Creative Launches Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe Sound Card with ESS DAC

Creative launched the Sound Blaster AE-X to its PCIe sound card lineup, following the Audigy FX Pro model that was introduced back in March. While the Audigy FX Pro was aimed at desktop users who are making the shift from onboard audio, the new Sound Blaster AE-X is aiming more towards gamers, audiophiles, and professionals. The sound card is equipped with the ESS ES9039Q2M dual-channel DAC, supporting playback up to 32-bit/384 kHz, a claimed 130dB SNR, and direct DSD256 decoding. The DSD256 (Quad-rate DSD) is an ultra-high-resolution digital audio format mostly used by those working with high-resolution lossless audio formats. Headphone amplification is done by the Creative X-amp discrete architecture, rated for headphones up to 600 ohms. This covers most high-end studio and audiophile headphones that tend to struggle with standard motherboard audio outputs. ASIO 2.3 (Audio Stream Input/Output) support is also included for low-latency recording and monitoring.

On the connectivity side, the sound card sports optical S/PDIF input and output alongside the PCIe interface. From the software side, it features Scout Mode for positional audio, AutoEQ headphone calibration presets and customizable sound profiles. Altogether, these features position the Creative Sound Blaster AE-X somewhere between a dedicated music DAC and a gaming audio card. The card is listed at approximately $155 in China, €189.90 in Germany, €194.90 in Italy, and PLN 774.05 in Poland.