CONCLUSION

   The Sound Blaster AE-7 was clearly designed to "fill" the gap between the AE-5 and the AE-9 models something which is reflected both by its specifications and of course its price tag. However, this was prior to Creative releasing the AE-5 Plus model which is also why these two cards come so close in terms of audio performance. Yes, the Sound Blaster AE-7 outputs audio which is very similar to that of the AE-5 Plus, or better yet doesn’t come as close as that of the AE-9. Gaming performance is actually very similar across all 3 cards (especially in terms of positioning audio, Cyberpunk 2077 worked especially well with it) but when it comes to music and movies the AE-9 clearly takes the lead with far more crisp/pristine, accurate and rich mids, highs and lows. Of course, a couple of friends who happened to visit the office/lab during these 2 weeks liked the way the AE-7 sounds more than that of the AE-9 (different ears, different music tastes) but i hold a different opinion since due to its overall performance (not only in games but also music and yes movies) i consider the AE-9 to sit on top of the “food” chain when it comes to sound cards (with the NU Audio Pro as its sole competition). Unfortunately, just like with the AE-9 the AE-7 doesn’t feature RGB LEDs but honestly that shouldn’t be a priority for a sound card to begin with.

   Retailing for USD191.86 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 187.19Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the Sound Blaster AE-7 PCIe seems to be the ideal choice for people who are looking to get their hands on something slightly better than the AE-5 Plus model but can’t afford to climb all the way to the AE-9. Still if you have no need for the audio control module then the Sound Blaster AE-5 Plus is an very good model which will deliver roughly the same audio results as the AE-7. At the end of the day even though the Sound Blaster AE-7 Sound Card by Creative is quite a few steps beneath the AE-9 it’s still a very good choice (especially for gamers) that won’t let anyone down and certainly deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Audio Performance (Clarity / Detail)
- Very Good 3D Positioning Audio
- Creative 3D Enhancements
- Analog & Digital Surround Sound Outputs
- Audio Control Module (Integrated Microphone)
- Sound Blaster Command Software (Available Settings)

CONS

- No Backplate
- Lack Of RGB Lighting (For Some)