akuhn's Full Review: Rio Diamond Monster Sound MX300
This card was good - two years ago.
I originally wrote this review a while ago. I just noticed epinions messed up and moved my review and a bunch of other peoples into the Diamond MX80 category. Can we say OOPS GUYS?! Anyhow, I am reposting my original review of this card below. Please read the original if you haven't. After the original I will be posting my views on this card as of 9/16/2000. You'll be amazed how my opinion can change ...
Original Review follows:
I recently got a new bare bones computer system. While moving parts over to the new system I realized some things such as the soundcard really needed an overhaul. I previously had a Generic Yamaha Chipset SB16 compatible card in my system. It got the job done is about all I'd say about it. A few months earlier I had purchased new speakers - and noticed how absolutely horrid the soundcard really was.
Wanting something modern (PCI = good, ISA = bad) I decided to get the Diamond MX300 card. I had been to a friends house and heard his Soundblaster Live and was convinced I needed a new card. However.. The SB Live was really costly when I looked into it. I searched around on the Internet, read some reviews and came across the MX300. Hm, Aureal 3D chipset, front/rear speaker output, AC-3 support? Yeah, this will do alright I thought. And even cooler was the price I got this at, around $55 for a OEM Version of the card.
So the MX300 shows up in the mail. While I highly doubt the look of your expansion cards really matters it looks really nice. Black backplate with clearly labeled speaker jacks. I put it in my computer and booted up Windows. Hmm.. an odd driver installation method. This doesn't seem to be working as planned. Well, 15 minutes later it worked. And boy, was I super impressed.
I loaded up some of my games I was quite used too. Wow, impressive sound quality and clarity. So I loaded up some Audio CD's and MP3s - absolutely amazing. I literally hear things in songs I didn't know were there before simply because the frequency response on this card is so good. I haven't had a real chance to test the A3D features of the card a lot, but it sounds reasonably impressive through my speakers (use headphones for best effect I've read.. I have no headphones that can reach the back of my PC though).
It's been about 3 months I've had this card in my computer. I am extremely satisifed with my purchase. The included software is nothing special - a pretty bad "media player" type application and a properties control panel application which could have used some more bells and whistles. While it lacks some of the "Gee Whiz" features on the SB Live (most noticably I thought the SB Lives drivers/taskbar interface were quite nice) this card certainly performs on par if not surpassing the SB Live. If you have an old ISA card in your machine like I had, and want good sound at a good price - I highly suggest this card.
Update 9/16/2000:
You know, I don't know how to put this nicely but well, Diamond, you guys are really awful. Diamond Multimedia has released no new drivers for this card since I bought it. The chipset maker, Aureal (the chipset in a soundcard can be compared to the CPU in a computer for those of you who don't know) went bankrupt. Can you imagine if you just bought a new computer and Intel or AMD went bankrupt? Nonthless to say, I am not pleased at all! Diamond seems to have abandoned all support for this soundcard. What's even funnier, even in BANKRUPTCY Aureal continues to produce better drivers for this soundcard then Diamond! If you own one of these cards goto http://support.aureal.com and download the "Reference Drivers". They are lightyears ahead of Diamond's bad drivers.
Two new developments have come out in the world since I first wrote this. Windows 2000, and Windows ME. Diamond "officially" supports the soundcard in these OS' via - you guessed it, the Aureal Reference drivers. I installed the reference drivers and I am being treated to supreme audio quality and a slick set of utilities. And oh, how funny, Aureal's drivers support EAX extensions and Diamond's don't ..
I cannot recommend this card at ALL to anyone anymore. These cards are being practically GIVEN away on Ebay for $14 each. Go get yourself a Soundblaster Live Value, there is no other choice.
I will never be purchasing a Diamond ... err S3 (yeah I forgot to mention, Diamond got bought out too.. they seem to be phasing out the audio card market at S3 I guess...) product again. I am extremely dissapointed in Diamond's ability to provide up to date drivers for this card. I was going to buy a SB Live, but picked the MX300 to save myself $15. Man, was that a mistake.
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