Creative set to release X-Fi-equipped X30 iPod dock

It's been a little while since we've seen a new X-Fi device from Creative, but it looks like the company's now set to expand it's audio-enhancing empire a bit further, with its new X30 iPod dock apparently nearly ready for a release. While there's unfortunately no wireless streaming going on here, the dock will at least let you hook your iPod up to a stereo or pair of speakers, as well as a TV thanks to the dock's s-video port, with that much-hyped X-Fi technology promising to make everything sound better than ever. Look for this one to set you back just under €80 (or about $125) when it hits Europe next month -- no word on a release 'round these parts just yet.

[Jesse Dula @ Mar 14th 2008 4:36PM]

Yawn....

[clak @ Mar 14th 2008 4:52PM]

PC Fanboy: Engadget! Why are you like, talking about stuff that I hate? I'm gonna protest your everlasting love for Apple by posting 30 comments bashing Mac users and by refreshing this page 2000 times, just so you know I'm angry.

[wootman @ Mar 14th 2008 5:46PM]

*eyeroll*
joystiq+engadget+maximumpc = balanced fanboyism.

[quomen @ Mar 14th 2008 5:00PM]

The real news is how they're trying to rip us off. $125? WTF, that costs nearly as much as their high end sound cards.

[Kamokazi @ Mar 14th 2008 5:09PM]

Don't you mean half as much?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102015

Regardless, it's still overpriced. The big draw of the x-Fi is for audio recording or for gamers to offload audio processing from their CPU. You'd probably have to be a pretty heavy audiophile to notice the difference.

[Dustin Frazier @ Mar 14th 2008 5:01PM]

The folks over at Head-Fi audio forums seem to really like the X-Fi hardware. There is also a big movement of people getting their ipods retrofitted with some new internals to make their line out sound better. Maybe this thing will be the new alternative to the expensive line out mod.

[Homeboy @ Mar 14th 2008 5:04PM]

Or simply a poor excuse for not buying a Zune 80 which reproduce unbeatable and flawless sound without the use of an EQ. No other portable DAP sounds as good, it's a perfect match with my Shure e2c.

[quomen @ Mar 14th 2008 5:09PM]

It's called the X-mod, and it only works on the 5G ipods. The new ipods don't have the same high quality DAC as the old ones, but you know what, and iPod is an iPod. Unless you have extremely good headphones/speakers, you can't really tell the difference. I can't see how this is going to be much different than the Xmod [http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=209&subcategory=668&product=15913]. I highly doubt that it's going to have the actual x-fi chip in it..

[Dustin Frazier @ Mar 14th 2008 5:24PM]

I think the x-mod will work for any source you can connect a headphone to. The mod I was referring to in my post is the iMod @ http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f15/how-red-wine-imod-different-sik-pocketdock-147697/.

[Dustin Frazier @ Mar 14th 2008 5:42PM]

"The folks over at Head-Fi"

Crap I have been reading Engadget for too long....

[Christian Martin @ Mar 14th 2008 5:16PM]

I replaced my X-Fi devices with coat hangers and had no noticeable loss in sound quality.

[Good_Bytes @ Mar 14th 2008 5:21PM]

Oh God... that was the worst purchase I ever done... So many issue with new hardware and nForce's chipset motherboards.

[wootman @ Mar 14th 2008 5:46PM]

how...
did you wire that into a mobo?

[Christian Martin @ Mar 14th 2008 5:55PM]

@ Good_Bytes
I haven't used anything made by Creative in six years or so, and that's one of the reasons. That, and their drivers don't just have issues, they have subscriptions...

[Christian Martin @ Mar 14th 2008 5:56PM]

@ wootman:

Oh, they were all external devices. I have a hanger jammed into the dock connector of a 4G iPod, going to a USB port. I call it the iBortion. My patent application has been denied seven times.

[Good_Bytes @ Mar 14th 2008 5:19PM]

Wait creative making device for OTHER music players?!... Now I know it is not new... but come on.. they just say in front of your face that their own product sucks, and not worth of making such add-on.

[Jorvay @ Mar 15th 2008 8:16PM]

Actually, when Creative successfully sued Apple for patent infringement of their DAP GUI, the deal they worked out included a giant wad of cash to Creative, and a deal where Creative would produce accessories for Apple.

[p3nis @ Mar 14th 2008 11:19PM]

look
watch all those trolls from EpiZENter flood this comment page with crap

[Rob Schoenfeld @ Mar 15th 2008 5:12PM]

Not true the creative zen 32 gig has a better quality then the Ipod Touch or Classic, but not much. Honestly most poeple wouldn't notice.