That's the best way I can describe this external soundcard by SoundBlaster. It may not be "audiophile" in the way that "audiophiles" demand, but it doesn't cost thousands of dollars either. For a mere $80, it delivers amazingly good sound. I bought this box mainly to archive all my old vinyl records, and for that purpose it really shines.
To my regret, I had gotten rid of my turntable many years ago, figuring I would never play records again, but lately I'd been staring at all the boxes of records I never did seem to get rid of, including many from my wife's collection, and thought, "Hmm, I wonder what those would sound like after listening to CDs all these years?" I kept hearing how vinyl is superior to CDs in sound, so I decided to embark upon an experiment and hear for myself.
Most of my albums are 30-40 years old, and it seemed only fitting to play them on a turntable from that era (the build quality back then was much better than the schlock you can buy today at a reasonable price.) So I picked up a vintage, 38 year old refurbished Technics SL-1400 turntable off eBay for under $200, slapped on a Shure M97xE cartridge ($70), and then used the SoundBlaster X-FI HD to convert all my old records to digital, recording them at 24 bits / 96 kHz, the max the SoundBlaster can handle.
The result? If you have records that are in mint or near mint condition, or at least very well maintained, I can attest that, yes, indeed, the vinyl records sound better than their CD counterparts. I have CDs of some of these old albums that I've purchased over the years, and compared to what I recorded of off vinyl at 24/96, the CDs sound a bit dull, a bit harsh. In contrast, some of my old vinyl albums sound refreshingly smooth and sweet. They are great to listen to. As CDs are a step up in quality from MP3s (which I can't stand to listen to more than ten minutes), recordings from vinyl sampled at 24 bits / 96 kHz are likewise a step up from CDs. The best way to describe the difference is that the hi-def recordings are "more alive", "pleasant" and "easy to listen to."
Not all my albums sound that good. Many were well played back in the day, having been ground down to just the semblance of their original tracks, and many have lost their highs. Recording at a high-definition like 24 / 96 is a bit of a waste for them. Even so, at least the digitization isn't adding any more noise and distortion to these old recordings.
The X-FI HD comes with software that you can use to help record your albums, and it's passable. Many people alternatively use the free, open source software package called Audacity to do their recordings. But beware, Audacity can't really record and play back at 24 bits / 96kHz on all Windows systems. It depends on your setup. Worse still, it may look like you are recording/playing back at 24/96, but underneath, you are really getting 16 bits / 44.1 kHz (CD quality!)
The software that comes with the SoundBlaster does not have this problem, but I found it a bit hard to use, especially when splitting up tracks. The waveform window for this task is simply too small to make this anything but cumbersome and tedious. Also, I found the click repair functionality a bit too heavy handed, degrading the sound too easily. Likewise, I found Audacity's click repair to be marginal.
Do yourself a favor. Bite the bullet and spend $30 on Vinyl Studio, (google it). I've tried lots of different products, but Vinyl Studio is hands down the best, and it's only $30. It's click repair functionality isn't as good as that offered by another product -- Click Repair (google it), but it's adequate for most records. And unlike Click Repair, Vinyl Studio does more than just remove clicks. It's a complete solution to the problem of digitally recording a large collection of albums. It makes the task as painless as possible.
If you've got a lot of albums to archive, the above setup: A vintage turntable, a good cartridge, the SoundBlaster X-FI HD, and Vinyl Studio will leave you smiling, and won't bust your wallet (comparatively speaking.)
By the way, I have downloaded numerous hi-def digital files from places like HDTracks, and ProStudio Master, and these 24 bit / 96 kHz files derived from studio masters sound awesome on the SoundBlaster X-FI HD, especially when played through yet another software package -- JRiver Media Center, ($50 hi-def media player software). The first time I heard "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues through the X-FI HD and JRiver, I was completely blown away. It sounded that good -- and this is through budget headphones (I paid a mere $70 for the cans I use.) Likewise, hearing "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" by the Allman Brothers sent chills down my back. Imagine what these songs would sound like through a good amplifier and a good set of speakers (or at least a good set of headphones). Is it "audiophile quality?" Depends how much you want to spend.
People say that 24 bit / 96kHz files are overkill. Not to my ears! Even through a pair of $70 headphones, I can hear the difference, mostly in the form of: "pleasant, clear, easy to listen to." You won't necessarily hear this difference using any old sound card that supports 24/96 samples. But the SoundBlaster X-FI HD is good enough to deliver that difference, and for $80, that makes it a bargain.
The SoundBlaster X-FI HD is not for everybody. It's not a true "standalone unit" -- it has to be plugged into a running computer to work. But if your goal is to digitize your vinyl collection on a budget -- and still have quality sound, it's just the ticket.
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This Item  Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD USB Audio System with Phono Preamp |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $79.99 | $37.99 | -11% $40.04 List: $44.99 | $89.98 | $29.98 | $129.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | — | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Volume control | ||||||
| For gaming | ||||||
| Sold By | Outlet Digital | DigitalLife | Amazon.com | i-Tech Mall | i-Tech Mall | Creative Labs, Inc. |
| hardware interface | usb2.0 | usb3.1 a, usb2.0 b | pci express x1 | usb | usb | usb |
| audio output mode | Stereo, Surround, Dolby Digital | Surround | Surround | Surround | Surround | Surround, Dolby Digital |
| surround channels | — | 7.1 | 5.1 | 7.1 | 5 1 | 7.1 |
| hardware platform | Headphones | PC, Laptops | PC | Gaming Consoles, Headphones, PC | PC | PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4 |
192 KHz | 48 KHz | 192 KHz | 384 KHz | 96 KHz | 192 KHz | |
| signal-to-noise ratio | 114 decibels | 48 KHz | — | — | 120 decibels | 120 decibels |
| platform | windows vista, windows xp, windows 7 | windows | windows 7, windows 8, windows 10, windows 11 | playstation 4, xbox one | ios, android | playstation 5 |
Product Description
Sound Blaster X-Fi HD - USB Audiophile Sound Card
Audiophile Performance, Convenient Connectivity, USB Simplicity
The Sound Blaster X-Fi HD is a USB audiophile-grade sound card with premium connectivity for your notebook or PC.
The front panel includes a conveniently located 1/4" microphone input and 1/4" headphone jack with a studio quality headphone amp and volume control. The rear panel features optical I/O, gold-plated stereo RCA I/O plus an integrated phono preamp for direct recording of your vinyl collection from your turntable.
The bundled Media Toolbox software lets you record, convert, enhance and organize your digital music files easily while SBX Pro Studio technology brings you the same great audio experience found in live performances, films, and recording studios.
Premium USB Sound Blaster quality
Audiophile-grade components deliver unsurpassed USB sound card audio quality with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 114dB.
SBX Pro Studio for unprecedented audio realism
Unique SBX Pro Studio technology enhances all of your music, movies and games for maximum enjoyment regardless of your source material.
Direct recording from your turntable
Phono preamp with RIAA EQ allows direct connection of your turntable to the USB sound card to conveniently convert your vinyl to CDs or MP3s.
Superior headphone experience
High-quality headphone amp supports studio-quality headphones (e.g. <=330Ohms) for discerning audiophiles.
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Customer Review: Awesome & works for iMac & MacBook Pro!
OE
Reviews with images
I am in LOVE!!
I am in LOVE!!... I bought a set of Creative Gigaworks T-40 Series II powered hifi speakers, (2.0 because of lack of sub space), but my PC was still muddy sounding, so I bought this Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD USB sound card to compliment them, and BINGO, the system sounds crazy amazing. Speakers alone can not correct a PC's audio, because most of them just have an integrated sound processor in the noisy motherboard. I don't really watch TV, so I enjoy sitting in front of my computer in the evenings, and now I can get my jam on while I surf. It was about $200 for the setup. Music is my thing, so it was a bargain! :D
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Fideon
Amplificador y DAC que hace justo lo que tiene que hacer
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