I was lucky enough to grab one of the first few from OcUK. I primarily got it for the quality DACs, and i did not even bother installing the extras. The audio quality is slightly better than my previous X-Fi Titanium Fatality Champion (which is already way above average).

The new Creative Labs Sound Blaster ZxR sound card is a behemoth of audio goodness. Un-boxing everything from the package, I was very impressed with the design style Creative Labs put into their new, flagship sound card.

If you think of your PC as a lifeboat full of components floating in the Atlantic Ocean after one of those ARM-based subs put two fish into the side of the PC's troop transport, you can better understand the plight of the sound card.

Far better gaming audio than onboard

Default audio settings are far too heavy handed

In 2011 Creative introduced the Sound Core 3D audio chip, and recently a new series of Sound Blaster cards was released using that chip. We tested the most high-end ZxR version, which is available for 200-250 euros.

They cancelled my order (a $205 Creative ZxR sound card), saying it was out of stock. I then find out they re-list the item right back on Rakuten.com for double the price, $410. What concerns me more is that Rakuten is still using this "seller".

Overall, we were quite impressed with the new SoundBlaster ZXR. This source offers crystal clear sound quality while still presenting an impressive organic signature. The fact that this card offers high end converters on all channels is a big step in the right direction as generally some companies...

The best sound card you can buy but the base setting is too high but you can reduce it. If you need a sound card this is a excellent choice.

Top sound card

Too much base

By Vance I purchased this ZxR to use with my Sennheiser PC G4ME ZERO headset. I had read other users complaining of sound degredation when using the ACM (Audio Control Module) to connect their devices to and that they recommended connecting directly to the sound card.

If price is no object this is the one. The extras and modes don't really sell the card, its the fidelity of the components. You aren't going go get a better signal to noise anywhere else, and if you have a good enough listening setup, you can hear the difference.

Kick ass Sound Card, but one warning...Make sure your motherboard's firmware can handle it. I had to upgrade BIOS and install latest chipset drivers to get the card to be recognized by windows 7.