Page 4 - Conclusion
When it comes to the Creative Live! Audio A3, there was nothing surprising out of the box. Instead, it has a lot of the useful features and specifications that make for a good audio interface. First of all, we have a well-constructed enclosure with a metal shell. It has a conservative design with a slant towards function over form. The knobs spin well with a good amount of resistance and tactile feel. I appreciate all of the lighting for the input levels. As for its inputs and outputs, Creative has provided a good amount of both in a logical layout. There are two XLR combination jacks and a 3.5mm audio jack for inputs. This includes phantom power support and adjustment for either microphone or instrument input. Meanwhile, the outputs include two headphone outputs plus another set of 1/4" for speakers. The outputs can be individually adjusted with the physical knobs. In addition, direct monitoring and input muting is easily accessible. In performance, everything worked exactly as you might expect. The Creative Live! Audio A3 handled whatever I threw at it, including microphones, guitar, and audio from a separate device. There were no defects such as buzzing or pops, while the recordings captured me naturally. The included software utility was rather bare bones, but it provided enough adjustments. All in all, I am quite glad with the overall package of the Audio A3, as it delivers everything it promises. There are a few things that I could ask for, including a way to force a single channel output in the software, changing the mobile device input level to use a slider, and including Bluetooth. Even so, this audio interface delivers well on its intended use cases with very little compromise. At the time of the review, the Creative Live! Audio A3 sells for $150, which makes it generally competitive for an audio interface with two XLR inputs. As such, if you are looking for a near painless audio interface experience, the Creative Live! Audio A3 is a strong option.
Creative provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 7.6/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The Creative Live! Audio A3 audio interface is a no-nonsense way to utilize premium input options for your creative needs.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Audio Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
