Creative Xmod - Restore your MP3s to beyond studio quality

[dBTelos]

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/10/04/creative_xmod_upconvert/

 

[acegazda]

That's cool, does it like plug into the mp3 player, then you plug the headphones into the module? Hmmm... only worth it if you have hifi headphones, not gonna happen with my $15 $ony's. For $50 I would get it and a new pair of grados or something.

 

[dBTelos]

Looks like it has one 1/8" stereo headphone jack for input and likewise for output. Not sure how it would work for 5.1 or other multi-channel setups.

 

[Ika]

It's snake oil, don't kid yourselves. It will not work as advertised. Once you lose audio data through compression, it is impossible to get it back.

acegazda: actually, it's more worth it if you have junky headphones. I'm not really going to go into details here, because I'm not an expert by any means, but there are threads all over Head-Fi bashing this thing.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

$80 to get the 24-bit crystallizer in a little box? Man, creative is really trying to milk this :laugh:

 

[acegazda]

how could my $15 headphones possibly take advantage of this... if it worked?

 

[Pixle]

Really cool idea.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: acegazda
how could my $15 headphones possibly take advantage of this... if it worked?

It will artificially boost treble and bass just like the crystallizer in the X-Fi

If you like that sort of sound, it will provide it.

 

[acegazda]

Hmmm... so it doesn't matter that the headphones have no potential for great sound, it will sort of "trick" them into sounding better? Cool, thanks.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Get better headphones instead of this thing.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...hreadid=1670566&enterthread=y&arctab=y

Oh, and "better" is not the word I would use.

It will give you reduced midrange and increased bass / treble. Some people like that. It's not natural. The 24-bit crystallizer also increased distortion on the X-Fi.

 

[dBTelos]

Just thought I'd post it up to get some opinions.

 

[50cent1228]

wow looks kool only if it would works at it shows it will

 

[Ghouler]

I am not exactly crazy about the whole Crystallizer thing but it does improve sound of some mp3s.
I usually have it on at about 50% for mp3 ripped@128 setting. I would not pay $80 just for this.

On the other hand this XMOD seems to be regular USB sound card, advertised to work with MAC
- so I guess it requires no specific driver.
If it runs as standard USB Audio it might be actually quite a deal for laptop use.
Demo is pretty sleek, I like it:
http://www.x-fi.com

 

[LittleNemoNES]

lol stupid SNAKE OIL creative. The only reason I bought the Fatality X-FI is cos I thought BF2 uses the X-Ram. This thing is PURE BS.

 

[Markbnj]

Originally posted by: Aflac
It's snake oil, don't kid yourselves. It will not work as advertised. Once you lose audio data through compression, it is impossible to get it back.

acegazda: actually, it's more worth it if you have junky headphones. I'm not really going to go into details here, because I'm not an expert by any means, but there are threads all over Head-Fi bashing this thing.

QFT

 

[Rubycon]

Creative really needs to knock it off with the studio quality crap. It's getting old for those of us that actually spend time in a real studio where nothing in the chain has "creative" written on it and never will.

 

[JAG87]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Creative really needs to knock it off with the studio quality crap. It's getting old for those of us that actually spend time in a real studio where nothing in the chain has "creative" written on it and never will.

R
O
F
L

Q
F
T

 

[Oyeve]

This will NOT work with mp3 players. It is USB powered. This is for comps only. Pretty lame product IMO.

 

[lamere]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Creative really needs to knock it off with the studio quality crap. It's getting old for those of us that actually spend time in a real studio where nothing in the chain has "creative" written on it and never will.

True - Creative does pretty good on music quality for the most part but anyone who records music with thier PC knows that M-Audio's worst device is better than creative's best.






Yes I have a creative card

 

[Operandi]

Wow, "X" "mod"; simultaneously marketing at its best and worst.

Originally posted by: acegazda
Hmmm... so it doesn't matter that the headphones have no potential for great sound, it will sort of "trick" them into sounding better? Cool, thanks.

More like "trick" fools out of their money.

You might think it sounds better but only if you don't know what it's supposed to sound like in the first place.

Bottom line is don't use sh!ty compression and cheap headphones or speakers if you want your music to sound good.

 

[Oyeve]

Xmod is to Creative Labs as Bose is to speaker systems. Cheap overpriced crap using trickery to make you "think" it sounds good.

 

[dBTelos]

I guess this wont be recommended any time soon.

 

[splintitan]

they're also coing out with an x-fi mp3 player... who know whats next.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: splintitan
they're also coing out with an x-fi mp3 player... who know whats next.

X-Speakers with it built in?

 

[LittleNemoNES]

wireless HD RAPTOR X: 7.1 from 1 speaker.