--- product_id: 504459502 title: "Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition SABRE32 Ultra-Class 32-bit/384kHz PCI-e Gaming Sound Card and DAC with Dolby Digital and DTS, Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-amp, 122dB SNR, RGB LED Strips" brand: "creative" price: "VT45269" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/504459502-sound-blasterx-ae-5-plus-pure-edition-sabre32-ultra-class store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # 16.8M RGB LED colors Xamp Bi-amp headphone power 122dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition SABRE32 Ultra-Class 32-bit/384kHz PCI-e Gaming Sound Card and DAC with Dolby Digital and DTS, Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-amp, 122dB SNR, RGB LED Strips **Brand:** creative **Price:** VT45269 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🎮 Elevate your audio game with pure precision and dazzling RGB vibes! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition SABRE32 Ultra-Class 32-bit/384kHz PCI-e Gaming Sound Card and DAC with Dolby Digital and DTS, Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-amp, 122dB SNR, RGB LED Strips by creative - **How much does it cost?** VT45269 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/504459502-sound-blasterx-ae-5-plus-pure-edition-sabre32-ultra-class) ## Best For - creative enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted creative brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Hi-Res Audio Mastery:** SABRE32 Ultra-Class DAC delivers pristine 32-bit/384kHz playback with ultra-low distortion and jitter. - • **Tailored Audio Processing:** Fine-tune your soundscape with advanced Sound Blaster Command software for clearer vocals, precise cues, and booming bass. - • **Custom RGB Lighting Symphony:** Transform your battlestation with 16.8 million colors and four LED strips, fully customizable via Sound Blaster Command. - • **Studio-Grade Headphone Amplification:** Xamp discrete bi-amp tech powers headphones up to 600Ω for crystal-clear, distortion-free sound. - • **Immersive Dolby Digital & DTS Surround:** Experience 5.1 discrete & 7.1 virtual surround sound for next-level gaming and cinematic audio. ## Overview The Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition is a high-performance PCI-e sound card featuring a SABRE32 Ultra-Class 32-bit/384kHz DAC, Dolby Digital and DTS support, and a custom Xamp discrete headphone bi-amp. It offers immersive 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound, a 122dB signal-to-noise ratio, and fully customizable RGB lighting with four LED strips, making it ideal for audiophile gamers and professionals seeking pristine audio quality and stylish rig aesthetics. ## Description Buy Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition SABRE32 Ultra-Class 32-bit/384kHz PCI-e Gaming Sound Card and DAC with Dolby Digital and DTS, Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-amp, 122dB SNR, RGB LED Strips: Internal Sound Cards - desertcart.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases Review: Review for the AE-5 Plus Pure (White Edition) Sound Card - I have usually run an internal Sound Card on my P.C.s, as they were ALWAYS better than the onboard Motherboard outputs, and today is no exception. In the past, I have stayed away from Creative due to their "bloated" drivers, but decided to try the AE-5 Plus on a new rig I built. Despite the 130 Mb download for the AE-5 drivers, (really?), the fundamentals of this Sound card are really good. I am sure the AE-7 and AE-9 sound better, but I am actually pretty impressed with the AE-5 plus. I streamed some High Fidelity FLAC videos off of YouTube, (Classical Music), and the sound resolution is very impressive. You can hear the individual instruments on the sound stage with great clarity, and better than some other sound cards I have used in the past. For my desktop, I am running these through the Klipsch 2.1 speakers, or my Sennheiser headphones. There is enough power output on the speaker output to power up my headphones, so I have not used the dedicated headphone output yet. In gaming, I am getting nice directional sound, and excellent clarity. There seems to be very little if any audible distortion. I know the current thinking is to have your DAC outside the computer, using a USB connection, but I am sticking with an internal PCIe sound card for now. No, it is not my Cambridge Audio amplifier good, but for my computer, the AE-5 plus seems pretty great thus far. I do not regret this purchase, even with bloated drivers. It is WAY better than any motherboard sound I have experienced, and I have had a few of those. No, I did not hook up the auxillary RGB lighting strips, but the lit AE-5 Plus on the Sound Card looks nice. You if really like to listen seriously to your music collection running WAV. files on your computer, or you like a more realistic sound in gaming, the Creative AE-5 plus is a good choice. Just make sure you have decent speakers to take advantage of the clarity. It has to work as a system. Glad I made this purchase. Review: Great sound for my needs - Since I had my first computer always the reference in sound was Sound Blaster, even the most basic Creative’s card used to be far better than the integrated sound on motherboards. My first card was a PCI 128, then in new builds I had an Audigy SE, next bought a refurbished X-fi Titanium (the normal one) which after more than 13 years of service, I decided to replace when I noticed that my not-so-cheap dongle DAC had better sound quality. After reading a lot and watching my budget, I decided to go for the Sound BlasterX AE-5, which had similar SNR than my dongle DAC. Once I got the card installed in my system, I clearly noticed the big difference in sound, even better than my dongle DAC. One thing I didn’t understand was that it couldn’t go beyond 96KHz, until I learned a new term: “Direct Mode”. Then I realised that this mode goes up to 32bit 384KHz, but without the 5.1. I think I’m ok whit that. I don’t play games so much, but I like experimenting the effects of this cards in my games. I know there are other alternatives if you want good sound mainly for listening to music, but “Creative” and “Sound Blaster” are planted in my brain because was de best option in sound since my first PC builds. For me, this card (AE-5 Plus) sounds great for music, and this has shown to me the true power of Crystalizer effect that comes with Creative sound cards, which gives more life to compressed music. This card is not for music production, it’s for gaming, listening music and home cinema (or DVD/Blu-ray concerts in 5.1). Now I feel my speakers need to be replaced for some better option, because this sound card can give more in terms of sound quality. ## Features - SUPPORTS DOLBY DIGITAL AND DTS – Now with support for Dolby Digital Live and DTS Encoding for even more delivery options to your external audio devices! The AE-5 Plus Pure Edition also supports 5.1 discrete and 7.1 virtual surround, as well as Sound Blaster’s Surround Virtualization technology - RGB YOUR GAMING RIG – The AE-5 Plus Pure Edition stands out with its beautiful white finish, and has customizable RGB LEDs on its body; it also comes with four RGB LED strips for you to go full on decorating your r/battlestations worthy rig. Enjoy a symphony of lights and sound with 16.8 million colors in different patterns to choose from, all via the Sound Blaster Command software for PC - POWERFUL DISCRETE HEADPHONE AMP – Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition features Xamp, our custom-designed discrete headphone amp that utilizes bi-amplification technology to power each earcup individually with 1Ω output impedance and drives studio-grade headphones of up to 600Ω, including high-end planar-magnetic headphones - PRISTINE AUDIO QUALITY – Featuring the SABRE32 ultra-class PCI-e DAC to deliver up to 32-bit / 384 kHz playback with a 122 dB DNR, ultra-low distortion and jitter, the AE-5 Plus Pure Edition is more than capable of hi-res audio for games, music, and movies; put simply, for discerning audio lovers of any kind, the AE-5 Plus Pure Edition is set to blow past your expectations with pristine audio and powerful performance - INDUSTRY-LEADING AUDIO PROCESSING – The Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition rides on Sound Blaster’s long legacy of audio processing and enhancements, available through the Sound Blaster Command software and featuring fully customizable audio processing technologies to deliver clearer vocals, accurate cues, and bass boost ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B087M6F7MH | | Audio Output Mode | Surround | | Best Sellers Rank | #8 in Computer Internal Sound Cards | | Brand | Creative | | Compatible Devices | Headphone | | Customer Reviews | 4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (308) | | Hardware Connectivity | PCI Express x1 | | Hardware Platform | Headphone, Personal Computer | | Manufacturer | CREATIVE | | Maximum Sample Rate | 384 KHz | | Mfr Part Number | 70SB174000004 | | Model Name | ae-5 | | Model Number | SB1740 | | Platform | Windows 7, Windows 8 | | Signal-to-Noise Ratio | 122 dB | | Surround Sound Channel Configuration | 5.1, 7.1 | | UPC | 054651193925 | ## Product Details - **Audio Output Mode:** Surround - **Brand:** Creative - **Compatible Devices:** Headphone - **Hardware Interface:** PCI Express x1 - **Platform:** Windows 7, Windows 8 ## Images ![Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition SABRE32 Ultra-Class 32-bit/384kHz PCI-e Gaming Sound Card and DAC with Dolby Digital and DTS, Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-amp, 122dB SNR, RGB LED Strips - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51sXXYurtyL.jpg) ![Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition SABRE32 Ultra-Class 32-bit/384kHz PCI-e Gaming Sound Card and DAC with Dolby Digital and DTS, Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-amp, 122dB SNR, RGB LED Strips - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61bwYbG7XbL.jpg) ![Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition SABRE32 Ultra-Class 32-bit/384kHz PCI-e Gaming Sound Card and DAC with Dolby Digital and DTS, Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-amp, 122dB SNR, RGB LED Strips - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61I7aQrss-L.jpg) ![Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition SABRE32 Ultra-Class 32-bit/384kHz PCI-e Gaming Sound Card and DAC with Dolby Digital and DTS, Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-amp, 122dB SNR, RGB LED Strips - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61fuP8crSNL.jpg) ![Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition SABRE32 Ultra-Class 32-bit/384kHz PCI-e Gaming Sound Card and DAC with Dolby Digital and DTS, Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-amp, 122dB SNR, RGB LED Strips - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61lBtOrbdjL.jpg) ## Questions & Answers **Q: Does the led on the card itself work without the molex connector? i'm not interested in attaching the led strip.** A: To not use the MOLEX connection is ONLY Use the PCI BUS for powering your plug-ins. BUY another Card if you will not use the MOLEX Power hookup. As It will give BETTER, more dependable power to your accessories.! At no RISK to your Motherboard.! **Q: If I hook up an astro mixamp (with headphones) to the fiber-optic port, am I losing the benefits of this card? Or will it pass through the amp?** A: yes and no. you will still benefit from the digital side of the audio processing but the optical bypasses any amplification. whatever you connect the optical to will have to handle that. **Q: This or the zxr? that is only $20 more but 5 year old tech. i use the logitech z906 speakers and no headphones** A: i don't know, do you listen to 24bit audio, like blu rays and youtube and high-res music from hdtracks, or 32bit audio? If 24bit, you might be best off then with the ZxR, on the other hand I'd say the AE-5 is a safer bet, because of the surely nicer headphone amp inside can be properly used with many more headphones..., but then again your using speakers and might have an external headphone amp.., Hard to say. **Q: Anyone know how this would couple with the game one or game zero headsets???** A: I have the game one headset and it sounds great. I wish the headphone ohm setting had a 50 ohm selection, but I can't go over half volume in Windows at the 32ohm setting so it pushes plenty of power. I had the sound blaster zx before this and this card sounds better. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review for the AE-5 Plus Pure (White Edition) Sound Card *by A***E on September 2, 2024* I have usually run an internal Sound Card on my P.C.s, as they were ALWAYS better than the onboard Motherboard outputs, and today is no exception. In the past, I have stayed away from Creative due to their "bloated" drivers, but decided to try the AE-5 Plus on a new rig I built. Despite the 130 Mb download for the AE-5 drivers, (really?), the fundamentals of this Sound card are really good. I am sure the AE-7 and AE-9 sound better, but I am actually pretty impressed with the AE-5 plus. I streamed some High Fidelity FLAC videos off of YouTube, (Classical Music), and the sound resolution is very impressive. You can hear the individual instruments on the sound stage with great clarity, and better than some other sound cards I have used in the past. For my desktop, I am running these through the Klipsch 2.1 speakers, or my Sennheiser headphones. There is enough power output on the speaker output to power up my headphones, so I have not used the dedicated headphone output yet. In gaming, I am getting nice directional sound, and excellent clarity. There seems to be very little if any audible distortion. I know the current thinking is to have your DAC outside the computer, using a USB connection, but I am sticking with an internal PCIe sound card for now. No, it is not my Cambridge Audio amplifier good, but for my computer, the AE-5 plus seems pretty great thus far. I do not regret this purchase, even with bloated drivers. It is WAY better than any motherboard sound I have experienced, and I have had a few of those. No, I did not hook up the auxillary RGB lighting strips, but the lit AE-5 Plus on the Sound Card looks nice. You if really like to listen seriously to your music collection running WAV. files on your computer, or you like a more realistic sound in gaming, the Creative AE-5 plus is a good choice. Just make sure you have decent speakers to take advantage of the clarity. It has to work as a system. Glad I made this purchase. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great sound for my needs *by J***S on February 7, 2024* Since I had my first computer always the reference in sound was Sound Blaster, even the most basic Creative’s card used to be far better than the integrated sound on motherboards. My first card was a PCI 128, then in new builds I had an Audigy SE, next bought a refurbished X-fi Titanium (the normal one) which after more than 13 years of service, I decided to replace when I noticed that my not-so-cheap dongle DAC had better sound quality. After reading a lot and watching my budget, I decided to go for the Sound BlasterX AE-5, which had similar SNR than my dongle DAC. Once I got the card installed in my system, I clearly noticed the big difference in sound, even better than my dongle DAC. One thing I didn’t understand was that it couldn’t go beyond 96KHz, until I learned a new term: “Direct Mode”. Then I realised that this mode goes up to 32bit 384KHz, but without the 5.1. I think I’m ok whit that. I don’t play games so much, but I like experimenting the effects of this cards in my games. I know there are other alternatives if you want good sound mainly for listening to music, but “Creative” and “Sound Blaster” are planted in my brain because was de best option in sound since my first PC builds. For me, this card (AE-5 Plus) sounds great for music, and this has shown to me the true power of Crystalizer effect that comes with Creative sound cards, which gives more life to compressed music. This card is not for music production, it’s for gaming, listening music and home cinema (or DVD/Blu-ray concerts in 5.1). Now I feel my speakers need to be replaced for some better option, because this sound card can give more in terms of sound quality. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Sound; Not Totally Necessary These Days *by T***L on March 9, 2026* This is a solid sound card, and it’s worked extremely well for me. The sound quality is excellent—paired with my SteelSeries Arena 7 setup, it really shines. I’m not claiming it’s audiophile‑grade, but as someone who loves music and wants a great everyday listening experience, this combo has been fantastic. The LED strips work flawlessly and can be customized through the software with different colors and patterns. The card itself feels well‑built, not cheap, and you don’t have to baby it into the PCIe slot. It also includes an optical out, which is what I use for the Arena 7s. I tested the optical output on my motherboard for comparison, and there was a noticeable difference—this card handled higher volumes better and sounded cleaner overall. That said, onboard audio has come a long way, so whether you ‘need’ a dedicated card really comes down to personal preference. For me, I like the card, and I’m glad I added it to my setup. ## Frequently Bought Together - CREATIVE Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition SABRE32 Ultra-Class 32-bit/384kHz PCI-e Gaming Sound Card and DAC with Dolby Digital and DTS, Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-amp, 122dB SNR, RGB LED Strips - Samsung 990 PRO SSD NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen4, M.2 2280 Internal Solid State Hard Drive, Seq. Read Speeds Up to 7,450 MB/s for High End Computing, Gaming, and Heavy Duty Workstations, MZ-V9P2T0B/AM - ARCTIC MX-4 (4 g) - Premium Performance Thermal Paste for All Processors (CPU, GPU - PC), Very high Thermal Conductivity, Long Durability, Safe Application, Non-Conductive --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/504459502-sound-blasterx-ae-5-plus-pure-edition-sabre32-ultra-class](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/504459502-sound-blasterx-ae-5-plus-pure-edition-sabre32-ultra-class) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-17*