As the "ultimate" sound card, the SB Live! doesn't leave too much more to be desired.  While it isn't the professional card PC musicians may want for the $200 you'll have to throw down for this puppy, considering that no other card in its price range comes closer, the SB Live! isn't too bad of a solution for professionals with a tight budget.  That price tag may be a bit high for the average gamer who just spent most of his/her savings on a Pentium II / Voodoo2 setup, however if you're going to swallow the cost of an expensive sound card it might as well be the Creative Labs SB Live! 

Before going out and purchasing the SB Live! remember that it is a weak product if not used with the proper speakers, and also remember that you must want quality output from the SB Live! in order to be impressed with it.  If you don't really find yourself caring about the sound your computer can produce, pick up a $40 PCI Sound Card and be happy, otherwise cough up the $299 for the entire SB Live! + FourPointSurround combination and enjoy some of the best audio available for this price on the PC today. 

It has often been said that there's a hidden meaning behind every title, guessing what that hidden meaning shouldn't be that difficult now, let's see how creative the competition can get in response to the SB Live!.

Creative Labs SB Live!
------------ Pros

Cons

------------    • 2/4/8 Speaker Output    • Cost
------------    • 256 Voice Hardware Wavetable MIDI    • Not the professional solution we would like
------------    • DirectSound, DirectSound3D, & EAX support    • Infant EAX support in current game titles
------------    • Full Legacy Compatibility w/ Drivers
------------    • Powerful EMU10K1 DSP
------------    • Creative Labs name and support
------------    • Thorough User's Manual
------------    • Incredible Software Bundle
------------    • Potential for future expandability

Rating - 93% - $199.95 MSRP

Installation
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