Sound Blaster Z vs Zx

Vakas

Vakas

Vakas

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Is there any difference in the sound quality and hardware other than the Audio control module.

I always thought they were the same card but one of Overclockers close competitors told me that the Zx uses better capacitors and sounds a little better.

Is this true?
 
No idea if Z cards still come with G Luxon caps. Maybe Creative are still shipping Z's with either, so as rids says, it's just the luck of the draw.

If the added module included with the Zx is of no concern, then I don't think it's worth paying the extra for the Zx, just so that Nichicon caps are a certainty. It's easy for someone to claim that one with supposed better type of component sounds better. Without a direct A/B test it's just placebo, as human memory is too short to remember exact sound details.
 
Vakas said:
Is there any difference in the sound quality and hardware other than the Audio control module.

I always thought they were the same card but one of Overclockers close competitors told me that the Zx uses better capacitors and sounds a little better.

Is this true?
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I have had a Zx and to be honest it was crap, I had a Xonar card at the time as well a Xonar D2 to be specific and took the Zx back for a refund the next day, Honestly spend your money elsewhere it's really not a good soundcard, Creative should be avoided like the plague and this is coming from someone who loves the X-Fi Titanium fatal1ty Pro.
 
I think I'd be looking at the Phoebus Solo over the Zx then, unless the speakers take optical, in which case the STX is a step above but it only has analogue stereo out (which is where the optical comes in).
 
The speakers do take optical, would you say the Phoebus is better?

I use the speakers for another optical source as well so would to get an optical adapter would this cause loss in audio quality? this is why I'm more drawn to the phoebus
 
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Also i'd to mention that my Z500 speakers allow headphones to be plugged into the control pod but for some reason it does not work with my current sound blaster Z, It used to work on my XFI card years back.

Will the Phoebus Solo work on this feature or do I go for the other Phoebus with the controller?
 
Vakas said:
So do you think my headphones will work straight off my speakers
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Why would you want to? The card has a half decent headphone amp built in.
You didn't mention headphones were important when I asked, you just said speakers.
When it comes to headphones and music the STX is in a different league, it's got a high end DAC and much more powerful headphone amplifier.
 
I do not use headphones much really, it's just something that is a bit convenient to plug them in at the front rather than messing round the back of the card
 
So shall I just go for the Phoebus without the controller? Otherwise are both cards the same?
 
Vakas said:
So shall I just go for the Phoebus without the controller? Otherwise are both cards the same?
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The only difference is that the solo doesn't come with the controller which in all honesty is kind of useless.

david__001 said:
In what regard?

I'm interested to know why.

I've run an SB Z for about a year and a bit and have been very satisfied with it. That said, I am considering upgrading to an STX II.
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The current line up of Creative soundcards are very weak in comparison to the Xonar cards.

I went from a Soundblaster Zx to a Phoebus and I can't recommend Creatives offerings at all, The Xonars sound miles better, Quality is way ahead on every level.
 
Is the Phoebus a more gaming oriented card rather than for music?

Also if I went for an stx would I not be able to plug my speakers in if they are not optical out and is the stx quality in term of sound a lot better or is it marginal
 
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