Asus Strix Soar vs Creative Sound Blaster Z Sound Card Comparison

Confused about which sound card to buy? Read our comparison between the Asus Strix Soar vs Creative Sound Blaster Z. The two flagship sound cards from the PC world.

Soundcards dramatically enhance the output sound quality of your system. For gamers, it is a whole new experience to play games with a good quality sound card. The easiest and best way to improve the sound quality of your PC is to get a PCIe sound card that at least supports 5.1 channel and even better with 7.1 channel.

Also Read: Top 7.1 Sound Cards for PC Gaming and Music

In this post, we are going to compare the two most popular sound cards that are under $100 price and offers best in class audio. If you are one, who is confused which one is better the Asus Strix Soar or the Creative Sound Blaster Z? Keep reading this post; we assure you till you finish the article, you will be able to choose the best option for you as per your requirement.

Asus Strix Soar vs Creative Sound Blaster Z

Both the sound cards can be installed in an available PCIe slot of your motherboard. The installation is straightforward, just follow a few steps, and you are done. Asus Strix Soar is a 7.1 sound card with an audiophile-grade DAC and 116dB SNR. Whereas, the Creative Sound Blaster Z also delivers a signal to noise ratio or SNR of 116dB means your audio will be 99.99% distortion free.

Both the sound cards are designed to keep the gamers in mind who demands a clear, distinctive, full-sounding audio. Strix Soar with its 7.1 surround sound does its work well. Moreover, if you are a frequent music listener and like to watch movies on your system, Asus Strix Soar is the best option for you under $100.

The Creative Sound Blaster is not a 7.1, but rather a 5.1 sound card. If you use headphones while gaming then the Creative sound card has got a better output, a clear winner. But if you have a 7.1 surround sound system then Asus Strix Soar is the one you should go with.

Talking about price, Sound Blaster Z is a bit cheaper than the Strix Soar. Creative offers a down-mixing feature that will let the users take a 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 sources and have it downmixed into a stereo that provides perfect surround while using headphones. If you use headphones most of the time, then it is better to save some money and get the Sound Blaster Z.

Here is a quick comparison – Asus Strix Soar vs Creative Sound Blaster Z

 Asus Strix Soar vs Creative Sound Blaster Z

Features	Asus Strix Soar	Sound Blaster Z
Audio Interface	PCI Express	PCI Express
Audio Performance	Output SNR (Front-out) : 116 dB Output SNR Headphone-out) : 110 dB Input SNR : 110 dBOutput THD+N at 1kHz (Front-out) :0.001 % (-100 dB) Output THD+N at 1kHz (Headphone-out) : 0.003 %(-90 dB) Input THD+N at 1kHz : 0.000316 %(-110 dB)	116dB Signal-To-Noise Ratio 24-bit / 192kHz audio output Music Playback 5.1 : Up to 96kHz Stereo Direct: Up to 192kHz
Frequency Response	(-3dB, 24bit/96KHz input) : 10 Hz to 48 KHz	Frequency Response @96 kHz – 10 Hz to 45 kHz
Chipset	C-Media USB2.0 6632AX High-Definition Sound Processor (Max. 384KHz / 24bit)	Sound Core3D audio processor (Max 24-bit / 192kHz)
Max Channel Output	7.1	5.1
Connectivity	Analog Output 5 x 3.5 mm jack (1/8-inch) (Headphone out /Front out/Side out/Center- Subwoofer out/Rear out)Analog Input 1 x 3.5 mm jack (1/8-inch) (Line-in/ Mic-in combo)Digital 1 x S/PDIF out ((combo with side out))	Headphone: 1 x Amplified 3.5mm jack Speaker Out:3 x 3.5mm jacks (Front,Rear,C/Sub) Line / Mic In:1 x 3.5mm jack 2 x TOSLINK – One Optical Output and One Optical Input
Microphone	No Bundled microphone	Beamforcing Microphone
Warranty	1-year limited hardware	Warranty: 2-year in EU, 1-year worldwide

Sound Blaster Z comes with a beamforming microphone that gives better performance than the standard receiver. The sound quality on the other end is clear and noise free. But Asus Strix Soar doesn’t come with any bundled microphone; you will have to buy an additional receiver or the use the inbuilt mic in your headphone.

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Both the sound cards produce pure and unprocessed sound at the amazing bit rate of 24-bit 192 kHz. Though they use different technical terms like this and that technology, the overall sound quality is not nearly the same. Users can tweak the audio settings as per their need via the sound card tuning software that company provides. That’s where the central part comes in. You have to do some trials to get the best audio from your system. Some games sound good with 5.1 and some with 7.1 surround sound, you have to find that on your own.

Now moving on to the input and output connectivity options that both the sound card offers. The Asus Strix Soar has five analog output 3.5 mm jack (Headphone out /Front out/Side out/Center-Subwoofer out/Rear out). One analog input 3.5 mm jack for Line-in/ Mic-in combo and one SPDIF out. A 600ohm headphone amplifier provides enhanced bass and clear, detailed sound. The headphone can be connected directly to the amplified headphone 3.5mm jack.

The Sound Blaster Z has one amplified 3.5mm headphone jack that can work with most of the headphones even those with high impedance. Three 3.5 mm speaker out jacks (Front, Rear, C/Sub). One 3.5 mm jack for Line/Mic In. Two Toslink Optical ports one for output and one for the input.

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Both the sound cards come with ASIO 2.0 driver support for low latency sounds while recording audio. Overall, both the sound cards give tough competition to each other. It is hard just to say that this one is better. But we have to make a decision, so if you mostly use stereo headphones or 5.1 surrounds sound headphones for gaming and entertainment, then Creative Sound Blaster Z PCIe 5.1 sound card will be the best option for you. You will also save some money on this.

Conclusion

But for a realistic and spacious 7.1 surround sound in your sound system, Asus Strix Soar is the best option. Moreover, the driver support for Windows OS is also good. But as you have to make the final choice, so find out your requirement and choose which one suits you. We can only provide you the briefing.

We hope you like our Asus Strix Soar vs Creative Sound Blaster Z comparison. Suggestions and feedbacks are welcome in the comment section below. Cheers!