What you get with the SBLive!

External

Joystick/MIDI - Standard 15-pin D connector for joystick/MIDI support

Line Out 1 - Front amplified speakers or stereo headphones (32 Ohm)

Line Out 2 - Rear amplified speakers (no headphone support)

Microphone In - External analog microphone

Line In - Analog line-level input

Internal

TAD - Telephone Answering Device. In case you have one of those speakerphone/answering machine modems, usually found on integrated multimedia systems.

CD Audio - The one internal sound card connection you can't live without, this is an analog passthrough so you can play audio CDs through the speakers connected to your sound card.

AUX - A passthrough which connects to other internal devices, such as TV and FM tuner cards, MPEG decoders, dedicated MIDI cards.

I2S - Zoomed Video digital input, used for Creative's PC-DVD digital stereo/surround.

CD SPDIF - Stands for "Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format, this particular SPDIF IN connects to your CD-ROM's SPDIF output which allows the SBLive's superior DAC to decode CD-audio, resulting in cleaner sound.

Microphone - Connects to an internal microphone, again one of those things you probably wouldn't do unless you made a project of it.

Modem - Connects to an internal modem card so you can use your existing Mic/Speaker setup for DSVD or speakerphone.

Digital I/O Header - connects to a ribbon cable that in turn connects to the included Digital I/O card for additional input/output device support.

Digital I/O Card (Included)

Digital DIN - connection for Cambridge Soundworks 7.1 8-speaker Desktop Theatre system.

SPDIF IN - External RCA digital in

SPDIF OUT - External RCA digital out

Mini-DIN MIDI IN - Additional MIDI input

Mini-DIN MIDI OUT - Additional MIDI output

Now that's a lot of connectors. With 50 million Sound Blaster owners out there, and a 60% market share (according to Creative), you'd expect them to deliver on features. As you can see, they made it a point for the SBLive to fit just about any audio need, from that of simply plugging in a pair of headphones to providing full digital connections for hi-fidelity audio work. For those who don't need all of the external digital in/out extras, Creative has recently released the Sound Blaster Live! Value, which doesn't include the digital I/O card. In all other respects, the hardware is identical, and it sells for half the price (equal to that of the MX300). The Value edition doesn't come with the full 38/40 pin Digital I/O header, but it does include a partial 10-pin header for I/O upgrade options. At Comdex, Creative had a Digital Optical I/O card on display, which might become available for owners of the SB Live and Value (you can even daisy chain the optical and the standard I/O card together on the original Live! card).