







Brand | AUZEN |
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Model | Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 |
Audio Chipset | X-Fi |
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Channels | 7.1 |
Sample Rate | 96KHz |
Digital Audio | 24-bit |
Line In | Yes |
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Line Out | FL/FR/C/SW/RL/RR/RSL/RSR |
SPDIF In | Optical and Coaxial |
SPDIF Out | Optical and Coaxial |
MIC In | Yes |
MIDI/Joystick | Yes |
CD/Aux In | Yes |
Interface | PCI |
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System Requirements | Minimum System Requirements Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows XP (Service Pack 2, x64 or Media Center Edition) 1GHz Intel Pentium III, AMD or equivalent processor 256 MB RAM (512MB for Windows Vista) 600 MB of free hard disk space Available PCI 2.1 slot |
Features | 24-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion of analog inputs at 96kHz sample rate 24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion of digital sources at 96kHz to analog 7.1 speaker output 24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion of stereo digital sources at 192kHz to stereo output 16-bit to 24-bit recording sampling rates: 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz ASIO 2.0 support at 16-bit/44.1kHz, 16-bit/48kHz, 24-bit/44.1kHz 24-bit/48kHz and 24-bit/96kHz with direct monitoring. Enhanced SoundFont support of up to 24-bit resolution 64MB of X-RAM Rear panel connectors for MIC, line input, channel line output, S/PDIF input and output Front panel connectors for MIC input and headphone On-board connectors for AUX and digital extension header Swappable OPAMP Socket (Front L/R only) Software and drivers |
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Date First Available | August 31, 2007 |
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Pros: There's no doubt that Creative makes some pretty good hardware. Where they often fail is their support, service, and driver updates. With the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude you get the best audio hardware on the market without having to deal with Creative's miserable service or drivers. Add to that, feature-for-feature, the X-Fi Prelude crushes the competing Creative XtremeGamer Fatal1ty. Here you get separate outputs for each speaker as well as Optical and Digital Coaxial outputs, making it very simple to connect this card to any home theater system or high-end desktop audio setup. The sound was unbelievably clear with excellent highs, mids, and lows on both my 7.1 Sony HT and 5.1 Klipsh Premedia desktop setups. The positional audio is simply incredible, with plenty of tools for tweaking depending on your setup. Also, everything works painlessly on my copy of Vista Ultimate 64.
Cons: For some reason, the first time I ran the install (downloaded from the Auzentech website instead of from the included CD) the software claimed that no compatibly device was installed. In the end, I had to uninstall all the software, manually install the device driver from Device Manager, THEN reinstall the software. I have a feeling this had something to do with my using the 64bit version of Vista, but it really didn't require too much troubleshooting.
Overall Review: If you want the best soundcard you can get without directly lining Creative's pockets, this is THE soundcard to get. I really can't convey any better how pleased I am with the quality of the audio and number of features. Finally, since Auzentech writes their own drivers, you get updates a lot more frequently than you do with Creative's own cards. Add to that, Dolby digital support in Vista and there's just no reason you SHOULDN'T own this card. Don't let the price deter you, you really do get what you pay for.