Just how good is the Audigy 2 these days!? 

Well, thanks for the overview, I've been using A2 ZS for last ten years as my daily card with it's (and Creative's) highs and lows. There is one major feature so well done I demand from my soundcard: stereo to 4CH copy. I have 4 speakers on 2 separate analog stereo lines (front stereo+rear stereo) powered by Magnat car multichannel amplifier. This setup requires a sound card which can produce two stereo lines. In situation when the data source is multichannel (Dolby DTS, videogame) the sound should be nicely positioned into the speakers. In situation when simple stereo source plays back (MP3), I wish the front stereo is copied to rear stereo 1:1 without any adjustmenst just to fill the living room. This is what CMSS 3D (Stereo Surround option) can easily handle and it was possible by using Live!, Audigy and X-fi, and even today's RX has it. Yes, this simple driver capability makes Audigy 2 my daily card. Speaking of RX: Creative did a fairly good job with their new drivers and RX drivers also support all those so far discontinued products, including Audigy series. Which makes them literally supported again! Every now and then I enable my current integrated onboard solution (Realtek ALC887 7.1) just for fun and try to mimic the SoundBlaster setup. Even today (end of 2020) with all brand new Realtek R drivers based on Universal Audio Driver architecture for Win10 x64 these onboard toys just can't do this. They just cannot support 4 channels and do the 1:1 stereo copy without any adjustments or "3D" emulation nonsense. And this, my dear fellow hardware tinkerers, leaves my onboard codec disabled and falling slowly into well deserved oblivion. Cheers!

Instant like at 35' - YES! Another soundcard review - we appreciate it ♥

I'm surprised no one said anything in the comments--the reason why your RMAA test results were so different from the published results was because you tested in 16-bit mode. You need to test in 24-bit mode with RMAA for maximum dynamic range/SNR.

first! this channel deserves more subscribers!!

I just bought one of these used in 2023 for my Linux machine. It still has a regular PCI slot and for a card with very good SNR its hard to beat one of these off of eBay. To me that's the main thing that dedicated "premium" sound cards are good for. Software audio make no impact with today's CPU's, but the DAC is still pretty bad on most onboard solutions so if you want a quiet audio line a dedicated card is still the best choice.

I am still using an original Audigy ES (SB0160) in 2022, and I find it better-sounding than any of the Realtek on-board solutions in games. Nowhere as good as VIA Envy24-HT/GT or C-Media CM8788, but those cost a fortune now, and I could not get either of them to work properly, or at all, on 64-bit Windows 10. The Realtek ALC1150 chip on my motherboard definitely has better specs on paper, but terrible drivers for Windows 10, and it seems like the "loudness normalization" function is forced whether you check the option or not (checking it just amplifies the effect), which means it's much harder to tell distance in many 3D games, especially FPS. The PCI-E CMI8828 has the same issue. The Audigy doesn't have this problem, especially when you set it to headphones with CMSS enabled, and I can easily tell how far away an enemy is by footsteps or gunshot, for example. Unfortunately, the Audigy series is still crippled on the API/driver level by modern Windows, and hardware features like EAX are no longer functional, even with Daniel K's drivers. This means the CA0106-based "fake" Audigy/X-Fi cards (Audigy LS/SE, Live! 24-bit, XtremeAudio, etc.) are actually better for a modern system that has more than enough CPU cycles to spare, and you can unlock some X-Fi features like the Crystallizer using modded drivers.

I still have in my collection the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro I preordered back in '03 because it was the cheapest "24 bit/192khz" soundcard for PC recording at that time. (In actuality, it was neither of those when recording.) While that goofy EAX was designed to add audio effects to games, it is actually a VST and was useful for adding reverb effects to vocals, etc. when sending the sound from a dry recording in Cakewalk Pro Deluxe to an external tape recorder or DAT. However, about a year later Creative released the Creative E-mu series, and I picked up a 1616m PCI-e which was light years beyond the Platinum Pro I/O. I still use the 1616m for all external "non-midi" recording to this day. But the Audigy 2 ZS really DID sound that good in it's day. Hardware has simply progressed that much since then -- but it really isn't fair to compare unless you are on an old Win 7 machine running original drivers with EAX enabled. That said, I've done that and the new onboard stuff is usually better.

I had one. Was ahead of its time

I've been using this card for 17 years, connecting my guitars and entire home theater system to it. Of course, I have Windows, but I haven't used it for 30 years since Linux appeared. I'm looking for a solution better than the Audigy 2 ZX, and it's really hard for me to find something better. Maybe you could advise me on what to buy? I wouldn't want to overpay, of course ;) Great content, thank you for this video!

Weird, not only do I have this exact sound card, but also have the digital clock in the background

great explanation, congrats

I am using this card in a 10 year old quad core Xeon workstation and it is even better than 10 year old onboard sound. In fact, the Audigy 2 is pretty much the same as the Audigy RX I have with one less surround channel but it is PCI so I could use it in this particular machine. I wanted to use my X-Fi card because it has a superior SNR to any other SB card. I use it for playing music and recording music. I wasn't going to do any better for the $20 I paid for a like new Audigy 2, or any other sound card really. 32 bit or even 24 bit recording is still pretty costly to achieve. What is the app you are using for the settings and equalizer? The software I downloaded from the Creative website did not have an equalizer and it is very frustrating.

check aureal vortex 2, the best 90s sound card

The Audigy 2 PCI is a monster for the Soundfont Synthesizer and if you have the Joystick bracket you can hook up the midi breakout din cables to it. Not all the Audigy 2's have the joystick header , for which you'll need the bracket and ribbon cable. The Audigy 5 R/x PCIe is good for soundfonts too. I have one in my entertainment computer just so I can play midi's. To use them seriously , you need to use the digital output. Midi hash noise can still be a problem sometimes but , it's best to isolate the output with a digital connection. I use a Audigy 2 in my midi computer. You have to download the Soundfont Bank Manager extra and want to use the Creative drivers to do synth stuff. For just plain Audio playback many motherboard soundcards will do 24bit/48kHz but , softsynths have a noticeable lag. The Drivebay setups are really spotty on getting them to work.

It's funny you show the VT1705 in an "onboard audio" cut-in, since it was certainly not available in 2004-ish or earlier! It was a good onboard chip for late 2000s. While the specs look unimpressive at a first glance, it doesn't need external output resistors to stabilise it, as opposed to most Realtek units, and drives headphones with fairly little distortion. Bad output capacitor choice by mainboard manufacturers and bad board layouts often limited its performance. But just about everything available in early 2000s on mainboards was much, MUCH worse, and it was generally AC97 stuff. Like that STAC97 that you find on an original SB Live, but often worse. That being said, AD1887 was around too, as well as WM970x and i really wish Creative would have picked something like that instead, as higher end MBs could have as well. Audigy2 retains the STAC97, but i think it's only used for surround channels and for inputs, not for the main output. Room simulation for headphones would and could have been good; but the presets are all completely bonkers bad and just ruin any listening experience you were hoping to have, marred by terrible comb filtering. 10k DSP has the power for something more decent, but it needs very careful and well thought out DSP engineering. If i can suggest a test; get a splitter. On the one end of the splitter, you put your normal loopback that you measure with. On the other end, you attach random 32 Ohm headphones, just make sure they're the same ones every time. You should see distortion and IMD measurements shoot up somewhat fierce, as the outputs struggle to deliver the current, and the frequency response can drastically change too. I believe you may find differences between units much more telling, because you definitely aren't hearing the 0.003% output distortion that just a loopback measurement shows you.

ah yes, those drivers you found are basically the audigy rx drivers

woohoowww another video!

Yeah, I think if you can get a creative z then it will still be better. But if you got an Audigy lying around, it will beat the onboard stuff.

Me encantan estos videos de placas de sonido!!! No tendrás una X-Fi Titanium por ahí?

I am going to try get my Creative Audigy 2 ZS platinum Pro working again. I have a AMD Ryzen 5600x system with the same old Logitech 5.1 THX speakers (running off MOBO) I originally had when I had this sound card in my gaming system. Those speakers and this card on my old system were magic. I've found an adapter on Amazon for £30. Hmm not sure where the sound card will go though...

Hello Anton, and thanks for the great video. One question, do you know if this card works with a Pcie to PCI adapter on windows 10? Many thanks!

What old Audigy (1/2/4) or X-Fi is best for FLAC/Hi-res Audio?

Yeah I got the Audigy 2 ZS back around 2003 lol

For Windows 98/DOS - SB Live or Audigy 1, 2 or ZS For Windows XP/Vista/7 - SB Audigy 2 ZS or X-Fi (PCIex) For Windows 8, 10 - don't know... I never needed

Thanks, I just found one in an old computer, now I don't have to try it ;)

I remember gaming on one. Yes in the days of windows Xp. Good times, good times... But yeah, I nowadays want different kind of audio experiences.

So what newer soundcard would you recommend for a p4 @ 1.5 running XP?

Hi! I have an Audigy (1) Platinum which I still love and have it connected via optical cable to my TV. Great 5.1 sound. Unfortunately the most recent drivers at Creative website make the remote control useless. Do you happen to know how to install the drivers for the remote control? Thanks in advance.

Sadly internal audigy chips works at 16 bit 48khz .

Is the information, for the X-Fi Titanium HD (with "HD") were early drivers for Windows XP wrong despite several strangers state in forums? Daniel K. just wrote it is not compatible.

I've been using the audigy 2 ZS card for a good 8 years, I changed my pc and unfortunately I don't have a PCI slot anymore. I'm thinking about buying the Audigy RX (the new one is for ~ $ 50), do you think the sound quality is similar to the Audigy 2 zs I mentioned? Will I buy anything else under $50? Regards

I need help finding a replacement AD_EXT cable to connect the Audigy 2 drive. The manual says a standard IDE cable won't work. What kind of cable will work that I can find at a computer surplus store?

I may sound like an idiot but maybe a recap could help?

На ответ не рассчитываю, но Стоит ли менять ALC887 на Audigy 2?

I would like to hear your opinion on Asus Xonar DX/D1

if somebody cant intal drivers need first in BIOS/Advanced/ HD audio is enabled need to chack disable and save setings rr pc/turn off pc/ put card in/ turn on pc / instal drivers without this i cant instal drivers pack... :)

The card isn't as special on a modern system, which is exactly why the sound card business is dead. On the Windows 2000 the sound is incredible tho. Lots of bass.

Sucks my headphones are USB because I do have one of these cards.

Windows Vista introduced more security by allowing only signed drivers to be installed in kernel mode. I could not find another source that would confirm what it has been said in this video that after Vista "sounds cards were ... just digital to analog converters" and everything (sound processing) HAS to be done by the CPU since Vista, the sound card can no longer relive the microprocesor from calculations related to sound, as it could before Vista . Can anyone point me in that direction (another source of information that would confirm what it has been said in this video) ? Or is the author confusing the lack of signed drivers and therefore the system using instead maybe a generic Windows built in driver that use the microprocessor for sound processing instead of the built in soundcard processing just because there is no signed manufacturer driver and not because Microsoft would no longer allow it since Vista (with a properly digital signed driver of course) ?

Biggest problem was the 44.1/48K artifacts. Also depends on your speakers. Anyone mention the KX Project drivers? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RCqNzbi4TN4.html

So 20 years ago you were Joe from GameSack? :)

I have no sound on mine

My onboard sound card is dead. Can it run on win10? Can ı buy it?

I watched this on my Audigy 2 ZS Platinum. Sounds good. Runs fine on Windows 10 if you look this video up on RU-vid: iXCoatvQOo

Windows 10 audio output

im still using this on win7, attempted various times to improve and was very disappointed, realtek hd onboard sound is a joke, on my motherboard, which is not up to date but i assumed they'd all be rubbish, other souncards with rave reviews were also dire compared to this, even tried a dac thingy which DID have a quality sound from cambridge audio, buy alas there was no colouring the treble/bass, which was no way for me & i returned telling the makers a "one size fits all" is just not going to satisfy most i expect, certainly not me, recently bought a xonar essence STX, which seemed promising, but couldn't recognize my only spare molex connector in my system, so just sold it on, and am still with Audigy2 zs, which i find fab sound with my large speakers /hi fi seperates/amp, am not lookin to move from win 7, nor wantin the bother of a new motherboard system just to see if the onboard has improved much, can't imagine it, as it was always rubbish, seems odd they would actually make soundcards obsolete by having quality onboard sound, as keepin us all on a money go round is clearly their aim, with everything bein disposable and outdated, forced to renew/upgrade in few years with most stuff