The Sound Blaster Audigy is an amazing sound card with a multitude of features making it an audiophile's dream. An integral part to any multimedia system, the sound card supplies the audio signal to your speakers and thus determines the quality of sound you hear. Also, it determines the type of inputs and outputs you can use.

System Requirements

-Genuine Intel Pentium 266MHz, AMD K6 300MHz or faster processor

-Intel, AMD or 100% compatible motherboard chipset

-64MB system RAM (128MB Highly Recommended)

-600 MB of free hard disk space

-Windows 98, 98SE, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition and Windows XP

-Available half-length PCI 2.1 compliant slot for Sound Blaster Audigy card

-Available adjacent slot for Audigy extension card

-Headphones or amplified speakers (available separately)

-CD-ROM drive required for software installation



In the Box...

-Instruction Manual
-Sound Blaster Audigy Card
-MIDI bracket(not an actual card, but takes up an additional pci slot)
-Cable to directly connect a cdrom drive to your sound card
-CD with drivers and software(In the gamer version of the card Giants: Citizen Kabuto and Deus Ex are included.)

Features

The Audigy card has 6 connections. Each connection is plated with gold to facilitate transfer and they are as follows...

1.)Digital out/Subwoofer and Center(analog)
Used to connect to a subwoofer and supply the signal for the center channel of a 5.1 speaker setup.


2.)Line in(analog)


3.)Microphone in(analog)


4.)Front out(analog)
Used to connect to speakers.


5.)Rear out(analog)
Used to connect to speakers.


6.)IEEE 1394
Creative calls this a SB1394 port, SB standing for Sound Blaster. Firewire(IEEE 1394) is a relatively new type of digital connection capable of speeds up to 400 mb/s. Creative's addition of this feature is definitely a bonus as it eliminates the need to buy an additional card if one port is enough for you.

Firewire connections are similar in their applications to USB ones. The important difference is the speed. IEEE 1394 allows you to transform data from devices such as MP3 players, external drives, and video capture devices much faster.

Details/specs


24-bit/100dB SNR
With the Audigy you can listen to music with very high definition. Because of its 24-bit digital to analog converters, there is virtually no static(assuming your speakers are not the cause of this.)

The 3d positioning is amazing. I was very happily suprised by its ability to create encompassing environments. For example, while watching the DVD of The Fellowship of the Ring. Because of the excellent positioning I was able to hear arrows fly past my ears with no recognizable crossover between speaker channels. The clashing of metal was completely believable and lifelike. There is something to be said about true high definition audio that can not be effectively put into words, you just have to hear it. Somewhere between the creation of completely 3d environments and of sound effects so vibrant and lifelike you forget they aren't real, you lose yourself in the experience. This is what true audio quality, clarity and positioning can do for your system.


Dolby Digital Decoding

Included in the Audigy is Dolby Digital decoding, which allows you to enjoy playback in 5.1 systems. This eliminates the need for a separate decoder.

Audio Clean-up

One of the features I especially appreciated in the Audigy was its audio clean-up. This works in a few different ways. "Click Removal", gets rid of pops or similar sudden and short annoying sounds while you are listening to digital content.

The other form of audio clean-up is called "Noise Reduction." This process reduces hissing sounds present in older recordings.

EAX Audio Effects

One piece of included software allows you to add audio presets and special effects to music. A few examples are changing the environment the sound is played in(concert hall, theatre, bathroom, etc.) and adding special effects such as changing the gender of a singer by adjusting the audio pitch.

SB1394 Compatiblity

As explained earlier, SB1394 is Creative's solution to Firewire connectivity. This is a very nice feature as they did not need to include it to sell the card, it is an added bonus. It is useful when transferring large amounts of data since it has a speed of 400 megabytes per second.

EAX Advanced HD

EAX benefits include, multi-environment technology and a much higher quality of sound. It helps to create an unsurpassed digital experience.


Installation

If you have ever opened your case, the installation should take a very short time. All thats necessary is to plug the card into an open pci port and screw it in. If you wish to use the Audigy's MIDI port you must free another port, place the MIDI bracket there and connect the two cards with a ribbon cable. Personally, I do not use the MIDI connection as my motherboard already has one.

Installing the software for the sound card does not take long either. An installer program will ask you which features you wish to install(besides the necessary drivers.)

Impressions on the Audio

This is by far the best sound card I have heard. Using it with my Klipsch 4.1 system I was not able to utilize the availibility for a center channel, but nevertheless the sound was incredible. Positioning was extremely accurate and crossover between channels was barely noticeable. Listening to my mp3 collection I was very suprised at the effect the audio clarity had. The music seemed to have another dimension(keep in mind I was upgrading from onboard sound with labtec speakers to the Audigy with Klipsch's.)

Watching DVDs and playing games was much more enjoyable. There was never any noticeable hiss or static in the sound. As I mentioned before, 3d placement was also very precise.



Problems
In addressing the possible issues with the Audigy I would first like to say that despite the apparent common problems people have had, I had none whatsoever. From installation to this day the sound card has worked perfectly. In case you are wondering, the test system was...

1.3Ghz Athlon
256mb DDR
40 gb fujitsu hd
ASUS a7v333 mobo
Klipsch Promedia 4.1 speakers

1.)Windows XP problems

Running XP home, I did not experience any of these but many users have reported having significant problems. When playing DVDS or running games, people have reported freezes, lockups and crashes accompanied by a high pitched squeeling noise eminating from the speakers. Infamously, this has been termed, "The Screech of Death."

Owners of Athlon systems with VIA chipsets may want to stay away from this card as it has compatibility issues with this setup. While with some upgrades and some BIOS tweaking you may be able to get around this, its probably not worth the hassle for owners with this system type.


Other than this issue I have not noticed any major flaws with the design or software of the Sound Blaster Audigy.


Ratings

Performance -{10}-Incredible, detailed sound. Great positioning, clarity and effects.

Installation -{9}-Very easy to do, simply plug in the card and connect the midi bracket if you wish to, install the software, and you are good to go.

Durability -{9}-Well made and a stylish card in its black coloring.

Value -{9}-A very good deal for an incredible card. Well worth shelling out the money.

My score -{10}-I loved and still do love this card. Great sound, features and price. Having good audio is such a wonderful thing. Highly recommended.



Conclusion

The Audigy is a high definition, high quality sound card capable of adding a new dimension to your audio experience. It has a very reasonable price and a large number of helpful features and capabilities. I definitely recommend it.

Good luck and happy comp building/upgrading/modding,

Link
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Detailed Card Specifications


Sound Blaster Audigy Audio Performance

-Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted) = 100 dB

-Crosstalk (Left/Right and vice versa) = -100 dB

-Total Harmonic Distortion Noise at 1kHz (A-Weighted) = 0.004 %

-Frequency Response at -3 dBr = 10 Hz to 22 kHz

32-bit Professional Quality Effects Engine

-Creative's Audigy patented effects processor

-Support for real-time digital effects like reverb, chorus, normalizer, pitch shifter, or distortion across any audio source

-Capable of processing, mixing, and positioning audio streams using up to 131 available hardware channels

-Full 32-bit digital mixer maintains all sound mixing in the digital domain, eliminating noise from the signal

-Customizable Plug-In Effects Architecture allows new audio effects to be downloaded from the Web via CreativeWare

High-Definition Audio Quality

-Playback of 64 audio channels, each with its own independent sample rate

-24-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion of analog inputs at
48kHz sample rate

-24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion of digital sources at 48kHz to analog 5.1 speaker output

-16-bit recording with sampling rates of 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, and 48kHz

-Supports Sony / Philips Digital Interface (SPDIF) format input signal of up to 24-bit/96kHz quality

-SPDIF output up to 24-bit resolution at selectable sampling rate of 44.1, 48, or 96kHz

-Low latency multi-track recording with ASIO support

EAX, ADVANCED HD, Advanced Audio and 3D Audio Technology

-Hardware acceleration of EAX ADVANCED HD for games

-User-selectable EAX ADVANCED HD music presets, pre-configurable DSP modes simulating various acoustic environments

-Advanced time-scaling

-Audio Cleanup

-Upgradeable 3D audio architecture for future improvements

-Dolby Digital audio decoding to 5.1 speaker channels in both analog and digital modes

-Optimized, user-selectable settings for two, four, or six speakers, headphones, and external A/V amplifiers

-Creative Multi Speaker Surround (CMSS) technology places any monaural or stereo source in a 360 degree audio space

SB1394 Connectivity

-High speed connection to IEEE 1394 enabled devices with up to 400Mbps transfer rate

-Hot-plug support for ease of connecting or disconnecting external devices

-Interconnection of up to 63 devices for peer-to-peer communication

-SB1394 Certification Program thoroughly tests and certifies participating vendors' 1394-enabled devices with Sound Blaster Audigy for optimal performance and ease of use

Realistic Wave-Table Synthesis

-Creative's Audigy music synthesis engine

-64-voice hardware polyphony with E-mu Systems, Inc.'s patented 8-point interpolation technology that reduces distortion to inaudible levels

-Uses SoundFont technology for user-definable wave-table sample sets

-Unlimited sample size can be loaded into host memory for professional music reproduction (limited to available system memory size)

-Scalable PCI wave-table synthesis architecture with multi-timbre capability

-48 MIDI channels with 128 GM & GS compatible instruments and 10 drum kits

MIDI Interface / Joystick Port

-Support for analog and digital or DirectInput game devices

-Support for two simultaneous MIDI devices with Sound Blaster Audigy drive (upgrade option)

Sound Blaster Audigy Gamer On-Board Connectors

-Analog / Digital Out (Analog Center & Subwoofer / 6-channel SPDIF Output)

-Line in

-Microphone in

-Line level out (Front) / Headphone out

-Line level out (Rear)

-SB1394 port

-Telephone Answering Device in

-Analog CD Audio in

-Digital CD Audio in

-Expansion header to an external 15-pin MIDI / Joystick port

-Internal SB1394 header to Sound Blaster Audigy drive (upgrade option)

-Expansion header to the Sound Blaster Audigy drive (upgrade option)

Works with the Following Standards

Windows XP, 98, 98SE, NT 4.0, 2000, and Me
Sound Blaster MIDI and General MIDI
Plug and Play
Sound Blaster PCI
EAX ADVANCED HD
EAX
Microsoft DirectSound, DirectSound3D, and derivatives
PCI 2.1 compliant
AC '97 compliant
Dolby Digital
ASIO




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 99