i know the difference between the DSP chip and the DAC/ADC chips, and the differences would only be heard with a mid to high end home theatre system, not multimedia/gaming surround speakers setups

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