Creative Labs' Sound Blaster Live! PCI card is the most popular card in the world. The company's reputation for manufacturing a quality sound card is well known. The software for these cards is just as important and is also well written. For those of you who are thinking about purchasing a Sound Blaster Live! Card, you must keep in mind that not all Sound Blaster Live! cards are the same.

When looking for a Sound Blaster Live! PCI Audio Card, they have to meet several criteria:

• They have to be brown in color. This is a visual indication that they are Sound Blaster LIVE! cards.

• Software included. This saves alot of time searching and downloading the correct drivers. Although, If the software is not included,  you can easily get it from the Soundblaster Award-Winning web-site. OEM software is alittle harder to get but still obtainable... (The EMU10K1 processor works with many different software versions... you just have to know what you're looking for.) As a note, many OEM Cards will work with the Retail version of software as long as it is for the same generation of card you are installing. 

• RETAIL or OEM? Retail cards are much better than OEM counterparts. The Retail software that comes with the Retail Sound Blaster Live! Audio Cards includes a complete suite of programs to help you get the most from your Audio Card. There are alot of good OEM cards out there but, the software, if included, is limited to a minimal set of drivers and some may have issues working correctly with your motherboard or other hardware (unless it is an exact replacement for the card you currently have in your computer) so use OEM Cards at your own risk.

1st, 2nd, or 3rd Generation?

• First Generation cards feature up to 4 Channel Analog output. (These include the Retail CT4620 and CT4670)  They have no Mini-jack Digital output to carry a line-level digital signal to an external Dolby Decoder . These are exceptional cards but less up-gradable than the 2nd and 3rd generation models.)  See the top card in the picture above.

• Second Generation cards (including the Retail CT4760 or OEM CT4830) have the capability to process digital signals BUT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SPECIALTY HARDWARE (ie: mini-jack to RCA cable and an external dolby decoder.) As with the First Generation Cards, they will work in conjunction with 4 Channel Analog Speakers but can also run True 5.1 Digital speakers that have a built in Dolby Decoder or 5.1 Analog Speakers with a separate external Dolby Decoder. See the bottom card in the picture above.

  NOTE: There are times when you will notice a second Generation Sound Blaster Live! card advertised as "5.1" or "Dolby Digital" and, technically speaking they are capable of putting out a Dolby Signal to Digital Speakers or an External Dolby Decoder but you must have the aforementioned in order for the card to process these signals via the yellow mini-jack on the back of the card. These cards are only "Dolby Digital Ready". Unless you already have 5.1 Digital speakers or an external Dolby Decoder, it is best to purchase a 3rd Generation Card.

• Third Generation cards (Retail SB0100, SB0220 and the OEM series, SB0200) have a true built-in software selectable Dolby Digital Decoder! THESE CARDS CAN BE EASILY IDENTIFIED BY THE "5.1" LOGO NEXT TO THE "LIVE!" IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THE CARD. IF IT DOES NOT HAVE THE "5.1" IT DOES NOT HAVE A BUILT IN 5.1 DOLBY DECODER! There is no need to buy a separate External Dolby Decoder Card or an expensive 5.1 Digital speaker system.  Unlike the second generation Sound cards, the THIRD GENERATION Sound Blaster Live! card can operate Digital or Analog speaker systems, using the included Software Selectable Digital or Analog outputs... anything from 2 to 5.1 Speakers! Enjoy rich, room-filling audio in 5.1 Dolby Surround!  See the bottom card in the picture above. There are also many internal connections on the 3rd Gen card that make upgrading easy. AUX_IN, SPDIF, CD_IN, TAD as well as the AUD-EXT (40 pin connector) for a Live! Drive. (NO AUD-EXT on the SB0200) NICE!

• Fourth Generation cards can produce 7.1 Sound and there are many different models to choose from. There are not too many DVDs, games, or PC applications that even support 7.1 Surround. These Fourth Generation cards have been built to "share" the sound processing capabilities with the motherboards Chipset so audio quality may be compromised but not to any discernable degree. The most recent Fourth Generation offerings are also less upgradable than their SB0060, SB0100, and SB0220 counterparts.

Do not confuse Sound Blaster Live! Cards with the Audigy Series of cards. Although the Audigy Cards are also brown in color, they utilize different processors and software than the Live! cards. Much like the fourth Generation cards, they share alot more system resources with the motherboard to produce fine audio. On "older" computers, you may notice choppy audio and general complaints of poor performance, allthough when mated to a faster computer the audio reproduction is exceptional and flawless! 

All four generations of the Live! Series Audio cards continue to work with all Windows 95 through XP Operating Systems. The constant improvement of the different Linux Operating Systems in the last 5 years or so has also led to quality hardware drivers for these cards along with some fascinating applications!  

If you are shopping for a Sound Blaster Live! Audio card, this guide may help you to dispel the mystery about these fine cards and help you to select one that suits your needs.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO BUYERS: Often, an eBay seller will have two different card models listed in the title. ie: " Sound blaster Live! CT4670 SB0100", More than likely, they intentionally put the 3rd generation model number in the title just to get more search "hits", when in reality, they are only selling the 1st generation card. Another thing commonly done is to put "5.1" or "Dolby Digital" in the title when neither is fact. It is my opinion that the majority of these listings are done by the sellers because they do not know what they are selling. With the creation of the 3rd generation card, and it's intense popularity... the tags "5.1" and "Dolby Digital" have been genetically bestowed, to all Soundblaster Live! cards. Some sellers may follow up in the body of the listing with a bunch of technical gobbly-gook that does little more than take up space, without listing the specific card model being sold. Another commonly used trick when attempting to unload the older, less sought after Creative Labs audio cards on unsuspecting buyers is to place a picture of a 3rd generation (or even Audigy) card in a listing where they are only selling a 1st or 2nd generation card. If you are unsure what they are trying to sell you... ask the seller for the specific model of the card before bidding.

LONG LIVE CREATIVE LABS 3RD GENERATION AUDIO CARDS!

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