One look at Diamond Multimedia's success with the 1997 Monster Sound 3D PCI audio card was all it took for Creative to get the hint that gamers were looking for more when it came to the personal audio card selections. Touting support of a then unheard of 3D audio format, "A3D", the Diamond Monster Sound 3D thrilled audiences at trade shows before it was released, and then sold well to the retail audience a few months later. Priced at $149, the Monster Sound 3D was no cheap upgrade. But as any true gamer can attest to, $149 is nothing when compared to the hundreds of hours of enjoyment that a card like the Monster Sound 3D could provide.

Creative paid close attention to these developments, and watched the sales figures and product line of Diamond's audio offerings increase. Finally a decision was made to develop a new audio product series bearing Creative's corporate logo, with performance and features being the total motivation. (Besides the motivation of city-sized piles of cash of course)

Hence, the "Sound Blaster Live" was born. Initially shipping in a fully equipped all-in-one version (the one we're reviewing today) and then following up with a "Value" version a few months later (available now) the Sound Blaster Live of audio cards sought to reestablish Creative as the manufacturer of the world's best audio products.