Listening tests - CD-quality audio
For our listening tests, I conscripted a couple of friends, who have asked to be referred to here as Frylock and Master Shake, and subjected them to several hours of music playback spanning all four cards. Tests were conducted with a pair of 5.1-channel Logitech Z680 speakers connected to each sound card using the same analog cables. Volume levels were normalized to within one decibel, and all environmental effects and equalizers were disabled, including the X-Fi's CMSS-3D. Our listeners were also unaware of which sound card was being used for playback at any given time, and the order of playback was randomized throughout.

This first set of listening tests examines CD-quality audio playback. In order to preserve quality for playback, tracks were ripped directly to WAV with no compression. The X-Fi's 24-bit Crystalizer was disabled for this round of listening tests; we'll get to it in a moment.

Below you'll find a summary of our thoughts on how the X-Fi's playback compared with the Revolution 7.1, Audigy2 ZS, and ALC880.

Santa Esmerelda - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Ripped from the Kill Bill Volume 1 soundtrack, this song has a decidedly latin feel, with a clapping back track and delicately plucked acoustic guitar.

The X-Fi and Revolution 7.1 were virtually indistinguishable with this track, even after several back-to-back tests. Against the Audigy2 ZS, the X-Fi did a better job reproducing the subtle pluck of each string note, although the two were otherwise very similar. The X-Fi also sounded much better than ALC880, whose bass was more muffled and strings less twangy. Integrated audio didn't even come close with this track.

Antonio Vivaldi - The Four Seasons Winter 1
A classical, er, classic, The Four Seasons Winter 1 is dominated by soaring strings that are almost piercing in their ferocity.

The X-Fi outshines the Audigy2 on this track, providing sharper violins and richer background. Our listeners were split on whether the X-Fi sounded better or worse than the Revolution, though; the X-Fi did a better job with the foreground violins, but the Revolution had a little extra background depth. Consensus was easy to find with the ALC880, which all parties agreed sounded much more distant than the X-Fi. The ALC880 also lacked the subtle violin squeak heard with the other sound cards.

Chemical Brothers - The Test
Richard Ashcroft provides vocals for this addictive electronic track, which features a rolling bass line, plenty of otherworldly sounds, and what can only be described as a sonic liftoff.

Unfortunately, the Audigy2's liftoff wasn't quite as vibrant as that of the XtremeMusic. The two Creative cards were pretty close, though. M-Audio's Revolution 7.1 wasn't so close, and came off sounding a little dull next to the X-Fi, with less separation at the low end of the spectrum. The Revolution didn't fare nearly as poorly as the ALC880, which also sounded dull—across the board, in fact, when compared with the X-Fi.

Tori Amos - Caught a Lite Sneeze
This track laces Tori Amos' sultry vocals over piano, percussion, and harpsichord.

Our listeners were split on whether the X-Fi or Revolution 7.1 sounded better on this track; the X-Fi beat the Revo when it came to vocal depth, but the song's piano was a little stronger on the M-Audio card. The X-Fi also outshined the Audigy2's vocal depth, stretching Amos' ragged voice further than its predecessor. By comparison, the ALC880's vocal reproduction was weak, sapping the emotion and urgency from the track. The ALC880 also couldn't match the punch to the chest that the listeners felt when listening to the X-Fi.

The Killers - Mr. Brightside
Most of today's popular "The" bands profess to be punk, or at least what passes for punk these days, but The Killers' punchy, distortion-laced Mr. Brightside flirts with what kids these days call screamo.

Mr. Brightside played back similarly on the XtremeMusic and Revolution 7.1, but the track's voice echoes and cymbals were a little clearer on the X-Fi. The Audigy2 was close as well, although it tended to favor the vocals too much at the expense of bass and background instrumentation. Unfortunately, the ALC880 seemed to get bogged down in the track's distortion, producing much more muted vocals than the X-Fi's vivid performance.

Rob Dougan - Furious Angels
The title track of a double album that anyone who loved the music in The Matrix should own, Furious Angels cuts a soulful female wail through Rob Dougan's raspy vocals.

The Audigy2 has always done well with vocals, but on this track, the X-Fi did better, letting listeners hear Dougan's lips move before each word. The Revolution's vocal performance wasn't as detailed as the X-Fi's, either, with the M-Audio card's bass slightly muffling the track's piercing wail. Surprisingly, the ALC880 didn't fare as badly against the X-Fi here as it did with other tracks. Sure, it didn't sound as good as the Creative card, but the Realtek managed a pretty balanced performance with our last CD audio track.