Ok let me tell you how this thing works, when i said its not user friendly - You cannot plug and unplug this card as easily as you think u can.
I have observed a few things when the card is connected and you shut down or restart your computer it takes a hell lot of time, so the work around for this was i have to unplug the card just before i switch on my comp or shut it down.
Ok now lets go step by step:
1: If im listening to some music on my laptop and i plug the card and attach a head phone or a speaker to it then u cannot hear anything thru the card. you have to stop the song close the windows media player and restart the song.
2: If you listening to the song thru thru that card and now u remove ur speakers or headphones attached to the card, u might not hear any sound from ur laptop speakers, u have to do a setup in the aoftware that came along with the CD , to allow it to play the sound from the speakers when the head phones are not connected to the card.
3: u will observer strange things like, if u unplug the head phone from the card, no sound will come from the laptop speakers, sometimes u have to restart the system, and if u double click on a song to play it while another song is playing u will hear the song getting stuck before the new one starts.
4: some times u will observe that the sound comes from the headphone when connected to the sound card as well as the laptop speakers at the same time, i do things like removing the card restarting the song etc to stop this or i uncheck the option of play thru the laptop speakers when card not connected from the software.
Also u have to hold the card when pulling out the head phone or speaker jack, i did not hold it and the sound card came out and the song i was playing was on the iopd which was connected , the system hanged and now it says no music on my ipod, i lost 6000 songs, thanks to this card.
Thats why i said its not user friendly, u have to get used to work arounds to make it work smoothly.
Hope this Review helped, mail me on nickel369@yahoo.com if u need to know anything more.
I've had problems like the 3rd review here. It's definitely not user friendly.
I've had this card about two weeks, and I love it. The sound quality is spectacular, particularly when combined with Creative's audio processing software. Even the headphones/mic that it comes with are quite good (but why is it white?) The only downside is that it does not include the speaker docking port, which you need in order to hook up surround speakers. It's available on Creative's website only, so hopefully more places will start carrying it soon. And no, the cord from the Audigy Notebook card will not work (I tried).
If you want something truly impressive, put the EQ on the "Jazz" preset, turn on CMSS-3D, put EAX on "Jazz Club," then turn on some Miles Davis. He might as well be sitting at the next table.
This sound card is by far better than the X-mod I know that because I have both, but it apears to be a problem with the drivers since I got the blue screen after 10 minutes of installing the sound card. Anyway overall the sound is incredibly, really makes the music sound better. Once you get it you wont stop using it.