Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Value 7.1-Channel Sound Card
Bottom line: The Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Value 7.1-Channel Sound Card is a specs-and-price decision rather than a crowd-consensus one in the sound cards category, priced around $149.99 on Amazon as of 2026-10-06. Check the specification table below against one or two close alternatives — on price and spec fit, not on star ratings.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ Offers analog and digital inputs and outputs
Cons
- ✗ Confirm socket / form-factor / power-rating compatibility against your build before ordering
- ✗ Used and vintage listings vary by seller and condition — check the listing photos, description and return terms before buying
Manufacturer description
Product descriptionCREATIVE LABS (70SB040000005) Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Value-Sound card-24-bit-192 kHz-7.1-PCIAmazon.comThe SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Value internal PCI card provides the perfect sonic upgrade for DVD-ROM-equipped PC computers. The card delivers an impressive 106 dB signal-to-noise so it can reproduce truly cinematic 5.1-, 6.1-, and 7.1-channel surround sound from high-resolution DVD-Audio and Dolby Digital EX movies as well as unparalleled realism from the hundreds of existing DirectSound 3D game titles. Audigy 2 Value also facilitates high-quality 24-bit/96 kHz recording and…
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Value 7.1-Channel Sound Card using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the sound cards category. Creative's sound cards lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for sound cards of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Key Features
- Internal PCI sound card for high-res PC/CD/DVD playback and recording: 24-bit, 192 kHz stereo playback, 24-bit/96 kHz recording
- Full EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD effects elevate your gaming experience to new heights; offers full support for Windows Media 9
- Supports DVD-Audio, Dolby Digital EX, and up to 7.1-channel surround sound; converts stereo sources to multichannel surround
- Offers analog and digital inputs and outputs
- Includes tons of software, including Creative's MediaSource Player with MP3/WMA ripping and a fresh, clean interface
Full Specifications
| Brand | Creative |
|---|---|
| Platform | Windows |
| Model Number | 70SB040000005 |
| Compatibility | PC |
| Mfr Part Number | 70SB040000005 |
| Audio Output Mode | Dolby Digital, Surround Sound |
| Hardware Platform | PC, Speakers |
| Maximum Sample Rate | 192 KHz |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00054651070936 |
| Surround Sound Channel Configuration | 7.1 |
Ready to buy?
Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Value 7.1-Channel Sound Card is vintage hardware; the used and vintage market on eBay carries most of the live inventory. Prices and condition vary by seller and move in real time, so we link the live listing rather than quote a cached price. It also has an Amazon listing — check it for current price and availability. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
See live eBay listings → Check Amazon listing →
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Related Sound Cards
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Best Wired Gaming Headset Under $50 for PC and Console in 2026
- Running a 3dfx Voodoo5 5500 PCI in a Modern Board in 2026
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070
- Imaging a vintage IDE hard drive with a USB adapter in 2026
- Debugging Vintage Windows with Claude: SYSFIX Patterns for Win98 vcache, MSNP32, and Glide Hangs
- Nous Hermes Desktop: A Local AI Agent for Your Own Hardware
- Qwen 3.6 35B-A3B vs Qwen 3.6 27B Dense: Which Local LLM Wins on a Single 24GB GPU?
- Build a Budget Self-Hosted Game Server on a Ryzen 5 5600G in 2026
- Best Budget PC Gaming Upgrades Under $200 in 2026
- Samsung 870 EVO vs WD Blue SN550: Best Storage for Forza Horizon 6 Fast Loading
- Best Budget AIO CPU Cooler for Gaming PCs (2026)
- Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike: The $125.99 Deal Has Expired
- 8BitDo Pro 2 vs DualSense for PC Emulation: Which Controller Wins
- OpenAI Buys Ona: What Autonomous Codex Means for Local Coding Rigs
- Which GPU Runs Which LLM in 2026: The RTX 3060 12GB Model-Fit Matrix
- Kimi K3 vs Qwen 3.8 for Local Coding Agents in 2026
- Intel's Bartlett Lake Core 9 273PQE Loses to a Four-Year-Old CPU
- Qwen 3.6 27B vs Llama 3.1 70B on Local Hardware: tok/s, VRAM, and Quality (2026)
- Running a Local Coding Agent on an RTX 3060 12GB: Qwen3-Coder in Practice
- Best Arcade Fight Stick & Controller for PlayStation Fighting Games (2026)
- Silent, SD-Free Retro Storage: CompactFlash + IDE on Win98/XP
- Dual Radeon AI PRO R9700 Workstation: 64 GB Local LLM Build
- Best Plug-and-Play Retro Gaming Consoles to Buy in 2026
- Best SSD for a Homelab NAS in 2026: Crucial BX500 vs Samsung 870 EVO vs WD Blue SN550
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090