The X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS
and X-Fi Elite Pro both feature 64MB X-RAM (SDRAM),
dedicated to audio caching. This requires specific
application support to function. Less audio data needs to be
paged from the hard drive as it can be stored on the
soundcard itself, decreasing the number of read/writes as
compared with other soundcards.
EAX 5
Generally speaking,
Creative launches a new EAX version with every new soundcard
release, X-Fi being no exception as it heralds EAX Advanced
HD 5.0 for which Creative promotes the following:
128 Voices.
Nothing overly magical here. The previous Audigy 2 supported
64 hardware voices (32 before them); X-Fi now supports 128
hardware voices.
EAX Voice.
This feature allows EAX effects to be applied to your voice
in games which support voice input, appropriate to the
environment in which your virtual self is currently located.
Obviously this works best where everyone has a supported
soundcard.
EAX PurePath.
This feature enables developers to specify precisely how
they want specific audio sources to be reproduced, e.g.
certain sources may be routed specifically to the LFE
channel.
Environment
FlexiFX. This function
provides developers with a more flexible effects engine;
removing the mandatory Reverb and Chorus use, which provides
developers with complete control over which effects to use.
Creative states this makes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment
Reverb and EAX Multi-Environment redundant.
EAX MacroFX.
MacroFX provides improved near-field effects (those less
than a meter from the virtual user). This provides improved
audio realism when it comes to positioning extremely close
audio sources. In fairness this is actually Sensaura’s (which
Creative acquired over a year and a half ago),
and
isn’t all that new.
Environment
Occlusion. This effect enables
both an audio source and the associated environmental effect
to be occluded when passing through objects. This should
provide more realistic audio effects.
On the next page we
will list X-Fi technical specifications, if you want to skip
those click here.
Technical Specs
24-bit Analog-to-Digital
conversion of analog inputs at 96kHz sample rate
24-bit Digital-to-Analog
conversion of digital sources at 96kHz to analog 7.1 speaker
output
24-bit Digital-to-Analog
conversion of stereo digital sources at 192kHz to stereo
output
16-bit to 24-bit
recording sampling rates: 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32,
44.1, 48 and 96kHz
ASIO 2.0 support at
16-bit/44.1kHz, 16-bit/48kHz, 24-bit/44.1kHz 24-bit/48kHz
and 24-bit/96kHz with direct monitoring
Enhanced SoundFont
support at up to 24-bit resolution
Audio Performance
(Rated Output @ 2Vrms)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
(20kHz Low-pass filter, A-Weighted)
Stereo Output: 109dB
Front and Rear
Channels: 109dB
Center, Subwoofer and
Side Channels: 109dB
Total Harmonic
Distortion + Noise at 1kHz (20kHz Low-pass filter) = 0.004%
Frequency Response
(-3dB, 24-bit/96kHz input ) = <10Hz to 46kHz
Frequency Response
(-3dB, 24-bit/192kHz input) = <10Hz to 88kHz (Stereo only)
Connectivity
FlexiJack (Performing
a 3-in-1 function, Digital In / Line In / Microphone) via
3.50 mm minijack
Line level out (Front
/ Rear / Center / Subwoofer / Rear Center) via 3.50 mm
minijacks
AUX_IN line-level
analog input via 4-pin Molex connector on card
1 AD_Link (26 pin)
connector for linking to the X-Fi I/O Console (Upgrade
option)
