Surprisingly good sound!
Written: May 02 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: sound quality for a 64V card, value, compatibility, software
Cons: price when I bought it, installation complications
The Bottom Line: It has great value for it's current market price, and I would not hesitate to buy another one. The software, performance and compatibility are above average.
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| aknutson's Full Review: Creative Sound Blaster AWE64 Value |
When I was in the market for a mid-range sound card about two years ago, the Creative AWE64 was at the top of the list. When I bought it I paid a shameful $70 CAN. for it. Looking back, that is a lot of money for a 64V card when they have 128's and higher for the same price. But, if you look at the price today, is is an excellent value.
The salesperson talked me into it because of the price and compatibility, which turned out to be a major plus. I have used many software applications and games, and the AWE64 has recognized and worked flawlessly with each of them. However, installing the card to begin with was a bit more difficult. Getting the card in the slot and hooking it up was not problem, but when I did install it, Windows would not boot up. It was stuck on the startup screen. This could have been caused by a lingering piece of software that conflicted with the card, or the fact that I was using Windows 95. I had to take it to a technician, and after that it was fine. I like the color-coded plugs at the back of the card, and it makes it easy to identify and connect all your audio needs.
The card comes with some impressive software. Wave Studio is great for mixing and composing sounds and editing sounds, the Creative Mixer allows you to totally customize your sound, and there is a cool "remote control" application as well. It is more than I expected to get with a budget sound card.
This sound card would not likely impress those in search of sublime audio, or those that are constantly dealing with music. It does not have a lot of support for emerging audio devices and applications, but for it's price you would not expect it to. However, I burn a lot of music CD's and listen to a lot of MP3 files and I am thoroughly impressed with the card's performance. I would not hesitate to buy one again. It is connected to a pair of Labtec LCS-2414 subwoofer/satellite speakers, and the quality of the audio is generally excellent, but not just due to the speakers. Once I installed the sound card, I noticed all my .WAV and .MID, and generally all audio files sounded better. That was before I had the real speakers - this was with $5 PC speakers.
A great value card that is more suited to people with basic audio needs. It could be accepted even for lots of use in audio files, as I use it in that manner. The only people who would not find it acceptable are those in search of total premium PC audio, where I would suggest a Creative Sound Blaster Live Value or Sound Blaster Live Platinum.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50
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Epinions.com ID:
aknutson
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Location: Canada
Reviews written: 35
Trusted by: 3 members
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