Starting from Audigy2, designers introduced the P16V unit into their processor, which allowed cards to play back DVD-Audio (96 and 192 kHz). In order to get high quality playback of 44.1 kHz format (the majority of records), users started installing DirectSound or ASIO SSRC plugins (software sample rate conversion) for popular mp3 players - Winamp and Foobar. For a long time the main shoo-away, damaging the image of Live/Audigy cards, has been the uninterruptible mediocre hardware resampling of all frequencies into the reference frequency of 48 kHz. In fact, the audience split into three camps: 1) office and other users, who are content even with the integrated audio 2) gamers, who are not into audio quality who like good 3D audio in games, if it's not to the detriment of performance 3) melomaniacs and audiophiles, who use a computer as a convenient music library, - they need a sound card solely for a high quality playback of music.īut audiophiles impeached credibility of Creative products, even though the latest models were equipped with high quality I2S Cirrus Logic DACs.
Despite the 32-bit audio processing, programmable high-quality professional effects, support for 8 digital I2S or SPDIF interfaces, its disadvantages (its key flaw is stiff architecture) brought everything to nought.Īudio interests of users have changed considerably since the appearance of the EMU10K. But it's quite clear that this processor is currently obsolete. The EMU10K was a progressive chip for the time, when the main requirement to a sound card was hardware MIDI with a maximum large memory bank, wide range of features and high-quality effects. This processor was designed mostly for synthesizers and E-MU production modules as a hardware MIDI-synthesizer with a built-in effect-processor. The previous sound cards, starting from Live! 1998, have been based on the EMU10K processor modifications. In order to support features of the new standard, Creative created the X-Fi processor with a logotype "Xtreme Audio Needs An Xtreme Fidelity Processor!".
Creative designed these technologies to re-master, enhance, and re-mix the existing compressed 16-bit stereo data in real time into 24-bit quality surround audio with speakers of any configuration as well as in headphones. Speaking of Xtreme Fidelity, the manufacturer emphasizes two new technologies: 24-bit Crystalizer and CMSS-3D.
According to Sim Wong Hoo, the founder and CEO of Creative - "Xtreme Fidelity is the result of our vision of a new audio standard which would provide a dramatic improvement in MP3 music, PC game play and digital movies, thereby setting the stage for a whole new platform for digital entertainment in the home». The new processor is more or less clear, but what's the Xtreme Fidelity technology? According to the manufacturer, it consists in supporting 24-bit quality, stunning audio clarity with a minimum of 110db SNR and the new CMSS® (Creative Multi Speaker Surround) 3D headphone and surround speaker technology.