Comparison Creative Sound Blaster X4 vs Creative Sound Blaster GC7

The most advanced multi-channel audio format that a sound card is capable of outputting.

— 2. Standard stereo sound on two channels — left and right. This format allows you to provide a sense of surround sound (especially when using headphones), which is quite enough for most simple tasks. However, it noticeably loses to multi-channel sound in terms of the "immersion effect", which can be critical for demanding gamers and audiophiles.

— 5.1. The classic and most popular multi-channel surround sound format today: a centre channel, two front and two rear channels allow you to achieve a full-fledged “surround effect”, and a separate subwoofer channel provides rich bass sound.

— 7.1. The 7.1 format differs from 5.1 by the presence of two additional channels. There are several options for localizing these channels — for example, a pair of side speakers, a pair of additional speakers above the front ones, etc. Anyway, the 7.1 format provides a more reliable surround sound transmission than 5.1, but such cards are more expensive, and there is less specialized content for 7.1.

When choosing a sound card by the number of channels, it is worth considering such moments. Firstly, multi-channel options are capable of producing sound in simpler formats (for example, a 7.1 card can be used for 5.1 acoustics), and stereo sound output is support...ed by all models in general. Secondly, modern multimedia software (in particular, codecs) allows you to output multi-channel audio through a card with fewer channels — for example, play 5.1 sound through a two-channel card with stereo speakers without quality loss. Thirdly, for the full-fledged operation of multi-channel sound, you will need not only a card, but also appropriate acoustics; therefore, it makes no sense to specifically look for a multi-channel model if you plan to use exclusively stereo speakers.

Various standards and special digital audio technologies that the sound card is officially compatible with. For example, the Dolby and DTS standards in various variations are used primarily for multi-channel audio tracks in films, while DirectSound and EAX provide high-quality “surround” sound in games. In fact, the ability to work with one or another standard is largely determined by the software part of the system, and not by the characteristics of the sound card; however, official compatibility means at least the full compliance of the card with the requirements of the standard and the minimum risk of conflicts at the hardware level.

The dynamic range of a DAC is the ratio between the loudest sound that the converter can produce and the quietest. The wider the dynamic range — the richer the sound will be, the lower the likelihood that quiet sounds that complement the overall picture will be muffled during conversion. At the same time, it is worth noting that almost all modern sound cards provide a dynamic range that is quite sufficient for comfortable everyday use, and in many models this parameter may not be indicated at all. It is worth paying attention to it when choosing an advanced specialized audio card — for example, a gaming one (see "View"). The minimum for professional models is 90 dB, but in fact, among similar solutions, this figure is usually 120 dB or more.

This parameter determines the ratio of the "clean" sound produced by the DAC at the output to all extraneous noise. As such, it is a pretty strong indicator of sound purity. According to the signal-to-noise ratio, DACs in modern sound cards can be divided as follows:

up to 90 dB — initial level;
90-100 dB — average level, advanced "home" models;
more than 100 dB — professional level.

The dynamic range of an ADC is the ratio between the loudest and quietest sound that the converter is able to perceive and process. The larger this parameter, the more complete the picture of the sound converted to digital format will be, the less quiet details (which, nevertheless, affect the overall sound) will remain when digitizing “behind the scenes”. At the same time, we note that this parameter is critical only for professional recording, and therefore it is indicated in the characteristics quite rarely, usually only in models of the corresponding specialization (in particular, audio interfaces, see "View").

The number of optical S/P-DIF inputs in the design of the sound card.

S / P-DIF is a digital audio transmission standard with a fairly high bandwidth: in particular, it allows you to work with most multi-channel formats up to 7.1 inclusive. It is widely used in modern audio equipment, in particular, disc players and AV receivers. At the hardware level, S / P-DIF has two versions — with a coaxial connection (described below) and with an optical connection via a TOSLINK cable. The main advantage of the second option is complete insensitivity to electrical interference, because. light pulses are used to transmit information. On the other hand, an optical cable is quite fragile to bend and has limitations in length.

The number of outputs with 3.5 mm mini-Jack connectors in the design of the sound card. It is this connector that is used by the vast majority of modern computer headphones and speakers of all price categories (although it is relatively rare in top-end technology), and it is very popular in other consumer-class audio devices. Therefore, almost all entry-level and mid-level sound cards have at least one 3.5 mm jack; the absence of such outputs is typical for specialized models (for example, DAC, see "View"). Also note that a single mini-jack output can work with a maximum of two channels, however, this interface is also used in multi-channel sound systems — in this case, the audio card is equipped with several connectors, each of which is responsible for its own part of the system. For example, for 5.1 systems, one connector is allocated to the centre, one to a pair of front channels, one to a pair of rear channels, and one to a subwoofer.

As with 3.5mm inputs (see above), this type of output can be used in a variety of ways and can even be configurable.