[Mr Do]

http://reviews.cnet.com/Creative_Xmo...udio%20Devices

Aparently it does work and is powered by ac adapter only.

Do!

 

[LFC_SL]

"Cnet". Hmmm

Amazed if it is true and it replaces what wasn't present in the first place!

I'll await for more reviews before saying more along the lines of "lead" and "gold"

 

[Mr Do]

The ac adapter doesn't come with it so i believe it runs on usb as well.

Do!

 

[m_memmory]

Shall we just skip over the impossibility of being to add-in something that doesn't exist (if you throw away some information creating a MP3 you can't add it back)

Of course if this is so great at adding information back I'd love to see what it does with a FLAC file ...

And how much tweaking with the EQ would foobar require to make exactly the same output from this (but for free of course)

 

[zip22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Kim There is no interpolating going on--instead, Creative sound engineers have come up with a secret formula that identifies certain instruments (such as cymbals or kick drum) and fills in the data that was originally trashed during compression.

you have got to be kidding me.

 

[monkeymadness]

The reviewer in CNET clearly likes it. I hope he's right and they start putting these in future MP3 players.

AS some are expressing disbelief that the XMOD can recreate something that was taken out during production or creation of the sound on an audio CD I am prone to believe its possible. Every one of our senses can easily be manipulated and tricked into believing something which is not actually there.

I dont see why the XMOD cannot artificailly recreate the sounds that were missing. It shouldn't be too hard for a computer to do that. It analyzes the instruments (also not hard as there is a usual range of common instruments in music) and then fills in gaps of missing sound to add 8 bits. I unsarcastically ask, is that too hard to believe?

Its just an improvement, not the recreation of music itself.

 

[zip22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeymadness I dont see why the XMOD cannot artificailly recreate the sounds that were missing. It shouldn't be too hard for a computer to do that. It analyzes the instruments (also not hard as there is a usual range of common instruments in music) and then fills in gaps of missing sound to add 8 bits. I unsarcastically ask, is that too hard to believe?

real time? yes.

 

[pds6]

monkeymadness says:
Quote:

I dont see why the XMOD cannot artificailly recreate the sounds that were missing.

Kinda like farting while Beethoven is playing.

 

[m_memmory]

The problem with analysing music to reproduce what has been taken out is the large range of sound that you would need to be able to add in. I'm not just talking about the sound of different drums (although one drum kit in itself could contain about a dozen different drums) but what about the drum kit from one make/model compared to another? Or maybe a kick drum but differing size? Or how about how the drum in one piece of music was recorded compared to another piece of music? Maybe the mike placement will alter the sound.

Then we get on to how hard/where abouts on the drum it was hit by the drummer... I could go on.

This will all alter what sound this one drum kit is making on different songs/audio. Then we move onto guitars (acoustic with nylon or metal strings compared to the countless different types of electric)

All in all we're talking thousands (or more) of different styles or sounds that this thing is meant to be analysing to add the sound back.

Of course if it limits the analysing to just a few more obvious ones then what about the music that doesn't use those obvious ones? Does it just ignore those and leave it as was or use some of the premodelled effects instead?

All in all I find it much more believeable that this is just upsampling from 16 to 24 bit and adding in a EQ curve that Creative think people will like.

 

[pds6]

m_memmory say:
Quote:

All in all I find it much more believeable that this is just upsampling from 16 to 24 bit and adding in a EQ curve that Creative think people will like.

Good point!

How does 24 bit of silence sound better than 16 bits of silence.

EDIT: Unless its Britney Spears, then 24 bits of nothingness would sound better!

 

[Jahn]

dont we have X-fi soundcard owners here? that review said that the X-mod does the same thing as some of the functions on the X-fi. let us know how this stuff sounds - tho i have to say, as a matter of course i eliminate all DSP and processing in my line signal - even turning the vol down on the comp side is kinda like digital attenuation of the signal isn't it? i want my stuff clean and loud!

 

[m_memmory]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pds6 How does 24 bit of silence sound better than 16 bits of silence.

Anyone want to resample a CD version of Simon & Garfunkels "Sound of Silence" to 24bit and answer pds6's question?

 

[Psychoacoustist]

Wow, just digged out this today..

http://z10.invisionfree.com/sgaudio/...?showtopic=165

Seems like there is this one detailed review with even nicely taken pictures on that particular forum!

w00t! Looks great and sounds great for that amount of price you are paying..
Kudos to Creative! Making a comeback?

Pssst.. I heard that registering enables you for special promotions, not sure how true is that for overseas/foreigners, but I sure hope they gimme prizes as well

 

[nick danger]

Long ago, I believe it was Denon that sold a CD player that recreated missing notes from low volume "digital artifacts". It used an algorithm that recognized these artifacts and matched it to an instrument or a tone and reproduced the "missing information". They claimed to have a database of sampled musical material that they were able to use to fill in to recreate some of these lost tones and it was "real time".

Was it real? It was a good theory but as has been mentioned the entire spectrum of every known tone may not exist. But could you fill in something that could sound good? Not perfect but warmer or fuller or more slam or...

 

[steaxauce]

Did y'all notice that this thing has an analog input as well? That's how you use it with MP3 players. So, in that application it doesn't convert from 16 to 24 bit, but passes the music through an ADC (who knows what type) and then, if the ADC is 16 bit and not 24 bit, upsamples to 24 bit, and then puts the signal through its 24 bit DAC.

I'm sure the "improvement" it makes doesn't have anything to do with its conversion from 16 bit to 24 bit. It's just an effects processor. It sounds like a vile contraption to me.