Hardware Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D Review

Creative's first new audio processor in six years has landed, with Xbox and PS3 support.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/soundcards/2011/10/24/creative-sound-blaster-recon3d-review/1

 

Sounds promising, but there's no way I'd buy a huge external device like that.
I'd either want the PCIe version or a much smaller external version, much like the later external X-Fi's which were no bigger than a USB thumb drive.
The 3D effect over stereo headphones is especially interesting as I use bud earphones while gaming.

 

Sounds like a rip off to me. Just a headphone out? £80? No. Thanks.

 

Whilst I can see the appeal the unit is FAR too large (especially given the sparse PCB) and arguably too expensive to see mass market appeal - something we can only assume Creative are pushing for aiming this at consoles.

Perhaps creative should get onboard with some of the big motherboard manufacturers to see if they could get this (these?) audio chip on mid-to-high end motherboards on a large scale.

 

If this costed £40 to £80 more and came with a surround headset, I'd understand the product a bit more.

To me it looks like a gimmick for those who don't know any better.

 

As far as I can tell, it's a stereo soundcard with a built-in HRTF (interesting for a console, totally pointless for a PC where you can do it in software). Very little for your £90.

 

Creatives hardware has always been pretty good, it's there woeful drivers that's the problem. After having a xfi for 2 years and never having a problem, then getting the hiss/crackle problem that creative blamed on every thing else apart from the weather. I would never buy creative again. D2x all the way

 

seems like an expensive gimmick aimed at console owners

 

I must say the Creative card's are extremely good, but they are heavily let down by the drivers.

I have a Creative X-Fi Fidelity Card, and I cannot use it because the drivers cause to many issues.

I stick now to my Asus Xonar DX card.

 

Genuinely interested here. How easy is it to switch between the PS3/Xbox/PC? Does it mean reaching behind each platform everytime I want to change platforms? Or Just a little switch on that remote thingy? Got great headphones already but love improving my sound.

 

Yes, you'll need to switch the unit over to the console, with the optical audio cable and USB power connection, which will involve reaching behind You'll also need a long 3.5mm headphone jack, as the included one is short and isn't sofa friendly.

 

I'd love a good quality usb sound card that could rival my auzentech prelude x-fi so I could happily switch over to mini-ATX, got to have ok gpu & sound card or better yet, nice quality onboard audio instead of the usual rubbish.

I feel like this isn't it though, I tried 1 of the x-fi external ones a while ago & found it to be no good.

 

This unit tells me that all the capacitors, electrodes and capacitors and what not on the bigger cards, like the creative X-fi xtreme gamer edition, is just for show and does nothing to enhance soundquality on digital sound. What you do get with an expensive soundcard is silence, no background noise.

However I have never really felt any different connecting my hifi headsets to creatives soundcards vs onboard audio like nvidias "soundstorm" etc.

Invest money in an expensive headset to get good audio, then buy a soundcard if it's on sale later.

 

Certainly won't replace my X-fi Elite pro, unfortunately it's going to get harder to use that card with PCI slots disappearing!. Best £100 I ever spent was on the Elite Pro

Sent from Bittech Android app

 

If you only need stereo output with no silly dolby or x-fi stuff then you options are pretty much unlimited.

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-MU-8740A-Audio-Interface/dp/B004GJXTQS

How the hell did you reach that conclusion? Do you have any experience with circuitry?

 

That's pretty damn expensive for what is effectively an HRTF and dynamic EQ processor. Looks like a ripoff to me.

 

No I have no experience what so ever. But it seems as though this does allmost the same job with no capacitors or the extra circuitry, thus rendering them useless... Also, after what I have experienced with a wide variety of both high and low quallity stereo outputs is that you'll need a pretty good amplifier to really notice the difference in soundquality. Buying a good or different headset on the other hand, will give you extreme differences right away.

I may be on the top of my head here but it's just what I have experienced or "heard" through the years, buying soundcards and mp3 players yet not noticing changes in sound other than the omission of "hiss".

I currently have the X-fi xtreme gamer fatal1ty ed. just for the record.

 

G-Tek said similar a while ago to me, looks like I have some research to do, cheers wafflesomd .

 

Actually, a hi-fi DAC (as defined by 24/96 bitrate) with only a headphone out, no mic in, and none of the extra features of this card generally *start* around $150. So to me, this seems like a pretty damn good deal.

 

Up yours Creative.