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| Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 Sound Card |
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Did the Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 live up to the hype? In my view, very much so! For one thing, you get seriously excellent audio quality, rivaling that of a Creative X-Fi Elite Pro at just around US$200. Sure, you don't get as many inputs, but the most important thing is the audio quality is just the same. A good contender would be the EMU-1212M that is about the same price as the X-Fi Prelude. It has the balanced outputs and other professional goodies that the X-Fi Prelude does not. The Auzen X-Fi Prelude, of course, boasts the same audio quality and at the same time, add EAX and multi-channel support. Undoubtedly, this is a superb sound card at a nice price. It's great for those that want a card like the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro, but without its ugly breakout box. Of course, it has its weaknesses here and there. Nothing is perfect. The lack of support of some formats is also somewhat disappointing, but don't let that put you off this card. If you're in the market for an audiophile-grade sound card with gaming capabilities, this is the card for you. Because of its superb audio fidelity, great connectivity options and value for money, we would like to award it our Reviewer's Choice Award. Congratulations, Auzentech, and keep up the great work!
For more details, read our Comprehensive Review! |
| MSRP |
• US$ 199 |
Lowest PriceGrabber Price |
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| Review |
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Audio Processor |
• Creative X-Fi CA20K |
Analog-to-Digital Converter |
• One AKM AK-5394 ADC (96 kHz, 24-bit) |
Digital-to-Analog Converter |
• Four AKM AK-4396 DAC (96 kHz, 24-bit) |
Built-In Memory |
• 64 MB SDRAM |
Analog Input/Output OPAMPs |
• TI OPA2134 |
Front L/R Output OPAMP |
• National LM4562NA (user-replaceable) |
S/PDIF Support |
• Dual-mode S/PDIF receiver and transmitter |
I/O Connectors |
• One 3.5 mm microphone input connector in rear panel |
Signal-to-Noise Ratio |
• 20 kHz (low-pass filter, A-weighted) |
Stereo Output |
• 120 dB (part spec) |
Front & Rear Channels |
• 120 dB (part spec) |
Center |
• 120 dB (part spec) |
Subwoofer & Side Channels |
• 120 dB (part spec) |
Total Harmonic Distortion & Noise @ 1 kHz (-3 dBFS, A-weighted) |
• 0.001 % (part spec) |
Frequency Response (+/- 0.01 dB, 24-bit, 44.1 kHz input) |
• 20 kHz (part spec) |
Frequency Response (+/- 0.01 dB, 24-bit, 96 kHz input) |
• 43.5 kHz (part spec) |
16-bit to 24-bit recording sampling rates |
• 32 kHz |
Provided Software |
• Creative X-Fi driver |
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