Creative Sound Blaster AE-9 sound card review — The best for making and listening to audio

Sound cards are not a component that most people think about when building or upgrading a PC. You settle for your motherboard’s built-in sound card because you can get HDMI sound out of a video card or USB sound from a dedicated headset. But for anyone who wants the absolute best possible audio from their PC, the discrete Sound Blaster AE-9 from Creative is an excellent choice.

The AE-9 is shipping now from Creative for $350. That’s a lot of money, but it comes packed with features to justify that price. And as someone who makes videos, it’s also turned into one of my most useful tools.