CAD $469.99
Manufacturer part 70SB178000000 | Dell part AA778355 | Order Code aa778355 | Creative Labs
32-bit / 384 kHz PCI-e Sound Card and DAC with Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-Amp and Audio Control Module
At the intersection where today's cutting-edge audiophile technology meets 30 years of Sound Blaster processing experience, we set out to redefine the best of PC audio. Paying homage to our audio enhancement legacy and our never-waning thirst to explore the possibilities of audio, the Sound Blaster AE-9 is quite simply the best PCI-e sound card we have ever made.
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A Feast For Your Ears
The Sound Blaster AE-9 is built with the absolute best components to deliver pristine, detailed audio quality that would satisfy even the most demanding audiophile.
The core of the Sound Blaster AE-9 is the flagship audiophile-grade hi-res ESS SABRE-class 9038 DAC. It delivers an ultra-high DNR of 129 dB, 32-bit 384 kHz playback over PCM, DSD64, and an incredibly low Total Harmonic Distortion of -120 dB (0.0001%).
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CLEANLINE TECHNOLOGY
Our newest innovation — CleanLine Technology — removes the need for an external desktop mixer if you're looking for broadcast quality voice recording.
CleanLine Technology is designed to filter and isolate noise along the mic path so you can truly enjoy crystal clear and uncompromised voice communications even while your GPU is pushing its limits.
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XAMP HEADPHONE BI-AMP
The Sound Blaster AE-9 is designed to bring out the best in any headphone.
It boasts the fully discrete Xamp Headphone Bi-amplifier that amplifies each audio channel individually, delivering pristine audio in an unaltered lossless mode to each earcup regardless of demand.
The Sound Blaster AE-9 works with all kinds of headphones, driving audiophile-grade headphones up to 600Ω, all the way to sensitive in-ear monitors with its ultra-low 1Ω headphone output impedance.
1. Voltage Amplification Stage
The differential signal from the DAC is fed into a Low Pass Filter comprising of WIMA film/foil capacitors, followed by a single-ended amplifier to condition the signal for 2nd stage processing.
2. Pre-Amp Stage
The input signal is further amplified to achieve an increase in current and power gain to drive the final output stage.
3. Output Stage
This stage gives further improvement to the power gain and transfers this power to the headphone with minimum loss. The push-pull design, consisting of transistors, is employed to achieve better efficiency, higher power output and cancellation of even-order harmonics at the final output stage.
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Swappable Op-Amps
The Sound Blaster AE-9 has swappable op-amps, so you can further define your music's tonal characteristics.
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Audiophile-Grade Capacitors
Powerful Sound All Around
Immerse yourself in audio! The Sound Blaster AE-9 supports discrete 5.1 surround channels, and up to 7.1 virtual surround channels. The sound card also comes with Sound Blaster's Surround virtualization technology that can be fully customized, or switched off completely.
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Incredible Audio Processing
Sound Blaster has been in the audio processing game since 1989. The Sound Blaster AE-9 comes with Sound Blaster's full suite of audio enhancements, including Surround for incredible immersion, Crystallizer that helps improve the dynamic range of audio, or Bass that provides bigger punch on the low end WITHOUT speaker distortion. And CrystalVoice Technology enhances voice for clear recordings and in-game communications.
All enhancements are fully customizable from the Sound Blaster Command software suite on PC.
All enhancements are fully customizable from the Sound Blaster Command software suite on PC.
On top of Sound Blaster's own processing capabilities, the Sound Blaster AE-9 also supports Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect Encoding.
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0:08Scout Mode
Ready for an unfair advantage? The Sound Blaster AE-9 comes with Scout Mode, a technology that enhances important in-game audio cues such as footsteps and weapon switching sounds. This means you can pinpoint your opponent's location and predict their moves before they even know where you are.
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Marrying the best of hardware with a 129 dB DNR and 32-bit / 384 kHz playback from the hi-res ESS SABRE-class reference DAC and the very own Xamp fully Discrete Headphone Bi-amplifier, together with the critically-acclaimed Sound Blaster audio processing technology that has been refined and perfected over the last 3 decades, the AE-9 can be described with a single word - pristine.
Tech Specs
General
Device Type
Sound cardForm Factor
InternalInterface Type
PCI ExpressWidth
2.2 cmDepth
17.8 cmHeight
12.7 cmWeight
230 gAudio Output
Sound Output Mode
5.1 channel surroundDAC Resolution
32-bitSample Rate
384 kHz (max)Signal-To-Noise Ratio
129 dBFeatures
Sound Core3D, Scout Mode, virtual 7.1 channel surround mode, Xamp Discrete Headphone Amplification, CleanLine TechnologyExpansion / Connectivity
Interfaces
- 1 x TOSLINK output - TOSLINK
- 1 x TOSLINK input - TOSLINK
- 1 x audio line-out - RCA x 2
- 1 x speakers (rear) - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
- 1 x speakers (center/subwoofer) - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
Miscellaneous
Included Accessories
Audio Control ModuleCables Included
- 2 x mini-phone 3.5 mm to 2 x RCA cable
- 1 x TOS Link cable
Software / System Requirements
OS Required
Microsoft Windows 7 (32/64 bits), Windows 8 (32/64 bits), Windows 8.1 (32/64 bits), Windows 10 (32/64 bits)System Requirements Details
Core i3 RAM 1 GB - HD 600 MB