Review: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2
Feb. 11 -- Depending on whom you talk to, 7.1-channel audio is either the Holy Grail of immersive sound or the answer to a question nobody asked.
As is often the case with new technology, the truth is somewhere in between. But one thing is clear: For movie buffs and hard-core gamers sold on this technology, Creative Labs pushes the envelope with its stunning new 7.1-channel sound board and speakers.
A properly configured 5.1-channel system can create a smooth, stable front image, but relying on two channels to generate the rest of the sound field doesn't always result in a seamless audio circle, as front-to-back and rear right-to-left imaging can be tenuous. The 7.1 format addresses these concerns by adding a pair of side channels that help blend front and rear output.
With the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro and Creative GigaWorks S750, Creative Labs becomes the first company to complement a 7.1 board with matching speakers. Although almost no discrete 7.1-channel content exists (yet), the Audigy 2 ZS can render EAX-compatible game soundtracks as eight completely independent channels, and it can expand stereo, 5.1, and 6.1 source materials into virtual 7.1 content.
Stunning Features, Simple Setup
The THX-certified Audigy 2 ZS card boasts an enormous feature set that includes 24-bit, 192-kHz playback and 24-bit, 96-kHz recording capabilities, 6.1-channel Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES support, DVD-Audio playback, and the ability to record streaming Internet audio on the fly. It also supports Creative's jaw-dropping EAX 4.0 Advanced HD technology, which provides a broad range of digital effects and state-of-the-art game soundtrack-rendering capabilities.
We evaluated the top-of-the-line Platinum Pro version of the Audigy 2 ZS, which includes music production software from Steinberg and Image Line and a terrific external desktop module — an I/O box packed with analog and digital inputs and outputs, FireWire connectors, and front-mounted volume controls, as well as MIDI, headphone, and microphone jacks. Rounding out the bundle is a full-featured wireless remote.
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