Sound Blaster X-Fi

Lore & Background

The X-Fi series launched in August 2005 as a lineup of PCI sound cards, with models ranging from the lower-end XtremeMusic to the top-end Elite Pro. The Elite Pro was aimed at musicians and bundled with an external I/O box offering phono preamp inputs, high-impedance guitar input, mic input, headphone output, line-in, MIDI I/O, and optical and coaxial digital inputs and outputs, plus a remote control. The Platinum and Fatal1ty FPS models included a front-panel drive-bay control unit and remote, while the base model had no such accessories. All but the Elite Pro claimed 109 dB signal-to-noise ratio; the Elite Pro used a higher-end DAC with 116 dB claimed. The bottom two models had 2 MB of onboard X-RAM, while top models offered 64 MB, designed for storing game sound samples. Launch reviews did not support Creative's claims of higher performance, with even the 64 MB model falling slightly behind older Audigy cards.

In October 2006, the XtremeMusic was rebranded as the XtremeGamer, with a half-width PCB, non-gold-plated connectors, optical out instead of digital out, and no connector for an external I/O box. The Xtreme Audio and Xtreme Audio Notebook products, despite the X-Fi label, used an older chip (CA0106-WBTLF) similar to Audigy SE and SB Live! cards, lacking hardware acceleration of 3D sound and EAX effects. The XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro was introduced as a more affordable version of the Fatal1ty FPS, without the I/O panel and remote. In 2007, PCI Express x1 and ExpressCard/34 versions of the Xtreme Audio were unveiled, but Creative did not release PCIe versions of EMU-based X-Fi cards until 2008, due to design difficulties and latency problems adapting the CA20K1 chip. The 2008 X-Fi Titanium series used the revised CA20K2 chip with an integrated RISC processor, DDR SDRAM interface, and integrated High Definition audio architecture. Products included Fatal1ty cards with 64 MB X-RAM and an optional I/O drive bay, and the regular Titanium with 16 MB X-RAM and 109 dB SNR. In 2010, the Titanium HD added a new DAC with 122 dB SNR and RCA outputs, but dropped Windows XP support.

External USB products using the X-Fi name include the X-Mod (released November 2006, a stereo device for laptop music), Sound Blaster X-Fi HD, X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro, and X-Fi Go! Pro, each with different internal hardware for various usages. The X-Fi audio processor was the most powerful at its release, with a sample rate conversion engine that produced near-lossless-quality results, far exceeding prior audio card DSPs. This engine addressed the issue of resampling 44.1 kHz audio to 48 kHz, which had introduced artifacts in previous Creative cards. The X-Fi also featured CMSS-3D, a DSP feature providing virtual 3D positional audio via synthesized binaural cues for headphone use. Since its release, the X-Fi has caused several unsolved problems with sound glitches on various motherboards.

Reader's Guide

The Sound Blaster X-Fi lineup marked a significant step in Creative's sound card evolution, introducing the powerful X-Fi audio processing chip that addressed long-standing sample rate conversion issues. Its resampling engine produced near-lossless-quality results, a notable improvement over previous Creative cards that had suffered from audible artifacts when converting 44.1 kHz audio to 48 kHz. The inclusion of X-RAM, up to 64 MB on top models, was designed to store game sound samples for improved gaming performance, though launch reviews did not support Creative's claims of higher performance, with even the top-end model falling slightly behind older Audigy cards. The lineup's segmentation created confusion: the Xtreme Audio models, despite carrying the X-Fi label, used an older chip lacking hardware acceleration of 3D sound and EAX effects, making them functionally different from other X-Fi cards. The transition to PCIe proved challenging, with Creative reporting design difficulties and latency problems, delaying EMU-based PCIe cards until 2008. The Titanium series eventually addressed these issues with a revised chip. External USB products extended the X-Fi name to portable and laptop users, though with lower specifications. The X-Fi's legacy includes its powerful DSP capabilities and the unresolved sound glitch issues reported on various motherboards.

Did You Know?

• The Xtreme Audio models used an older chip similar to the Audigy SE and SB Live! cards, lacking hardware acceleration of 3D sound and EAX effects.
• Creative reported design difficulties and latency problems when adapting the CA20K1 chip for PCIe, delaying EMU-based PCIe cards until 2008.
• The X-Fi Titanium HD featured a new DAC with 122 dB SNR and RCA audio outputs, but dropped support for Windows XP.