Aureal Vortex SQ1500 - Aureal Is Dead... But The Vortex Is Alive... Or Is It?
Written: Dec 28 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: PRICE, Sound Quality, Digital Coaxial Output
Cons: DO NOT USE WITH WINDOWS XP, Crappiest Drivers
The Bottom Line: The drivers are bad, but new ones can be downloaded for everything other than Windows XP, otherwise this card is amazing.
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| soupcraze's Full Review: Aureal Vortex SQ1500 Sound Card |
The Aureal Vortex SQ1500 is probably one of the finest sound cards ever made, especially for the price. Probably its finest point is the fact that it has a digital coaxial output. However, the Aureal Vortex SQ1500 still has a flaw considering Aureal has been dead for a couple years or so already. Here's what I found with the Aureal Vortex SQ1500.
-If You Use Windows XP, Beware-
*If you use anything else other than Windows XP which includes Windows 2000 and below, you should be fine, other than that, brace yourself for an absolute nightmare. The drivers with the Aureal Vortex SQ1500 are incredibly problematic. This can be solved for Windows 9X/2000/NT by downloading drivers that you can easily find on the internet. If you use Windows XP like I do, then you should probably look elsewhere unless you don't mind shutting off the computer when the sound goes out. The problem that the card has is that sometimes it will randomly shut the sound completely off. Just like that! You'd have to restart the computer to get the sound back. With me, I had the sound shut off sometimes when I transfered large items on AOL Instant Messenger, did something in Adobe Photoshop, and sometimes just out of the blue. However, this doesn't happen all too often, and when it happens, I just restart and get back to what I was doing. Different people experienced this at different times, and if you can put up with this, the Aureal Vortex SQ1500 is a bargain.
-Price-
*While looking at the selection of sound cards at my local Circuit City, I found the Aureal Vortex SQ1500 laying there, only one box, and it was $39.99. This is the cheapest sound card with a digital output that I was able to find then. I've heard of people getting the Aureal Vortex SQ1500 even cheaper than that. If you run anything other than Windows X, this will treat you well. The quality that the Aureal Vortex SQ1500 has is absolutely superb. The digital output is great if you're running your computer's sound through an A/V receiver. It's cheaper than a Sound Blaster card, and many of the other cards at this price range don't have digital outputs or the same sound quality.
-Sound Quality-
*The sound that the Aureal Vortex SQ1500 is excellent. I use it via a digital coaxial cable plugged into a Marantz SR-14EX. The sound quality is just incredible, the best that I could imagine coming from a computer system. This makes it ideal for gaming and playing all of your MP3s in the best possible quality. The digital connection versus the 1/8"-to-RCA connection gives a much better sound, perfect for any hi-fi system. If you're using the standard 1/8" connection, everything still sounds good. With the Aureal Vortex SQ1500, you get much more than you pay for.
-The Verdict-
*For anything other than Windows XP, the Aureal Vortex SQ1500 is absolutely amazing. Considering the prices that you can get it at, it's a steal! Even if you have Windows XP, it's possible to tolerate the problems that the card has. It's sad that Aureal is gone now, but they left a legacy behind, enter the Vortex, and be mesmerized by great quality sound.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 40
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soupcraze
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Member: Soup Enthusiast
Location: Chicago, Illinois
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