** Soundcard Clearance Deals Ex Display **

[TwsT]

Right guys found a coupole of soundcards during our stock take a few weeks back. These are boxed Retail items that I believe used to be on display in our shop, they will come with a full warranty as if new. Not 100% certain but fairly sure they remained in their boxes on the shelf in the shop. Either way I've slashed the prices to get rid of these now EOL but excellent soundcards.

Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D PCI-E Soundcard - Retail (70SB135000002) @ £32.99 inc VAT

Accelerate your gaming audio
Upgrade to mind-blowing PC gaming audio with the Sound Blaster Recon3D PCIe sound card powered by the revolutionary Sound Core3D quad-core Sound and Voice processor. Whether you’re on a headset or desktop speakers you’ll have a distinct tactical advantage over the competition with massively powerful THX TruStudio Pro audio technologies that deliver incredibly immersive surround sound with pin-point accurate audio placement. Lead your fellow warriors on the battlefield with CrystalVoice Voice and Clarity technologies that ensure even in the heat of battle your voice will be heard clearly. Choose the PC audio choice of Champions, and hear the sound of victory. Choose Sound Blaster.

- Powered by Sound Core3D quad-core audio processor;
- THX TruStudio Pro;
- CrystalVoice voice enhancement and clarity technology;
- Dolby Digital Live encoding;
- Dedicated high quality headphone amplifier;
- 1 Year Manufacturers Warranty;



Was 64.99 Inc. VAT

Only £32.99 inc VAT.

ORDER NOW


Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D Fatal1ty Champion Sound Card - Retail (70SB135400002) @ £69.95 inc VAT

The next-generation pro-gaming sound system Sound Blaster Recon3D Fatal1ty Champion is the ultimate pro-gaming sound card powered by Sound Core3D, and it heralds a new age in 3D gaming audio and online voice communication. Hardware-accelerated THX TruStudio Pro audio technologies deliver unsurpassed audio playback quality, while the innovative CrystalVoice processing, coupled with the included beamforming microphone, gives you the edge in multiplayer games with crystal clear vocal fidelity. Engineered for low power consumption and high performance, the Sound Core3D processor is Creative's first sound and voice processor to integrate a quad-core high-performance digital signal processor (DSP) and high-quality converters onto a single chip. The sound card is shielded in a specially designed casing and comes together with the I/O Drive to give you convenient access to headphone and microphone inputs, as well as volume and THX TruStudio Pro controls.

- Endorsed by Fatal1ty
- Powered by Sound Core3D quad-core audio processor
- THX TruStudio Pro technologies
- CrystalVoice voice enhancement and clarity technology
- Dolby Digital Live encoding
- Dedicated high quality headphone amplifier
- Scout Mode - Hear them before they hear you
- Sound Blaster beamforming microphone
- Works with Windows 7
- Multiple connectivity options
- 1 Year Manufacturers Warranty
- Technical Specifications: 24-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion of analog inputs at up to 96 kHz sample rate, 24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion of digital sources at up to 96 kHz sample rate to analog outputs, 16-bit to 24-bit recording sampling rates: 8,11.025,16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz
- Rear Panel Connectivity: Line in / Microphone In: Shared 1/8" mini jack, Headphone: 1 x 1/8" mini jack, Speaker Out: 3 x 1/8" mini jacks, Optical Out: TOSLINK, Optical In: TOSLINK
- Front Panel Connectivity: Headphone: 1 x 1/8" mini jack, Microphone In: 1 x 1/8" mini jack, Auxiliary In: Stereo RCA jacks
- Speaker Support: Stereo/2.1 Speakers, 5.1 Speakers, Headphones
- Bus Connection: PCI Express 1x
- Requirements: Minimum System Requirements, Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD equivalent processor, 2.2 GHz or faster, Intel, AMD or 100% compatible motherboard, Microsoft Windows 7 (32/64-bit), 1GB RAM, 600 MB of free hard disk space, Available PCI Express (x1, x4 or x16) slot, Available CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
- Warranty: 1 Year Manufacturers Warranty;

Was 113.99 Inc. VAT

Only £69.95 inc VAT.

ORDER NOW

 

[TwsT]

Does this mean you need an actual optical drive to run the thing, or just a spare slot in your case?

It has a front bay device that will occupy a DVD/CD Drive slot.

 

[TwsT]

Creative definitely lost their way after the Titanium series, Tried the recon and Z series and they both suck, I mean badly compared to the similarly priced competition.

Think I read somewhere that Creative actually just re-badged some older Audigy cards and TADAAA Recon and then Z series.

By rebadged do you mean different chips on a different pcb that's a different size? If not then you read wrong.

 

[TwsT]

Well the re-badged part might be incorrect as I'm going off information from an audiophile sauce but I have tried the Recon and Z series and they are no better than the Titanium cards and in some areas fall behind which confuses me as they are meant to be the successors.

Main reason is the loss of THX branding on the item. I don't know the reason behind it either. The RRP of the titanium HD for example was £179.99 I've priced the remaining UK stock at 99.99 to help creative clear stock they are no longer officially allowed to sell. (they had to lose all stock by the end of January I think)

You are right the Titanium was/is a fantastic card but it is no longer supported and won't have drivers for future versions of windows. So while it may seem like a side step they are different cards for different jobs. I would very much like to see Creative step up and release a true competitor to the upcoming STX II but we will have to wait and see what happens.

The Z series is an excellent range but if you own a high end sound card you'll never need to upgrade till it breaks. That's the point they are an investment that will move from PC to PC with you, when you spend £179.99 you don't expect it to be outclassed in a few years. This is audio not graphics it doesn't evolve with game design or monitor advancements.

I can't ever recommend someone for example upgrading from a D2X to a STX II however if the D2X breaks and you want a new sound card then of course I'd recommend a STX II you may as well invest in the best you can afford it won't be outdone any time soon. That's why neither Asus nor Creative update ranges very often they know wasting money on RnD is not cost effective in comparison to spending money on continuing support on what is already a successful and good range of products.

But you are right, there is little difference to the titanium range and the z series just Creative losing licensing and needing to redo the whole lot to suit. I don' t know the decisions that made all that happen and I can see why if you went from a Titanium to a Z you would be un-impressed. That however doesn't takeaway from these excellent deals on EOL items that I have listed today.