Creative Technology is delighted to announce its strategic partnership with Skyworth, bringing the award-winning Super X-Fi Spatial Holographic Audio technology into their latest TV line-up, which includes state-of-the-art miniLED 4K models. After receiving 23 prestigious awards at CES 2019, Super X-Fi is set to revolutionize the way users experience sound on Skyworth's top-of-the-line TVs, making home entertainment truly exceptional.

Super X-Fi technology revolutionizes the audio experience for users by ingeniously recreating the immersive listening sensation of a high-end multi-speaker system, all within the confines of a pair of headphones or earphones. Unlike conventional audio processing, this innovative spatial audio technology breaks free from the limitations of flat and lackluster sound, infusing every note, beat, and whisper with a remarkable sense of depth, realism, and immersion.

Creative Technology today announced the release of the all-new Creative Zen Hybrid Pro wireless headphones and their accompanying bundles, the Creative Zen Hybrid ProClassic and Creative Zen Hybrid ProSXFI, all adorned with an alluringly sleek new finish. Equipped with nifty features such as Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Ambient Mode, a powerful 40 mm Neodymium driver, and an impressive battery life of up to 100 hours, these latest headphones are perfect for everyday adventures, from commuting to movie nights to gaming.

This pioneering launch also heralds a new era in wireless audio, as this latest range of Creative Zen Hybrid Pro headphones harness LE Audio to provide users with pristine sound quality, ultra-low latency streaming, and the versatility of multi-streaming for a truly elevated audio experience. Complementing this release are the all-new Creative BT-L3 and Creative BT-L4 audio transmitters, which serve as gateways to unlocking the core features of LE Audio and Super X-Fi technology as well as paving the way for an expanding LE Audio ecosystem.

Creative Technology today announced the launch of the Creative Zen Air, sporting a new stick-shaped earbud design with a pocket-friendly charging case that is both stylish and lightweight. These true wireless earbuds can also do more than just rack up style points, it comes with nifty noise control features such as Active Noise Cancellation and Ambient Mode for a seamless listening experience. Despite its compact form factor, the Creative Zen Air can deliver a total playtime of up to 18 hours and up to 6 hours of playtime on a single charge to keep the music pumping all day long. Coupled with 10 mm Neodymium drivers, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and a certified IPX4 sweat-proof rating, the Creative Zen Air truly stands out as the ideal true wireless earbuds fit for every pocket.

Creative Zen Air offers users a better listening experience with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) that can help filter out unwanted background noises so users can stay focused - be it at the office during an important conference call or listening to their favorite beats on the go without any interruptions. With a simple tap of the earbuds, users can easily switch to the Ambient Mode to let just the right amount of surrounding sound in, which works perfectly when running errands or while hiking on a busy trail.

Creative Technology today launched Creative Sensemore Air, its latest high-performance true wireless earbuds which allow users to hear more of their surroundings than ever before, without compromising on audio quality. The new Sensemore technology helps to address the oft-annoying inconvenience associated with earbuds - because they are in-ear and block out much of the aural environment, users tend to remove their earbuds in various everyday situations, for example when starting a conversation. This changes with the Creative Sensemore Air, as users are given full control on the level of environmental sounds they want to hear. With Sensemore Mode, which is 5 times more sensitive than Ambient Mode, users can hear much more of speech, and other environmental elements, which are amplified with higher clarity. As a bonus, when set to a higher intensity, it could even benefit folks with mild hearing deficiencies.

The Ambient Mode can be used when users would like to hear their music well while still being aware of the environment, for example while jogging along a busy street. Conversely, to shut the world out so as to fully immerse in the music, users can rely on the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) Mode. The intensity of all 3 modes is fully adjustable through the handy Creative app.

Creative Technology today announced the release of Sound Blaster Katana V2X, its latest gaming soundbar which offers the same all-conquering audio prowess that the Katana series is known for, and has been re-engineered to not just suit users with smaller spaces for their gaming set-ups, but is also easier on the pocket. It is the slimmed-down alternative to the highly-rated Sound Blaster Katana V2 which has won various plaudits from reviewers as a choice gaming soundbar, including "The best soundbar for gaming is now even better" (Windows Central), "The best PC upgrade you can make" (VentureBeat), "An excellent soundbar for PC gaming and all other media" (GamesRadar+).

A cluttered desktop or TV console may not be the fancy of every gamer - Sound Blaster Katana V2X frees up valuable footprint with a subwoofer that is 40% smaller than its predecessor. The peak power output of 180 W makes perfect sense for gaming set-ups in smaller rooms. That said, the audio quality is maintained where it always matters. This soundbar retains the familiar sound signature of a high-end Sound Blaster, delivering hi-fidelity multichannel audio via the acclaimed tri-amplified Xamp technology, where Creative's proprietary multi-core DSP controller powers the tweeters, mid-range and subwoofer drivers individually. Super X-Fi Headphone Holography, an award-winning technology which recreates the soundstage of a high-end multi-speaker system in headphones, is perfect for late-night game binges without disturbing the neighbors.

Creative Technology has launched Creative Zen Hybrid, its latest wireless headphones which just might keep music-loving users plugged in far longer than they would normally. Featuring Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology, 40 mm Neodymium drivers and up to 37 hours of battery life with a minimalist yet sleek design, Creative Zen Hybrid quite simply packs in the highlights as the go-to daily headphone solution for all. Creative Zen Hybrid is built to help users be at one with themselves through their music, wherever they are - they are able to focus much better with the Hybrid ANC technology, driving out unwanted distractions from the environment. This technology is 'hybrid' through implementing feedforward and feedback microphones on each earcup. As a result, up to 95% of ambient noise is filtered out, enabling users to fully immerse in their favorite tunes while on the go.

On the other hand, Ambient Mode allows users to be conveniently aware of the environment without taking the headphones off, for example when listening out for train station announcements, ordering at a café counter or simply keeping users safe on busy streets. Rounding things off is a noise-cancelling microphone, which keeps calls clear for the other party as well. To complement the noise cancelling feature, these headphones sport 40 mm powerful yet light Neodymium drivers. Expertly tuned by Creative's in-house engineers for a warm sound signature with accurate bass and crisp, clean highs, the Zen Hybrid is well-balanced to suit a wide variety of genres while helping to prevent headphone fatigue.

Creative Labs is a name that's as old as PC gaming itself—pioneering PC audio since its formative years. The Creative Sound Blaster line of sound cards helped generations of gamers realize the power of high-quality audio in competitive gaming—when you can hear what your rivals don't. Your GPU will only show you what's on the screen, but not enemies hidden around the corners. Most competitive games have audio cues such as footsteps, reload sounds, or taunts. This is where Creative's engineering steps in—the highest quality DACs, paired with the best DSPs fine-tuned for various genres of games; and a purpose-designed set of analog components that present that best possible sound-stage for gaming, as well as high-resolution lossless music listening for audiophiles.

Creative Labs partners with TechPowerUp to bring gamers special discounts on its entire range of gaming DACs and sound cards. The Sound BlasterX G6 is best suited for game consoles, such as the Xbox One/Series, PlayStation 4/5, Switch, and PCs. It takes in analog or digital (optical) input from your device, and processes it for high-quality amplified analog output, along with Game Voice Mix, Scout Mode, and more. The Sound Blaster GC7 supercharges game streamers' desktops, with studio-quality audio mixing controls right at your fingertips, along with Creative's top-of-the-line Super X-Fi audio circuitry. The Sound Blaster X4 is a powerful, well-priced USB DAC that works with all consoles and PCs, including most essential DSP controls right on the device. Still in two minds about whether you even need special gaming audio hardware? Check out our post on the topic aptly named USB Sound Cards Explained: Tech, Benefits, Do I Need One?.

Use the TechPowerUp-exclusive coupon code POWERUP15 to avail 15% Off on the entire range of DACs and sound cards from Creative, on the Creative United States online store. Offer valid until July 31, 2022.

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Creative Technology today announced the launch of the Sound Blaster X4, the upgraded successor to the well-received Sound Blaster X3 which sports nifty new smart features and better connectivity. The latest USB DAC features both discrete and virtual surround sound powered by Sound Blaster, the award-winning Super X-Fi headphone holography and Dolby Digital Live to deliver the ultimate movie, gaming and music audio experience. With the new SmartComms Kit (for Windows) offering auto-mute and two-way noise cancellation, the Sound Blaster X4 makes online communication easy and fuss-free for users working from home. In addition, the Sound Blaster X4 also comes with a plethora of connectivity options and convenient controls for a hassle-free set-up right out of the box, making it the ideal all-in-one audio upgrade for PC, Mac, PS5, PS4 and Nintendo Switch users.

Creative Technology today announced the release of Creative SXFI AIR GAMER, which incorporates the best features of the SXFI AIR and SXFI GAMER for the most versatile Super X-Fi headphones yet. With Bluetooth 5.0 and USB-C connectivity, the SXFI AIR GAMER offers users the best of both worlds - wire-free music enjoyment, and lag-free movie and gaming when plugged to PC or consoles. It also comes with a slew of wizardries that improve voice communication, be it in games, work conference calls, or online lessons.

Other features include intuitive touch control function on the earcup, the CommanderMic microphone with professional-grade clarity, and the SXFI BATTLE Mode audio profile to deliver the optimal experience for avid gamers. It is fitted with a Kevlar-reinforced USB cable for greater durability and plush oversized earpads for longer-lasting comfort.

Creative Technology today announced the launch of the Creative SXFI TRIO, a triple-driver USB-C in-ear headphones that is designed to deliver high-quality holographic audio with all-day comfort on Android phones, PCs and laptops.

Implemented with the latest Super X-Fi Gen2 technology, users can expect greater accuracy in personalization and a better all-round audio experience. Powered by the same triple-driver system as the well-received Aurvana Trio and fitted with a custom-designed Kevlar USB-C cable, SXFI TRIO sets to exceed expectations with balanced, accurate, and natural-sounding digital audio for users on the go.

Following up on our coverage of CES goodies that are more than just swag, we continue exploring the wacky world of true wireless (TWS) earphones. The first set in this quick look series examined the Altec Lansing Nano Pods that clocked in at just $30, and today we up the ante into the oh-so-barely-under-$100 with the Creative Outlier Gold at $99.99. The company has impressed yours truly for three CES showings in a row with their Super X-Fi headphone holography tech, which we examined in the first retail iteration via their SXFI amp. This technology aims to replicate a surround speaker speaker audio experience into earphones/headphones, and requires their SXFI DSP to make the most of it. So when Creative said they have TWS earphones with SXFI, I was intrigued and simply had to test them for myself.

As it turns out, the Outlier Gold does support SXFI, but only with a software experience from their mobile app. This makes sense considering these are meant to be quite small and, well, wireless, and yet Creative claim a whopping 14 hours of battery life per charge. In addition, this set is an upgrade to their previous Outlier Air TWS earphones, which were quite popular for offering good value for money, and we see signs of it already with the packaging going with a two-piece unboxing experience with renders, marketing features, and product specs all over the box. Read past the break for more on these, especially if you are looking for a good balance of audio performance, battery life, and price point.

Creative Technology today announced the release of Sound Blaster X3, its latest addition to the illustrious Sound Blaster line-up of sound cards which ignited the PC audio revolution 30 years ago. A high-resolution USB DAC with multi-channel audio playback, it combines Creative's multiple award-winning technological breakthroughs - the famed Sound Blaster digital processing technology and game-changing Super X-Fi headphone holography - for a compelling solution which audio enthusiasts simply cannot ignore.

Creative Technology Ltd continues its legacy of revolutionizing audio with the launch of its most advanced PCI-e sound cards ever - the Sound Blaster AE-9 and Sound Blaster AE-7. Built with only the most premium components, and complemented with the latest technologies from Creative, these sound cards are designed to define a new performance standard in this class for the ultimate PC entertainment experience.

Up till 1989, the only sounds coming out of the PC were mere beeps. The same year, Sound Blaster was born, and PC audio was transformed forever. Since then, over 400 million Sound Blasters have been sold; and the Sound Blaster brand has become synonymous with the term sound card and high-quality PC audio - first for gaming, and then movies and music. With experience and expertise refined over three decades of audio innovation, Sound Blaster has continued to reinvent itself with the development of digital audio processing technologies. Each new innovation served to redefine what the ultimate audio experience really means, such as when it evolved beyond the PC in the form of external sound cards for platforms like gaming and entertainment consoles.

Creative Technology today announced the launch of the follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Creative SXFI AMP - the Creative SXFI AIR series. Comprising the SXFI AIR and SXFI AIR C, these are the very first headphones featuring built-in Super X-Fi technology, the game-changer which has captured the imagination of users by delivering the listening experience of a high-end multi-speaker system, simply through a pair of headphones.

"After the SXFI AMP, it was a natural next step to develop headphones with built-in Super X-Fi technology. With the SXFI AIR series, users can now enjoy the magic of headphone holography, complemented by the best of our headphone engineering. The SXFI AIR is meant to pave the way for the headphone industry to adopt Super X-Fi into all future headphones," said Sim Wong Hoo, CEO of Creative Technology.

Creative Technology Ltd today announced at E3 2017 the latest addition to its Sound BlasterX Pro-Gaming Series, the Sound BlasterX AE-5. E3 is the world's premier event for computer, video and mobile games and related products, making it the perfect place to debut the next era of PC audio.

The sound card features the world's best gaming headphone amplifier for PCs. The Sound BlasterX AE-5 delivers the ultimate audio performance with the full force of a 122 dB 32-bit / 384 kHz ESS Sabre DAC, a kick-ass custom-designed 600Ω discrete headphone amp, audiophile-grade components, and proprietary Sound Blaster audio enhancement technologies.

Eurocom is launching the Sky X9E Extreme Edition unlocked, high performance "desktop Laptop" with Intel Core i7-6700K, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, 64 GB DDR4 memory and a beautiful 4K 17.3" display. Eurocom customers now have an ultra-high performance, fully upgradeable mobile platform that they have utmost freedom to control and to push it to the limits.

Equipped with the most powerful components ever assembled in a laptop form factor and now with the unlocked capability to push the performance to otherworldly levels. Eurocom provides an unlocked BIOS along with an Overclocking Seminar with overclocking expert Mr. Fox so users have a quick rundown on how to best push their new EUROCOM Sky X9E to the limits as well as setting limitations and safe guards for safe operation.

Creative Technology Ltd today announced at CES 2016 Las Vegas a brand new concept in advanced audio and video delivery systems: The Creative X-Fi Sonic Carrier. The elegantly-designed carrier system is a high-end lifestyle entertainment platform that brings together all the advanced technologies and convenience in a single beautifully crafted aluminum body. Powered by a whopping 7 processors with 14 cores, this technology powerhouse carries a 15.2 high-resolution audio system in a 11.2.4 (front.sub.height) speaker configuration that also incorporates Dolby Atmos technology.

Furthermore, the Sonic Carrier features an advanced video playback engine that supports 4K (60fps) local and streaming video content. The intelligence and features of the system can even be further upgraded in the future. The X-Fi Sonic Carrier also comes with 3 distinct wireless technologies that allow multi-room Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a zero-latency speaker-to-speaker link to up to 4 subwoofer units.

Z87 MPOWER and Z87 MPOWER MAX, two of MSI's top overclocker-targeted socket LGA1150 motherboards, are joined by the company's new flagship motherboard, the Z87 XPOWER. Built in the XL-ATX (345 x 264 mm) form-factor, this board gets you the best MSI has to offer, and is ideal for both CPU and VGA overclocking benches. The CPU is powered by a gargantuan 32-phase digital-PWM power supply, which draws power from two 8-pin EPS connectors, in addition to the 24-pin ATX, and an optional 6-pin PCI-Express connector.

The CPU socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-3000+ memory, and a PLX PEX8747 PCI-Express gen 3.0 bridge chip, which gives out four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, two of which are x16 capable, all four of which are x8-capable. One of the five x16 slots, the second one from top, is directly wired to the CPU, and plugging a graphics card on that slot will bypass the bridge-chip. This slot is ideal for when you have just one card. Two PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slots take seat between the x16 slots, wired to the PCH. In addition to 4-way NVIDIA SLI and 4-way AMD CrossFireX, the board includes Lucid Virtu MVP 2.0 software.

Eurocom Corporation, is now launching the EUROCOM Scorpius Ultra High Performance Notebook with support for dual graphics technology from NVIDIA GeForce, Quadro and AMD Radeon, powerful Intel Core i7-3920XM Processor Extreme Edition, up to 32 GB of DDR3 1600 memory and three storage drives plus one mSATA drive.

"The EUROCOM Scorpius is an out of this world High Performance Notebook Computer. Like the mythical creature that stung and killed Orion, the EUROCOM Scorpius will take down any competition standing in its way, while allowing gamers to do the same!" exclaims Mark Bialic, Eurocom President. "We have been getting out of this world benchmark results with the EUROCOM Scorpius. Simply put, this is the most powerful system of its kind on the planet."

Creative Technology Ltd today announced the new Creative HN-900 headphones, which utilize active noise cancellation to reduce ambient noise by up to 85 percent. The Creative HN-900 headphones also feature an in-line microphone and switch for convenient one-click voice communication on the iPhone, and 40 mm Neodymium drivers and gold-plated plugs for outstanding audio playback. Dual-mode usage allows active noise-cancellation for up to 40 hours by a single AAA alkaline battery or in passive mode without power.

Creative today also introduced the Aurvana X-Fi 2 Noise-Canceling Headphones, which utilize active noise cancellation to reduce ambient noise by up to 90 percent, and feature X-Fi audio technology for improved sound quality and a virtual surround sound effect that is ideal for watching in-flight entertainment.

ZiiLABS, a pioneering media processor and platforms company (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd), today unveiled its ground-breaking 100-core ZMS-40 StemCell Media processor optimized for Android. The ZMS-40 combines 96 of ZiiLABS' StemCell media processing cores with four 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPUs to deliver stunning multi-tasking application and media processing performance.

By doubling the number of StemCell Media processors compared to the previous ZMS-20, the ZMS-40 delivers twice the peak media performance, while running the larger array at lower clock speeds to achieve the same performance leads to greater energy efficiency and a reduction in power consumption of up to 50 percent. With 2X the performance and 2X the power efficiency, the ZMS-40 delivers ground-breaking media capabilities to handheld devices such as tablets, including ultra-high-resolution H.264 HP decoding of up to 3840x1080 for true 1080p 3D stereo, a rich and interactive desktop browsing experience, 2560x1600 (WQXGA) display resolution support, higher-quality video encoding and immersive OpenGL ES graphics and future support for High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC).

MSI is among the most secretive companies with their socket LGA2011 motherboard early information as the big Sandy Bridge-E day approaches (mid-November), yet we managed to score some early pictures of their top-end product from our spy-satellites and a network of cold war era retirees. Enter the MSI Big Bang XPower II, the company's top-tier socket LGA2011 motherboard for enthusiasts. This board is designed in the XL-ATX form-factor, and will fit in cases with at least 10 expansion slot bays. Thanks to the added board area, it's able to accommodate both a strong VRM, and high room for expansion (with eight DDR3 memory slots and seven PCI-Express slots).

To begin with, the LGA2011 socket is powered by a 24-phase VRM that makes use of driver-MOSFETs, solid-chokes, and High-C POSCAP capacitors. The memory is powered by a 4-phase VRM. The board draws power, apart from the 24-pin ATX, from two 8-pin EPS connectors, and an optional 6-pin PCIe (to stabilize PCIe slot power delivery). We can see many accessories to this VRM, such as phase-loading LEDs, and consolidated voltage measurement points. We are particularly intrigued by the design of the heatsinks over the VRM and chipset. The one over the VRM looks like the barrels of a Gatling gun, while the one over the chipset looks like a small piece from an ammo belt. You will either love it or detest it.

Here is ASUS' top of the line LGA2011 motherboard targeting the gamer-overclocker market, the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage IV Extreme. This board offers all the expansion room and connectivity you'll ever need, plus a wealth of nifty features that help overclockers and ease incremental upgrades. To begin with, the Rampage IV Extreme employs a strong digital PWM circuitry that supports heavy voltage-assisted overclocking with Vdroop control.

The LGA2011 socket is wired to eight DDR3 DIMM slots (two per channel). CPU and memory VRM areas are located along three sides of the socket, all cooled by heatsinks that are connected by heat pipes. These VRM heatsinks share heat with the one over the X79 PCH, which is actively cooled by a fan.

Gigabyte teased us with pictures of its high-end socket LGA2011 motherboard featured in its G1.Killer series of motherboards designed for the gamer-overclocker market. The G1.Assassin 2, as it's called, is based on the Intel X79 chipset. We don't have landscape pictures of the board, yet, but whatever little bits of pictures we do have, reveal quite a bit. To begin with, this board will retain the black+green "weapon" styling of predecessors in the series. The LGA2011 socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, in sets of two, on either sides of the socket. Each DIMM slot has its own memory channel.

From the CPU VRM heatsink, a heat pipe is finding its way to a stylized X79 PCH heatsink. This heatsink is designed to look like a handgun. Since it's so small, it isn't looking as realistic as the clip design featured on other G1.Killer motherboards. There are just six internal SATA ports we can find from the picture, two 6 Gb/s, and four 3 Gb/s. In terms of expansion slots, we could spot three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, these could be arranged in the x16/x16/NC or x16/x8/x8 lane configuration.

ASUS is ready with a new PCI-Express 3.0 compliant socket LGA1155 motherboard, adding to its recently-launched line of Intel Z68 chipset-based boards that feature Gen 3.0 PCI-Express x16 slots. This latest one is part of the elite Republic of Gamers (ROG) family, and is built on the compact micro-ATX form factor, called Maximus IV Gene-Z/Gen 3. This is the second modification of the Maximus IV Gene, the original was based on Intel P67 chipset, the Gene-Z replaced the chipset with Intel Z68 that supports Smart Response technology, while the Gene-Z/Gen 3 adds PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots.

The board uses a 12-phase Digi+ VRM for the CPU, it is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting DRAM speeds of up to DDR3-2200 MHz with overclocking. The socket is wired to two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots over Gen 3 compliant switches and electrical components, the slots configure to PCI-Express 3.0 x8/x8 when both are populated. PCI-Express Gen 3 support requires next-generation 22 nm Ivy Bridge Core processors, which will be launched next year. The only other expansion slot is an open-ended PCI-Express 2.0 x4, wired to the Z68 PCH. NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFire are supported.