Get the most out of your digital music experience with the groundbreaking audio technology of Sound Blaster Audigy MP3+. Listen to high-quality music and MP3 or WMA files with 24-bit multi-channel performance and high audio resolution. Utilizing 4X the power of the Audigy chip, EAX ADVANCED HD technology delivers dramatically enhanced audio performance with sophisticated technologies like Audio Clean-up, DREAM, and Time Scaling. The complete functionality of PlayCenter 3 allows you to rip, organize, customize, and burn quality MP3 or WMA files, and features an encoder for up to 9X MP3 ripping acceleration. Best of all, you have the ability to transfer, share, and back-up your creations with on-board SB1394 connectivity to qualified devices like portable digital audio players, external hard drives, and high-speed CD-RWs.
1 Not as good as I thought it would be
I bought this card to replace my SB live card (which I loved), which suffered a premature death. The 5.1 is really cool, if you can use it, but I don't have a DVD player and the only AC3 songs I could find were the 2 on the install disk. Maybe the firewire port will come in handy, but for now, I don't need it either.
So in that respect, I don't find this any better than the SB live card, which seemed to have a better mixer. I have maxed out all my inputs (being a musician) so I need the TAD input, but this in not on the mixer. And a can't pan or EAX analog inputs separately.
Other than that it sounds great and I did not have any installation problems with WIN98SE. I wish they would "crowbar" the output when the computer is turned off; the floating inputs to the speaker pick up 60HZ hum and take a long time to turn themselves off.
I won't comment on the included software, I see this has already been done.
2 Just AWSOME!
This card rocks 100%!
As compared with high end graphics cards that can now be OVER 500$US, a high quality sound card is only like 79$ now. The best bang for your buck!
Although they created the audigy 2, which is still very cheap, and offers a "few" more features, sound quality is basically the same. So, if you have no need for the THX certified or the 6.1 surround sound, the audigy card will be right for you!
First off, the software is a waste.... there is no need for it. I currently have nothing BUT the driver installed in my computer. If you have to choose between the audigy gamer and mp3, just get what ever is cheaper. Also, if you can find a place that sells the OEM version, thats your best bet, because it will no doubt be cheaper.
As for installing it, flawlessly. Being very computer savey, i had no trouble what so ever. Drivers work fine.
Note: there are some reviews that say they needed to go and edit the BIOS and that the software makes their computer very slow. I have a 3 year old dell with windows XP pro, and have had no problems.
24 bit sound quality RUELS! These produce awosme sound quality even with programs like winamp. I have been listening to my computer now with the audigy sound card using Sennheiser HD590 headphones for over a year. If you demand high quality sound from your computer, this card delivers!
Hope this helps!
3 Doesn't last long
I bought this card in May 2002. My operating system is Windows 2000, and I had no problem installing it. However, after using it for 3 weeks, the card died. There was no sound. At first, I thought it was due to corrupted driver, so I tried to reinstall the driver, but the setup software kept saying "No audigy sound card is detected". I've tried downloading new drivers, swapping PCI slots, but nothing worked. At the end, I contacted Creative Support via email. Although I told them that I have already tried swapping slots and downloading latest drivers, the sluggish customer service asked me in their reply to "try downloading latest drivers and swapping PCI slots". These guys never bother to read what you wrote in your email. Anyway, after corresponding with them for over one month (they typically take more than a week to reply each email, using a one-line response), finally one agent told me I had a defective sound card, and authorized an exchange.
Upon receiving the replacement card, everything worked fine. Installation was as easy as the very first time I'd installed it. But yesterday (March 09, 2003), my card died again. Exactly the same problem. The setup program cannot detect the card. It's still under warranty so I will ask for another exchange.
This card has really disappointed me. My previous Creative products all worked very well, but now I must say that the Audigy is really bad in its design. Avoid buying this card by all means.
4 On drivers, XP, and other such nonsense
I have had an audigy Platinum EX since right after it came out (it's the same, except for the break-out box), and I agree, the software is horrible. In fact, I threw away the CD's that came with it. The latest downloadable drivers, however, work perfectly on XP pro (and presumably home as well) and aren't bloated at all.
I would recommend this card to anyone who is looking for a high-performance sound card. If you just want something that you can pop in and forget, and you don't care about accurate 3D positioning, or other such bells and whistles, I would suggest something more stable, and cheaper, like the soundblaster Live! value. Or, if you really want to skimp, many new motherboards actually have very good 3D sound onboard. Onboard sound really has a bad rap; but it's come a long way recently, and is actually quite decent for everyday use.
5 Great Card and No Trouble
I went ahead and bought this card even after reading the reviews saying how difilcult it was to install the software and somewhat expected to have trouble. I have a mid-range system...AMD XP1600...512 meg RAM...Windows XP...nothing too special and the card is AWESOME! I did have some compatibility issues with the bundled software but I bought the card for the card and not the software. I use my computer for my home stereo and have an extensive MP3 collection so I take my sound seriously so I look for near flawless performance and the card does just that. I will admit that the software that comes with the card is pretty useless. I have an MP3 player already so I did not use that software nor do I use any of the other software that came with the card. My suggestion is to install the card and drivers alone. I also use the Creative 5.1 speakers (until I can afford the Klipsch) and everything is wonderful.
6 Bloatware
I have to agree with some of the other comments about this product. The Bundled software is the ugliest and most unfreindly I have seen in years. My Dell PC with winXP is running half as fast since I installed it. By the way, Extigy has exactly the same software and the same impact on the system. Startup took 5 minutes this morning! Don't touch this product with a barge pole.
7 This sux
I have been using sound blaster live!! with no problem at all untill i started using this sound card. It just kills my Win XP. So if you have Win XP, watch out. Also Creative representative are not helpful what so ever. And the driver doesn't keep up to date. I just don't understand why a honorable company like creative can't even write a decent driver for WIN XP. I do not trust Creative no more and won't buy from them ever again.
8 Well worth it, if you can work through the kinks
The Creative line of sound cards have been arguably the most consistent in terms of quality. This one continues the trend. I had a Sound Blaster Live! X-Gamer before, and this one improves the sound quality quite dramatically, I was surprised. Other people who have reviewed this have complained of XP problems, I suggest downloading the Windows XP update on creatives site, but people have most likely done that. I just fiddled with the BIOS until it worked, but it was worth it. All the little programs they give you are pretty useless and just take up space and start up when you enter windows, and its annoying. I do love the Firewire port which is ultra-handy for my DV camera. And as games start to program for the audigy sound effects, it will be surreal, the product demo thing was excellent, and if games sound anything like that then there is a lot to look forward to. It's the best sound card out there that isn't a professional sound card, and I'm not going to pay 300-400 dollars for a sound card, so there you go.
9 XP Users Beware!
I love Creative products and have always used their sound cards in my computers - never a problem and only superb sound. Enter the Audigy Mp3. Running a clean install of both Windows XP Home and Audigy...and it has been one problem after the other. Purchased specifically for Mp3 ripping, I've only been successful in doing so one time! Most recent patches and drivers installed, it still doesn't work correctly. Creative has been no/no help and keeps kicking out canned responses to my service requests. If I can sell it to someone I will, and go back to my good old SB LIVE!
10 Had to return mine...
In addition to the Windows XP problems, there are certain chipsets with IDE issues that cause the same "squal of death" crash. This includes Dell Dimension computers. I tried the latest Creative drivers for XP, a BIOS update, disabling ACPI, forcing different IRQs (even though there was no conflict), changing slots... nothing helped. Now after a couple days of frustration, I'm returning mine -- and in the aftermath my computer thinks it has 3 network cards and I can't re-enable ACPI.
The bundled software is worthless compared to the stuff that came with the original SB Live. Sound Forge and Cakewalk are replaced with Mixmeister and Oozic Player (ugh). The interfaces of the Creative software tend to be clunky and ugly rather than functional.
A pointless AVI plays every time you start your computer -- and if you have Windows XP, you never see it as it's behind the "Welcome" screen. It just slows down startup.
On the other hand, the sound quality is *EXCELLENT* when it's not crashing. I'm planning on getting an Extigy.
11 Beware of this dude- if you are running Windows XP
I purchased this card last week (upgraded from a Soundbaster 5.1, MP3). The Audigy card worked wonderful for 15 MINUTES!! Best sound I had heard from a sound card. Then the lockups started, complete lock up on my XP (first time the XP had completely locked up) had to completely turn off the computer. This happened about every 10 minutes or so. I had downloaded all the XP update drivers from Creative but they don't work. This card may work well on Windows 98 or ME, but I told you so if you own XP. I had to return the card and re-install the old 5.1. In addition, Creative support never returned my e-mail support request. P.S. Do a search on Google under Audigy Problems and you will get a ton of problems with users on XP.
12 Audiophile quality for an incredible price.
I had no idea this card would make such an incredible difference than the factory card that was in my system. This is truly audiophile quality for those that really can't afford to be an audiophile. Creative claims that with their 24-bit/100dB SNR that you can listen to MP3/WMAs, CD's and any stereo music with high definition audio clarity surpassing high-end home theatre receivers and now I believe them. And for this price? It is incredible and most don't even know it exists. I bought a logitech z-560 speaker system and it sounded great with my system. Then a guy at a certain store that rhymes with gest guy told me that this would help the sound. What an understatement. It took a while to get hooked up properly (call creative and make sure all is set up right, they are very helpful) but when it worked I was flat out astonished at the clarity and power without hiss or ANY distortion. And all for less than a low quality home system amplifier by itself. This sounds every bit as good if not better than systems well over a grand. Toss out that old soundcard or even a new one and do whatever it takes to install one of these. It is certainly worth it.
13 excellent sound card
The Audigy card produces excellent sound, if at a fair additional cost over the Live! series. This card has been gone over well under Audigy Gamer in terms of its gaming capabilities, (the Gamer and the MP3+ are virtually identical cards with differing software packages) so I'll talk more about the MP3+ here and its music software... While I haven't had much experience with EAX games, some of the ambience effects (called "Environment" effects in the Surround Mixer, including concert hall, theater, etc.) when used with music are actually realistic and useable in certain situations (unlike many of the ambience effects included on your average stereo minisystem..). More often, though, you'll use the Advanced EQ effects (Rock, Techno, Classical, etc.), not the Environment effects, for listening to music. In general, I've found these to be appropriate for the genres they describe and better than some equalizer presets given with other software; I've disabled the Windows Media Player equalizer and use the Creative one instead. I believe the mixer with all the effects is the same on the Gamer and the MP3+.
While I don't have a whole lot of experience with different mixing software, Mixmeister is excellent and useful, while Mixman seems to me more like a toy. Mixmeister is great for mixing party music-- you can make the transitions sound surprisingly professional. Put two songs next to each other, turn on beat mixing, perhaps fine tune its automatic settings somewhat (very easy), and have the computer slightly speed or slow the two songs so that by the time they overlap their beats are synchronized, so people don't need to adjust while dancing. You can also use it to speed or slow whole songs-- add a little more energy to a song by speeding it up a few beats per minute. The Audigy chip on the card handles this, I believe; at any rate, I've noticed no slowdown on my computer with any dynamic tempo shifting.
Mixman allows you to remix music yourself, techno style, and record your work as MP3, but in my opinion it comes with too few tracks and effects to really be useful, and it seems to me you may only be able to do 20 MP3 exports; I haven't checked with Creative Labs to see if there is something you can do to lift this limit, but frankly I haven't once thought it worth my time to do so, either.
I don't know if the rest of the player software that comes with the Audigy MP3+ also comes with the Audigy Gamer, but in general, it's hit or miss. Creative PlayCenter is harder to use and less attractive than Windows Media Player or RealJukebox; Oozic player is even harder to use, and while 3-D visualizations are far cooler than anything WMP or Winamp can do, I wouldn't switch for them, and they need a pretty fast video card to play without having skips in the video. IMRadio is by far the best internet radio app I've seen, but it is also a free download from the internet.
To comment on the sound quality of the actual card: Very impressive. When hooked to a Klipsch Provision 4.1 audio system, even at the highest levels, there was a very slight hissing, but that was all (and with a Klipsch 4.1, if any sound signal ever did play with the system on max, expect your ears to fall off in protest). The sound card will also play without skipping regardless of how much you run on the system-- at least, i've never run into a problem, which i used to do with my old Montego II OEM version.
Overall, extremely high-quality card, and a worthwhile upgrade. I've been critical of the software, but you're getting the card for the card's sake. The Audigy card is one of the best, and both versions come with an excellent mixer app. When deciding which to get, Gamer or MP3+, if you like the games that come with it, get a gamer. If you want to change song speeds (more fun than it sounds), get an MP3+. If neither, flip a coin.
14 Best Value, Best Results
I initially bought this sound card because of its price. I also bought it because it comes from the renowned family of Sound Blaster Sound Cards. I am definetely not an expert on sound cards or computers for that matter but I can definetely hear the difference compared to my old PCI 128 card. Although, I'm sure there isn't a person out there who wouldn't hear the difference after such a drastic upgrade.
Coupled with Creative Labs Inspire 5.1 (Analog) speakers, the sound is clear and very loud. However, if you are not playing music and are just browsing around your desktop applications, you will hear a slight buzz when you move the mouse around. This is only audible when you have speaker volume considerably up. It doesn't bother me because the only time I hear it is when the thing is not in use. Maybe digital speakers would void this little nuisance. I am not going to let it affect my rating.
I have yet to experience EAX supported games but from the demos the package comes with, it seems like it really adds to the realism in terms of sound being effected by its environment (e.g. walking from one side of a wall, where there is a loud machine, to the otherside, where the loud noise is muffled by the wall).
Lastly, I bought the MP3 version because the Audigy Gamer didn't have any games I'm interested in at the moment (the games don't even have EAX support) and because I'm into the whole digital music scene. However, the mixing software seems a bit weak in my opinion. I haven't really used it that much to tell you the truth. Overall, this is a great buy. This card should satisfy most people's need for clear and loud sound in a small to medium sized room.
