Intel486dx33 wrote on Yesterday, 15:58:

Guys, the creative Audigy 2zs is the best sound card for retro computers. I have been using it since Win98 I am still using it t […]
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Guys, the creative Audigy 2zs is the best sound card for retro computers.
I have been using it since Win98
I am still using it today in my HP computers running Win-10 and Win-11

Although I now use the Creative USB DAC GC7 too.
The Audigy 2zs still works I keep it for its input options

Works with PC and Linux
No online app or online connection required.

Blasphemy! When it comes to retro sound it's ISA based or nothing 😀

But I suppose when it comes to pci you are right. It was easy for creative to win, after the pitiful 128 and original Live everything else was pretty decent, and really no serious competition after a certain point.

Audigy2 ZS is definitive my loved one. Very good looking, crystal Clear Sound and runs fine on Win98 with SB16 Emulation and Wavetable.

For ISA i like the AWE64 most. I buyed also a SIMMconn Module for one just to find out it doesn't Support SF2 on Plain DOS. What a shame. But luckily we have VSBHDASF which brings me back to the Audigy2 ZS running in Plain DOS with loaded SF2. Even huge fonts >100mb are working. I really Miss this on AWE cards.

For 8bit I would chose an SB Pro 2.0

This card is a legend.
Produced in September 2003 it is over 20 years old and will still work for another 5 years.
This card definitely belongs in your collections.

What do you mean, "retro"?? I'm still rocking it in my latest-gen, productivity rig (and I wish I had that front panel so I could record in 96KHz). It's actually still a remarkable card for modern use-cases once you figure out the PCI compatibility issue.

I maintain that the stuff you can do with the kX drivers and this sound card is impossible to do with any modern hardware whose cost is below four digit.

Azrael128 wrote on Today, 04:37:

I wish I had that front panel so I could record in 96KHz).

Original Audigy 2 panels are quite rare, but X-Fi I/O Drive (SB0251) panel is compatible with Audigy 2 ZS (SB350).
Everything works except FireWire.

Azrael128 wrote on Today, 04:37:

I maintain that the stuff you can do with the kX drivers and this sound card is impossible to do with any modern hardware whose cost is below four digit.

What are advantages of kX driver on Audigy 2ZS? As far as I understand, it about additional audio effects and routing?

I use Audigy cards with optical out for clean sound on most of my retro machines. It's pretty easy to connect generic optical headers to the cards so that's usually what I do.

Audigy Optical Out to main PC

Yeah, all the ports work in Win-10 and Win-11
Even Firewire.
Still sounds Great.