Creative SXFI AIR (w/ Super X-Fi Gen 2) Review - 9.1 Surround Sound with Your Headphones

[erek]

"However subjective it may be, I want to stress here that Super X-Fi is not a gimmick. It does more than just provide a multi-channel surround-sound experience with stereo headphones, especially based on the enhanced audio experience with stereo or even mono audio files. This comes from Creative's SXFI chip which, in their own words "is specially designed for Super X-Fi processing and packs 5x the computing power of Creative's most powerful Sound Blaster chip while consuming less than half the power"; one that "is a highly integrated chip" with "a large cache of fast memory to decode and process up to 8 channels of high-resolution 24-bit 96 kHz audio simultaneously. It even has audiophile quality DACs built-in." This is effectively a SoC built over 20 years of research and development by the company, enhanced all the more by the additions of intellectual property and audio engineers over the years. Building upon all the user-generated profiles and feedback, Super X-Fi Gen2 does lower the variability in experience and raises the standard of surround sound in headphones. It is one you really have to experience before deciding whether it is for you, and Creative incorporating it in the SXFI Air makes for a good first option to try it with.

There remain problems, however, even now. The head-map-generated profiles still fall short compared to the in-ear measurement profiles the press got, so do keep that in mind when reading reviews of Super X-Fi products. We also have the unique privilege of having another reviewer who has experienced Super X-Fi via their Sound Blaster X3 soundcard. It is there you can read through a review of someone with more experience with audio solutions than yours truly. I was also disappointed to see that the officially certified list of headphones is woefully short, and not much has changed here within the last two years. The good thing is that the DSP and app will still work regardless of which headphones you have, and this is a non-factor when it comes to the SXFI Air with the integrated DSP. At its current asking price and overall feature set, I have no qualms recommending it to a lot of different folks—those on a budget for a good set of cans, those wanting a portable media player/Bluetooth headset, and those wanting to experience Super X-Fi."

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/creative-sxfi-air-headphones/

 

[Lakados]

"However subjective it may be, I want to stress here that Super X-Fi is not a gimmick. It does more than just provide a multi-channel surround-sound experience with stereo headphones, especially based on the enhanced audio experience with stereo or even mono audio files. This comes from Creative's SXFI chip which, in their own words "is specially designed for Super X-Fi processing and packs 5x the computing power of Creative's most powerful Sound Blaster chip while consuming less than half the power"; one that "is a highly integrated chip" with "a large cache of fast memory to decode and process up to 8 channels of high-resolution 24-bit 96 kHz audio simultaneously. It even has audiophile quality DACs built-in." This is effectively a SoC built over 20 years of research and development by the company, enhanced all the more by the additions of intellectual property and audio engineers over the years. Building upon all the user-generated profiles and feedback, Super X-Fi Gen2 does lower the variability in experience and raises the standard of surround sound in headphones. It is one you really have to experience before deciding whether it is for you, and Creative incorporating it in the SXFI Air makes for a good first option to try it with.

There remain problems, however, even now. The head-map-generated profiles still fall short compared to the in-ear measurement profiles the press got, so do keep that in mind when reading reviews of Super X-Fi products. We also have the unique privilege of having another reviewer who has experienced Super X-Fi via their Sound Blaster X3 soundcard. It is there you can read through a review of someone with more experience with audio solutions than yours truly. I was also disappointed to see that the officially certified list of headphones is woefully short, and not much has changed here within the last two years. The good thing is that the DSP and app will still work regardless of which headphones you have, and this is a non-factor when it comes to the SXFI Air with the integrated DSP. At its current asking price and overall feature set, I have no qualms recommending it to a lot of different folks—those on a budget for a good set of cans, those wanting a portable media player/Bluetooth headset, and those wanting to experience Super X-Fi."

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https://www.techpowerup.com/review/creative-sxfi-air-headphones/

I like them, very clean not much extra crap on there.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

The tech is interesting. Is there any way for mere mortals to get the in-ear mapping?

IF Creative offers this tech on a sound card with SPDIF (optical TOSLINK or copper) out, so I can use the tech with my own DAC, AMP and headphones, I'd totally be all over giving it a try.

The sound solution on my motherboard is all messed up anyway, so I definitely need a sound card, and I'm not opposed to replacing the aging Titanium HD.

 

[spaceman]

Pretty sure you will not get any benefit from optical out. The only way you will hear the processed effects is via analogue out from the soundcard. A pair of the integrated headphones would work out of your current setup though.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

The tech is interesting. Is there any way for mere mortals to get the in-ear mapping?

IF Creative offers this tech on a sound card with SPDIF (optical TOSLINK or copper) out, so I can use the tech with my own DAC, AMP and headphones, I'd totally be all over giving it a try.

The sound solution on my motherboard is all messed up anyway, so I definitely need a sound card, and I'm not opposed to replacing the aging Titanium HD.

I just checked their webpage. No such luck yet. They have a crazy $350 top end sound card, but it is not listed as having Super X-Fi support.

If they do release one that does, I might buy it though. I'd use the optical out to my existing DAC and Amp.

 

[illram]

I have the Super X-Fi dongle. Same tech. Amazing little device, I can't game without it. It really is a very realistic virtual surround experience, particularly if you have headphones on their list. (There is a large number of headphones supported, including popular ones like Sennheiser 650, 800, Koss Portapros, HiFi Man 400i, basically all Massdrop headphones, etc. etc.)

Their I/O on all their devices leaves a lot to be desired however, you are not really going to be using these with external DACs or amps. There is a soundbar coming in the future that will supposedly have HDMI connectivity with a headphone jack.

 

[Deleted member 143938]

Got me interested enough in buying the Creative Sound Blaster X3 USB DAC.

I do wonder how it compares to buying a Sound Blaster Z PCIe sound card

 

[termite]

Pretty sure you will not get any benefit from optical out. The only way you will hear the processed effects is via analogue out from the soundcard. A pair of the integrated headphones would work out of your current setup though.

I use a Sound Blaster Z, output to a schitt Modi via toslink and get all of the spacial sound management the card provides. There is a setting you have to change "output to digital" or something along those lines.

I do believe this only works for outputting the SB spacial surround though, it will not do Dolby/DTS if this setting is checked.

It would be a step backwards if they dropped this functionality.