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Yes, we get it, you're a kinect fan who can't grasp the fact that no matter how many people were suckered into buying the damn thing it's still a failure for real games.

To call it a failure is stupid. Commercially it's a complete success and to call it otherwise would be silly. You could argue that critically it wasn't, but it sold tons and to Microsoft a business, it's a success.

"real games" What's a real game?

The numbers do not lie kids...

So seriously, you guys can think whatever you want about how glorious MS is and can never do any wrong. A decent amount of the world must disagree with you for that above to take place, even if it is only temporary which is sure to be the case, it does show the pulse of what those who do not care one way or the other are thinking.

This may shock you but stock figures fluctuate all the time. Pretty sure Sony's stock went down when the PS4 was announced. It's not a big deal even though people try to make it out to be one.

that's a lot of weeping :o, I used to be biased too, but the pleasure of owning two consoles, playing their exclusives and enjoying their strengths can't be matched by owning only one. Both are going to be great machines and I'll be looking forward to upgrade later this year :D

GqcBA3H.jpg?1

Damn!! now let me go for a cloth and some soap :p

To call it a failure is stupid. Commercially it's a complete success and to call it otherwise would be silly. You could argue that critically it wasn't, but it sold tons and to Microsoft a business, it's a success.

"real games" What's a real game?

If you have to ask that question, why are you in this section of the forum? Cause clearly, you don't belong if you don't know.

The numbers do not lie kids...

ku-xlarge.jpg

ku-xlarge.jpg

So seriously, you guys can think whatever you want about how glorious MS is and can never do any wrong. A decent amount of the world must disagree with you for that above to take place, even if it is only temporary which is sure to be the case, it does show the pulse of what those who do not care one way or the other are thinking.

I am personally disappointed with today's show and want to know more about actual games but stock prices are hardly an indication of anything. Apple stock is typically down after every announcement (even when Jobs was around).

Well this presentation blew the PS4 reveal out of the water. Better reveal, better exclusive, better demonstration of next gen tech, better reveal of launch titles(Forza 5, wonder how long till a PS4 GT....).

This is gonna be a good Christmas. And the TV function with the pass through makes it a million times more useful that the TVii which has no use, especially not outside the US. This I can actually plug my satellite tuner into and get a useful guide and extra program info function from.

Now for E3 and more game reveals.

The numbers do not lie kids...

ku-xlarge.jpg

ku-xlarge.jpg

So seriously, you guys can think whatever you want about how glorious MS is and can never do any wrong. A decent amount of the world must disagree with you for that above to take place, even if it is only temporary which is sure to be the case, it does show the pulse of what those who do not care one way or the other are thinking.

I can say that 90% of me doesn't care what the stock markets say. Honestly, they can suck a duck.

The other 10% of me is saying, "Oh for goodness sake I have to give a crap" - because the consumer media is just going to bad mouth this into oblivion if the stocks are any indication. That means it's the job of people like us who know the facts and not FUD spread by the general media to put a stop to all the bullsh*t being smeared. WE are the ones who have to talk to these drones of people asking questions about absolute sh*t they read in the papers and on facebook.

Well this presentation blew the PS4 reveal out of the water. Better reveal, better exclusive, better demonstration of next gen tech, better reveal of launch titles(Forza 5, wonder how long till a PS4 GT....)

Ahahaha.. Continuing to live up to your reputation eh? Cause this presentation was mediocre at best and couldn't even blow the struggling wii u out of the water.

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Well this presentation blew the PS4 reveal out of the water. Better reveal, better exclusive, better demonstration of next gen tech, better reveal of launch titles(Forza 5, wonder how long till a PS4 GT....).

This is gonna be a good Christmas. And the TV function with the pass through makes it a million times more useful that the TVii which has no use, especially not outside the US. This I can actually plug my satellite tuner into and get a useful guide and extra program info function from.

Now for E3 and more game reveals.

I can say that 90% of me doesn't care what the stock markets say. Honestly, they can suck a duck.

The other 10% of me is saying, "Oh for goodness sake I have to give a crap" - because the consumer media is just going to bad mouth this into oblivion if the stocks are any indication. That means it's the job of people like us who know the facts and not FUD spread by the general media to put a stop to all the bullsh*t being smeared. WE are the ones who have to talk to these drones of people asking questions about absolute sh*t they read in the papers and on facebook.

It's really not a big deal. See Sony's stock the day the PS4 was announced -

stockhd-620x.jpg

The numbers do not lie kids...

ku-xlarge.jpg

ku-xlarge.jpg

So seriously, you guys can think whatever you want about how glorious MS is and can never do any wrong. A decent amount of the world must disagree with you for that above to take place, even if it is only temporary which is sure to be the case, it does show the pulse of what those who do not care one way or the other are thinking.

Stock values have NOTHING to do with real world performance or opinions, look at how the Apple stock has been performing lately compared to how the company is performing.

Also pay attention to the actual numbers and that MS naturally fluctuates while Sony as an abnormal spike that will go back to normal flatline.

I think it's the other way around. I'd rather not have Kinect and I hope they release a version that doesn't come bundled with it. If that isn't an option, then I'll make the most of what I get. And that means using the voice commands and hand gestures to use my console. The convenience of turning my Xbox on and off without a controller in hand is nice.

As for the Xbox being the one device to use, what they mean is the one living room device. Most people have smartphones but even less have tablets and Apple/Google TV. I like the fact that they've expanded the capabilities of the Xbox but I really hope their main focus is still gaming. I don't plan on using my Xbox as an all-in-one entertainment device but I can admit that I'm probably in the minority.

That is pretty much true among console owners (not just XB360 owners - this includes PS3 owners and even Wii/Wii U owners) - they by and large use the console as an AIO device.

A rather surprising poll of PS3 owners showed that almost half of them use the PS3 primarily as a BD player - not a gaming console. (This was a NA-targeted poll sponsored by SCEA.)

The results shocked SCEA - however, they didn't hesitate to use the results in advertising for the PS3 in North America - AFTER the failure-to-launch that was Move.

The integration of BD lets XB ONE target this market - which isn't a bad thing, as some of us still don't have a BD player, let alone a PS3 (or console of any sort) due to wanting to avoid clutter.

Integration of Kinect is part of the same deal. (That is why I have to ask whether the PS4 will integrate Move.)

Most folks HATE clutter, and integrated consoles like XB ONE (and PS4, if Sony recalls their own poll data) make all too much sense.

Ahahaha.. Continuing to live up to your reputation eh? Cause this presentation was mediocre at best and couldn't even blow the struggling wii u out of the water.

In what way was ANYTHING so y presented better than this, the first 10 minutes of this presented more than all of Sony's conference.

But I suppose you're just going to throw insults like a little kid instead of actually arguing with facts.

That is pretty much true among console owners (not just XB360 owners - this includes PS3 owners and even Wii/Wii U owners) - they by and large use the console as an AIO device.

A rather surprising poll of PS3 owners showed that almost half of them use the PS3 primarily as a BD player - not a gaming console. (This was a NA-targeted poll sponsored by SCEA.)

The results shocked SCEA - however, they didn't hesitate to use the results in advertising for the PS3 in North America - AFTER the failure-to-launch that was Move.

The integration of BD lets XB ONE target this market - which isn't a bad thing, as some of us still don't have a BD player, let alone a PS3 (or console of any sort) due to wanting to avoid clutter.

Integration of Kinect is part of the same deal. (That is why I have to ask whether the PS4 will integrate Move.)

Most folks HATE clutter, and integrated consoles like XB ONE (and PS4, if Sony recalls their own poll data) make all too much sense.

Actually I believe that number climbed to over 3/4 us only or primarily as a BD player later.

shakey, while YOU do, all too many do not. And does your receiver support HDMI pass-through? (Most don't, due to HDCP.)

And HDMI passthrough is indeed a big problem for video.

Yup, Good Ole Sony DH520 :) Not near top of the line, but very affordable and perfect for a small home theater setup on a tight budget.

In what way was ANYTHING so y presented better than this, the first 10 minutes of this presented more than all of Sony's conference.

But I suppose you're just going to throw insults like a little kid instead of actually arguing with facts.

What part of sony's show was better you ask? Well, how bout the many parts where they showed actual games and not logos with pre-rendered trailers?

Also the part where they actually talked about the hardware in some detail.

Ebay and craigslist are going to be flooded with Xbox 360s now! I wouldnt be surprise once the Xbox One comes out, the Xbox 360 will go down to like $80 or less!

Wondering how big this thing really is.

The 3 red line are the same length.

lk3yh10r.jpg

What to you reckon, 14 to 15 inches square?

The guy who you've selected to do the measurment with is standing further away. Look at the arm size difference.

I'm sure the console is going to be big, but not as big as this is making out.

I don't care about anything on the new consoles other than their ability to play games.

So, now to wait and see which ones is better at doing that.

I do think the case design on the Xbox look fantastic.

Ebay and craigslist are going to be flooded with Xbox 360s now! I wouldnt be surprise once the Xbox One comes out, the Xbox 360 will go down to like $80 or less!

Have to disagree with you there. It's still a platform with a lot of games, and plenty still coming out. Why would people want to sell their Xbox 360 to buy a console with hardly any games on it?

The guy who you've selected to do the measurment with is standing further away. Look at the arm size difference.

And the other guy is even further away (in the other direction). What else in that picture do I have to go on?

I am personally disappointed with today's show and want to know more about actual games but stock prices are hardly an indication of anything. Apple stock is typically down after every announcement (even when Jobs was around).

Also, Sony is far more than a gaming company - what is to say the stock movement represents anything PS4-related?

Part of the movement could well be related to the incessant chatter (not just here in the US, where Sony ADRs trade, but in Japan) about spinning off the more profitable parts of Sony (such as Columbia/CBS Records, their record labels, or Columbia Pictures, their film/TV production/distribution arm) so Sony can concentrate on the still-troubled electronics arm (which includes the PS3/PS4 and their HDTV business, which are all still losing money).

I don't even OWN a console (of any sort); however, I admit to having somewhat of, if anything, an interest in seeing Sony as a company remain relevant due to having two Sony TVs (one CRT and one FP) and playing two of their F2P titles (DC Universe Online and PlanetSide 2) regularly. Competition in the console space benefits everyone - not just the winner.

Yup, Good Ole Sony DH520 :) Not near top of the line, but very affordable and perfect for a small home theater setup on a tight budget.

Most people, can't, won't or don't need a full receiver for their home theater. Scratch that, most people don't have a home theater, heck most don't even have as much as a soundbar. And besides, none of that provides the functionality that the Xbox one does.

As for these items

AppleTV: the only decent media player out there, responsive and stable. Unfortunately very limited in support, not even standard DLNA so it's basically limited to iTunes

Media players android or otherwise: I have tried several, the experience is uniformly horrible, slow and unstable. Terrible and laggy controls, just not worth it.

Smart TV: you didn't say that with a straight face did you? Even the most powerful quad core smart tv's today are terrible, the interface is bad, the controls are bad, they are unstable and slow, at most I would use the to load up the Netflix app, but I would quickly grow angry and by an Apple TV instead, except, I have an Xbox...

And none of these provides the extended functionality and information and such that the tv pass through on the Xbox one does. The other hand held device are a completely different category.

I wish I could use my big speakers and proper receiver in my main living room, but the wood stove in the front left corner makes that I possible, so I need a Samsung 5550. Which has decent sound for movies and games, but not enough inputs.

What part of sony's show was better you ask? Well, how bout the many parts where they showed actual games and not logos with pre-rendered trailers?

Also the part where they actually talked about the hardware in some detail.

I'm taking from this that you didn't actually watch or read the logs of the MS presentation.

As for real time, MS showed real times games, and videos that wheren't define if they where or if they where target renders. Tis ain't about games anyway, they always said that was for E3. They still managed to show more interesting games than Sony though, PR or not.

And the other guy is even further away (in the other direction). What else in that picture do I have to go on?

Something with a known size reference in the same location or ON the Xbox, like the slot opening....

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    • Creative Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe review: your headphones will love it by Steven Parker If you have been reading Neowin for any length of time, you may remember that I reviewed the Sound Blaster Audigy FX Pro back in April. I found it to be an excellent budget sound card, even though it lacked support for formats such as DTS over the included SPDIF port. Anyway, Creative reached out to me again asking if I was interested in reviewing the Sound Blaster AE-X. It is a card mainly targeted at headphone wearers, which I'll get into a bit later. Before we get underway, here is a disclaimer: Creative Labs provided a free sample without any review pre-approval. Here are the full specs of it: Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Dimensions: 179 x 126 x 18 mm Weight: 263g / 9.28 oz Platform: PCI-e DAC: ESS ES9039Q2M Connectivity Options Side: Rear: 1 x HD Audio Front Panel Connector, 1 x ⅛“ Headphone port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Left) port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Right) port, 1 x Coaxial SPDIF-out port, 1 x ⅛“ Mic in/Line-in port, 1 x TOSLINK SPDIF-in port Surround: No DNR / SNR: THD+N: 0.0001% Dynamic Range 130 dB Recording Resolution: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Direct Mode: Line Out (Stereo): PCM up to 32-bit  384 kHz Coaxial SPDIF Out: PCM up to 24-bit 192.0 kHz Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 384kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256 Output Impedance: 1Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 8–600Ω, IEM: 0.5Vrms, Low: 1.5Vrms, Mid: 3Vrms, High: 6Vrms, Maximum output power: 350mW @ 32Ω (High), Maximum output voltage: 6Vrms (High) Front Panel Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128 Output Impedance: 10Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 32–300Ω, Maximum output power: 40mW @ 32Ω, Maximum output voltage: 1.9Vrms ASIO: ASIO 2.3 Total Harmonic Distortion: THD+N: 0.0006% Dynamic Range: 114 dB Scout Mode: Yes EMI shielding: No (but it passed all the FCC emission tests) Operating temperature: 0–45°C Input Power: 12V⎓0.5A Warranty: 1 Year (MSRP) Price: $179.99 / £169.99 The Sound Blaster AE-X was announced at the end of May, and it becomes clear that it is mainly for headphone wearers. I should also note that the card does not support DDL/DTS encoding technology, but it is said to support decoding through the coaxial SPDIF port. I was able to test this working with the classic Windows Sound properties, but I could not get a DTS (decode) signal through my Logitech Z906, it defaulted to 3D sound whenever I played DTS content through Plex or Emby. In addition, this card only supports two channels (stereo) over the speakers. The surround support is limited to the Headphone Amp, so before I get underway, what we have here is a card mostly intended for headphone use, especially with its SPDIF In (Toslink) port where you could connect another device like a console. So what about the highlights of this card? The AE-X is powered by the ESS SABRE DAC (ES9039Q2M), which is capable of a 130 dB dynamic range. In addition, it supports 32-bit/384 kHz playback for deeper detail and clarity. The headphone amplifier delivers up to 350 mW @ 32Ω, which admittedly far surpasses standard onboard audio, offering support for studio-grade headphones. DSD256 and ASIO 2.3 are also supported. What doesn't it have? No support for What-U-Hear, Super X-Fi, or the SmartComms Kit No EMI shielding, but it passed all the FCC emission tests (from the FAQ) I also want to make it clear that I am no audiophile. For me, it's purely subjective and it should just "work" out of the box. First impressions As I said in the introduction, I was a bit sad to see that the AE-X only supports stereo output, meaning it would not be on par with my ALC1220 over my speakers, as I mentioned it seems like this card is marketed toward headphone users. Since I am not an avid gamer that would rule me out as a potential customer, but I can still test its capabilities! The card arrived in a nice-looking box, as shown above. It's quite a bit larger than the Audify FX Pro that I reviewed back in April, and at first I thought the covering meant that it was EMI shielded, but it isn't as mentioned above in the highlights section. What's in the box: 1 x Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe card 1 x 3.5 mm CTIA TRRS to Dual TRS Headset Splitter Cable 1 x Quick Start Guide Aside from the Quick Start Guide, which someone at my age (I guess) needs a magnifying glass to read thanks to the tiny fonts, Creative Labs also has the manual online, which first requires you to prove that you're human in order to access it (so I can't direct link it). Anyway, the box is mostly made up of cardboard, and the only plastic in it is the anti-static bag for the card itself. Design Top Bottom The card itself looks pretty cool and actually wouldn't look out of place in an all-white build. There's only one connector, and for some reason it is awkwardly placed on the side (front-facing) that is for the front panel audio connector, which will let you use the headphones through the front PC audio jack. Since the front panel Headphone Amp has fewer capabilities than the rear headphone port, I decided not to use it. Rear of card PCI-e interface The rear of the card is completely open and is normally where you would find the front panel connector. The PCIe interface side is completely covered, which initially made me think it was EMI shielded. I/O panel Side (front-facing) with Front panel connector On the outer rear bracket side we have the TOSLINK SPDIF in, Coaxial SPDIF out, RCA line out (Right), RCA line out (Left), Headphone out, and Mic/Line in ports. On the front facing portion of the card itself is the F-panel connector. Usage Test System Our test system consists of the following: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER (BIOS F12) Corsair RM1000x (2024) Thermal Grizzly Kyronaut (33x33x0,2mm) 2x 32GB Kingston Fury Beast RGB DDR5 6000MT/s CL36-38-38-80 T-Force Z540 2TB (PCIe Gen5) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition (NVIDIA) Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Windows 11 25H2 Pro I installed the card into the Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER which includes the RealTek ALC1220 onboard audio. For our subjective listening tests, I used the Coaxial SPDIF port to my Logitech Z906 speakers. For headphone tests I used the OneOdio Studio Max 2 Wireless DJ Headphones that I reviewed last month. After installing the audio driver, I installed Creative Nexus, which is a relatively new app designed for the latest Sound Blaster cards. Then I discovered the AE-X needed both a driver update from 1.00.15.0001 to 1.01.09.000 and a firmware update from 1.00.06.0000 to 1.00.06.0002, then I was set to go. It should be noted that the card did not work without the driver (not Plug and Play). As you can see above, you can manage the firmware, driver, and inputs via Advanced Settings on the Device tab. By default Nexus enabled "Direct Mode". Upon clicking on Acoustic Engine, the Equalizer can be enabled and set to four different presets, which are: Gaming Music Movies Footsteps Enhancer There's also a dedicated Scout Mode for gamers. I mainly used Tidal and Spotify in the past week to listen to some of my Liked Songs (which now total over 700) in Shuffle mode; there were no pops or interference that I could hear. I also found a 5.1 Surround Music playlist on Tidal that sounded really great over Studio Max 2 headphones. When I reviewed the Audigy FX Pro, I went out and purchased a Logitech Z906 set second-hand for €100 specifically to use with the card, but in this instance all I could get on the AE-X was the 3D output of surround sound through Coaxial SPDIF and although it still sounded great, it isn't quite as good as DTS Interactive via my onboard Realtek ALC1220. Conclusion So what have I learned? The AE-X lacks multi-channel support for 5.1/7.1 setups and drops support for modern surround technologies like Dolby or DTS, functioning strictly as a stereo output device. So to really benefit, you will need Studio-grade headphones to "hear" the benefits of this card. With that being said, I can imagine it will appeal to gamers who are switching between console and PC. By utilizing the SPDIF in port, you could just plug your headphones into the AE-X (front or rear port) and then switch between PC and Console without having to move the headphones to a different port. As I said in the Sound Blaster Audigy review, the EQ in the Creative Nexus app offers safe presets, which allows a user to further tweak the lows, mids, and highs for a personal listening experience. Of course it all depends on the headphones you hook up to it. Speaking of headphones, I kind of wish I had higher-quality Studio-grade headphones to really test this card with; I'm not usually wearing headphones in my day to day duties. The only time I will wear them is if I want to listen to music very late at night and I don't want to disturb my neighbors, so my rating (verdict) is based on this fact. Someone with a PC/Console setup and wears headphone religiously to game, and consume media will benefit much more than I from the high-quality Headphone Amps that are included in the AE-X. Once again, I do feel like Creative could have gone the extra mile to support the S/PDIF port a bit more. Why include it if you're not supporting the main popular digital formats? It seems like the decision was more of a legacy-based one, offering uncompressed 2-channel PCM audio, for users with high-fidelity audio systems and external DACs. Maybe I will be lucky enough to review a card that truly includes all these features in the future. I am sure readers with far more knowledge on audio systems than me will correct me in the comments below. I'll just say I am happy to learn what I don't know! Where to buy The Sound Blaster AE-X is available to purchase now in preorder for $179.99 on the U.S. Creative website, or for £169.99 on the Creative UK website and will start shipping to customers from June 25.
    • $80 or 90%, anything else would be financial suicide one way or another.
    • Or... just use Bitwarden. Free, and has on-prem option as well. Works both on desktop and mobile, wherever you are. The age of local password files is over.
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    • I actually got to use one of those so called "backup codes" once. It was for a customer, I choose the backup code option, and by the grace of god, they actually hade them printed out. Imagine my surprise, when after using the backup code, Google then told use we had to enter a code they just sent to the gmail address we currently did not have access to. I was not amused, Google backup codes should be the end all get out of jail free card, because you had to have access to the account to even get them.
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