This Audigy is still being sold, more then 20 years after its first introduction on the market. After all this time, does this version still hold up? Is it any good? Let's find out!
I don´t know what are u talking about this Audigy RX, it sound great. I have 2 motherboards now, with 2 onboard built in chips ALC 1200 and ALC 1220, with the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Pro WiFi and the ASUS Tuf B550m Gaming WiFi. The Sound Blaster Audigy RX sounds better than thouse 2 ALC´s chips... really better. If u compare the BASS audibles frecuencies, in real life, between the Audgy RX and the ALC 1220, the ALC 1200/1220 sounds good, much better than the old Realtek generation, AL 889, etc... But they don´t sound better than Audigy RX.
Good to hear another opinion! I can understand what you mean. It's just that the Rx uses old components which is it's main downside. That is why I just cannot recommend it. There are better cards, with newer components, which cost less.
I've been using a SB XFI xtreme music for almost 10 years and then I change my system and couldn't use It any more because of the old PCI interface. I really hear the difference over my new onboard ALC1200, that considering that the xtreme music is an lower end soundcard comparing with the RX.
I have this sound card as well as others from Creative that lost support due to the evolution of slots.. I already had Creative with an ISA slot, then a PCI slot and now it has a PCI-E slot... to use all the power of this hardware I use the Daniel-K drivers that enable all the functions that the native driver doesn't have like CMSS... I have an SBS-450 sound KIT and it works wonderfully. I won't exchange any onboard audio for my Audigy RX.
I have the Auzentech X-FI forte 7.1 and used it until very recently with DanielK drivers too and was super amazing but sadly the soundcard was going bad for a while, mic input was gone for years and the sound was getting worse sadly... I now have the newer Creative AE-5 Plus and it's all good in quality but mic input is horrible and the software is the worse EVER, my 5.1 now sounds pretty bad, they no longer have CMSS and music is mostly 2.1 now, even putting surround maxed out for 5.1 it makes it completely FAKE, only the center channel gets really loud with different quality and the rear speakers are playing strange effects at low volume. Old CMSS made all 5 speakers to sound the same and all very powerfull and also my subwoofer had a ton more bass than my current AE-5, my 10 inch subwoofer now seems more like a 6 inch subwoofer instead and it's all because of the shitty software cause the soundcard actually has much improved components quality... ps. I'm mad, even the onboard crap soundcard has proper 2.1 to 5.1 upmixing with more power and better mic input FFS...
@@guily6669 Drivers, unfortunately. They are the heel of older cards and even new ones... I still have my Audigy 5 and it's working very well with Daniel K's drivers and the CMSS works very well... I wouldn't trade it for anything.
I have an Audigy RX and, as far as I know, the board (Aorus B450 Pro) has the best available onboard chip (ALC1220-VB), in plain English, even with the cheapest 5 euro boxes, the difference is like day and night. Onboard chips are far too quiet and don't offer any boosters. So always these unnecessary comparisons (not your video but in general) with onboard solutions, I don't understand :) But I'm about to buy a Soundblaster Z (Se), I have the Edifier C3X sound system, think it's worth it ???
Good comment, and I do agree! This comparison is nonsensical for a lot of people, but I made this comparison because most of the comments are people asking me: I have this or this motherboard. Does buying a sound card make a difference? That's the only reason. I kinda stopped with making that comparison now, mainly for the reason have. Also, most sound cards, like the Rx, can amplify the audio way better than an onboard solution can. They have quality op amps. But the actual audio quality what I find interesting, not how loud stuff may get. Last and not least, the Rx is just an old rebranded Audigy chip. It felt like getting a new car, with an engine, 20 years old, in it. Did the Z Se make any difference? Do you agree with my video about the Z SE? Great choise of gear by the way! I also have an Aorus motherboard, but with a ALC1200 and I have Edifier speakers :D
I notice he didnt even talk about the most important feature. ASIO. The card can be used in your computer running a DAW and do multi tracking and the ASIO support allows for you to channel or route audio in separate distinct channels so they don't overwrite other channels on the prior recording of a different track. No bleed over. I can run Win7 with this card and run 2 Synth programs like Lounge lizard and Kontact simultaneously while recording using Reaper DAW multitrack. All running together with very few glitches if at all. Creative doesnt make a better sound card with ASIO and surround sound outputs. The Rx is all they got for multitracking.
I sometimes get questions about ASIO and the support of this. My knowledge about ASIO is very limited so I don't want talk about that. So your information is very welcome! Thanks for that! :D
i've still got my Audigy 2 ZS Gamer Limited Edition upstairs in it's original box. was used for a bit in my machine at the time and just kinda forgot about it. it's still in near mint condition as well, no corrosion on any of the contacts on the pins or board.
Work gifted me a Dell T420 server, which became my main system. Being a server, it didn't have any on board audio hardware. I picked up an Rx as it was the cheapest sound card with a Toslink connector. My computers sound ends up coming from a Harmon/Kardon stereo that's connected via fiber optic cable. It's been completely fine for everything I've wanted out of a sound card.
Any word on musicality? How does the Audigy RX compare to the Xonar AE and to Sound Blaster AE-5 by just listening to some music? Which one is a good fit for the Gigaworks T40?
I use the Sound Blaster Audigy RX for 3 or 4 years ago... and now... it is excellent, a good sound, good bass, real acutes, not sharp and not metal... the sound is real. But i have a little problem, recently I instaled Batocera and Recallbox and there´s no sound. It is recongnized, like Sound Blaster Audigy 5/RX but it doesn't sound. I use the Digital Output S/PDIF, but with analoge RCA conectors, neither. I don´t know what´s up with the Linux support.
Linux support for Creative soundcards has always been very poor. I wanted to get my X-Fi Titanium HD working, but despite all the tuturials, I just couldn't get it working. When switching to Windows, it just worked. I do like Linux and try to use it, but for making RU-vid content, especially about sound cards, it isn't that good.
The 106db is one of the least important things about the card, yes it does have some importance (in this case, is means that the older 106db is going to usually sound a tad bit more warm/nice/fussy which is good when dealing with PC sound. But I have heard newer onboard sound with a much better DB, that sounded a lot worse! What happens with sound is that, when you clean it up so much be removing distortion, and still have bad/weak/small onboard parts, it just sounds like plastic, and that is okay as long as you play games and mostly only deal with sound effects, but for REAL music, you notice that it does not quite have that little bit of magic that draws you in. I would much rather have the old audigy2 card, than most of the low - normal top onboard sound that is built in the newer boards. Yes maybe there are like 5 models on the market where you pay like 500 bucks for a really good motherboard, that finally has a better sound than audigy 2. But it is usually just a bit more clean in sound, still very flat and fake compared to those other boards you recommended. It is also a bit difficult finding drivers for those old cards audigy cards, because they probably don't support the newer OS, last time I looked. My driver cd is from like 2005 or so. The older cards did also have an older PCI slot which we do not have anymore, so they are kind of not compatible with the newer PC's out there. But nice to hear a guy focusing on sound cards in 2020 :-)
That’s a really good analysis! I agree that SNR isn't the major factor. I only use it as an indication. But I found that the SNR rating given is mostly marketing and doesn't come near that number in the real world. I too have heard onboard solutions with high SNR numbers that sounded crap. The last couple of weeks I used the Audigy 2 for another test and found that the drivers by Creative still worked. Now I must add that the Windows 10 version used, was a fresh clean install. So maybe that's why it worked. Also, you can used win 7 or win 8(.1) drivers on windows 10. And thank you! If you have any requests, please let me know!
For old Creative Sound Blaster Cards on Windows 7/10 You could use the community PAX Drivers, for Asus Xonar Cards there are the Unixonar drivers, I still use a Asus Xonar DS (With Unixonar Drivers on Win10 64bit), I changed the NE5532D dual op amp with a Texas Instruments LM4562NA and lastly with a Burr Brown OPA2134PA, the sound from the Xonar turned incredible with the change of the dual OP amp chip. I give the ASUS Xonar cards a thumbs up just because they let you upgrade or change their OP amp ICs, and for music and movies their sound output is just superb.
I agree. I bought an Audigy FX 3 years ago what I have been using in my PC which has now a ASUS Prime B550 Plus motherboard. This mobo is not the cheapest one, it is on the low end of the middle class. It has Realtek ALC887 chip which is quite old and its S/N ratio (96db) is worse than even of the Audigy FX. But noise is not the most important factor. Recently I tried the onboard audio by removing the Audigy temporarily and it is audible worse. It is a lot more lifeless. Well, the Audigy FX sounds the same without the additional features, but especially the Crystalizer makes a big impact.
The X-Fi series is really old and not up to date any more. The drivers are ancient and don't really work well with all features enabled on Windows 10. Also the components are showing their age. The sound processor is huge and needs cooling and the DAC isn't that good to todays standard. Modern onboard solutions are better the X-Fi. Altough I must admit that I have a softspot for the X-Fi! I own two of them! :D I'm planning on making a video about the X-Fi soon!
Hi Anton, If I just use headphones and want the amp from the sound card, do the DACs make a huge difference? I never use speakers due to my living arrangements. In my case would the Audigy be ok as its cheap? Or should I just grab the AE5?
Yes it does matter. The DAC is just the converter that changes the zero's and one's into analog sound. No dac, no sound. Also the quality of dacs does make a difference. The Sabre series are very good and make silky soft sound, but with high precision. So get the AE5! A very, very good card!
I agree, Creative has made really good cards! I am in love with the X-Fi cards (video about that coming shortly). But buying an new Audigy in 2020, is just nonsense to me.
The Audigy is still decent considering the age.I still have my Audigy2 ZS from 2003 and still works flawless even today.I have the X-Fi series cards as well and really haven't seen a lot of differences except more crisper on certain highs and lows.But you're reviews are great.I have watched several,and you have helped me with some recent choices in buying some of the older models.Keep them coming.Always good to see something new from you.
Hey thanks for the video, just wanted to ask is it worth buying in if i will use it with HyperX Cloud Alpha (my motherboard is gigabyte ab350-gaming 3)
A dedicated soundcard is always worth it :D You motherboard has a Realtek ALC1220 codec onboard, which is a decent codec. The difference with this Audigy is tiny, so in you case, no.
It works fine on Win7/64 in my PC (it has PCI-E), but some enthusiasts forced the card to work on Win 10 without PCI-E having some additional cable-outlet
It works fine on Win7/64 in my PC (it has PCI-E), but some enthusiasts forced the card to work on Win 10 without PCI-E having some additional cable-outlet
no this is a pcie version of audigy 4 not audigy 2. and the bit perfect playback does sound better on my system but i'm using JBL studio monitors and a sub. you usually have to close all your open windows for it to engage (if any use sound including browser) and you know when it does because the bass and treble adjustments in windows control panel no longer work. also that's another way to know it's different than your audigy 2 because audigy 2 can't do bit perfect. you can also use daniel k drivers and gives you all the programs you had with the audigy series on XP. the card also has good ADC's if you're doing recording and the bit perfect mode is what something you def want if you are doing any kind of audio editing or music production stuff. the audigy 4 was top of the line back when it came out. i had the pro version and it cost me $400 back in 2005. i really wish you would have done the same "rightmark" tests you did with your audigy 2 to see how it compared, and if you ever do decide to do them, make sure it's in bit perfect mode. peace
I totally agree. I used my X-Fi fatality until I just couldn't. The new mother boards don't have PCI slotes anymore, so I just couldn't use it any more. If it had, I'd still use that one! But if that was the case, I would never have started this RU-vid channel :D (I started it because of my quest to find a suitable replacement for the X-Fi!)
@@AntonsHardware funny you said that i ran into the same problem this past week with an optiplex 390 it has no pci's so i got an xfi extreme audio that has a pciex1 used from ebay for 35$ and it uses the same software as my old xfi music. I love ya channel man iam a fan bro. Nice talking
@@AntonsHardware by the way there are some pci hubs around the internet. Basically it gives you 3 or more pci slots from 1 slot. I am planning to buy one of those to use my sd capture card and future sound card with one extra slot to use in case if I buy something to use in the future.
I ever bought a sound card, like Sound Blaster, live, 24bit, Xpress Music and old models like Sound Blaster 16 ISA, Diammond 1989s Allegro, etc, i remember... i wanted to use for serveral years... not 2 o 3 years... i mean 10, 15 years still thouse lost the drivers and windows support. it is for play music, videos and xxx games only... without EAX, witout crystal audio, without equalizer... all native or by default sound, that´s all. I have never use ASIO drivers.
The ALC 1220/1200 are good, sounds well. But i supose they uses cpu resources and a "dedicate" pcie Sound Card don´t do it. Maybe a few 2 or 3 fps... but i don´t like it for my games...
Good of you to ask! My next video will be about that! I've tested a couple of soundcards (Realtek ALC892, GSX300 USB, Xonar AE, X-Fi and AE5) just to find out what happens. And sneak peak... your not far away from the truth!
I bought this card as I though my integrated Recon3D is faulty, and wanted to upgrade to "something better", so I'm a bit disappointed after the review. As it seems like the Recon3D is not faulty, shall I try to sell the Rx? I compared the Nightmark audio charts (Audigy 2 vs. Recon3D) and it seems like the Recon3D is a bit better. Sound-wise to me pretty similar, though I can confirm the loudness. But on the other hand, it's about 50€s. What would you recommend?
The Rx is a PCI Express based sound card. The Pi doesn't support that directly. You need to do a lot of other stuff to get that working. And then you need an OS that support the sound card. In both of those use cases I don't have any experience.
I have an issue with this sound card, it is stuck on SPDIF Output, it won't let me use RCA Out, even when plugged in. I've looked everywhere to figure out how to change it, but no luck. Could you possibly help me out? :)
@@AntonsHardware I shall try that out, thank you. I am just using the SPDIF on my TV, that has next to no latency compared to the crappy, overpriced card. I may benefit from an external DAC.
@@AntonsHardware will it sound good or i need to look for other card ? I think that any card will sound same cuz it just send the music and amp is doing other things,or im wrong ?
Creative sound card themselves are great even in 2023, It's just the software which is crap in Windows 10 and 11. Edit: I had the Audigy 4 for like 15 years, and just bought the Audigy 5 RX, and can't really hear a difference, sound comes via a Logitech Z680, old but still good.
If you use the included Creative ASIO driver it really worth it! it works very good, low latency, you can't compare it with even high end onboard cards without proper asio driver! For recording and midi works in DAWs it could process it easily. I still use an old Audigy ES PCI on my system because of this, it does the job and you don't need to buy an expensive external Audio capture Card for the latency problem. Still there is some problems with Creative driver, but you could find driver mods that works without any problem on latest Windows OS
Something that I see in my computer that after installing this card and disabling the one integrated in the motherboard my games started to go better. I got a few more FPS jus because of this card.
Thanks Anton we both got same name br I am a music lover to listen great sound effect I have second hand Dell I7 which has Out dated Creative XFI platinum but now it does not provide 5.1surround sound on Logitech speakers So can you recommend Asus Zoner AE will be better option ( $100 Canadian) Thank you
@@AntonsHardware Thank you br for your response the XFI on my Dell doesn't even work properly now on windows 10 I have to reboot CPU couple of times to set the speaker's sound on for detecting XFI but creative stopped updating drivers on 2017 .Many years ago One time I had tested Asus Xoner Dx on Windows XP and I felt sound waa good specially on bass and highs good than Creatative sound blaster which I had it before on Pentium 4 XP but then second computer XP with service pack 2 didn't support or giving issues as muted so I had to return went for on board sound Do you think bass and clear highs is better on Asus than Creative Audgy let me know if you can Thanks again may God bless Anton
The FX seems to suck. I accidentally bought one without realizing that it lacks basic features like the ability to do "What U Hear" recording. More importantly, it uses a Realtek chip, just like onboard audio. Doesn't that make it pointless to buy? The Rx may be low-end, but is at least an actual Creative card (from 2005).
Hey i want to start my journey with better sound on pc. What used sound card do you recomend? I want to spend about 25-30$. soround 5.1 is a must have to gaming but good quality on flac files matter much for me too.
Hey Mikele! 25 to 30 dollars is a bit on the low side, so the best thing you can do is to checkout second hand offers. A Soundblaster Z is a good card as is the Asus Xonar AE. Both can offer 5.1 and have very good sound!
@@AntonsHardware i finded asus xonar d1 for this price and 5$ more a CREATIVE SB X-FI SURROUND 5.1 PRO. Xonar AE is really expensive its about 60$. Of course only second hand.
To bad i was to slow for asus xonar d1 and someone buy it. I brough Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro for 20$. I hope its not shitty, look fancy but fancy thing not always go with good qaulity.
@@AntonsHardware yes on first usb version with remote controller i am satysfied for this price and card look modern even in 2020 and sound good as a first music card. www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-System-SB1095/dp/B0044DEDCA its this
The FX sucks -- it uses a Realtek chip, just like onboard audio. I accidentally bought one without realizing that it even lacks basic features like the ability to do "What U Hear" recording. The Rx may be low-end, but is at least a genuine Creative card (from 2005).
Dear Johan, thank you for your comment! Appreciate it. My conclusion is that there are better sound cards these and the Rx is showing it's age. With the right setup you may get great sound!
Какие тесты вы имеете в виду? К сожалению, я не могу использовать настоящую музыку из того, что использую в видео, из-за претензий на авторские права. :( Which tests do you mean? Sadly I cannot use actual music of what I use in video's because of copywright claims . :(
Idk why anyone would need more than 106 decibels. I believe you when you say this card is not good. But, I kind of feel bad believing someone that bases their reason on the fact that the card can not do more than 106 db. I have tested my Headphones with a Sound meter and I can say anything past 95 db starts to hurt my ears. I have also googled it and according to google anything past 85 db can cause hearing loss. I personally usually listen to music in the range of 50 to 75 db. So, yea 120 DB! is really just a gimmick.
You are correct! Its just a measurement of quality. The cleanness of the sound produced. A way of measuring how much noise a cards adds to the signal. It says nothing about the overall quality. Good comment! Thanks!
Hmmm, all I see is just looking at specs. I want to see results in hearing tests on both new tech and old tech. I have been in home theater and home audio for over 20 years and specs done mean crap compared to using your ears. I have heard old Marantz receivers that will to me sound better than my 2k Pioneer Elite receiver. I do have a current Emotiva separates that cost twice more than my $2k Pioneer elite and honestly is does sound better, but it is not really a big night and day difference. Why do spend more, well it’s part of the hobby just like pc’s and so forth. Now, you say that Audigy is not good and so forth. I have both a Audigy 2zx and also and sound blaster z. I have these both connected to two different pc’s similar specs and i also have two Logitech Z2300’s and 2 Klipsch Promedia’s. When listening to Dianna Krall on both computers two different sound cards and two same z2300’s, Klipsch Pro Media’s both being on neutral on settings the sound is not a big night and they difference. On the Z card, the highs are a bit smoother and the bass a bit more refined. The 2ZS, was still no slouch. The highs were a slight more brighter and the bass was a bit less refined. Both being almost 10 years apart, the sound is not a night and day difference. I also hooked them up to my Emotiva setup and having it driving my Klipsch Epic CF3’s both sound cards sounded great! With both cards not being adjusted and being on neutral they both held really well. The 2ZS like compared to the pc Speakers the Z2300 and the Klipsch Promedia’s results are almost the same. The 2zx was slightly brighter, but the bass was very articulate on my CF3’s. Along with the Z where the highs was a bit more smoother, but still being 10 years apart can’t really complain and also for the price. Honestly, if I didn’t A and B the cards you probably wouldn’t tell the difference. In conclusion, I say you must go by what sounds better, not just specs. Sure the specs will look good and one card will have better DAC’, SNR, and so forth, but hearing is what makes the decision not specs. Having both the Z and the 2ZX I was curious to see how each sound and to my observation they both sound great and the sound between them is not even a night and day difference. If anything, the highs is maybe a slight smoother as the bass is a bit refined and articulated. Like I mentioned before if you didn’t A and B both cards you probably can’t tell the difference. So for me, is newer tech better than old. That’s a big NO! Does specs mean a lot? That’s a big NO! Is the audigy 2ZS a bad card or to old? That’s a big NO! Is the sound blaster z a better card than the 2ZS? That’s a big NO!
I absolutly agree. Your, and my hearing may differ and so does taste. Some like music with a lot of bass, others more treble. Others like 5.1, others only stereo. It all boils down to taste and what your ears can hear. That's why I try to bring some objectivity into my videos by adding the specifications and Rightmark. Also, with internal soundcards, there is the matter of driver interface. Some say that the Creative interface looks ancient. So I also want people show what that looks like and if I can get the standard drivers working or have to resort to modded drivers. Also, this video is solely about the Audigy Rx, a card that I didn't like at all. I try not to compare it too much with other cards. Just, because that would mean I would have to compare to every card in my collection. I didn't like this card, but that doesn't mean that it isn't any good at all, it's just my opinion. I didnt like the Creative G1 as well, but there are people who are happy with it! Good for them I think! And do newer cards always sound better then older cards; No. I still love my X-Fi Fatality and have a real soft'spot for it. The sound is the best ever, but only to my ears. I've grown to be accustomed by it. Others may hate it, and drivers are very poor. Newer cards tend to have better driver support, especially with Microsoft making major changes to the Windows sound stack every now and then. Newer cards also tend to have better components, like the ESS Sabre DAC. But the differences aren't that huge any more and you have to like the difference. Hope this explains my videos a bit more!
@@AntonsHardware the only thing that i want is good quality sound card for my senhiser 280 pro 64ohm. But my motherboard is so weak and cant give me good quality in headphone. All i want is using my headphone at all power. My motherboard codec is alc887 that is very bad. So i need cheap sound card amp or anything just for that
Those are serious headphones! The Omni 5.1 was one of the worst external sound cards I ever heard. Really didn't like it at all. And if you're using these kinds of headsets, you would do a alot better with the Creative Soundblaster G6! Best external sound card I ever tested! (See video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Fe0kg5ZOkMM.html And thanks for the sub! Really appreciate it!
I bought this sound card especially for my headphones 250ohm and it does'n do the job, the sound is low as onboard audio ... so complete waste of money.
No hay ningún chip de sonido integrado en placa que suene mejor que incluso una AWE 64 Gold, y la calidad del sonido en la entrada de micrófono es realmente nefasto en los chips integrados en placa base (mucho peor que en una Audigy, que ya de por sí es horrible). Dicho esto, el verdadero poder de la Audigy RX es la implementación de un sintetizador por tabla de ondas (como las AWE, Live! y otros modelos de Audigy) compatible con la tecnología SoundFont 2.x.
Is it that obvious? :D I lived in Australia and New Zealand for a year and most people there said I had a Canadian accent. Lol. Seems like that's gone now.
@@AntonsHardware no you don't have a Canadian accent at all. My wife is from Vancouver, and no, you don't sound Canadian at all :) Like the video's though
