Creative Labs Sound Blaster Zx soundcard

Pros: Definitely sounds better than my on-board audio.
Flawless installation (running win 7 - 64bit)
Creative used to have bad software support for their sound cards but that is not the case for this card.

Cons: red LED too bright

Other Thoughts: I don't know why there are 2 inputs for microphones on the ACM when the ACM unit itself is a microphone. Overall a good buy - though I think the ACM looks nice, it is kind of pointless. Volume can be changed on the control panel when you chance the output from speakers to headphones.

Pros: This card just blows on-board sound away. If you truly love good quality sound this is a great card. This card is mainly designed as a gaming card, but it has incredible quality too. The 3D sound is truly amazing. You can hear where there coming from in any direction. It really gives you an edge in shooters and when listening to music.

Cons: The sound card is red which doesn't match very many PC, set-ups and so is the control module. The crystalvoice features work, but really ruin the sound of your voice. I have to keep those turned off since my voice sounds super compressed with noise reduction and echo cancellation on.

Other Thoughts: Overall it was a great buy. I would highly recommend it to both gamers and audiophiles looking for a decent quality card.

Pros: A sound card isn't as necessary as it once was. I run an ASUS Maximus Formula mobo which has SupremeFX onboard audio, I could have gotten away with just using this.

However, when you're driving a 5.1 surround setup on your gaming rig it makes a huge difference even from a premium onboard audio solution like the SupremeFX.

Very low noise, good theater sound for bluray and MCE usage (with EQ tweaking, bass is a bit much out of the box for my tastes). In gaming you get crisp and responsive audio regardless of the situation and the Recon mode helps alot more than I thought it would.

I like the included controller, it's handy having the headphone inputs exposed on my desk rather than having to run to the back of my rig or trust my case inputs.

I find the Zx the sweet spot for myself with the included controller. If you don't care about the controller then go for the Z it's the same card. I think the ZxR really should only be considered for folks were they simply must have the flagship product of a series unless you have a great need for audio recording.

Cons: While you can easily switch between headphone mode and speaker mode via their control panel I wish the toggle was exposed via a hotkey or right-click context menu. It is a bit annoying having to open up the control panel every time to switch modes.

Pros: -Easy and very intuitive software as well as stable
-600ohm headphone amp with a very nice DAC built in
-Gold connectors everywhere
-Big heavy and well built audio-dial
-Very clean and powerful sound with a lot of extra bass
-Quick toggle between stereo/headphones

Cons: -Price dropped $17 after I purchased this....I'm mad, bro.
-LED lighting, although very flashy, cannot be turned off nor can you change the color. This is very bad for those who prefer good aesthetics in their cases with a certain theme. I didn't seem to mind too much.

Other Thoughts: Recently I have been turned on to higher quality audio and can't believe what I've been missing. I ordered a set of BeyerDynamic DT880 Pro's about 8 months ago with a FiiO e10 amp/DAC and was blown away. I was disappointed in the lack of base and volume of which I later found out the e10 was quite insufficient. Clean and awesome but underpowered.

I was looking for something that would be able to push my DT880's properly with a good DAC and I believe I have stumbled upon quite the gem here. Installation was cake. I downloaded all the latest software and drivers (everyone should do this, always.).

The SB Pro studio is very easy to use with a lot of cool features. The dual mic is VERY clear and my buddies can hear me at low voice levels with some cool effects. The surround and crystalizer effects sound kinda weird and I didn't like them. The bass boost just distorted everything horribly. Manually adjusting the equalizer yield far superior results. The scout mode (enhances footsteps in FPS games) didn't seem like it was working at first but after playing a while, I seemed to be noticing it more and more. Didn't get knifed as much today....

I bought this thing primarily to power my headphones. I live in an apartment and like to share the respects of silence as my neighbors have done. This new world of amazingly clear audio has really improved my mood after playing awesome music and awesome games. This card has surpassed my expectations and would buy again.

Pros: Vast improvement in sound over MB audio
Crystalizer and Surround work really well with my speakers (old Wharfedale E70s through a Sansui G7500 receiver) and really improve games and mp3s.
Skype contacts have told me that my voice is very clear now with the beamforming microphone and they cannot hear my blaring music or themselves any more
Works flawlessly with front panel on my case (CM690 II)

Cons: First installation attempt was with drivers on CD and then I used Creative's software to update it to the latest on their website. After two or three restarts the Device Manager stopped recognizing the card and further attempts to install the drivers resulted in them stating I had no Creative products installed in the system. Several days of talking with Creative Support came to no result in resuscitating it. I ended up formatting and reinstalling Windows (7 64 bit). I reinstalled the Sound Blaster drivers direct from Creative's website rather than the supplied CD and have had zero problems since. As a result, I strongly recommend only using the drivers from Creative's website and using the supplied CD instead as a drinks coaster.

Other Thoughts: Red LED happens to make a cool light splash through the CM690's side grill onto the wall in the hallway.

Pros: Sound quality is great and installation was easy. The audio breakout control (what they call the "Accessible Audio Control Module") is fantastic.

Cons: Drivers and the software need some work. I've been told they were better than the X-Fi drivers, which makes me wonder how the X-Fi, which I never owned, became so popular.

The front panel header doesn't work when paired with my Antec case. Technically speaking the Antec front panel connector does not fully comply with the Intel HD audio spec (due to the lack of a 'PRESENCE' pin), but the same connector has worked flawlessly with three different motherboards... so... I'm not sure who to blame.

Other Thoughts: Overall I wasn't overly impressed. I never got the "WOW, this was well worth my money!" feeling, but at the same time I can't honestly say that it was a waste of money.

If I could do it all over again, I would have just stuck with the on-board audio on my GA-990FXA-UD3, and saved my money for something else.

As for the front panel header, this was kind of a big deal for me, and while I can't really blame Creative for the problem--I find it odd that the same front panel works on 3 different motherboards but not the SB Zx. BUT, looking into modifying the front panel in a way that will hopefully fix the issue.

Also one of the first components in a long time I haven't ordered from NewEgg. Makes you realize just how awesome NewEgg can be when you get a package from another company that is missing half your order.

Pros: Clear sounds! amazing! have my Logitech Z-5500's connected to this card and it's like night and day compared to when it was connected to my on-board sound! amazingly clear! works great couldn't be happier!

Cons: a bit pricey for a sound card but so worth it!

the microphone piece is a bit weird but it does what it needs.

Pros: Works maybe once in a blue moon. Software interface looks better then the old X-FI.

Cons: While playing Games sounds crackles, then no sound @ all the X-FI card was much better.

Other Thoughts: Thinking about throwing this in the trash and buying another brand after being with Creative Labs for 20 plus years.

Pros: MUCH better than onboard audio. You wont be disappointed.

Cons: None

Pros: Flawless sound, good features included on the SBX studio, hear things in music that were not heard in inboard audio, even the HD inboard my MB had. Headphone amplifier works very well and has more power than an iPod (around 20 mA more)

Cons: None except the red LED ruins my blue theme ;(

Other Thoughts: Way better card than on board and the previous gen of soundblaster. Worth the cash